Thing the second - excuse me if I'm drooling on my keyboard

[drwex]

Something - I think it's allergies - has been utterly kicking my ass, and scaring me.

The scary part is the "I cannot sleep more than four hours". I wake up sweating, drowning in snot, unable to breathe. Panic sets in. I have to be upright and I can't get comfortable to go back to sleep.

I've been compensating with three-hour naps (one Friday, another Saturday; Sunday I only did 2.5 hours). This is not sustainable. Also, it doesn't make up for not getting enough sleep in the first place. Lack of sleep has given me off-and-on headaches that were "ON" for most of the weekend. Taking Tylenol for those, though I'm now remembering I should do enteric aspirin instead. Will fix that this evening.

I am doing everything I know how to deal with allergies:
- regular antihistamine
- taken at dinnertime because allergens are worst at night
- flonase daily (mornings)
- dust mite covers on pillows and mattress
- regular changing of the sheets
- blanket was dry-cleaned after last winter and kept in a breathable plastic bag since then
- added another pillow to try sleeping more upright
- started inhaler again, daily

I managed six hours last night, which is close enough to my normal that I'm kind of functioning today. I keep myself distracted a lot, and boxes of tissues always within reach.

Comments

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

My sympathy. I've been having bad troubles ever since we got Tybalt. I *think* it's the flea spray the vet gave him. I'd been taking loratadine daily and benadryl off and on. My mother said this was practically stone age, and recommended Zyrtec. She warned me it takes about 7 days to take effect. I've had one dose and I do see improvement already. I hope you can find something that helps.

[drwex]

I rotate among three different OTC 24-hour antihistamines. If I take any single one of them for more than 3 days in a row I start to develop a tolerance. Benadryl makes me unconscious for 3-4 hours but leaves me with a wicked hangover.

[sariel-t.livejournal.com]

oh no, honey. I feel your pain. I'm fighting off my yearly bout of allergy-induced bronchitis.
I wish I had a helpful suggestion.

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain, having been sick since July.

What did the doctor say?

[drwex]

I have not gone, yet. If things do not improve I will call them tomorrow.

And I'm sorry you've been sick for so long. Our Thing 2 has something that seems equally long-lasting and highly resistant to standard treatments. We've ruled out a lot of common things and are now testing for less-common.

[chienne-folle.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. That sounds really awful; I hope you and your doc find a solution soon.

Have you seen an allergist? Can you get tested to find out what you're allergic to and get shots to treat those allergies?

24-hour antihistamines don't do much for me, and it sounds like they're not doing it for you, either. My husband has tried nasal rinsing, which I haven't tried because it sounds a little too much like intentionally drowning to me, but he says that it really helps. His ear-nose-throat doc prescribed this; you might want to give it a try.

I hope you feel better soon!

[drwex]

The list of things I know I'm allergic to would serve to cure your insomnia were I to read it off. I've had more allergists play "white to move and mate in five" on my back than I care to recount.

I did get allergy shots when I was a kid; last time I talked to the doc they were generally not recommended for adults of my age because our systems don't "learn" the immunities the way younger systems do.

I have thought about the nasal rinse thing, but it's a unique combination of terrifying and narsty. Failing all else I might be persuaded to try it.

Thanks!

[davidfcooper.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you're suffering. Last time I looked into it (several years ago) the odds of allergy shots helping an adult were 50/50. I'm older than you and have been getting allergy shots for over a decade and they, along with a medication and environment regimen similar to yours, have helped reduce but by no means eliminate my symptoms. That does not mean shots will necessarily help you. This has been an awful allergy season, and my guess is that thanks to climate change allergy seasons are likely to be longer and more severe.

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

Oof. I am really sorry, Hon. Maybe it is time to talk to the doc and see what other remedies might be available.

I know you don't like the idea of the nasal rinse, but that might also be worth a try. It does seem to help when I am particularly congested.

*hugs*

[goddessfarmer.livejournal.com]

I used to have allergies that bad, so I feel your pain. There is also the possibility that it might not be allergies at all. Or that you are allergic to something you don't know about. I know that you have a bunch of food allergies as well as environmental stuff, but if you've "missed" a food allergy, it could be seriously exacerbating an environmental allergy. When I went off milk (which is a common one) it dropped my antihistamine use by 80%.
There are also some herbal remedies that I use that have helped tremendously over the years, both when my allergies were severe and now when they are not so bad. If you want further info on those, let me know.
Also, I do highly recommend the nasal douche/neti pot/sinus rinsing. It has helped me a lot with short term comfort and reducing the length of an allergy attack.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

could you possibly be allergic to dogs?

[drwex]

I am allergic to dogs, though ours doesn't seem to affect me. The severest symptoms started 36 hours before we got the dog.

[mizarchivist]

Ugh.

[tigira.livejournal.com]

Ugh - I'm sorry to hear this. Breathing issues at night make sleeping all kinds of difficult.

Here's hoping that when you finally collapse, that it's at a safe time, and you actually have the time for it.

*hugs*

[drwex]

Thanks. I'm up to two nights of nearly-normal sleep so there's hope.

[shades-of-nyx.livejournal.com]

I'm another vote for the combination of steroid nasal spray and Neti pot.
There are also leukotriene inhibitors, like Singulair, that are worth a try when antihistamines fail. (I took Singulair for a long time.) http://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0101/p65.html

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

That sounds awful and exhausting, and I hope you are able to find a way to make it better. Is there any possibility that it's not caused by allergies, since all the allergy treatments are not fixing it?

[drwex]

If it's not allergies then I don't know what. Given that lots of other people are reporting bad allergy problems and I lack other symptoms it's my first response for now.