If you don’t live with me, you wouldn’t know that I’ve been pretty messed up lately by allergies. This year has been a particularly bad year, and I’ve been pretty much taken out by hay fever and sinus problems.
So I broke down and went to an allergist and they put me on:
- prednisone
- allegra-d
- patanol
- mometasone
And I have to say – man these are awesome. Less than two hours after my first dosages I feel normal again. No side effects (yet).
Anyway, just wanted to give props to allergy meds. They do actually make a big difference to a lot of people.
(allergy) Drugs are great!
morgamic 
And who made you go to the allergist?? 🙂 Glad you’re feeling better!!
I don’t know — someone amazing I guess!
Something leads me to believe that those allergy medications make the situation worse. I could be wrong, but I try to keep away from chemical compunds put out by the health “care” industry. It’s all part of keeping you a paying customer again and again.
I don’t know how much you drink soda, eat junk food, Mc Donalds, etc. but if you have somewhat a natural diet or take vitamins, chances are you could alleviate the allergies naturally. Then again, it may be too late. Go downtown to Stoker’s Vita World and talk to Stoker. He may have an answer.
I don’t necessarily agree with that — kind of depends. I was very reluctant to go in because I’m usually very healthy but this has been a particularly shitty season for allergies (everyone I know can attest to that) so I’ve had some real problems combining grass, pollen, cats, dust, etc.
But having gone in, I’m happy I did. So no, it’s not holistic medicine or anything and it does come from labs, etc., but in this case science wins — in the short term.
In the long term I ask — at what cost? I’m not sure. I’m certain I won’t be taking this crap the rest of my life — just in bad months if I _really_ need it.
I’ve been eating pretty well, actually, Jaime has made me eat better. 🙂 It just all started when I was working from home. The drugs help get my feet back on the ground as I adjust.
Anyway, I don’t necessarily feel like a sellout because I got some antihistamines. In the drug world, they aren’t that evil to me. There are far worse drugs with far worse side-effects.
On the other hand, if there is a better alternative for my body (and my wallet/conscience) I’m all for it. I’ll head downtown and see what I can find. 🙂 Thanks for the tip!
Also, I should add that some people just have asthma (like Jaime), which, while super sexy, can be debilitating without medication. So there is a place for these drugs, even if they are marketed and distributed questionably.
When it comes to that, I kind of look at the system as the culprit, not the sickness or condition of the patient. I don’t feel that the drugs themselves are intrinsically evil or wrong.
Asthma is SO sexy 🙂 Haha…especially the whole going to the emergency room part! Love those late night doctor’s visits. I agree with you – I do think that certain drugs are not only helpful, they are completely necessary for many people. Take for instance insulin for people with diabetes mellitus or my wonderful albuterol! I’d of course be completely hypocritical if I didn’t think that, being that I’m a full-fledged dependent of the pharmaceutical industry as well as a big supporter of modern drug development and research. I am also a believer in non-drug related forms of medicine, however, I feel like I have at least a basic understanding of the pathophysiology behind allergies, and in some cases, there is no other way to alleviate symptoms (and in some cases save lives) other than drugs and/or immunotherapy (allergy shots – and some allergies will not even respond to those). So I really do think as you said that it’s kind of a case-by-case thing – we really have to be careful about making blanket statements about anything health related – because we are all different. 🙂
I don’t know… I’m not Mr. Healthy Pants, but I believe in natural healing wholeheartedly. Mind over matter as well. When it’s “Alllergy season” for some, I intentionally breathe in the air and natural resin, believing it will help me breathe clearer. It does. This is out of town in the deeper forest areas, but it really makes me feel better.
I also have an inherent determination to steer clear of the allergies from plant matter. That includes avoiding those over-the-counter and prescription drugs. IF the plant or weed grows in the earth, so do I, therefore we work together. I can achieve this with just about everything but mosquitoes. Damn things.
That’s cool. Honestly I haven’t given it a try but like I said — if it’s a viable alternative for me and I find that it works then I’d rather go with something natural. 🙂