I Can Haz Energy?
September 23, 2014 8:39 AM Subscribe
Please supply me with your over-the-counter/prescription med or lifestyle hacks for dealing with seasonal allergies that are accompanied by bone-crushing fatigue.
I was doing immunology shots for a bit, which helped some with congestion but didn't do much for my energy levels (and were tedious). I still doing a 2x daily spray of nasal spray and generic Zyrtec but nothing is helping. I can't work out. I can barely walk from my car to the office. Headed to the doc on Thursday and would appreciate suggestions. Thanks.
I was doing immunology shots for a bit, which helped some with congestion but didn't do much for my energy levels (and were tedious). I still doing a 2x daily spray of nasal spray and generic Zyrtec but nothing is helping. I can't work out. I can barely walk from my car to the office. Headed to the doc on Thursday and would appreciate suggestions. Thanks.
Try putting a HEPA air purifier in your bedroom, a washable duvet if you use a comforter, and allergy-proof covers on your mattress and pillows. Make sure your bedding is clean and dust-free - change your sheets often. If you have allergens in your bedroom, you won't sleep well and that will definitely impact your energy levels during the day.
If your nose gets stuffy at night, those Breathe Right strips really help. Get the ugly beige kind - I find that the clear ones don't work as well.
Seconding a sleep test if keeping your bedroom allergen-free doesn't help.
Be sure you are getting adequate Vitamin D. I take supplements, and it helps me a lot in keeping my D blood levels sufficient. Vitamin D deficiency can cause crushing fatigue.
Not allergy-related, but have you had your thyroid levels checked? Thyroid problems are so VERY common in women, that I advise all women who feel tired and/or are gaining weight without a diet change, to get their thyroids checked out.
A "primal" diet (high in protein and healthy fats, lots of fruit and vegetables, limited sugar, dairy, carbs and processed foods) has worked wonders for my energy levels.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:47 AM on September 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
If your nose gets stuffy at night, those Breathe Right strips really help. Get the ugly beige kind - I find that the clear ones don't work as well.
Seconding a sleep test if keeping your bedroom allergen-free doesn't help.
Be sure you are getting adequate Vitamin D. I take supplements, and it helps me a lot in keeping my D blood levels sufficient. Vitamin D deficiency can cause crushing fatigue.
Not allergy-related, but have you had your thyroid levels checked? Thyroid problems are so VERY common in women, that I advise all women who feel tired and/or are gaining weight without a diet change, to get their thyroids checked out.
A "primal" diet (high in protein and healthy fats, lots of fruit and vegetables, limited sugar, dairy, carbs and processed foods) has worked wonders for my energy levels.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:47 AM on September 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
I have found a neti pot to improve my allergy symptoms considerably. Perhaps enough to reduce fatigue-inducing medication.
posted by Adam_S at 8:54 AM on September 23, 2014
posted by Adam_S at 8:54 AM on September 23, 2014
Best answer: 2x daily spray of nasal spray
Which kind? Decongestant, saline, flonase/nasonex? Decongestant nasal spray should be used maybe 48 hours a month, because it rebounds so badly. Pretty much all decongestants rebound after 24-48 hours of straight use and do weird things to your body and horrible things to your sleep cycles. You need to log and discuss your real decongestant use with your doctor to find alternatives if you're using them routinely.
Also, Zyrtec does kick the crap out of some people even though it's not generally drowsiness-causing. I have a friend who turns into a glazed-eyed sideways-slumping zombie on it (the way most of the original generation antihistamines make everyone feel), while everyone else I know loves it for not making them drool. You might be one of those, and may have to try a couple weeks on Claritin or one of the others.
Allergies should be giving you allergic reactions, and those usually aren't associated with bone-crushing fatigue unless your oxygen levels are being compromised. On the other hand, allergy treatments can cause side effects that in many ways are worse than the original allergies. You may need a medication fast just to get to a place where you are testable for non-medication-related issues.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:58 AM on September 23, 2014
Which kind? Decongestant, saline, flonase/nasonex? Decongestant nasal spray should be used maybe 48 hours a month, because it rebounds so badly. Pretty much all decongestants rebound after 24-48 hours of straight use and do weird things to your body and horrible things to your sleep cycles. You need to log and discuss your real decongestant use with your doctor to find alternatives if you're using them routinely.
Also, Zyrtec does kick the crap out of some people even though it's not generally drowsiness-causing. I have a friend who turns into a glazed-eyed sideways-slumping zombie on it (the way most of the original generation antihistamines make everyone feel), while everyone else I know loves it for not making them drool. You might be one of those, and may have to try a couple weeks on Claritin or one of the others.
