Allergy OTC day and nighttime suggestions please.

[jules54]

This year has been a super rough allergy year so far. I hate bad hay fever when I was young, but it got less so 30-60. Now seems like it’s back with added strength. I’m looking for both a daytime allergy med that works and doesn’t make me tired. And the opposite for nighttime of course I still want it to wrk, but I want to be able to sleep 6-8 hours without waking with clogged throat. I don’t mind taking 2 medications if each plays it part.

Right now I’m taking plain label Claritin from Sams Lora whatever. It makes me tired during the day and I think affects my vision and driving skills. This wears off before bed time. I then take Benadryl for nighttime and that gets me through the nite. As long as I don’t take it too late I wake up without being too groggy.

There was a thread from 2018 I did read, but it did not give me the info I was looking for. If I Google the question I mostly get OTC ads.

Thanks in advance

 

[Luanne]

I use Zyrtec over the counter.

 

[Cornell]

I have done a lot of work in this category for my job. I highly recommend Nasonex or the generic equiv. Many people think that a spray allergy med is just for nasal symptoms. It's not - it's just the delivery mechanism.

You can couple Nasonex with something like Zyrtec.

 

[Panina]

I used the regular claritin reditabs 12 hours, brand name not generic. I find the reditabs tabs work for me much better then the pills, also 12 hour, even though more money , works better then the 24 hour ones. I have tried generic and I do not feel good with them.

 

[AnnaS]

I have used Zyrtec the last two years. But I usually buy whatever is on sale or have a coupon. I do like to switch them up anyway. Not much makes me drowsy. I wish they would, then I could take it at night.

Very bad this year - Good luck!

 

[Blues]

Have had severe allergies all my life. What works for one person does not necessarily work the same for the next person. For example, people above recommend Zyrtec - great if it works for you. For me, it puts me to sleep immediately. My allergist says that this is true for a significant portion of the population; but not everyone, or even a majority.

What works for me is Allegra. Very effective, no side effects whatsoever for me. Still, when things are bad, I supplement it with Flonase nasal spray. I consider Flonase to be a miracle drug. As noted above, not just for nasal symptoms - it's effective system-wide.

But as noted, YMMV. You'll just have to try some out and see what works. (BTW, Costco has generic versions of both Allegra and Flonase for very cheap).

 

[Janann]

Day:
One Mucinex pill, and two Aleve (anti-inflammatory). I've never tried taking two Mucinex, because one works fine for me.
Another option is Alka Seltzer Plus cold medicine.
Night:
Same as you, Benadryl. Although I use it mostly as a sleep aid if I wake up at 2 a.m. and can't go back to sleep.

 

[Glynda]

Flonase twice a day keeps my once severe allergies at bay. If I understand correctly, Flonase is a preventative, not something to turn to when you already have symptoms. That said, when my husband recently had problems during high pollen counts, starting back on his Flonase did the trick.

 

[DrQ]

I have done a lot of work in this category for my job. I highly recommend Nasonex or the generic equiv. Many people think that a spray allergy med is just for nasal symptoms. It's not - it's just the delivery mechanism.

I've joking called this "Nasally fitted cortisone".

I've suffered from allergies for decades and my GP put me on Beconase when it could be delivered in a powder form with a freon propellent. The new water based formulations are not as comfortable to use, but treating the sinuses directly with a steroid has been the best treatment I've ever had.

The generics are very cost effective.

 

[jehb2]

For Zyrtec and Flonase the Costco Kirkland generic brands are great. I also like Sudafed. I went to an allergist for five years and got shots now now I’m doing really well. but at one point I took Flonase in the morning at night, and Zyrtec at night, and Sudafed during the day as needed. If things were really bad at night time it took Alka-Seltzer cold and flu night-time. Yeah, that’s why I eventually started the shots.

 

[amycurl]

I take a loratadine-D 24 hour practically every day (I actually had a prescription for it, back before Claritan-D 24 went OTC.) There is no difference between the generic and the Claritan brand (so why pay three times as much? The Costo generic works great!) I usually take it in the morning when I first wake up.

Because I've found that this year is rougher, too (same as you've found,) at night I've started to use a single squirt of the generic Flonase. (Yay Costco brand!) That seems to keep me from waking up with particularly watery eyes or getting congested overnight (before I can take the loratadine D.) I'm allergic to cat hair (having grown up with a cat, LOL!) and mold (so, usually worse in the fall.) Having these spring allergy symptoms is new for me.

There's no effect with either on sleep patterns, etc. In college, before the second generation antihistamines came out, I took Actifed, and that would really make me sleepy (I always had to debate having a constantly drippy nose vs. driving-while-drowsy during the 8 hour trip home.) The two things that made my day-to-day quality of life better in my 20s was two deviated septum surgeries, and second-generation antihistamines, LOL.

My spouse can't take the loratadine-D at all; it actually tends to keep him awake. He takes just the plain, generic loratadine or the generic, plain Zyrtec (whichever Costco brand is on sale when he needs it, LOL.) One of those, plus the spray, tends to work well for him.

Good luck!!

 

[elaine]

I like a 12 hour (or 8 hour) allergy med and then a benadryl for night. I usually take Allegra (not the 24 hour one). If one version isn't working, or making you sleepy, try something else. Also, be sure to shower each evening if you've been outside.

 

[jules54]

Thanks everyone. Drippy nose is not an issue with me. I have itchy throat, clogged throat and itchy eyes.

I’m sure I’m allergic to dust. I really need to stop cleaning house too. Lol

 

[pittle]

Oue new favorite is XYZAL. I think it works better than Claritin. It is 24 hour and they suggest you take it before going to bed. It does not make you drowsy, but I think that way it is full-strength for the day. I often forget at bedtime, so take it in the morning.