Dealing with allergic rhinitis?

Take a look at how people have dealt with allergies in this thread on Ragweed

http://www.reddit.com

This thread is technically titled for Ragweed, but people have actually discussed all sorts of different allergies here. It used to be such a popular topic—I’m not quite sure why it lost its momentum,

but if you don't mind my asking, what exactly are you allergic to?

grass, ragweed, birch, oak, and hazelnut

I would like to share my own struggles with this condition.

My diagnosis is also allergic rhinitis. My nose runs constantly due to congestion, and I sneeze immediately upon waking up. During the day, I can easily sneeze thirty times or more. Both my nose and eyes itch frequently.

Two years ago, I underwent allergy testing, and the results indicated I have no allergies. This made my diagnosis of allergic rhinitis quite confusing.

I have used Letitia and Flixonase, and later transitioned to Nasonex.
Letitia caused extreme drowsiness. Since I prefer not to rely on medication, I eventually stopped taking them. While I felt better temporarily, the symptoms returned fully after a few months.

Currently, I am taking no medication and using no nasal sprays. However, the condition remains unchanged. I notice intensified sneezing during temperature shifts, and my mornings always begin with sneezing.

I am considering visiting an ENT specialist again or perhaps repeating the allergy tests.

I am looking for alternative treatment methods, such as herbal teas or topical ointments.

What are your thoughts? This condition makes me feel terrible.

urbancanyon7 said:I figured I’d jump in here and share my own struggle.

My diagnosis is allergic rhinitis too—it’s been a year-long battle with a constantly runny nose (just water), sneezing first thing in the morning, and easily hitting 30 sneezes a day once things get moving. My nose itches constantly, and sometimes my eyes start acting up too.

The weird part? About two years ago, I went in for allergy testing and everything came back negative! I was totally baffled—how can I have allergic rhinitis if I'm not actually allergic to anything?

I’ve tried Letitia and Flixonase, then moved on to Nasonex...
Letitia made me incredibly drowsy, and since I’m not really a big fan of living on medication, I eventually stopped taking them. It did help for a while, but after a few months, I was right back where I started.

Right now, I’m not taking any pills or using any nasal sprays, but the situation hasn't changed. I’ve noticed even stronger sneezing fits when the temperature shifts—I basically greet every morning with a sneezing fit...

I’m thinking about heading back to the ENT, or maybe repeating the allergy tests.

I'm also looking for any alternative treatments out there—maybe certain teas, ointments, or something else...

What do you guys think? This whole "ailment" makes me feel absolutely miserable!!!

Homeopathy worked wonders for me—my doctor is based in Washington, D.C., near the Sheraton, though she's originally from Russia.

I suffer from allergic rhinitis and a deviated septum, and because of my allergies, I’m developing sinus polyps. I have already undergone surgery to remove polyps once, but I declined the septoplasty because I know some people find it doesn't help or even makes things worse. Additionally, due to all these issues, mucus builds up in the back of my throat, which triggers vomiting and forces me to cough it up constantly.
I want to know if consenting to the septoplasty will stop the polyps from growing and if it will finally resolve my throat issues.
I also have a secondary issue related to the deviation: my ears feel constantly clogged, and my hearing is impaired. Would correcting the deviation fix this?

Hey, does anyone actually know what works for rhinitis? My nose has been constantly stuffed up for years now. I’ve already had my septum repaired, and then went through three more nose surgeries after that, but it seems like my mucosa just reacts to something and swells right back up... For now, I’ve just been getting by with daily nasal sprays—basically living on stuff like Afrin—for about 15 years. If anyone has a real solution, please let me know... I just can't keep doing this.

Nasonex or Flixonase?

I've honestly cycled through pretty much most of those sprays out there—tried them all, really—but nothing seems to actually touch the problem...

I take Taffen, and it actually does the trick for me.

