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Ok so I got skin tested for allergies about 2 years ago. I didn't do anything with the test results and every year I get congested, headaches, sinus problems, etc etc. This year I decided to start allergy shots. They started giving me 3 shots a week with 13 different allergens. I only lasted 2 weeks and had to give it up. I got the allergy headache I've had every year and now realize I should not have started this in March. Should have done it much earlier in the year.
Now I am stuck with the headache and the pollen coming on strong. Does anyone else have these, without a lot of sneezing, coughing and just the headache? What do you take? I tried Zyrtec recommended by the PCP and got worse. I love to be outside, and now I have to wear a mask everytime. When is pollen season going to be over? Anyone else get headaches from pollen?
I use Claritin all year, and Nasacort from April through October. I tried allergy shots (desensitization) twice, with no improvement. Results may vary, but it is recommended to start as soon as the fall allergy season ends.
Ok so I got skin tested for allergies about 2 years ago. I didn't do anything with the test results and every year I get congested, headaches, sinus problems, etc etc. This year I decided to start allergy shots. They started giving me 3 shots a week with 13 different allergens. I only lasted 2 weeks and had to give it up. I got the allergy headache I've had every year and now realize I should not have started this in March. Should have done it much earlier in the year.
Now I am stuck with the headache and the pollen coming on strong. Does anyone else have these, without a lot of sneezing, coughing and just the headache? What do you take? I tried Zyrtec recommended by the PCP and got worse. I love to be outside, and now I have to wear a mask everytime. When is pollen season going to be over? Anyone else get headaches from pollen?
If your primary complaint is a headache that isn't accompanied by other histamine reactions like congestion, sneezing, sinus problems, etc. what you end up suffering from may be a migraine. Obviously, allergies trigger histamine reactions. Histamines can create vasodilation and vasodilation can trigger migraines. I know it does for me (a noticeable drop in barometric pressure triggers vasodilation). Try changing your approach. Try treating the migraine and see what happens.
Thank you. I struggle with what type of headache it is and wish i could go to Mayo but they don't take my Advantage insurance. Strangely, benedryl helps somewhat but there might be something stronger that would get rid of these headaches. I am considering going to a Headache Clinic in Phx to get a better diagnosis. This takes the joy out of life as you probably know. If I may ask, what do you take for your migraines?
If you have the symptoms all the time, it isn't seasonal (trivial, but true)
If you do have it all the time, it's more likely an allergy to mold/fungus or dust mites (you don't want to know about that. Don't ask) or even more likely- vasomotor rhinits (sensitivity to changes in temp/humidity/air pressure). Sitting in front of an AC and gettng stuffed up is classic. Just walking from a warm to a cold room (or vice versa) may set you off.
Sinus congestion slows down the process of equalizing the pressuere in your sinuses when you swallow or when the weather changes. Air trapped in the sinus may cause headaches because it's pressure changes and is either trying to explode your sinus out when it's cold outside or to collapse you skull when it's warmer outside-- This is the same mechanism that brings on that severe pain of a brain freeze when you suck down your ice slushy too fast.
Desensitization shots-- may work well when you're talking about snake venom because usually you're not bombarded consrtantly by tons of snake venom in the air for three weeks every spring. It's less successful when it's common food or pollen allergies.
Meds- anithistamines may work when it's a histamine problem (beware of using them if you're an old man with prostate problems)....Decongestants may help when it's vasomotor rhinitis (beware of you have hi BP or heart problems)...Inhaled steroids can work when it's really an allergy- less effective for vasomotor-- but you need to build them up and use them ccnstantly for them to work-- and the bigesst problem is that if you're congested, you may not be able to get them into the deep areas of the sinuses where you need them.
A big problem in AZ is that all the Chicago migrants who have drifted in have brought their Chicago gardening with them-- and with a "growing sesason" almost all year long in AZ, maybe your seasonal allergy isn't limited to just three weeks.
Guido: Are you saying we Chicagoans brought plants with us into AZ? I can tell you I did not. While my allergies were bad in Chicago area 25 years ago, they were nothing like now in AZ. So what has happened to this area since 2000? I was pretty much ok when I first moved here in 2000 and now I cannot stand it. Sinus and headache with all the pollen. Every spring and Fall. I am thinking shots are not going to help. I probably should have started them as soon as I moved here, for them to be effective. Now it's too late.
If I may ask, what do you take for your migraines?
My go-to used to be Excedrin Migraine and a cold pack applied as soon as possible in just the right spot. Because a lifelong cardiac arrhythmia has decided to intensify with age, I now take a daily anticoagulant. So, I need to avoid ibuprofen-based pain relievers (bleeding risk) and caffeine (contributes to arrhythmia) both of which Excedrin has. Acetaminophen replaced it though it doesn't work as quickly or as well. Ice pack applied early enough still helps. It also helps to figure out your personal migraine trigger...mine is rapid significant barometric change. When there's a major weather shift I start paying attention. If I catch a budding migraine I can nip it in the bud more easily.
Guido: Are you saying we Chicagoans brought plants with us into AZ? I can tell you I did not. While my allergies were bad in Chicago area 25 years ago, they were nothing like now in AZ. So what has happened to this area since 2000? I was pretty much ok when I first moved here in 2000 and now I cannot stand it. Sinus and headache with all the pollen. Every spring and Fall. I am thinking shots are not going to help. I probably should have started them as soon as I moved here, for them to be effective. Now it's too late.
It is well known that decades of hopeful sun seeker transplants to AZ brought their gardening urges with them. They ended up introducing many novel pollens to what used to be desert in the process. Even if they didn't transport plants, they started irrigating which allowed many non-native species to survive the climate/soil. Promoting more plant diversity and growth made allergies worse for everyone else.
Allergic sensitivities can ebb and flow during your lifetime. You can move to a very different area and not react to the allergens present right away, but you can become sensitized to them with repeated exposure over time.
"Does anyone else have these, without a lot of sneezing, coughing and just the headache?"
yes.
"What do you take?"
Advil.
"When is pollen season going to be over?"
December.
"Anyone else get headaches from pollen?
yes.
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