JD The Jazz Doctor wrote:

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Hey! So its that time of year that allergies hit. For me, its not so much a nasal thing as its a sort of scratchy throad wheezy kind of chest thing with a cough. Its not so bad, but I went to the doc last year and he gave me a perspription for zirtek. That would cost me $90 each refill. No way! Does anyone else have this as an allergy symptom? If so, do you know of/ could you recommend a good over the counter allergy medication. It seems like most allergy medications I have seem to focus on the nose- sneezing, stuffed up, or runny....thats not my case. Everything is south of the nose. Thanks for any advice or suggestions!  

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claritin works pretty well for me, it cheap too, not out much if it doesn't.

I'm guessing you've got the post-nasal drip thing going on. Instead of getting stuffed up, the mucus is running down the back of your throat or settling in your lungs. Getting just a basic antihistamine should help. The stuff that makes you drowsy, like Benadryl works better than Claritin, but personally I can't work on Benadryl.

There's not a whole lot you can do about the wheezing. Personally, when I get wheezy, I cough a few times and it helps clear things out for a little while (but I'm not one of those people who constantly coughs or clears my throat). But for the sore throat, I have two suggestions. First, CVS has a cough drop, I don't remember the name of it, but I want to say it's homeopathic. It'll say something about post-nasal drip somewhere on the box. The CVS cough drops are good for a scratchy throat, but if it actually hurts, I suggest Tylenol Sore Throat. This is one product that I prefer the Daytime version and think it works better. Be careful of the nighttime version, that stuff can knock me out cold for 24 hours!

Yeah, sorry for the icky details, but I know what you're going through. Basically, Benadryl makes me too tired to function but actually works; Claritin doesn't make me drowsy, but sometimes it doesn't seem like I've taken anything at all. My suggestion would be to find those CVS cough drops for during the day and take a Benadryl at night.

thank you.

It seems like at night is when it bugs me the most. I guess if I stay busy enough during the day, its secondary in my mind. I think I will try this course of action.

Hey, I got one for the band-camp thread related to this.....

...and drink plenty of water to keep the secretions thin.