Honestly, even Nasonex doesn't do much for me, but I stumbled upon this one spray that’s actually been a lifesaver. I'm not entirely sure if you can grab it at a local pharmacy here—I haven't bothered asking—but anyway, it's called Rhinocort, made by Pfizer, and the active ingredient is tramazolin hydrochloride.
My nasal septum is pretty much all warped on both sides, though I haven't gone under the knife yet; I'm still just weighing my options. For now, I'm just getting by with this spray since everything else either does absolutely nothing or just ends up irritating my nasal lining.

For me, cigarette smoke is the absolute worst trigger for my nasal lining. 😢 I gave Taffen a shot, but I guess I’m one of those rare people who just can't stomach it. The nasal drops provide some quick relief, but because my membranes are already so incredibly dry, using them long-term feels like I'm actually doing more harm than good...

Anyway, after a lot of frustrating searching, I finally tracked down a solid ENT specialist. He suggested that I start inhaling chamomile steam constantly and rinsing everything out with saline solution. The idea is to help rebuild that mucosal lining so it becomes more resilient over time. It didn't feel like much was happening at first, but lately, I've noticed a massive improvement. I'm not even touching any extra medications anymore.

When you're dealing with rhinitis, the most critical thing is figuring out exactly which type you're actually fighting so you don't waste time on the wrong treatment. For instance, I had no clue I was suffering from acid reflux, but it turns out that was driving my rhinitis crazy. Once I adjusted my diet, the reflux vanished, and my sinus issues calmed down significantly. At the end of the day, just finding a decent doctor is the most important part of the whole process.

Jose Anderson55, I have no clue where you're coming from on this, but I've hit up basically every hospital in Washington, D.C.—I even went to the Clapham private clinic to try some fancy bio-laser treatment—and honestly, nothing has made a dent... Apparently, that laser stuff actually works for some people, though.
At General Hospital, they were straight-up injecting corticosteroids directly into my mucous membrane, but even that didn't do squat. Now they’re talking about surgery again. Which is just great, because I've already been under the knife four times... The only time I felt any relief was after that first go-round, when they used a laser to cauterize my mucosa along with the septum. That kept me feeling okay for about two years until the lining finally grew back, and then everything just went right back to being a mess.
Like I mentioned before, I've cycled through a ton of those sprays, but I haven't tried Rhinocort. I'll check with the local pharmacies and see if they even carry it here...

I’d honestly suggest heading to a private clinic where a standard appointment actually lasts more than an hour; you might actually get a chance to sit down and talk through your symptoms instead of being rushed through some ten-minute ENT checkup at a crowded public hospital. I totally get that the city hospitals are slammed, but rhinitis isn't something you can just brush off.

So, what kind of rhinitis are we talking about here? Have you gone through any allergy testing yet, or noticed if there's anything specific that seems to trigger the irritation in your sinuses?

So, five years ago I went in for allergy testing and the verdict was clear: dust mites and household dust. Fast forward to this year, I did the tests all over again and—get this—it came back totally negative. Like, officially non-allergic. But here’s the kicker... whenever I’m doing anything involving dust—doesn't matter what kind—I immediately start sneezing my head off, and then my nose just completely plugs up.
I've seen a few private ENT specialists about it, but honestly, everyone is giving me a different story. One doc prescribed corticosteroids, another suggested surgery for a deviated septum, and then there was a third one telling me I probably need sinus surgery. I mean, seriously, why would anyone even consider septum surgery at this stage?
Right now, I'm basically on my own trying to figure out a solution, maybe even looking into some alternative stuff to see if anything sticks...

