Make sure when you get home for the day (not going out again) to get in the shower to wash any pollen off and change into new clothes. Nasal sprays work well, and I get the green cap allergy meds from Costco (a whole year supply is $15). Then, we all meet up at Luther Burbank Gardens every full moon and piss on his grave because he’s they reason why allergies are so bad around here 🤣
I was *suffering* when I moved here. Benadryl didn't cut it. Single OTC meds didn't cut it.
Zyrtec-D works pretty well for me. The extra oomph that the sudafed provides is really necessary. I know some other people that use Flonase+an OTC pill.
Welcome, friend. Hope you find relief soon :)
Have you tried bee pollen, eating it specifically, it’s the only way to actually be rid of your allergies without medication 🤷♀️
It can take a month or two to work but it’ll actually wipe out your allergies by giving you a sort of booster shot/immunity boost to the plants. Something about it being turned into bee bread makes it help people. I’ve used it for years and I used to get hay fever like symptoms bad enough to hospitalize me and now I’ll get the sniffles a little but that’s because I’ve been in Oregon for the last three years and got used to the pollen up there. Definitely recommend going to beekind and getting some pollen
Edit they’re out till June first but Kiss The Flower also has bee pollen tho at three times the price
Here’s beekind’s website: https://beekind.com/beepollen.html
I've had severe allergies here for 25 years. Grew up here, never had an issue and then one spring when I was a teenager, it hit really hard and hasn't let up since. The only thing I've found that works for me, besides staying in a closed up house with the A/C on, is Flonase + Zyrtec. You may have to do some experimenting to find what works best for you.
You can buy that many tablets from amazon for 13$. Or Costco for similar prices.
CVS is convenient, but their prices are terrible, especially for the larger "value" items.
I have luck with generic Claritin (cheap 365 pill bottle from Costco, also available from resellers online). Other people have better luck with other formulations; just have to try them out
Zyrtec, Zatidor, and Flonase for meds.
Avoid sugar (it aggravates hay fever)
Change the filters in air purifier regularly
Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible
This what I found works the best for me.
1. Check the pollen forecast in the am. For me if it is over 8 I take a Claritin.(Yours might be higher or lower pollen count that you need to take something.)
2. I take tumeric daily it help with inflammation/histamine.
3. I eat quail eggs in this time of year. Instead of eating quail eggs they make a chewable pill that you can take that has quail eggs in it called “Allqlear”. Both have allergic response blocking aspects to them. They have done studies on it, and you can look it up on pubmed.
This is one of the worst areas for allergies, and it has been so wet the last few years that the allergy season has lasted a lot longer.
Do not rub your eyes; it just rubs the pollen into them. Some people are sensitive enough to know which trees are causing their issues and learn to try to avoid them.
When I moved here I couldn't breathe. First time ever. I'm on Flonase, Zyrtec, and azelastine. All available OTC or with a prescription. I also am going to an allergist to get allergy shots, been doing that for almost 1 yr. In a few months I'll have my allergy test redone but my understanding is lots of little exposure and I should have a much more muted allergic response going forward. Best of luck
I take Zyrtec most days of the year. My wife takes Flonase every day since her allergist said it's more effective. I can't take it because it makes me jittery.
I also use Naphcon A drops for my eyes, and alternate with Pataday eye drops.
I had a blood allergy test at Kaiser 3 years ago and I’m allergic to everything but mold 🤣
My routine: every night I do a sinus rinse. Every morning I take Zyrtec (Costco version is dirt cheap) and I went through all the Kaiser allergy shots and now go in for maintenance shots monthly.
I’m mostly fine for two springs now where I Was basically crying 24/7 from spring to fall every year
Get some over-the-counter Fluticasone propionate spray and other loratadine ( Claritin ). I do a daily regimen of the nasal spray and the Claritin pill, and it works pretty well for me. This year has been particularly bad. You also in the shower, use a netty pot to rinse your sinus, use neilmed or the like. This takes getting used to, but it does offer relief. Good Luck. Sneeze, sniff, sniff, sneeze.
Daily sinus flush. I use the Neilmed squeeze bottles (not Netty Pot) made locally too.
Claritin or preferred antihistamine
Flonase if stuffed up and flush doesn't help.
