Allergies : A Good First Step

 

Q: I get asked all the time, “What’s the best thing for allergies?”

A: For many years, all the “good stuff” was prescription only. Now, many great allergy medications are available over-the-counter. 

Here are a few of my favorites: 

  1. Non sedating antihistamines

    There are 3 very common non-sedating (won’t make you sleepy) antihistamines:

    Zyrtec (or Cetirizine)

    Allegra (or Fexofenadine) and

    Claritin (or Loratadine)

    They all work pretty fast.  Zyrtec can cause sedation in 10-15 % of patients, so be aware of that.  Allegra and Claritin are less likely to cause sleepiness. That said, at least some research has shown that Zyrtec works faster than Claritin and is more effective.  ALL three of these meds cause less sleepiness than older antihistamines like Benadryl.  All of them can work for about 24 hours, so they are great for use when your allergies are flaring. I like Allegra, but I know that many patients do well with Zyrtec or Claritin.  

  2. Nasal steroids 

    I love nasal steroid sprays, like:

    Flonase (or Fluticasone) and

    Nasacort (Triamcinolone).  There are a bunch of other ones, but these are the most common OTC brands.

    They are very effective and have minimal side effects.  That said, they don’t work quickly. Think of them like a train...slow to pick up speed, but very powerful. They reach max effect after about 3 weeks of consistent use.  

A few tips: 

  • Use a non-sedating antihistamine when you need it, then stop when you don’t.

  • If you know that you have allergies in a certain season (like now), then start a nasal steroid and use it for the entire season. It really is ok to use them everyday when you know that you’re going to be struggling.

  • Generics work just as well as the brand name meds. This is not a “get what you pay for” type situation. So go ahead and save the money.

  • If you think that the effect of any of these “wears off”, they don’t. It’s just that your allergies can flare, making it seem like they are less effective. There are many more treatments for allergies, but they might require a visit to your PCP, an allergist, or an ENT like myself.

What questions do you have? Send them to me here.

 
 
 

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Nose, Daily LifeErin Shellenbergerallergies, nose