The longest thread ever

[ClemmonsDevil]

This is why I love college basketball.

Exsctly. And Izzo's kids compete man. You have to go beat them. They're not going to be complicit.

[bundabergdevil]

There's something uniquely satisfying about getting out of the first weekend alive and having a 4 day breather before the mayhem starts again. I'll sleep well tonight.

[YmoBeThere]

Exsctly. And Izzo's kids compete man. You have to go beat them. They're not going to be complicit.

Yes, that was a well-contested and hard fought game. Both teams had moments where they stepped up and made big plays. I am proud of our team, win or lose.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Yes, that was a well-contested and hard fought game. Both teams had moments where they stepped up and made big plays. I am proud of our team, win or lose.

I agree with you completely. As K would say, Michigan State is worthy

[YmoBeThere]

Vandy held up their part of the bargain.

4+ hours of basketball and 2 hard fought and well-earned wins. All in all a pretty good birthday.

[ClemmonsDevil]

4+ hours of basketball and 2 hard fought and well-earned wins. All in all a pretty good birthday.

Happy birthday Ymo!!!!!

[budwom]

I agree with you completely. As K would say, Michigan State is worthy

yes indeed, winning is always nice, but beating a good team that played (IMO) very well is especially pleasing.

[bundabergdevil]

4+ hours of basketball and 2 hard fought and well-earned wins. All in all a pretty good birthday.

Happy birthday! Hope you rolled around like no one was watching!

[ClemmonsDevil]

I am at the home office this week. The 2 folks we hired for the office HATE each other. But they both really like me. So I am trying to get them on the same page and to stop their petty bickering. Kids.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Okay folks - I've never had to deal with allergies before (I know, I'm lucky) but this year they are tearing me apart. Non-stop sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose... Ick.

What's a good medication that won't knock me for a loop?

Thanks in advance. I'm so excited to be a part of this brotherhood.

[aimo]

Okay folks - I've never had to deal with allergies before (I know, I'm lucky) but this year they are tearing me apart. Non-stop sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose... Ick.

What's a good medication that won't knock me for a loop?

Thanks in advance. I'm so excited to be a part of this brotherhood.

Try Claritin. You can buy the store brand, like Target's. It's a lot cheaper and a smaller investment if it does not work for you. My brother uses it religiously this time of year. You must drink a lot of water while you take it.

[wilson]

Try Claritin. You can buy the store brand, like Target's. It's a lot cheaper and a smaller investment if it does not work for you. My brother uses it religiously this time of year. You must drink a lot of water while you take it.

I too had late-onset allergies, in my early 30s. Claritin never worked for me...I'm convinced that it's just a body chemistry thing or something. For me, Zyrtec is the trick (in generic form, as aimo suggested).
I would recommend starting with small packages of whatever OTC remedies you try, and then once you hit on the one that works best for you, start supplying yourself more amply.

[Bostondevil]

Claritin and Zyrtec only work if you take them every day, btw. Because I am also allergic to indoor dust and such, I have allergy symptoms all year round. Not everyday but often enough that if I wanted to use Claritin or Zyrtec, I'd have to take it constantly. I don't like doing that. I will do the Claritin thing in late summer because the grass pollens of August are harder on me than the tree pollens of April. Anyway, my go to remedy that I use for particularly bad days when I'm not taking Claritin is Flonase.

[wilson]

Claritin and Zyrtec only work if you take them every day, btw. Because I am also allergic to indoor dust and such, I have allergy symptoms all year round. Not everyday but often enough that if I wanted to use Claritin or Zyrtec, I'd have to take it constantly. I don't like doing that. I will do the Claritin thing in late summer because the grass pollens of August are harder on me than the tree pollens of April. Anyway, my go to remedy that I use for particularly bad days when I'm not taking Claritin is Flonase.

I don't take Zyrtec every day, and it does the trick when I need it, generally during a couple of flare-up times of year. I reckon that's at least partly a placebo effect and will (of course) defer in general to BD's public health acumen here.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Thanks for the tips.

I took Zyrtec yesterday. It didn't do much to help my symptoms, and made me feel oogy (or maybe that was the intense basketball game that did that).

I think I'd prefer a non-24 hour solution at first until I figure out what's working and what isn't, but if this turns into a long term battle I will go back and try Zyrtec again, taking it daily.

I love the bizarre wealth of information we have in this community.

[Rich]

Thanks for the tips.

I took Zyrtec yesterday. It didn't do much to help my symptoms, and made me feel oogy (or maybe that was the intense basketball game that did that).

I think I'd prefer a non-24 hour solution at first until I figure out what's working and what isn't, but if this turns into a long term battle I will go back and try Zyrtec again, taking it daily.

I love the bizarre wealth of information we have in this community.

I agree that products like Zyrtec and Claritin need to remain in your system so it may take a few days to a week to start working and get rid of the ooogies. I also agree that for "spot treatment" a nasal spray is your best bet (Flonase and private label equivalents).

[Bostondevil]

I don't take Zyrtec every day, and it does the trick when I need it, generally during a couple of flare-up times of year. I reckon that's at least partly a placebo effect and will (of course) defer in general to BD's public health acumen here.

Let me rephrase, the recommended usage for Claritin or Zyrtec is to take it every day. If it works for someone taking it as needed, score! If it doesn't work for someone taking it only when they have symptoms - that is not following the recommended usage, so, one should at least try taking it every day before declaring that it doesn't work for them.

[bundabergdevil]

Okay folks - I've never had to deal with allergies before (I know, I'm lucky) but this year they are tearing me apart. Non-stop sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose... Ick.

What's a good medication that won't knock me for a loop?

Thanks in advance. I'm so excited to be a part of this brotherhood.

And you’re sure it’s unrelated to the fact that you just started working again?

[budwom]

Okay folks - I've never had to deal with allergies before (I know, I'm lucky) but this year they are tearing me apart. Non-stop sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose... Ick.

What's a good medication that won't knock me for a loop?

Thanks in advance. I'm so excited to be a part of this brotherhood.

Claritin is great for treating symptoms. If you would like to avoid 95% of all symptoms, I would strongly recommend Nasacort or other over the counter nose sprays. Two sprays in each nostril once a day, and you're good to go.
Be advised you need to start taking them 4-5 days before you expect symptoms, then keep using them.. Yes, they have some low level steroids in them, but as a chronic, severe hay fever sufferer all my life, these drugs have definitely changed my life. I may need the occasional claritin when the pollen goes crazy for a few days,otherwise Nasacort is all I need. Get a summer's supply at Costco for about $40, a ridiculous bargain. I've taken these drugs for about 40 years now, they're marvelous.

[YmoBeThere]

I've tried Claritin, Xyzal, Allegra and Flonase. Claritin and Xyzal did nothing for me when I tried them(multi week trials). I use a combination of Allegra and Flonase to get allergy relief. I'm consistent in my use but stop them when all the pollen activity drops(October-December, yes we have pollinating plants that start in January). There was a recent study I saw that ranked San Antonio in the Top 5 worst cities for allergies. They sampled in spring and fall. They entirely miss out on our winter issues from mountain cedar. I've firmly convinced SA is the worst place to live in the US when it comes to pollen. I had never taken anything for allergies before I moved here.