I’ve spent quite a bit of time scouring this subforum hoping to find an existing thread on this topic, but I haven't had much luck. So, I’ll just lay out my situation here in the hopes that someone might be able to offer some guidance...
About four years ago, I caught a bad cold, and ever since that infection cleared up, my sinuses have simply refused to unblock. For three years straight, I found myself reaching for nasal drops every single night. During the day, once the afternoon rolled around, it felt like my airways were completely shut down. It wasn't even a matter of congestion or having stuffiness to blow out; it was more like the air just couldn't pass through at all, which created this intense, heavy pressure right under my cheekbones. Just one dose of drops would temporarily open things up.
Since I've dealt with various allergies since I was a kid, I naturally assumed this was just an allergic reaction—likely to dust. After I got married and moved into a new place, I finally upgraded to anti-allergy pillows and a specialized comforter, and for the first time in ages, I could actually breathe clearly. That relief lasted from the beginning of 2008 until late March of this year, when the pine pollen started blowing and triggered a full-blown allergic reaction. Now, I’m back to square one with all the same symptoms, and I’m honestly at a loss. My doctor suggested it’s chronic allergic rhinitis that persists year-round, recommending antihistamines and nasal sprays... but that doesn't feel like a long-term solution to me. To make matters more complicated, I’ve been trying to conceive lately. Once I get pregnant, I won't be able to rely on antihistamines (which barely work for me anyway) or those nasal sprays.

I'm wondering if anyone else has dealt with something similar... and whether there might be any slightly more natural ways to manage this?
Thanks 😁😁😁😁

There are quite a few ways to handle this, though it really all comes down to what's triggering it. For me, focusing on liver detox was a game changer... http://www.reddit.com

I'm dealing with a dust mite allergy and several other triggers. My nasal passages are chronically inflamed—sometimes more than others—which leaves my nose partially blocked. It forces me to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose. Anyone have experience with this? Nothing seems to work: Nasonex, Taffen nasal, Sterimar with manganese, or any other saline rinse variations are useless. Nasalese powder is also a total wash. Antihistamines like Loratadine don't cut it either because I can't stay on them all year round. Is there anything else out there? The only thing that actually provides relief is Operil sprays, but you can't just use those indefinitely. Help me out. 🤷

Wait, I think I missed something... let me look back at the thread... yeah, okay... So, I was just thinking about all those different options we were talking about earlier regarding the allergy stuff... you know, like using Claritin versus trying out some Rhinocort when things get really bad... it’s such a headache once the Ragweed starts hitting hard in the fall... honestly, it feels like every year it gets more intense... I remember reading on Reddit a while back that some people swear by Singulair, but then others say they prefer Fexofenadine because it doesn't make them feel like a zombie during work hours... it's a total toss-up, really... and don't even get me started on the nasal sprays... sometimes you just need that extra punch from a Taffen spray to actually breathe... anyway, I'm just rambling now... hope everyone is holding up okay with the pollen counts lately... stay safe out there... kaže:
So, I'm dealing with this constant dust mite allergy and all those other random allergens... basically, my nasal passages are just permanently swollen. Some days it's worse than others, but it always ends up feeling like my nose is partially blocked, which forces me to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose... it sucks. I've tried everything: Nasonex, Taffen, even that Sterimar stuff with manganese and all those different saline rinses... nothing works. Nasalese powder? Total zero. Even Loratadine and other antihistamines don't really cut it since I can't just pop them all year round... Is there anything else left to try? Honestly, the only thing that actually gives me some relief is using Operil sprays, but I know I shouldn't overdo it with those either... help... 🤷

So, I’m dealing with allergic rhinitis and a pretty mild case of allergic asthma myself. Since I was getting hit with allergy attacks like four or five times a day, my pulmonologist originally put me on this whole combo deal—stuff for my nose, throat, and lungs... but lately, I’ve just been sticking to one Fexofenadine tablet every single day. Honestly, it works pretty well for me. My nose runs a little bit here and there, but compared to how bad things used to be, it's nothing... I've been taking it for years now, though. I guess I just wonder how it actually affects you after you've been on it for that long...🤷 Is it just me, or am I... 👍

caterina, how’s that allergy situation treating you? I’ve got every single symptom you described. Runny nose, itching, sneezing, bloodshot eyes—the whole works. Nothing is touching it. Telfast just leaves me feeling groggy, and Claritin and all those other useless pills don't do a damn thing.