I Can't Breathe, Damnit!

May 2, 2008 8:43 AM

Does anyone have experience (good or bad) with Seasonal Allergies and Acupuncture?

I am suffering from the worst allergy attack of my life. I don't take things like Claritin or Benadryl, as the side-effects from those things usually give me panic-attacks. No pseudophedrines or nasal sprays either. I have heard that acupuncture is a viable alternative to these "treatments", but would like some input from the hive-mind regarding your experiences. Better yet, if you can suggest a great acupuncturist in Seattle. Thanks!

posted by nikksioux to health & fitness (19 comments total)

I can't help with a referral, but I did have acupuncture for my allergies.
Overall, I found that I did get relief. My nose ran like crazy after each treatment, and after w few treatments I was much better.
What was amazing, though, was he also treated me for my anxiety (after doing the initial consultation), and wow, there was a HUGE difference there.

As for some immediate relief, something like Nasacort should not aggravate your anxiety (ask your dr.) and will help you a lot in the meantime.
Good Luck!
posted by coollibrarian at 9:21 AM on May 2, 2008

My experience involved researching the medical literature for information on this subject, to decide whether it would be an appropriate treatment for my own allergies.

There have, in fact, been clinical trials that conclude that acupuncture is effective for treatment of allergic rhinitis. Some of these trials have methodological problems, however, and I believe more trials have failed to find any significant results. More notably, systematic reviews of these trials have not found them to be sufficient evidence that acupuncture is an effective treatment. A new review last week found that "There is currently insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of acupuncture in patients with AR."

I eventually concluded that it was unproven, and that it would not be wise to pursue it further at this time. You may decide otherwise, but I would (a) be cautious of acupuncturists who do not frankly discuss the unproven nature of the treatment, and (b) be wary of putting too much stock into individual anecdotes. Everything you should want to know is in the medical literature (well, minus the recommendation for someone in Seattle).
posted by grouse at 9:23 AM on May 2, 2008

Hi. Here's your peer-reviewed clinical trial, chrisamiller. FYI, I am an acupuncturist in Boston, MA and am also work as a CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) research associate. I have seen many patients over the years find relief from season allergies using acupuncture. NAET is another modality to look into. Nikksioux, please feel free to contact me for a referral at [e-mail].
posted by mshields at 9:23 AM on May 2, 2008

Not my experience, but the experience of 30 test subjects and the professionals who ran the experiment: No significant differences were shown in RMS [relief medication scores] between the real acupuncture treatment group and the sham acupuncture treatment group.

Not my experience, but the conclusion of professionals who performed a meta-study of 7 different studies which probably included hundreds of test subjects: A meta-analysis failed to show any summary benefits of acupuncture treatment for symptom severity scores or serum IgE measures which could not have been accounted for by chance alone. […] CONCLUSION: There is currently insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of acupuncture in patients with AR [allergic rhinitis, i.e., allergies].
posted by jepler at 9:32 AM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

I've gotta recommend Nasalcrom -- I'm using it for the first time this spring and it's working incredibly well. It's not an antihistamine nor a decongestant. It's different from other nasal sprays and relatively new. You might be willing to try it despite your warning -- it's working so well for me after so many miserable springs that I can't resist recommending it.
posted by Perplexity at 9:35 AM on May 2, 2008

Nasal sprays might cause panic attacks as most of them are steroidal, and so can oral forms of prednisone. Drugs containing pseudoephedrines can make one jittery, so your experience with side effects does have some basis in reality. However, antihistamines are not known to have this side effect.

Diphenhydramine, which is the active ingredient in Benadryl has been used to treat panic attacks. So has chlorpheniramine, which is in chlor-trimeton. I haven't been able to find any information about Loratidine (Claritin, Clarinex) or Cetirizine (Zyrtex, Xyzal) causing panic attacks. I would recommend speaking to a pharmacist before dismissing antihistamines outright. There are many out there and a pharmacist is likely to recommend that you don't use any antihistamine/pse combination drugs, but may be able to recommend some either OTC or by prescription that you may be able to tolerate.
posted by pieoverdone at 9:35 AM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

Perhaps its the placebo effect, not the acupuncture, causing the relief in symptoms. So what-- it still has an effect, right?

