Allergy Info

Hi R.,

Have you tried natural remedies? Go to your local health food store and ask for homeopathic remedies for allergies. Another thing is to eat about a teaspoon or two of LOCAL honey every day. YOu can get this at your health food store as well. This will help your body learn to not have an allergic reaction to the local pollens - but it take a little time to show a difference.

Hope this helps,
E.

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Fish oil, Fish oil, Fish oil. A medicinal dose of liquid fish oil (double the dosage on the bottle). My kids used to do shots once a week until I learned all my doctor and Rainbow Blossom (health food/alternative medicine) could teach me. So my then 7 yr old and at the time almost two year old discontinued the shots. I don't mind the allergen in the shots, but they add phenol to it and my children are ALLERGIc to that. Phenol is a tar derivative added to shots as a preservative. Who wants that?

My doc and people at Rainbow educated me to immune boosting with fish oil, probiotic, elderberry, and echinacea. Also, we changed the way we eat. If we eat processed food, like cookies,snacks for lunches, bread and more, we eat organic. We try to eat whole foods locally grown. I go to the Farmer's Market and joined a CSA last summer. The more you know who, what, and where your food comes from the healthier you will feel. My kids were 98% in tree and dust mites. They get stuffed up a little in the Spring I keep their nose constantly washed with saline. A great way to keep the allergens at bay. You also may want to try eating locally grown honey (the bees pollinate the stuff you are allergic to).

Good luck!

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There is a natural alternative to those pesky allergy shots. I have horrible seasonal allergies and have not taken an allergy pill or shots in over a year. My friend Carri introduced me to this isotonix form of OPC3 and it has done wonders you can get more information at

http://www.marketamerica.com/C./index.cfm?action=shopping...

It has so many awesome health benefits from being an anti-inflammatory and natural anti- histamine(this is what helps allergies) to heart health.
C. Howard
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I also spent years dealing with my allergies with no medicines really helping much at all. My allergies are grass, some trees and ragweed. I had allergy testing about a year and a half ago and began the allergy shots. They have worked a wonder for me. I went through last allergy season with almost no allergy effects at all just a couple stuffy days here and there on the very high pollen days, but even then, it wasn't even really bad enough to take anything for it. I am so glad i went ahead with the shots, those of us who suffer severe allergies know what a difference it makes to be able to walk outside and not have to worry about what's blooming at that time to cause us trouble. I would recommend them to anyone, and because of where they put them in your arm they are not painful at all. Alot of times, depending on who gives me the shot, I barely feel it at all.

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I met an awesome naturopathic doctor and my womens networking event last night that could possibly help. Her name is Crystal Abernathy and you can check out her website at www.abernathynd.com. If you do decide to use her, please let her know that T. Dayton with Dove Chocolate Discoveries referred you to her.

T.

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My daughter who is 11 yrs old started having recurrent sinus infections with fever around the 2-3 grade. They were so bad that she needed antibiotics approx every 3 months.

Not seeing an end to it, our pediatrician recommended a local allery group (Allergy and Asthma Care in Memphis) and I had her tested. Turns out she is allergic to literally everything except animals. So we started the weekly shots about a year ago now.

It took about 6 months before I could start to tell a difference but now I can definitely tell! She has not had to take her daily preventative meds (Versmyst and Xyzal) since November and she has not had a sinus infection for about 6-9 months.

She will still catch the occasional virus but it doesn't turn into a severe sinus infection---YEAH!!

We are definitely going to keep the shots up as long as it takes! That could be a couple of years but if that means no more daily prescript. meds, no more sick days and no more heavy duty antibiotics then it is worth it!!!!

Our insurance also covers all of it except for whatever annual decuctible we have to meet per person....not a bad deal at all!

We have really enjoyed the Allergy group--they are nice, have several locations and try to accomodate by being open different days and hours for those that take shots.

There are also several realatives in my family and my husband's family that have taken allergy shots over the years and they have also worked extremely well for them too!

Good Luck and hope you get some relief!!

I did allergy shots 2X a week for a year and then I quit it wasnt worth my time and money. They did not help. I discivered saline sinus rinses using the neti pot and it works great. If I know I'll be outside a lot that day I will still take a clairton but I have not had a sinus infection since I started the rinses in January 2008 (or even a head cold as it flushed out virus too). I have also heard local honey can work but I havnt tried it yet.

R.: i used to have severe allergies from the time I was about 11 or 12 until I got married. Back then no one knew wht the problem was. My eyes would swell so big I thought they would bug out. Finally after I got married I said enough and got tested. It was a miracle I have been pretty much allergy free ever since. I took the shots for about 3 or 4 years and then I stopped. I still have problems but nothing that over the counter meds cant handle. Go for it. It will change your life. My shots took probalb y about a month to kick in.
G.

I took the shots for 3 years and still have to take Zyrtec on a daily basis and deal with sinus infection 2-3 times a year. Honestly I really dont believe they do anything. Good Luck!

Before you go through with the shots, you might try something else. Often we have multiple allergies and one thing seems to push us over the edge. My sinus problems, as well as my mother's, disappeared when we eliminated corn from our diets. Start reading the labels. Corn is in everything--high fructose corn syrup, etc. Also, when it says ascorbic acid, that comes from corn.

I'm sure the weeds bother you. But if you have a secondary problem with corn, something the tests didn't pick up (and that can happen), then eliminating that could help you deal with the weeds. Try it for about 5 days and see if it makes a difference. If not, you can still go get the shots.

I was having several sinus infections a year, then ear infections from backup in the tubes. I went to an allergist, weeds, trees, dogs are my culprits. I decided against allergy shots. I use Zyrtec (OTC now) and Flonase every night before I go to bed. I can actually breathe in the mornings when I get up. Also I make sure I take a long steamy shower and get my nose really loosened up regularly.
A water soaked washcloth can help if you can't bear to use a netti pot (I can't). The allergist recommends using a cup of water with a little salt to rinse.

I have had allergies for much of my life. I have been on allergy shots for about 5 years and they really help. It is not instant. It takes a while (months to years) to build up in your system but I feel better and rarely have the headaches and bronchitis/ear infections I used to. In addition to the shots, I suggest you also take an antihistimine during high pollen times, and use nasal spray as well. These two really help.

An alternative or supplement is the use of a saline rinse. You flush you nose and throat with a saltwater solution. You can get this at drugstores. I do this occasionally, but don't use enough to realize true benefit.

I did the shots for years. They never helped me at all but I'm just one person. I just wanted to share how it went for me good luck

A natural anti allergen is a table spoon of local honey every day for at least the the first week of the major pollen season. it works for me. My friend gets the shots and they work wonders she says. Good luck it is never fun to have allergies. My family and I have many from hay fever to food allergies.