Allergy Meds to Avoid, and Alternative Solutions

Allergy medicines you should skip, and why.

• Clear Eyes Redness Relief

Active Ingredients
Naphazoline Hydrochloride 0.012% (redness reliever)
Glycerine 0.2% (lubricant)

Side Effects
Can be addictive.

Review
Be wary of eye drops designed for redness relief. They get the job done—eliminate red, bloodshot eyes—but the way they do it is a problem, according to Suzanne Levitch, A.R.N.P., at Mary Cliff Allergy Specialists in Spokane, Washington. "The active ingredients in redness relievers vasoconstrict the blood vessels in your eyes," she says. That means they reduce blood flow to the eyes and ultimately result in even more redness. Look for drops with lubricants and antihistamines instead of redness relievers (decongestants). An easy way to spot a decongestant is to look for "line" at the end of the ingredient's name—naphazoline or tetrahydrozoline.

• Neo-Synephrine Regular Strength Spray

Active Ingredient
Phenylephrine hydrochloride 0.5%

Side Effects
Can be addictive.

Review
"Nasal sprays like Neo-Synephrine are very addicting and we don't recommend them," says Beth Miller, M.D., chief of the Allergy and Asthma Clinic at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Topical decongestants like phenylephrine and oxymetazoline are addictive because they cause a rebound effect—meaning the nose gets stuffier the longer you use it, and you become dependent on the spray for short-term relief.

• Tylenol Allergy Multi-Symptom

Active Ingredients
Acetaminophen 325 mg (pain reliever)
Chlorpheniramine Maleate 2 mg (antihistamine)
Phenylephrine HCL 5 mg (nasal decongestant)

Equivalent
1 aspirin + 1 antihistamine (like Benadryl) + 1 decongestant

Side Effects
May cause drowsiness, dizziness, headache, constipation, upset stomach, or dry mouth/nose/throat.

Review
The allergy aisle is full of multi-symptom over-the-counter drugs like this one that claim to knock out a long list of complaints with one tablet. But there's a catch: Combination medicines are usually made up of first-generation versions of medicines that can give some relief, but are short-acting and can also have significant side effects, says Dr. Richard Gower, M.D. and president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Newer antihistamines are available in over-the-counter allergy medicines such as Claritin and Zyrtec to provide longer-lasting relief without harmful side effects. Unless you're experiencing pain and nasal congestion in addition to symptoms of hay fever, avoid multi-symptoms medicines. "I recommend treating only the symptoms you have instead of adding extra ingredients you don’t need," Dr. Gower says.

• Boiron Sabadil Allergy

Active Ingredients
Allium cepa 5CHPUS (runny nose)
Ambrosia artemisiaefolia 5CHPUS (cough)
Histaminum hydrochloricum 9CHPUS (allergy symptoms)
Euphrasia officinalis 5CHPUS (burning eyes)
Sabadilla 5CHPUS (sneezing)
Solidago vigaurea 5CHPUS (nasal discharge)

Side Effects
None.

Review
Homeopathic allergy medicines contain small dilutions of pollens that, in theory, will help your body become tolerant so it no longer has allergic reactions, says Timothy Craig, D.O., an allergist and immunologist at Penn State University. "But the digestive system destroys most of what's in these pills." Also, there is no clinical data to show that herbal remedies like these are effective, he says.

• Sudafed PE Nasal Decongestant

Active Ingredients
Phenylephrine HCl 10 mg (nasal decongestant)

Side Effects
Do not take phenylephrine if you take medication for heart disease or high blood pressure without consulting your doctor first. A dangerous drug interaction leading to serious side effects could occur.

Review
The PE stands for "phenylephrine," but it might as well stand for "placebo effect"—because there's no research that proves it works. "From my experience, phenylephrine doesn't work and pseudoephedrine does," says James Wedner, M.D., director of allergy and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. If you have high blood pressure and can't take pseudoephedrine, try a saline wash or prescription nasal steroid before you pony up for a placebo.

source: "5 Medicines to Avoid" http://www.menshealth.com/allergycenter/5-to-avoid.php 12/4/09

Solutions to help relieve your Allergies

For your throat: Drink Green Tea(add some honey for extra relief), the heat helps sooth a sore throat, as well as loosen mucous. Add some ground ginger for some antibotic properties.

Consume Vitamin C and D.

Get a supplement or load up and fruits and veggies, ie: oranges, grapefruit, berries, green leafy veggies, etc. You will boost your immune system which can help alleviate allergies.

It is recommended for Adults to have 1000 IU of Vitamin D a day, pill, liquid, or from the sun.

Supplements I like:

Wellesse Vitamin D(3) 1000 IU (liquid)

Nature Made D 1000 IU (pill)

Ester C 500mg (pill)

At the drugstore:

Over the Counter (OTC) eye drops

Saline Nasal Spray

Advil Allergy and Sinus (will help relive pressure and headaches)

Advil Cold and Sinus

find more:http://www.menshealth.com/allergycenter/medicine.php

*Please check with a doctor before adding, or removing medications to your routine. An allergist or ENT doctor will know what is best for you. it is always good for you to get a second opinion, as well as doing your own research.