Seasonal allergy relief for breastfeeding mama?

[mamakah]

Hi!
I feel like I'm dying a slow and painful death today thanks to my first time ever seasonal allergies. I need help! What can I do/take to make myself feel better? I'm breastfeeding and would like to stay away from drugs.
Thanks!:

[MariesMama]

I'm so glad I live wayyyy up north - we barely have buds on the trees, let alone pollen.

I have heard good things about that Zicam Allergy Nasal Gel - it's supposedly homeopathic too.

[deditus]

Nettle tea is wonderful for seasonal allergies, and a great source of nutrients for bfing mums, too! Won't work right away, but I usually get relief within a few days of starting to drink 1-2 cups of infusions a day.

[mamakah]

: Thank you!

[mbbinsc]

You can try some homeopathics as they are safe. We use allum cepa for runny noses.

[ParisApril]

Take a teaspoon-tablespoon of raw local honey a few times a day. The pollen in the raw honey will help rid you of symptoms. It worked for us! :

[FrannieP]

Ditto on the nettle tea and the local honey!

Homeopathic Arsenicem Album works really well for some. Hyland's makes a Hayfever remedy and Native Remedies makes a homeopathic Hayfever Fighter

Other stuff you can do:
There are several helpful tips to minimize the symptoms of hay fever and these include:

* Avoid allergens as much as possible once you are aware what is causing your allergy.
* Eat a healthy, balanced diet to support your immune system.
* Close doors and windows to prevent pollen and spores from blowing into the house.
* Wear close-fitting sunglasses to prevent pollen from blowing into your eyes. (This can really help!)
* Avoid with areas with a high count of pollen such as gardens, grass, parks or fields.
* Keep pets out of the house, especially the bedroom and living room.
* Wash clothing and hair regularly because pollen can cling to it.
* Vacuum carpets and dust regularly with a damp cloth.
* Change bed sheets regularly and cover mattresses with mattress protectors.
* Keep your home well-humidified.

Good Luck!

[tanyalynn]

Some localities have regional homeopathic remedies available. The Austin, TX area has them, they're sold at places like People's Pharmacy (no idea if that's a regional or a national chain) and I have a friend who was helped greatly by that.

[Zucchini]

A neti pot or similar nasal rinsing bottle has been really helpful for me this allergy season. You can buy pre-mixed salt packets, or just make your own. If the concentration is right, it shouldn't hurt to use at all, and it gets the pollen out of your nose really well.

[Theloose]

Folate and B12 are used to create methyl groups, used to detoxify histamine.

www.detoxpuzzle.com/methyl.php
(I'm not exactly done with the whole site yet)

[GAjenn]

this is what helps me:
shower before bed every night and sinus irrigation (I use Neilmed brand it looks like a sports water bottle)
eat local honey
every time you wash your hands, rinse your face

[greenthumb3]

Seconding the neti pot.

I discovered a quick and easy remedy that helped me a few years ago: digestive enzymes bromelain and papain helped a lot. I found a mix of those two in capsule form at my local health food store. My dad also uses Quercetin and was able to not take one of his usual allergy medicines b/c it worked so well. This company makes a remedy that contains both bromelain and quercetin.

As for it's safety for nursing mothers, hm. Check with Dr. Hale's Medications and Mother's Milk (an LLL Leader might have a copy) or ask an herbalist.

[naturalmom08]

As someone else mentioned, you can definitely try the local honey trick. I've known many people who swear that it works for them. Just make sure to get it local and raw. It does take a period of time to work though I believe. You can also try Hylands Seasonal Allergy. Most homeopathic remedies are very safe to take while nursing or pregnant. I like the Hylands products, and have always been happy with their effectiveness. It's probably not going to be as strong as taking strong anti-histamines or something, but it will work well, and is very safe and natural.

[ASusan]

bioallers

[jrabbit]

hmm. I am breastfeeding, too - and I've been taking benadryl, claritin, and zyrtec in ADDITION to a steroid inhaler AND homeopathic remedies and local honey. For the first time ever, I am having allergies, which have manifested themselves into an asthmatic type reaction following a bout of bronchitis a few weeks ago.

I know that medicine gets into the breastmilk, but isn't it better to have a non-dying mama?

**I don't take ALL the medicines at the same time, but I'm headed to the park with the kids, and I'll be taking a 24 hour claritin now and the steroid inhaler, and bringing benadryl, and the albuterol inhaler. I've been affected really bad for the past few days by *something* blooming right now.

--janis