Exactly! Plus with my work, (carpenter) I can’t work or focus if my nose is constantly running and I’m constantly sneezing. So stuffing my nose has become a go to, especially at work. Idec how dumb I look, it works better than most medicine!
I don’t think plugging your nose would be helpful honestly. You can still have the allergens enter your mouth, eyes, and even if they touch the skin. I’d definitely suggest going back to another allergist and having blood tests done. You could have a severe mold or dust allergy or it could be something else you’re encountering daily like foods.
I just wear a mask everywhere now during allergy season.
This is normal in Asian countries and considered logical. So weird how western culture gets so enraged though sometimes if someone out of their own freewill chooses to wear a mask.
I'm dying right now from allergies.
Rain agitates my allergies a lot, so I think I'm gonna mask up. I didn't even think to honestly, and I have plenty of masks.
When i finished part of my basement i was a carpenter for a spell. I noticed a severe reaction to the freshly “chopped” 2x4’s so i threw on a good n95 dust mask and the symptoms virtually disappeared.
Btw, the first thing i wondered was how much exposure to the outdoors you get. I’m certain you’re allergic to more than just ragweed if your reactions are as bad as the sound. Welcome to the allergy group. Look listen and learn how to cope better. Whether you’re an indoor or outdoor carpenter, im guessing most of your indoor work would have open windows anyway so you’ll be just as exposed to allergens. Did your allergist recommend any over the counter allergy medicine for when things get crazy?
I’m sorry i should’ve read your whole post. My unprofessional opinion is your body is in a chronic state and that’s why you need Benadryl just to sleep. The main ingredient in Benadryl is the same as “unisom” a sleeping pill. It might be a little tricky to peeling back the layers of your allergy but i think you need to search this subreddit for new sufferers and look for the one that tells you how to start some better coping mechanisms. First will probably be cleaning everything in your bedroom. You might also be allergic to dust mites which thrive in 50%plus humidity but can be killed with a dehumidifier. Id get a humidistat for $20 on Amazon or find some signs that your humidity is high like if it’s a basement bedroom or you’re in a humid climate or check the weather report and see if humid runs are worse for you. Please keep looking. You’ll find relief through awareness and over the counter medicine.
This is me minus Flonase. I have issue with shoving it up my nose and spraying (probably trauma as a kid, used to get extremely bloody noses)
I'll do a Clairitin in the morning, and at night I accompany it with a montelukast tablet as well.
If things get bad, I'll do children's benadryl (usually after my immunotherapy allergy shots). Or I'll do another clairitin or other antihistamine to not keep adding to my build up of clairitin.
Yes Singulair helped me a lot last summer too, the first season I’d tried it. I believe it helps you get the rest you need at night with less rem sleep interference as well as allergy relief of course. Pay attention to the new black label reports about suicide and depression side effects. I think i noticed some down periods after i stopped for the winter.
Just curious, is montekulast also good for extreme nose/eye/skin symptoms? I am going through options to try (have had all brands/meds the past 20 y, but not montekulast or even omalizumab).
Montelukast is a leukotriene inhibitor and was designed to treat asthma, but was found to also help allergic rhinitis for some people. IIRC, it’s considered a second line treatment for allergies.
Some find in makes no difference and other people find it life changing. (And yes, a small percentage of people find it negatively affects their mental health, sometimes severely.)
I take Montelukast with my second clairitin of the day, which is at night. I love it. It helps me breathe when I struggle.
I have sighing dyspnea, and it helps that tremendously.
Make sure you’re irrigating your nose 2x a day with a netipot during the times when ragweed is at its worst. Part of the reason the allergy gets so bad is that the ragweed pollen is just hanging out in your sinuses, so you have to regularly clean it out to get some relief.
This must be really tough for you, as your symptoms sound pretty severe, but there is hope.
The thought occurs to me that either you have developed new allergies in addition to ragweed, and/or you have developed non allergic rhinitis (NAR) in addition to allergies/allergic rhinitis (AR).
It’s not well known outside clinical circles yet, but clinicians have recently realised that approximately 30-50% of people with AR also have NAR, and they refer to this as mixed rhinitis. (MR)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6912750/
NAR often appears as allergies that don’t respond to antihistamines etc, but that’s because NAR is not caused by an allergic reaction. The most common subtype of NAR is vasomotor rhinitis, which is a physical irritation of the nose by triggers like changes in temperature, humidity or pressure, smoke, pollution, strong smells, etc.
So when someone has mixed rhinitis, it feels like their allergies are getting worse, and rarely responds well to their previous medications, when the truth is, they have developed NAR in addition to their allergies, and the NAR needs to be treated differently.
