Seasonal allergies... positive stories and encouragement please! x-posted

[Blessed_Mom]

Hi,

Pretty much all my life I never suffered from seasonal allergies. My daughter is almost 3 years old. Last March I was in Dallas and suffered from itchy eyes for the 2 weeks I was there and very perplexed.. but once I got back to Seattle I was fine.

Two days back I took a stroll in a park and came down with the full caboodle.. sneezes, itchy eyes, stuffed nose, puffy face etc. No question about it - seasonal allergies. For the first time in my life...and I am pregnant.

I am in the throes of a mini-depression.

Please... share some positive stories...like

1) Ladies miraculously getting rid of seasonal allergies they acquired during pregnancy

2) Some magic cures - allopathy, homeopathy, NAET, energy-healing, voodoo :-)

3)Some survival techniques during pregnancy..especially what to use for itchy eyes?

Anything to uplift me- please mamas ...  :-(

[CoBabyMaker]

I was comfortable taking quercitin while pregnant and midwife was ok with it also.  It's a bioflavanoid available in capsule form.

[Blessed_Mom]

I read that too much Quercetin is contra-indicated in pregnancy.. otherwise this is something that has helped me in the past.

[SweetSilver]

Not good news, in my case.  My second pregnancy exacerbated the reactions to allergens, though mainly food.  My daughter's allergist confirmed that they even have a term for this.

Maybe it works the other direction?  (Wishful thinking.)

I have no magical cures, just keeping the home clean helps.  Though there are some days that I can't even stick my head out of the door during high grass season.  

I wish you good luck!  

[Blessed_Mom]

Aww SweetSilver...

But guys...Please ... I know I am being an ostrich in the sand but positive stories only please.

I need a little stress busting here.

[scsigrl]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom 

I need a little stress busting here.

If that's the case, step away from the internet.  Seriously, you are likely to find people with ongoing problems when you post to a forum like this.  It's just the nature of the beast.  Sorry :(

[Blessed_Mom]

You may be right :-(

At the time of posting I thought that may be I will read stories or treatments which helped people get over their seasonal allergies (especially if they were acquired newly due to pregnancy). I was in a slump (from the shock of thinking that may be I will never be able to go out in the Spring and Summer and enjoy time out with my daughter) and was looking for some positive experiences... there is no other way I can gather this information statistically otherwise...

[scsigrl]

I understand. My only point was that these forums don't usually lend themselves to "helpful stories only" types of conversations. 

FWIW, my seasonal allergies which I have had since I was a pre-teen went away with #1.  Were really bad with #2 and seem to be less server now than when I was a teen.  So there is a possibility.  It's tough I know.

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom 

Aww SweetSilver...

But guys...Please ... I know I am being an ostrich in the sand but positive stories only please.

I need a little stress busting here.

  So sorry to not oblige!  Neti pots, top-down hose-offs right before bed, keeping the bedroom window shut :( all seem to help.  That's the best I can do!
 

[Blessed_Mom]

Thank you SweetSilver - I hope you didn't think I was being rude.. that was not my intention at all.....

[SweetSilver]

Oh, no offense taken; I knew exactly what you meant.  I am most definitely sympathetic to your situation.  I would love to find the magic solution as well.

[jesshrehor]

I have really good luck with a strong nettle infusion for allergies.  It's worked better for me than prescription or otc allergy meds and there are no bad side effects and it's perfectly safe during pregnancy and actually beneficial.  The only contraindication is if you're taking warfarin or blood thinners, as it's high in Vitamin K.  

To make the infusion (basically a strong tea) steep 1 oz by weight of dried nettle leaf (about 1 cup) in 4 cups boiling water, cover and let steep 4-8 hours.  Drink 1-2 cups/day as needed and store any leftover in the refrigerator.  It'll keep for 2 or 3 days before it starts getting a bit funky.  If that happens you can use it to water your plants.  :-)  Most health food stores have a bulk herb department that should carry it or you can order it online from mountainroseherbs.com (or anywhere else you feel comfortable ordering herbs from).  I usually drink about 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup in the afternoon/evening.  For me, it stops the sneezing and itchy eyes in about 20-30 minutes.  I told my midwife about it and she's recommended it to other people who've also had good results.  It's not my most favorite tasting beverage, but I've heard of people who drink it like iced tea as a refreshing beverage.  You can add sweetener if you like, but I usually just drink it straight. I keep it in a mason jar and I just chug as much as I can in one go (which works out to about 1/2 cup as I said).  Also, limiting processed foods and refined sugars has helped make my seasonal allergies less severe.  I hope you find this helpful.  :-)  Good luck.  Allergies can be miserable.

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by precilla 

for itchy eyes,you can use chloramphenicol eye drops......then it will be just fine...and your immunity will boost during pregnancy...so no much worries..

During pregnancy??? You cannot be serious? This drug comes with a lot of real nasty warnings for pregnancy. 

If you become pregnant while taking Chloramphenicol, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Chloramphenicol during pregnancy. Chloramphenicol should be used with extreme caution during full-term pregnancy and labor because the fetus may experience severe side effects. Chloramphenicol is excreted in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Chloramphenicol.

Chloramphenicol has been assigned pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have not been reported. There are no controlled data in human pregnancies. Oral chloramphenicol crosses the placenta. While there are no literature reports linking the use of chloramphenicol in pregnancy to birth defects, use late in pregnancy has been associated with adverse effects in the neonate (i.e. gray baby syndrome). Chloramphenicol should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk. Use near term is considered contraindicated by some experts.

http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/NeLM-Area/Evidence/Drugs-in-Pregnancy/Use-of-chloramphenicol-in-pregnancy/