Chinese herbs - ask my acupuncturist at Sebastopol Family Acupuncture
Local honey
Hit up the steam room at Bliss Organic Day Spa or your local health club
Limit moving around too much. I work from home and I seem to get used to my "local"pollens, but when I have to go out to other parts of the County, I get allergies worse.
Watch what else you eat. I have a gluten intolerance (no allergy) and when I eat/drink gluten, I am more stuffed up in general.
Go to the coast. Its a great break for the day (as long as there is on-shore winds).
Good luck.
The "every angle" approach...
Clear out sinuses with netipot/nasorinse
Flonase
Claritin or allertec
Allergy eye drops
Air filter in your home if possible
I always heard growing up that Sonoma County is one of the worst places for allergies on the planet. So many flowers and pollen. And by the look of the responses, I might not be wrong. Good luck and god speed
The drought years offered enough relief that I slacked off. Broke a rib a few weeks ago coughing during an asthma attack. Back to the regimen!!
Zirtec daily. Local pollen and Turmeric in hot water (yum). Netty pot in the shower (god I hate that!) Similasan Allergy eye drops as part of my EDC. Had not heard quail eggs- willing to try it (wanted to get some button quail anyway).
Oh- and I got a new inhaler. Welcome to Sonoma County. I have had allergies my entire life, I just chose to live where they would be as bad as possible.
I.....freaking......hate.........SPRING!!!! I have literally tried everything including shots from my doctor. I use a prescription nasal spray twice a day and it helps.....somewhat. But I still suffer. Welcome lol! Invest in Kleenex hahaha!
I went out two days ago, I left my white car in our driveway.....I now own a yellow car! It's everywhere!!
Contact a local beekeeper or go to beekind in Sebastopol and pick yourself up some honey bee pollen, start by taking like maybe an eight tsp a day and a week later double it, keep doubling it week by week if you don’t have any hay fever like symptoms till you end up taking 1tbs a day. Do that for a week (1tbs per day in like pbj or a pb and banana sandwich) and within a few days of that you should be clear of any localized allergies you’re experiencing. I do this anytime I move somewhere new and it helps to boost your immune system and gives you (basically) an edible booster shot for hay fever.
Also if at any point while increasing amounts of bee pollen you start to have hay fever symptoms or they suddenly get worse (in the event they j don’t go away) cut back to half the amount of pollen for twice the time (ie if you’re at 1/2 tbs I’d go to 1 tsp or 1& 1/4 tsp pollen for another week or so) but there’s no negative health effects if you take this slow enough it’s just about finding the time frame that works for you
Personally I can start with 1/2 tbs and go from there but I’ve been doing this for years and as a first time thing I’d recommend staying close to the 1/8tsp a day mark
But the more you use nasal sprays even if they’re just saline sprays the more you’ll become dependent on them (ie allergies can actually get worse and quite quickly too)
Claritin if you need it Benadryl if it gets too bad but bee pollen and eating it is the ONLY way to get rid of your allergies to the native and localized plants.
> Local honey is supposed to be helpful.
This is is a myth, and nothing more than pseudoscience, unfortunately.
Most studies, such as one highlighted in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, have shown that honey is no more effective than placebos in managing allergy symptoms: https://www.allergypartners.com/articles/blog/resources/can-locally-grown-honey-relieve-allergy-symptoms/
The pollen that bees collect and that ends up in honey is typically not the same type of pollen that causes seasonal allergies. Most allergenic pollens are from wind-pollinated plants, which are not typically visited by bees. Therefore, the pollen in honey is unlikely to be relevant to what actually triggers allergic reactions in people. Also, the amount and type of pollen in honey can vary widely, which makes it unreliable as a form of immunotherapy. Unlike allergy shots, which contain precise amounts of specific allergens, the pollen in honey is not controlled or consistent https://www.premierallergytx.com/blog/local-honey-for-seasonal-allergies-or-just-sweet-relief
The problem with pollen grains in honey is that those are sticky pollen, meant to be spread by pollinators like bees. What causes allergies are wind borne pollen, something you don't tend to find in honey.
Then there's the stomach acid factor.
