10-19-2008, 03:30 AM
Have been wrestling with allergies for some time. Here's what I understand:
- Phenylephrine has been tested to be nothing but a placebo effect (if it used to work for you, I hope you did not read this...). There is a proposal to ban it outright, as there are some real side-effects from long-term use.
- claritin can take up to 2 hours to work, but is quite safe (literally as safe as a sugar pill) and can last 24 hours for most people. If it works for you, I would stiick with it. I use it regularly (as a generic).
- Sudafed is restricted in many states and is quite hard to get. But most pharmacists will tell you there is nothing better for sinuses and some allergies. I cannot use the regular sudafed - makes me jittery. I have been using the 12 hour (slow release) variety when I need to - with claritin. I cannot do the 24 hour variety, keeps me up at night.
- most of the other meds seem to work less well for me (Allegra did nothing for me, Zirtec just came off prescription and only made me sleepy the first 3 days I took it; supposed to take 30 days for full effect; I am not willing to be sleepy for 4 weeks to try it out).
Hopefully someone will come out with a sudafed-like allergy med that cannot be readily converted to meth so we can 'only' get it as a prescription. Here in Minnesota, it's MUCH harder to get sudafed than a regular prescription drug.
- Phenylephrine has been tested to be nothing but a placebo effect (if it used to work for you, I hope you did not read this...). There is a proposal to ban it outright, as there are some real side-effects from long-term use.
- claritin can take up to 2 hours to work, but is quite safe (literally as safe as a sugar pill) and can last 24 hours for most people. If it works for you, I would stiick with it. I use it regularly (as a generic).
- Sudafed is restricted in many states and is quite hard to get. But most pharmacists will tell you there is nothing better for sinuses and some allergies. I cannot use the regular sudafed - makes me jittery. I have been using the 12 hour (slow release) variety when I need to - with claritin. I cannot do the 24 hour variety, keeps me up at night.
- most of the other meds seem to work less well for me (Allegra did nothing for me, Zirtec just came off prescription and only made me sleepy the first 3 days I took it; supposed to take 30 days for full effect; I am not willing to be sleepy for 4 weeks to try it out).
Hopefully someone will come out with a sudafed-like allergy med that cannot be readily converted to meth so we can 'only' get it as a prescription. Here in Minnesota, it's MUCH harder to get sudafed than a regular prescription drug.