Hi all, I have had some pretty severe allergy symptoms the past couple of days with an incredible amount of head pressure and head pain, especially when I sneeze. It feels very different that my “pre-MAV” allergies, which were sneezing and congestion. Anyone have any suggestions for relief, not including antihistamines? I’m way too med sensitive for antihistamines. I am doing the nose spray fluticasone.
I think I’ve mentioned Dymista… I really like that one the best. Apart from antihistamines, a short course of steroids would be the only thing I can think of that would help. And some get MAV/migraine relief from steroids as well (I am one of them). Some people get a steroid long-acting injection for the allergy season, but I personally don’t do well with the injected long acting steroids.
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Recently, on account of the beautifully bright but unseasonally warm British weather no doubt, I’ve been wondering about pollen levels and whether they will affect me this summer. I was never allergic to anything. Even used to sleep with a Persian cat! I’m sure it’s only since MAV I started up a reaction to pollen. I’m wondering now whether it’s just all to do with the MAV hypersensitivity. And as that gets better controlled, just maybe. It’ll fade like other symptoms. Always hope, eh. I never found any OTC preparations much use. Just needed the flowers to fade and Rape Seed was always the killer but with that you can actually see the pollen hanging in the air. Only trouble with steroids is they interfere dramatically with your boss density, not alot of help for ‘ladies of a certain age’ maybe. At least not unless it becomes essential. Helen
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I’m about ready to start my Allegra for the season. They have a version for children at much lower dosages and it seems to work good enough for me. Benadryl makes me feel like the Incredible Hulk. I hope you get it under control soon, I’m sort of dreading the weeds/grass season…
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Thanks everyone! I have some low dose prednisone from the fall when my allergies were kicking in, if they don’t clear soon I may have to take those. I have 20mg tablets that I break in half and they seemed to help a lot last fall. I never thought of the children’s dose Allegra! That’s a great idea! Children’s dose of anything seems to be more tolerable to me than adult dosage for sure. Today is not as bad as yesterday thankfully. It was the pain in the back of my head and neck when I sneezed that really felt scary! Today is much better though 
Try using NeilMed nasal sinus rinse every day. It’s also called a neti pot. Mine is like a squirt bottle. It’s a saline solution so nothing to worry about, just kind of weird at first. I suggest doing it either after you’ve been outside (home from work) or every night before bedtime. It rinses out whatever irritants are there with no side effects.
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Hi Kellie! Yes, that’s a great idea. Will try that. Thank you!
Renee, well I didn’t have long to wait. Rapeseed Pollen ‘got’ me the day before yesterday. Head tightness, stuffy nose, sneezing, ‘something’ behind the nose/eyes, swishy dizzy head, and a long-lost return of the stiff neck, All, except the latter, feel very different from my MAV symptoms. Strange even the dizziness is distinctly different. At this point I remember one beta blocker difficulty. You cannot take any hayfever medication, or indeed any cold remedies whilst on them. This is a pain I’d forgotten about since last Spring. Ah well, weather forecast is ‘umbrellas at the ready’ for the next week so it shouldn’t be too bad. Btw I recall you noted elsewhere about your Dad’s hypersensitivity to scents/smells. I’m another one. Outside at the moment my experience is as much about smell sensitivity as anything, and that’s without the rapeseed pollen. Though no doubt that has made it even more sensitive than usual.
PS: as it’s pouring with rain I set about cleaning the kitchen and applied Stainless Steel cleaner to the sink. Whoops. Bad idea! Helen
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Helen, you make me smile! 
I cannot help but giggle about the cleaner on the sink. Amazing isn’t it how our sensitivities have changed! Pre-MAV one of my long lasting hobbies (for about 10 years) was making my own soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotions. I even sold them in bulk to a few little boutique style hotels… needless to say, my home was a symphony of very strong scents. A couple hundred at a time, production style qty’s for handmade items! I did not get that sensitive gene from my pa obviously… or so I thought 
I grew up in the 80’s when “big hair” was the fashion. I would come home from school some days and all of my hairspray had been thrown away since it put my daddy down for the entire day. Of course, being a teen… I thought it was ridiculous. Now I know how he felt 
Bingo! You described it perfectly. Since last week my neck has been a mess in addition to all the other “fun” allergy symptoms. I have been getting better, but even blowing my nose with MAV is really uncomfortable. Hope the rains help knock down some of that Rapeseed pollen for you.
Stay well my friend! 
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I was also wondering why I felt I had a stiffness in my neck and could hardly turn my neck. Finally makes sense and my left ear fullness feeling and pain where I have my fistula. So I’m taking some allergy meds now. I hope to get to the dr in a couple weeks and get my ear checked out. It has been bad lately and think that’s why I’ve been feeling more dizziness. But a couple weeks ago I had a bad fall in my house. I was not smart leaving boxes around and managed to trip over one and couldnt grab onto anything so down i went on both knees. My right knee being the worst. So I’m nursing my badly bruised knee. I lost my balance too which is the 2nd time and the 2nd fall in s month. Nit good. And the allergies making me more dizzy doesnt help. I’m using a cane now to get around and afraid of falling again. So having some PTSD from both falls. So now I’ve extended my recovery from this fall. I’ve since gotten rid of the boxes and taken up rugs to fall proof the house. I still need to be careful. I’m going to start taking a low dose allergy medication. Then I wouldn’t feel the dizziness and more tiredness from what I was taking. And having dizziness from the aftermath of the fall also doesnt help. I’ve been afraid to go out and not certain I should even drive. So rethinking that too. I think that the dizziness is from wrenching my neck again. So not happy my dizziness is back.
Well it’s working very well so far. I’m having a pretty much 100% day today so far. Really really heavy showers, and all pollen allergy symptoms gone. No stuffy nose, behind the eyes stuff and no stiff neck. How good that feels! Big Storm en route and as Dog hates the high winds it’ll be lack of sleep overnight as the next trigger I suspect. Really must clear out the cupboard under the stairs and move in for good I think. Life seems to have this annoying habit of getting in the way of my recovery yet again! Helen