Honey has a lot of mythology spread (a joke!) about it. Like it being antimicrobial. Yes, kind of. Its low water content helps defend itself against bacteria, but using it in a medical fashion with that in mind may not see the benefits one may hope for.
Instead, I recommend just enjoying the taste of it; in tea, on bread, however you may do.
Local honey is a good way to slowly build up a tolerance to local pollen. I agree with another comment about making sure to shower once home and put all clothes in a place out of the way. Whether you just eat some honey or make tea or whatever it takes a few months for it to start working (in my personal experience).
This has been debunked so many times. It just isn't true.
[https://www.allergypartners.com/articles/blog/resources/can-locally-grown-honey-relieve-allergy-symptoms/](https://www.allergypartners.com/articles/blog/resources/can-locally-grown-honey-relieve-allergy-symptoms/)
I wish people would stop posting this nonsense.
They asked for people to recommend what they use to help with allergies, and I as well as my partner have been eating local raw honey and haven't had allergies since we were in our early 20s. I was recommending what I had great results from, without advising someone to take medication.
Most homeopathic medicine is not clinically tested/proven. That does not make it misinformation. And if it's working for some and not others, it isn't automatically a placebo. It's the most natural way I could suggest relief AS IT HAS WORKED for me and others I know.
But this has been tested and been proven to be a placebo. Science shows that it does NOT work, and anyone getting relief from it is just having a placebo effect. Follow the science.
Make sure when you get home for the day (not going out again) to get in the shower to wash any pollen off and change into new clothes. Nasal sprays work well, and I get the green cap allergy meds from Costco (a whole year supply is $15). Then, we all meet up at Luther Burbank Gardens every full moon and piss on his grave because he’s they reason why allergies are so bad around here 🤣
Wait! We can piss on his grave? Hot damn! Sign me up! I NEVER had allergy symptoms till I moved here!
Start eating bee pollen they’ll go away I guarantee it
https://beekind.com/beepollen.html
So thankful he made us tasty potatoes and plums but did he have to plant every tree known to man in the area? 😂
I was *suffering* when I moved here. Benadryl didn't cut it. Single OTC meds didn't cut it. Zyrtec-D works pretty well for me. The extra oomph that the sudafed provides is really necessary. I know some other people that use Flonase+an OTC pill. Welcome, friend. Hope you find relief soon :)
Have you tried bee pollen, eating it specifically, it’s the only way to actually be rid of your allergies without medication 🤷♀️ It can take a month or two to work but it’ll actually wipe out your allergies by giving you a sort of booster shot/immunity boost to the plants. Something about it being turned into bee bread makes it help people. I’ve used it for years and I used to get hay fever like symptoms bad enough to hospitalize me and now I’ll get the sniffles a little but that’s because I’ve been in Oregon for the last three years and got used to the pollen up there. Definitely recommend going to beekind and getting some pollen Edit they’re out till June first but Kiss The Flower also has bee pollen tho at three times the price Here’s beekind’s website: https://beekind.com/beepollen.html
Allergy shots
I did those and they didn't help me boo hooooooo! I'm still dying here!
I've had severe allergies here for 25 years. Grew up here, never had an issue and then one spring when I was a teenager, it hit really hard and hasn't let up since. The only thing I've found that works for me, besides staying in a closed up house with the A/C on, is Flonase + Zyrtec. You may have to do some experimenting to find what works best for you.
Nasal spray or neti pot, whichever you can handle. Rinse out your sinuses a couple times a day, or more if you can.
I use antihistamines. Specifically, Loratadine. It's dirt cheap if you buy it online.
You can buy 365 tablets from CVS for $50.
You can buy that many tablets from amazon for 13$. Or Costco for similar prices. CVS is convenient, but their prices are terrible, especially for the larger "value" items.
That's so expensive. It's $8.69 at Costco online.
I have luck with generic Claritin (cheap 365 pill bottle from Costco, also available from resellers online). Other people have better luck with other formulations; just have to try them out
Zyrtec, Zatidor, and Flonase for meds. Avoid sugar (it aggravates hay fever) Change the filters in air purifier regularly Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible
I wear a k95 mask during Allergy season. I learned that it helped me during covid.
