British Expatriate Network

Ok...so I take a Claritin everyday already. And I use Rhinocort. But lately I've been sneezing all the time. Now I permanently have a Halls sweet in my mouth which must be irritating everyone I speak to. I'm hoping someone can give me some good non-pharmaceutical suggestions on things to try out. Annie sounds like the woman I need for this!

Anyone got any suggestions?

Bungle it's the change of season, everyone starts sneezing.
 Firstly though you need to work out what it is you're allergic to. Could be something daft like a change of fabric softner or washing powder. Could be dairy, most people with breathing probs don't do dairy well.
 Claritin I tried once, thought my lungs had gone over to the other side. Dreadful stuff for me.
 If you're all stuffed up cut out dairy for a few days see if anything changes.

There are various bodywork moves that help. Sit at a table, look to your left, the main lymphatic drainage area on the right will be really obvious, sticks out, runs up to just below the ear. Begin at the bottom of the neck  and slowly work your way up the area using a milking motion and pull downwards. If you have any problem swallowing during this process you have a sluggish lymphatic system, ie too much mucus. Cut dairy and do process daily. Do both sides. They should be soft and fluid and have the consistency of well cooked lentils. Mushy. Any nobbles and it's definitely lymphatic and something you're ingesting, probably dairy.

Other than that i don't know, being a major share holder, well I should be the amount I use, of Halls Menthol.  You could try Vicks on the chest at night, or Vicks in hot water with a towel over your head, but I'm under the impression that Claritin dries up stuff. So you could try breathing, really old fashioned Buddha belly breathing.
 The other things that can really annoy the system are the new fragrance thingies. They're all synthetic and even the most blocked up nose reacts badly to synthetics.
Sorry, not much help, can you get to the seaside, that always works for me. A wee bit of fresh sea air leaves your tubes all clean and tingly.
 Hope you feel better soon.  Oh and check your car air freshner.  Small enclosed space those things can be lethal.


Just had a thought with my second cup of coffee, try CoQ10. here's a link that explains the function, and if you're taking any statins for your cholesterol level these are a must. We use Q-absorb from Jarrow, bloody wonderful stuff.

http//www.bodybuildingforyou.com/health-supplements/coenzyme-q10-benefits.htm

Awesome stuff. Thanks so much - but no dairy!! That means no chocolate! shock

I'll tell you if I get any better.

Don't be silly, get the Lindt dark chocolate with some humungus amount of cocoa in it. That's then brain food, a mood elevator and not dairy. Well, that's what I tell myself. Mind if you don't like dark chocolate , you're screwed. Sorry. mrgreen

If George Bush had accused Saddam of hoarding dark chocolate in Iraq I'd have gone there myself.

I'm off to the shop...

grin

you have a cold.

It's that funny snuff you've been sniffing.

in which case go to bed with a good book, or someone who's read one. :grin:

I take clarinexX everyday.
Its better and stronger then just clarinex which i used to take until my allergies got inmune to it and the doctor prescriped a stronger dose .

I take so many pills everyday ( all prescriped ) im sure if you picked me up and shock me id rattle

My doc just prescribed Zyrtec to me for this immune system rash I'm getting but he swears by it for allergies. shrugs

Sounds like a cold.

Either way, ditch the Halls, they're a habit and become less effective with use. Plus they stink and fuck up your sense of taste worse than the symptoms you're trying to cure. Try a decongestant like pseudophedrine (or whatever it's called over here). I'd also suggest ditching the Rhinocort -nasal sprays always make me sneeze a lot and my doc said that's not uncommon -they can be more of a problem than a cure for people with sensitive nasal passages.

Totally agree with Monster on this. If you have a sensitive nose, get a saline nasal spray for the removal of pollen. Highly recommended by allergy doctors before any other type of nose spray.

I also agree that it is a cold - however, if you find that it doesn't clear up and you are convinced it is allergies, then get a prescription for Allegra. The best on the market - and that isn't just here, that is the UK too! My dad was just put on a 'new' allergy medicine that the doctors swear by in the UK, that is a great breakthrough for allergy sufferers. He ran out of the stuff while he was here, so we checked to see what the equivalent was over here - low and behold it was the same stuff our eldest was taking and had been taking for a few years. Allegra.

Emellbee - our youngest was given Zyrtec for his allergies (all in his nose when it starts and he can't stop sneezing which gives him nose bleeds) and it works wonders. It is supposed to be the most well rounded allergy medicine. For some reason, though, it never worked with the eldest. Only allegra D works for him and even then he still need more than that in the spring, poor kid.

Neither Allegra or Zyrtec work for me. I'm a loritadine (Clarytin) person.

When do we get to compare haemorrhoid treatments? lol

Phil's one of them too :lol:

















Now you got to guess which bit I'm talking about :lol:

I have a question for all you allergy sufferers...did you have allergies in the UK?

The reason I ask is that I knew one person with hayfever in the UK my whole life...I came to the USA and every other person has them (and of course there is the whole every other commercial for allergy medicine thing too).

Just wondered if it is the USA...

I am lucky I don't suffer from any allergies but I've seen what they did to my ma-in-law...and other members of the family so you have my sympathy.

Sarah