I never had allergies in my life, until these past three years in western North Dakota.  I would not care so much about having a runny nose or watery eyes, if it weren’t for my eyes swelling shut and becoming extremely sensitive to light.

I have tried just about every over-the-counter non-prescription medication.  I went to Sanford Health and got a prescription for Prednisone tablets, and Pataday eyedrops which cost $193 for less than a tea spoon of liquid, which did not help very much.

I have already written two long blog posts about Allergies and my visit to Sanford Health, so I will just get to the point of what seems to work the best for me, for treating allergies:

1. Zyrtec (cetirizine) – One tablet is supposed to last all day, and you are not supposed to take more than directed.  I bought the 10 mg tablets that cost about $1.00 each.  After trying Zyrtec for two days, I found that for me personally, I had to take more than directed in order to get my right eye to unswell and stop hurting.  I tried one tablet, which helped some, waited an hour and took a 2nd tablet which helped some more, waited an hour and took a 3rd tablet which almost completely stopped all of my allergy symptoms.     Taking this many Zyrtec was a last resort for me.  My doctor visit and prescription medication in August cost $400 and didn’t help very much.  Nothing else has worked for me so far.
2. Flonase (fluticasone nasal) – This nasal spray helped me some in reducing allergy symptoms, but only about 50% of what I needed.
3. Allegra (fexofenadine) – These tablets helped me some in reducing allergy symptoms, but only about 40% of what I needed.
4. Claritin (loratadine) – These tablet only helped about 20% of what was needed.
5. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) – These tablets helped with my runny nose, but I think that these tablets made my eyes even more sensitive to light, which was the last thing that I needed.

In North Dakota these past three years, I can have an allergic reaction at any time of the year, without any advance warning.  I read recently, that in the Winter, Box Elder trees and Ash trees produce something that causes allergies.

When I am at home, and don’t have anywhere to go, I have tried rinsing out my sinuses with salt water, and this helps a little.

Other people have recommended to me that I find a local producer of local honey.  Local honey contains a small amount of pollen from every plant, and consuming local honey is supposedly almost the same thing as taking allergy shots, which get your body used to allergens a little bit at a time.