Allergies should be giving you allergic reactions, and those usually aren't associated with bone-crushing fatigue unless your oxygen levels are being compromised. On the other hand, allergy treatments can cause side effects that in many ways are worse than the original allergies. You may need a medication fast just to get to a place where you are testable for non-medication-related issues.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:58 AM on September 23, 2014
Chlor-Trimeton has always been my seasonal allergy med of choice. It comes in 12-hour pills, but if you don't mind re-dosing during the day, Target has a generic 4-hour version that is super cheap, like $4 per 100 pills - you have to ask for it at the pharmacy counter for some reason, but it's the same ingredient.
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:01 AM on September 23, 2014
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:01 AM on September 23, 2014
Pseudoephedrine? It wakes me up. The good kind that you have to ask the pharmacist for.
posted by artychoke at 9:02 AM on September 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by artychoke at 9:02 AM on September 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Pseudoephedrine? Not a great long-term solution, admittedly, but when I'm congested and run-down, it's the only thing that works for me.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:03 AM on September 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 9:03 AM on September 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Nutritionist and an anti-inflammatory diet. I changed up my diet for other reasons, but the side effect was allergies got WAY better.
posted by photoexplorer at 9:07 AM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by photoexplorer at 9:07 AM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Pseudoephedrine? Not a great long-term solution, admittedly, but when I'm congested and run-down, it's the only thing that works for me.
Yeah, my allergist advised against me taking Zyrtec D (w pseudoephedrine) ALL THE TIMEZ like I wanted so I do regular Zyrtec plus Flonase usually, but when things get really bad I go back to Zyrtec D ALL THE TIMEZ. It sounds like you're there right now.
posted by sweetkid at 9:28 AM on September 23, 2014
Yeah, my allergist advised against me taking Zyrtec D (w pseudoephedrine) ALL THE TIMEZ like I wanted so I do regular Zyrtec plus Flonase usually, but when things get really bad I go back to Zyrtec D ALL THE TIMEZ. It sounds like you're there right now.
posted by sweetkid at 9:28 AM on September 23, 2014
Best answer: I have this fatigue problem too, and I take one 4-hour pseudoephedrine every morning, use Nasonex every evening, and take a 24-hour Zyrtec at bedtime. This trio seems to work pretty well for me. I have the occasional less than well day, but this keeps the fatigue at bay.
I try occasionally to scale back, or I think "I feel fine" and stop taking on or the other, but an evening of blah will remind me. Also, when I went off Zyrtec last time, my skin was unbearably itchy. Fun.
posted by feste at 9:47 AM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I try occasionally to scale back, or I think "I feel fine" and stop taking on or the other, but an evening of blah will remind me. Also, when I went off Zyrtec last time, my skin was unbearably itchy. Fun.
posted by feste at 9:47 AM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Regular Zyrtec knocks me out really really bad. Allegra and Claritin make me much, much less fatigued although admittedly they are slightly less effective on allergy symptoms.
If you aren't doing nasal rinses (aka "neti pot" although there is also a squeezy kind that is a bit easier to use) I might suggest trying those to help with sinus symptoms.
posted by muddgirl at 9:52 AM on September 23, 2014
If you aren't doing nasal rinses (aka "neti pot" although there is also a squeezy kind that is a bit easier to use) I might suggest trying those to help with sinus symptoms.
posted by muddgirl at 9:52 AM on September 23, 2014
Best answer: Headed to the doc on Thursday and would appreciate suggestions.
Ask the doctor to check your thyroid, iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D levels in case it's not just allergies.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:45 AM on September 23, 2014
Ask the doctor to check your thyroid, iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D levels in case it's not just allergies.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:45 AM on September 23, 2014
It could be that your fall allergies are masking the actual cause of the fatigue, which is seasonal affective issues -- does it continue into the winter and dissipate in the spring, or is it spring/fall only? If the former, then you might need a very low dose of antidepressant -- that's the only thing that "got me off the couch" during the dark months. A light box can make a difference too, and might give you some sense of whather that's at play. I get allergies too, but the two are different things.
posted by acm at 2:16 PM on September 23, 2014
posted by acm at 2:16 PM on September 23, 2014
I can't work out. I can barely walk from my car to the office.
Is this because you have trouble breathing in enough air to do these things when you have allergies? Talk to your doctor about asthma, it can develop as an adult.
In my experience it can be difficult to actually get onto the topic of asthma, because there seemed to be some sort of assumption that I would know if I had asthma or not, and what the symptoms were. I wasn't able to discuss asthma with my doctor in any sort of useful or productive way until I'd been prescribed an inhaler at an urgent care clinic -- then there was some sort of conclusion that because the inhaler helped that meant I surely had asthma.