I haven't had anything for rhinitis, but I'm doing acupuncture for pain and it seems to be helping. And the best part is 0 side effects. For the record, I am very skeptical about all sorts of pseudo-science but I was willing to give it a try. I am willing to accept pain reduction whatever the cause.
posted by miss tea at 9:42 AM on May 2, 2008

[A few comments deleted. The question is about experiences, not free-standing yea-or-nay opinionating.]
posted by cortex at 9:44 AM on May 2, 2008

Have you considered allergy shots? Those have been shown clinically to make a huge difference, and I can personally attest, as can my brother, and our friends, that those make a huge difference. Make an appointment with an allergist and discuss the options.
posted by canine epigram at 9:53 AM on May 2, 2008

I actually went into an allergy attack during my session because of some of the herbs or incense at the acupuncturist's. The needles, they did nothing for me.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:55 AM on May 2, 2008

re: allergy shots - the allergist i saw (who admittedly gave off a serious quack vibe) said that they may or may not work. They required seeing a medical professional to administer the shots once a week and waiting around for 30 minutes afterwards in case there is risk of anaphylactic shock. My take-away was that the cure was worse than the disease. When I get near my allergy season, i will just take the antihistamines.

I have not found relief of allergies with acupuncture, but I have to say, you get a great amount of attention and care for your money. Plus it's a chance to just lie down and not do anything for an hour. I think this goes a long way towards making you feel better.
posted by kamelhoecker at 10:11 AM on May 2, 2008

I have had allergy shots before, and they really didn't provide significant relief at all. ( I got them every week over the course of a year--no real improvement). My problems with nasal spray are not only the panic attacks (some cause them, but some do not) but, rather, the sever sinus infections that always occur after using them (even when I only use them the minimally recommended amount)

For some reason, my body has an averse reaction to Benadryl and things like Nyquil and other over-the-counter drugs that make most people sleepy, make me feel like I've just done a lot of speed or something, with heart-racing, sweating, brain-won't-turn-off craziness. I don't know why, but that has been my experience. Even the "new" versions of Sudafed can still do this, so I am seeking alternative treatment. The neti pot is something that I will definitely be trying, but I am no fan of antihistamines/allergy shots/nasal sprays, they just don't work with my body chemistry.
posted by nikksioux at 10:19 AM on May 2, 2008

I'm in Seattle and can't say enough good things about

Zhi-Ping C. Kolouch, LAc
Seattle Healing Arts Center
Suite 200
6300 Ninth Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98115

For Appointment Call:
[phone]

She's third or fourth generation acupuncturist and is totally kind but also no nonsense. I initially (and skeptically) went to her from some lady issues which she cleared up with such concrete results that I almost couldn't believe it. She also did some asthma treatments for me that helped tremendously. So if you're willing to give it a shot, give her a call. She's pretty straight forward about what she thinks she can and can't help you with. She also tells you when she thinks it's time to take a break and see how things go without regular visits. She's not chatty or new age-y - she's just down-to-earth and awesome.
posted by allieger at 10:39 AM on May 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

Here and Here.
Two things like the Neti Pot that have been somewhat modernized over the ancient model brought over by Marco Polo (insert laugh here). Good reading about the whole Neti Pot scene and science on wikipedia.

As for me- no pins but I am sticking with the shots. I will add that cleaning my sinuses was one of the best things I ever did for my allergies.
posted by bkeene12 at 10:53 AM on May 2, 2008

I've had seasonal allergies on and off throughout the years. One particularly bad year I tried stinging nettle capsules as suggested by Dr. Weil (who I find a little too new-agey in general, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt).

Much to my amazement, they worked. You can find them at any natural food store, like PCC.
posted by O9scar at 2:45 PM on May 2, 2008

Somewhat off-topic, but this might be helpful as well.

My husband and I have both had fantastic results from eating local honey. We buy honey from a beekeeper who lives a few miles away from us, and we've both had huge improvements in our allergies. Francois (my husband) used to take two 24-hour Claritin-Ds a day. Now he takes one or two a month. We each eat a teaspoon a day; I put mine in my morning tea and he takes it straight.

Give it a try. At worst, you get to eat a teaspoon of honey every day... not exactly a hardship.
posted by workerant at 2:54 PM on May 2, 2008

Give it a try and see how it works. Never underestimate the power of the placebo effect.
posted by Octoparrot at 4:52 PM on May 2, 2008

Sinus flushes with a home made saline solution. Not a spray, but a 4-8oz flush, which is enough to clear out any allergins that are hanging around in your nasal cavitites. Some people like Neti Pots, but you can get the same effect with a plastic bottle with a squeeze-type lid. Flishing takes a few days to get used to, but if you get the temperature and pH right (by adding a bit of baking soda to the water), it's not bad.

I rinse out my sinuses most mornings in the shower, and have been off of Claritin now for several years.

Your mileage may vary, depending on what you're reacting to.
posted by dws at 10:35 PM on May 2, 2008

My visit to an acupuncturist.

My conclusions 2 months later.

It lasted for the season so I have to say it worked. Generic claritin is cheaper so I haven't gone back.
posted by exhilaration at 2:11 PM on May 4, 2008