Allergies Anyone?

[txr]

Rode Horne today and as I enjoyed the ride I have to say I hated the drive home. I must have sneezed at least a half dozen times on the way home. WOW! Is allergy season starting early? My sinuses were just burning. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this and what do you take to combat it?

Tom

[brianW]

I think it's that time of year. The last few days I have been very congested and sneezing up a storm and my eyes are burning. Just got back from Wally-World getting meds.

[Mark Y]

Feb 21, 2010 16:06:27 GMT -5 txr said:

Rode Horne today and as I enjoyed the ride I have to say I hated the drive home. I must have sneezed at least a half dozen times on the way home. WOW! Is allergy season starting early? My sinuses were just burning. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this and what do you take to combat it?

Tom

Antihistimines. Chlortrimeton is an oldies but goodie that is cheap.

[ted]

Claritin (or actually the generic version due to half the cost). My symptoms aren't severe, just bad enough to make me mad at night cuz I can't sleep due to stuffy nose, itching/watery eyes, and sneezing.

[azdrawdy]

I give myself two allergy shots (one on each arm) every Monday.

My allergies are honestly off the charts. Been doing this for years.

MD

[dsquaredmsquared]

The doctor lets you do it at home?

Every other week I have to haul over to the allergy clinic for my 2 shots in each arm (4 vials total). The first 6 years down here were fine and then, in the 7th year,...bam! Oh yeah, the Rx Allegra helps too.

[ehscott]

Letting patients give themselves their allergy shots at home is somewhat controversial. Some doctors do it, some don't. The issue is that there have been cases (rarely) where somebody had a severe, even fatal, reaction to their allergy serum even after they had been on it for many years. For that reason, some doctors insist that the shots be given in a place where there are personnel who know how to respond in the event of a severe reaction.
I am not saying that either way is right or wrong, that is up to the patient and their physician. If the patient accepts the risk, which is minimal but real, then I think it is okay.

[dsquaredmsquared]

You learn something new every day, thanks.

[azdrawdy]

You have to have an EpiPen handy, and yes, I have had one of those "Uh Oh! Can't breathe now" moments after getting the injections.

That was frightening.

MD

[dgaddis1]

For anyone who has an EpiPen please be sure you know how to use it - know which end the needle comes out of. My grandmother is highly alergic to bees, last summer she thought she got stung, freaked out, jammed the EpiPen into her thigh. She had never used it before, and hadn't taken a close look at it. She had it upside down. The needle went all the way thru her thumb and squirted the medicine into the air.

2 problems with that
-it hurts like hell
-she got no medicine

luckily, she didn't actually get stung. If she had, she might have died.

[imnav8r]

Very good point DG. The EpiPen has a safety cap on one end (flat end). This cap serves to prevent accidental compression of the pen and should only be removed just prior to injection.

The black rounded end is what should be thrust against a thigh and held for 10 seconds to inject the serum. This is the end where the needle is located.

Go here to learn how to use an EpiPen: www.epipen.com/page/how-to-use-epipen-auto-injector-index

One important note...if you have an EpiPen always remember to take it with you when you ride just in case you need it. Just tuck it in your jersey pocket ot camelbak pocket. Don't leave it in your car in the parking lot where it can't do you any good. And always remember to call 911 after you use it to get medical help as quickly as possible.

Be safe!

[seenvic]

I used to get allergy shots as a kid. I had a reaction once, and the shot they gave me to counteract the reaction was weird. I could literally feel it moving thru my body and calming the reaction down as it went.

I've never forgotten that.

[ted]

I'm also highly allergic to poison ivy/oak/sumac. In fact, I had to get Long Cane Trails to pay for a doctors visit and some Roids while finishing FATS. (And I'm still 'Rhoid Buffing today according to this forum)
I wind up getting a shot every 3 years. I sometimes got it growing up, but nothing like now. This is the reason I've got to do all my trail work in the winter.
The doctor gives me Allegra to help combat it during the summer.

[money]

Feb 25, 2010 12:28:06 GMT -5 ted said:

I'm also highly allergic to poison ivy/oak/sumac. In fact, I had to get Long Cane Trails to pay for a doctors visit and some Roids while finishing FATS. (And I'm still 'Rhoid Buffing today according to this forum)

I feel your pain on the poison ivy. The last 2 times I have had it, I had to take roids to get rid of it.

[txr]

YIKES !!!! Money...dang man that is a nasty case there. Wow, glad I saw that after I ate something ;D Let me see if I remember that old saying.....leaves of 4 look some more...leaves of 3 LEAVE IT BE !! Sorry to see you are that allergic the leaves, I can not imagine if I looked down and saw that .

Tom

[money]

That was from the canal trail! We grow some strange stuff along that river!

Got that on my first ever ride with clip in pedals which happened to be at night. My light went out on our third and final lap about halfway through. I had to stay on ehscott's back tire the rest of the way. When he would stop, i could not react fast enough. Needless to say I was falling quite a bit. The topper is once back at the Savannah rapids pavilion, I feel in the parking lot in front of a Columbia County sheriffs deputy. very embarrassing.

[imnav8r]

No shame in that my friend!