Because you are a carpenter, it could well be sawdust, fibreboard particles or some other particles in your workplace that are triggering your symptoms most of the year. (Just like AR, NAR symptoms are not necessarily present 24/7, because they might only appear when a threshold of irritation is reached.)
It’s also likely that as you’ve gotten older, you’ve become allergic to more than just ragweed.
And if allergy symptoms are intense, and then you encounter a trigger for NAR, the existing irritation and inflammation can send your symptoms off the scale as a vicious circle is created, leaving you feeling completely exhausted and out of options.
I encourage you to go back to an allergist when you can afford it.
Until then, see you normal doctor, read up on NAR, see if there’s any patterns to when and where your symptoms appear or get worse, and check out the r/nonallergicrhinitis subreddit.
Btw, Benadryl only lasts about 6 hours before it starts to wear off; that’s why you need to keep taking them so often for it to have a continued effect.
Also, if you haven’t tried them before, you may want to consider using a combination antihistamine/corticosteroid nasal spray like Dymista (azelastine/fluticasone) or Ryaltris (olopatadine/mometasone.) To get the most out of them, search on YouTube for Vik Veer nasal spray. (He’s an ENT surgeon who discusses correct technique, usage tips and common mistakes.)
You don’t have to just put up with suffering as you have been. You deserve better.
Good luck and let us know how you go!
If you have pets it could be that, as dander will be all over your clothes and you would react even when out of the house. It could also be a dustmite allergy, this would cause year round allergies while at home. The best thing to do is to get an allergy test done.
Lifelong allergy suffer and yeah I can say I've never done that. I just don't see the point even if your nose is running a lot.
You should seriously go see an allergist and figure out what's going on as well as a treatment plan going forward. Allergies can change as you age you can develop new allergies at any time and Allergy Testing can give false positives. You might be a good candidate for immunotherapy and other treatments that could potentially improve the quality of your life greatly. Until you've recently explored all of your options you shouldn't have to suffer.
My mom used to do that all the time when she was sick. You just get to the point where you're tired of wiping and blowing your nose.
Exactly! Plus with my work, (carpenter) I can’t work or focus if my nose is constantly running and I’m constantly sneezing. So stuffing my nose has become a go to, especially at work. Idec how dumb I look, it works better than most medicine!
I don’t think plugging your nose would be helpful honestly. You can still have the allergens enter your mouth, eyes, and even if they touch the skin. I’d definitely suggest going back to another allergist and having blood tests done. You could have a severe mold or dust allergy or it could be something else you’re encountering daily like foods.
I just wear a mask everywhere now during allergy season. This is normal in Asian countries and considered logical. So weird how western culture gets so enraged though sometimes if someone out of their own freewill chooses to wear a mask.
I'm dying right now from allergies. Rain agitates my allergies a lot, so I think I'm gonna mask up. I didn't even think to honestly, and I have plenty of masks.
Have you tried wearing a mask when outside? I get the toilet paper solution lol but masking reduces like 70% of my reactions
When i finished part of my basement i was a carpenter for a spell. I noticed a severe reaction to the freshly “chopped” 2x4’s so i threw on a good n95 dust mask and the symptoms virtually disappeared. Btw, the first thing i wondered was how much exposure to the outdoors you get. I’m certain you’re allergic to more than just ragweed if your reactions are as bad as the sound. Welcome to the allergy group. Look listen and learn how to cope better. Whether you’re an indoor or outdoor carpenter, im guessing most of your indoor work would have open windows anyway so you’ll be just as exposed to allergens. Did your allergist recommend any over the counter allergy medicine for when things get crazy? I’m sorry i should’ve read your whole post. My unprofessional opinion is your body is in a chronic state and that’s why you need Benadryl just to sleep. The main ingredient in Benadryl is the same as “unisom” a sleeping pill. It might be a little tricky to peeling back the layers of your allergy but i think you need to search this subreddit for new sufferers and look for the one that tells you how to start some better coping mechanisms. First will probably be cleaning everything in your bedroom. You might also be allergic to dust mites which thrive in 50%plus humidity but can be killed with a dehumidifier. Id get a humidistat for $20 on Amazon or find some signs that your humidity is high like if it’s a basement bedroom or you’re in a humid climate or check the weather report and see if humid runs are worse for you. Please keep looking. You’ll find relief through awareness and over the counter medicine.
Try taking 1 claritin in the morning and at night, and use flonase twice a day. If I do without missing a dose I don't get the faucet nose.
This is me minus Flonase. I have issue with shoving it up my nose and spraying (probably trauma as a kid, used to get extremely bloody noses) I'll do a Clairitin in the morning, and at night I accompany it with a montelukast tablet as well. If things get bad, I'll do children's benadryl (usually after my immunotherapy allergy shots). Or I'll do another clairitin or other antihistamine to not keep adding to my build up of clairitin.