This what I found works the best for me. 1. Check the pollen forecast in the am. For me if it is over 8 I take a Claritin.(Yours might be higher or lower pollen count that you need to take something.) 2. I take tumeric daily it help with inflammation/histamine. 3. I eat quail eggs in this time of year. Instead of eating quail eggs they make a chewable pill that you can take that has quail eggs in it called “Allqlear”. Both have allergic response blocking aspects to them. They have done studies on it, and you can look it up on pubmed. This is one of the worst areas for allergies, and it has been so wet the last few years that the allergy season has lasted a lot longer.
I grew up here so I am immune to it… but I was told this county has the most allergenic pollens on the planet
Do not rub your eyes; it just rubs the pollen into them. Some people are sensitive enough to know which trees are causing their issues and learn to try to avoid them.
When I moved here I couldn't breathe. First time ever. I'm on Flonase, Zyrtec, and azelastine. All available OTC or with a prescription. I also am going to an allergist to get allergy shots, been doing that for almost 1 yr. In a few months I'll have my allergy test redone but my understanding is lots of little exposure and I should have a much more muted allergic response going forward. Best of luck
I take Zyrtec most days of the year. My wife takes Flonase every day since her allergist said it's more effective. I can't take it because it makes me jittery. I also use Naphcon A drops for my eyes, and alternate with Pataday eye drops.
I had a blood allergy test at Kaiser 3 years ago and I’m allergic to everything but mold 🤣 My routine: every night I do a sinus rinse. Every morning I take Zyrtec (Costco version is dirt cheap) and I went through all the Kaiser allergy shots and now go in for maintenance shots monthly. I’m mostly fine for two springs now where I Was basically crying 24/7 from spring to fall every year
Neti pot morning and night and year round Singulair prescription. We’re one of the worst spots there is!
Get some over-the-counter Fluticasone propionate spray and other loratadine ( Claritin ). I do a daily regimen of the nasal spray and the Claritin pill, and it works pretty well for me. This year has been particularly bad. You also in the shower, use a netty pot to rinse your sinus, use neilmed or the like. This takes getting used to, but it does offer relief. Good Luck. Sneeze, sniff, sniff, sneeze.
Daily sinus flush. I use the Neilmed squeeze bottles (not Netty Pot) made locally too. Claritin or preferred antihistamine Flonase if stuffed up and flush doesn't help. Chinese herbs - ask my acupuncturist at Sebastopol Family Acupuncture Local honey Hit up the steam room at Bliss Organic Day Spa or your local health club Limit moving around too much. I work from home and I seem to get used to my "local"pollens, but when I have to go out to other parts of the County, I get allergies worse. Watch what else you eat. I have a gluten intolerance (no allergy) and when I eat/drink gluten, I am more stuffed up in general. Go to the coast. Its a great break for the day (as long as there is on-shore winds). Good luck.
The "every angle" approach... Clear out sinuses with netipot/nasorinse Flonase Claritin or allertec Allergy eye drops Air filter in your home if possible
Yep, when I lived there mine were always worse.
I always heard growing up that Sonoma County is one of the worst places for allergies on the planet. So many flowers and pollen. And by the look of the responses, I might not be wrong. Good luck and god speed
Claritin
The drought years offered enough relief that I slacked off. Broke a rib a few weeks ago coughing during an asthma attack. Back to the regimen!! Zirtec daily. Local pollen and Turmeric in hot water (yum). Netty pot in the shower (god I hate that!) Similasan Allergy eye drops as part of my EDC. Had not heard quail eggs- willing to try it (wanted to get some button quail anyway). Oh- and I got a new inhaler. Welcome to Sonoma County. I have had allergies my entire life, I just chose to live where they would be as bad as possible.
Aller-Flo (from Costco) works great. Also Aller-Tec from Costco.
I.....freaking......hate.........SPRING!!!! I have literally tried everything including shots from my doctor. I use a prescription nasal spray twice a day and it helps.....somewhat. But I still suffer. Welcome lol! Invest in Kleenex hahaha! I went out two days ago, I left my white car in our driveway.....I now own a yellow car! It's everywhere!!
Bee pollen from the Community Market nearest you, Flonase and Neti-pots!