Actually, on second thought, look up some information online about asthma and then talk to your doctor about it. Maybe read about "shortness of breath" as well, and if you have it tell your doctor.
If your allergies are from things that you are inhaling, try these in-nose filters or a good quality dust mask (not the "nuisance dust" ones, the more expensive ones).
Benadryl before going to sleep can be helpful if the allergies are affecting the quality of your sleep.
If you aren't using Flonase ask for a Flonase prescription from your doctor.
posted by yohko at 2:17 PM on September 23, 2014
Is this because you have trouble breathing in enough air to do these things when you have allergies? Talk to your doctor about asthma, it can develop as an adult.
In my experience it can be difficult to actually get onto the topic of asthma, because there seemed to be some sort of assumption that I would know if I had asthma or not, and what the symptoms were. I wasn't able to discuss asthma with my doctor in any sort of useful or productive way until I'd been prescribed an inhaler at an urgent care clinic -- then there was some sort of conclusion that because the inhaler helped that meant I surely had asthma.
Actually, on second thought, look up some information online about asthma and then talk to your doctor about it. Maybe read about "shortness of breath" as well, and if you have it tell your doctor.
If your allergies are from things that you are inhaling, try these in-nose filters or a good quality dust mask (not the "nuisance dust" ones, the more expensive ones).
Benadryl before going to sleep can be helpful if the allergies are affecting the quality of your sleep.
If you aren't using Flonase ask for a Flonase prescription from your doctor.
posted by yohko at 2:17 PM on September 23, 2014
Best answer: Low Dose Naltrexone. I was like you a couple years ago, and believe me I tried -everything-. Special diets, nasal sprays, vitamin D, every kind of antihistamine... they all helped a little bit but LDN is what gave me my life back. It's associated with new age woo, and yet to be embraced by medicine except a handful of clinical trials, but I would be willing to show the pile of inhalers and pill bottles I don't use anymore to every single person in the world to get them to at least try it.
It's a slowly working medicine though, and takes like a good year to get going but when it does you start to feel pretty damn good. Like, all the time, but it becomes your new normal and you just sorta forget how bad it used to be.
Found out about it on forums for people with other kinds of allergies and auto immune stuff (a lot of chron's patients take it) but as a nice bonus most of them were helped with their environmental and seasonal allergies as well.
Some doctors will prescribe it and are OK with LDN as an off label use of a medicine made for narcotics addiction as there are rarely side effects and it is quite safe. However most will not have heard of it and will be downright hostile to the idea of taking something you heard about on the internet. Many others who I know who take LDN don't get it from their doctors. I fully admit I get why this would stop anyone from being willing to try it and wish this barrier wasn't there. But if it helps you it -really- helps and it can knock your allergies into being a distant, weird memory. (Like, there was a time I didn't want my cat to sit too close to me, and I couldn't open the windows like ever? Weird!)
Feel free to memail me if you have any questions about LDN.
posted by everyday_naturalist at 5:08 AM on September 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
It's a slowly working medicine though, and takes like a good year to get going but when it does you start to feel pretty damn good. Like, all the time, but it becomes your new normal and you just sorta forget how bad it used to be.
Found out about it on forums for people with other kinds of allergies and auto immune stuff (a lot of chron's patients take it) but as a nice bonus most of them were helped with their environmental and seasonal allergies as well.
Some doctors will prescribe it and are OK with LDN as an off label use of a medicine made for narcotics addiction as there are rarely side effects and it is quite safe. However most will not have heard of it and will be downright hostile to the idea of taking something you heard about on the internet. Many others who I know who take LDN don't get it from their doctors. I fully admit I get why this would stop anyone from being willing to try it and wish this barrier wasn't there. But if it helps you it -really- helps and it can knock your allergies into being a distant, weird memory. (Like, there was a time I didn't want my cat to sit too close to me, and I couldn't open the windows like ever? Weird!)
Feel free to memail me if you have any questions about LDN.
posted by everyday_naturalist at 5:08 AM on September 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
Best answer: here's a hack that I use: get a HEPA high-quality furnace filter and tape it to the back (intake side) of a box fan. You now have a HEPA filter for about a quarter the cost. Stick those wherever you have a need.
posted by rebent at 8:02 AM on September 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by rebent at 8:02 AM on September 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
Best answer: As others have said, Zyrtec could be a culprit. It made me seriously depressed and it took me a long time to figure out the cause.
posted by metasarah at 11:11 AM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by metasarah at 11:11 AM on September 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I like a mint/eucalyptus body wash in the morning and mint lotion dabbed under my chin from time to time during the day.
Full bloodwork panel, checking B12 and D Vitamin levels.
posted by Buttons Bellbottom at 8:43 AM on September 23, 2014 [1 favorite]