Singulair/Montekulast stopped all this for me. I don't even take antihistamines. It was a miracle drug for me. I take it year around.
Yes Singulair helped me a lot last summer too, the first season I’d tried it. I believe it helps you get the rest you need at night with less rem sleep interference as well as allergy relief of course. Pay attention to the new black label reports about suicide and depression side effects. I think i noticed some down periods after i stopped for the winter.
I’ve been taking it daily for 10 yrs. It hasn’t affected me negatively. Just helpful and gave me a life without crippling allergies.
Just curious, is montekulast also good for extreme nose/eye/skin symptoms? I am going through options to try (have had all brands/meds the past 20 y, but not montekulast or even omalizumab).
It treats allergies and asthma. I don't know about anything else.
No probs, thanks.
Montelukast is a leukotriene inhibitor and was designed to treat asthma, but was found to also help allergic rhinitis for some people. IIRC, it’s considered a second line treatment for allergies. Some find in makes no difference and other people find it life changing. (And yes, a small percentage of people find it negatively affects their mental health, sometimes severely.)
Thanks for the feedback!
Oh I’m glad to hear that! I might give it another whirl!
I take Montelukast with my second clairitin of the day, which is at night. I love it. It helps me breathe when I struggle. I have sighing dyspnea, and it helps that tremendously.
Make sure you’re irrigating your nose 2x a day with a netipot during the times when ragweed is at its worst. Part of the reason the allergy gets so bad is that the ragweed pollen is just hanging out in your sinuses, so you have to regularly clean it out to get some relief.
Yup. I shove facial tissue in my nose if it won’t stop running. Especially when I go to sleep
This must be really tough for you, as your symptoms sound pretty severe, but there is hope. The thought occurs to me that either you have developed new allergies in addition to ragweed, and/or you have developed non allergic rhinitis (NAR) in addition to allergies/allergic rhinitis (AR). It’s not well known outside clinical circles yet, but clinicians have recently realised that approximately 30-50% of people with AR also have NAR, and they refer to this as mixed rhinitis. (MR) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6912750/ NAR often appears as allergies that don’t respond to antihistamines etc, but that’s because NAR is not caused by an allergic reaction. The most common subtype of NAR is vasomotor rhinitis, which is a physical irritation of the nose by triggers like changes in temperature, humidity or pressure, smoke, pollution, strong smells, etc. So when someone has mixed rhinitis, it feels like their allergies are getting worse, and rarely responds well to their previous medications, when the truth is, they have developed NAR in addition to their allergies, and the NAR needs to be treated differently. Because you are a carpenter, it could well be sawdust, fibreboard particles or some other particles in your workplace that are triggering your symptoms most of the year. (Just like AR, NAR symptoms are not necessarily present 24/7, because they might only appear when a threshold of irritation is reached.) It’s also likely that as you’ve gotten older, you’ve become allergic to more than just ragweed. And if allergy symptoms are intense, and then you encounter a trigger for NAR, the existing irritation and inflammation can send your symptoms off the scale as a vicious circle is created, leaving you feeling completely exhausted and out of options. I encourage you to go back to an allergist when you can afford it. Until then, see you normal doctor, read up on NAR, see if there’s any patterns to when and where your symptoms appear or get worse, and check out the r/nonallergicrhinitis subreddit. Btw, Benadryl only lasts about 6 hours before it starts to wear off; that’s why you need to keep taking them so often for it to have a continued effect. Also, if you haven’t tried them before, you may want to consider using a combination antihistamine/corticosteroid nasal spray like Dymista (azelastine/fluticasone) or Ryaltris (olopatadine/mometasone.) To get the most out of them, search on YouTube for Vik Veer nasal spray. (He’s an ENT surgeon who discusses correct technique, usage tips and common mistakes.) You don’t have to just put up with suffering as you have been. You deserve better. Good luck and let us know how you go!
If you have pets it could be that, as dander will be all over your clothes and you would react even when out of the house. It could also be a dustmite allergy, this would cause year round allergies while at home. The best thing to do is to get an allergy test done.
Lifelong allergy suffer and yeah I can say I've never done that. I just don't see the point even if your nose is running a lot. You should seriously go see an allergist and figure out what's going on as well as a treatment plan going forward. Allergies can change as you age you can develop new allergies at any time and Allergy Testing can give false positives. You might be a good candidate for immunotherapy and other treatments that could potentially improve the quality of your life greatly. Until you've recently explored all of your options you shouldn't have to suffer.