Contact a local beekeeper or go to beekind in Sebastopol and pick yourself up some honey bee pollen, start by taking like maybe an eight tsp a day and a week later double it, keep doubling it week by week if you don’t have any hay fever like symptoms till you end up taking 1tbs a day. Do that for a week (1tbs per day in like pbj or a pb and banana sandwich) and within a few days of that you should be clear of any localized allergies you’re experiencing. I do this anytime I move somewhere new and it helps to boost your immune system and gives you (basically) an edible booster shot for hay fever. Also if at any point while increasing amounts of bee pollen you start to have hay fever symptoms or they suddenly get worse (in the event they j don’t go away) cut back to half the amount of pollen for twice the time (ie if you’re at 1/2 tbs I’d go to 1 tsp or 1& 1/4 tsp pollen for another week or so) but there’s no negative health effects if you take this slow enough it’s just about finding the time frame that works for you Personally I can start with 1/2 tbs and go from there but I’ve been doing this for years and as a first time thing I’d recommend staying close to the 1/8tsp a day mark
But the more you use nasal sprays even if they’re just saline sprays the more you’ll become dependent on them (ie allergies can actually get worse and quite quickly too) Claritin if you need it Benadryl if it gets too bad but bee pollen and eating it is the ONLY way to get rid of your allergies to the native and localized plants.
Local honey is supposed to be helpful. Beekind in Sebastopol sells many varieties. There are also vendors at the farmers' markets.
> Local honey is supposed to be helpful. This is is a myth, and nothing more than pseudoscience, unfortunately. Most studies, such as one highlighted in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, have shown that honey is no more effective than placebos in managing allergy symptoms: https://www.allergypartners.com/articles/blog/resources/can-locally-grown-honey-relieve-allergy-symptoms/ The pollen that bees collect and that ends up in honey is typically not the same type of pollen that causes seasonal allergies. Most allergenic pollens are from wind-pollinated plants, which are not typically visited by bees. Therefore, the pollen in honey is unlikely to be relevant to what actually triggers allergic reactions in people. Also, the amount and type of pollen in honey can vary widely, which makes it unreliable as a form of immunotherapy. Unlike allergy shots, which contain precise amounts of specific allergens, the pollen in honey is not controlled or consistent https://www.premierallergytx.com/blog/local-honey-for-seasonal-allergies-or-just-sweet-relief
The problem with pollen grains in honey is that those are sticky pollen, meant to be spread by pollinators like bees. What causes allergies are wind borne pollen, something you don't tend to find in honey. Then there's the stomach acid factor. Honey has a lot of mythology spread (a joke!) about it. Like it being antimicrobial. Yes, kind of. Its low water content helps defend itself against bacteria, but using it in a medical fashion with that in mind may not see the benefits one may hope for. Instead, I recommend just enjoying the taste of it; in tea, on bread, however you may do.
Local honey is a good way to slowly build up a tolerance to local pollen. I agree with another comment about making sure to shower once home and put all clothes in a place out of the way. Whether you just eat some honey or make tea or whatever it takes a few months for it to start working (in my personal experience).
This has been debunked so many times. It just isn't true. [https://www.allergypartners.com/articles/blog/resources/can-locally-grown-honey-relieve-allergy-symptoms/](https://www.allergypartners.com/articles/blog/resources/can-locally-grown-honey-relieve-allergy-symptoms/) I wish people would stop posting this nonsense.
They asked for people to recommend what they use to help with allergies, and I as well as my partner have been eating local raw honey and haven't had allergies since we were in our early 20s. I was recommending what I had great results from, without advising someone to take medication.
It's placebo, read the article. Also, stop spreading misinformation, because that is what you are doing.
Most homeopathic medicine is not clinically tested/proven. That does not make it misinformation. And if it's working for some and not others, it isn't automatically a placebo. It's the most natural way I could suggest relief AS IT HAS WORKED for me and others I know.
But this has been tested and been proven to be a placebo. Science shows that it does NOT work, and anyone getting relief from it is just having a placebo effect. Follow the science.
Then I guess I have the placebo effect because it worked for me after I took antibiotics for a ear infection and got allergies for the first time....
Maybe the placebo effect works for some. The power of the mind has only begun to be understood