Nettle root - tincture's easiest - helped me. You may have to take it several times a day at first (which is why it's worth seeing a medical herbalist). And Sterimar for nasal irrigation (so glamorous): that was recommended by ENT specialist. Hope things improve.
Oh, sweetie. As someone afflicted of late by situational lie-on-the-floor depression (although, since I don't have a toddler it's the don't-get-out-of-bed variant), I'm very sorry to hear this. As someone who lives where the pollen & mold are only 2 of the things trying to kill you on the reg, I strongly recommend nasal rinsing and acupuncture, or at least an herbal prescription from an acupuncturist. It made a HUGE difference for me. Hang in there, friend.
OK, OK I'll see the acupuncturist. I hate acupuncture, but I'll do it. I'm so sorry you've got the no-point-in-getting-up type and I hope your cloud lifts too.
Have you ever gotten needle "whiskers"? I love that. I get actual, uncontrollable giggles.
I'm sorry you hate acupuncture - it's been a very positive experience for me. At least talk to an herbalist. I speak zero Chinese except the names of my 2 fave patent meds for allergies - those I can rattle off like your auntie.
Perversely pollen allergies are worse in towns as they tend to plant mostly male trees there to avoid the mess of rotten fruit on the pavements. My husband turns into a zombie with antihistamines. Scotland is not as bad as England and the Outer Hebrides are the best place in UK during the Big Pollen. Possible to work remotely from there? Or better still, somewhere in the tropics or Southern hemisphere? Extreme and expensive solutions I know. I take it antidepressants can’t be taken with the antihistamine? Sending good wishes!
I’m afraid I’m not ready to leave my loved ones behind and move to the Outer Hebrides but thank you for the information. It’s never nice to take medication to deal with side effects. I was given escitalopram by one doctor in Greece along with the antihistamine bilastine, and I had anxiety attacks so severe that my hair fell out! So I haven’t wanted to try that again.
Dear Tania, greetings from Guatemala! I’m new to substack and have no clue whether you’ll read this or not, but here goes:
1. I want to thank you for the Perfume Guides you wrote with LT. My life has taken a fragrant turn for the better in the past six months, and those two volumes have provided a seemingly unending fount of inspiration, delight, knowledge, and pleasure. The perfect companions to my new obsession.
2. In a not unrelated note, I understand your antihistamine dilemma. I spent 25 years dealing with chronic rhinitis and, eventually, sporadic (about twice-yearly) asthma attacks triggered by allergies. I hated the remedy almost as much as the condition.
3. One day, I decided I’d had enough of the firefighter approach — that Sisyphean loop of antihistamines and inhalers and nebulzations that merely got me from one crisis to the next. Coaxed by a friend, I tried acupuncture and homeopathy and after eight months, I was veritably cured. (I’m not here to persuade you of this approach, but the fact is that it worked for me: I haven’t had an allergy or asthma attack, nor have I taken an antihistamine, in seven years.)
4. Finally, and to sew a thread through points 1-3, I lost my sense of smell the year before Covid. My anosmia (later hyposmia) was caused by an unlucky bout with the common cold. Go figure! Fortunately, the olfactory nerves can and do often generate. My sense of smell has improved dramatically in the past year, thanks in part to the rigorous use of a nasal corticosteroid spray —and the passage of time. Enter my love affair with perfumery and my acquaintance with your work.
All this to say that I am delighted to have found your writing on this platform, and that I wish you a swift and definitive victory over the culprits of the Big Sad.
Nettle root - tincture's easiest - helped me. You may have to take it several times a day at first (which is why it's worth seeing a medical herbalist). And Sterimar for nasal irrigation (so glamorous): that was recommended by ENT specialist. Hope things improve.
Oh, sweetie. As someone afflicted of late by situational lie-on-the-floor depression (although, since I don't have a toddler it's the don't-get-out-of-bed variant), I'm very sorry to hear this. As someone who lives where the pollen & mold are only 2 of the things trying to kill you on the reg, I strongly recommend nasal rinsing and acupuncture, or at least an herbal prescription from an acupuncturist. It made a HUGE difference for me. Hang in there, friend.
OK, OK I'll see the acupuncturist. I hate acupuncture, but I'll do it. I'm so sorry you've got the no-point-in-getting-up type and I hope your cloud lifts too.
Also, things are good of late. Getting up gratefully these days.
Have you ever gotten needle "whiskers"? I love that. I get actual, uncontrollable giggles.
I'm sorry you hate acupuncture - it's been a very positive experience for me. At least talk to an herbalist. I speak zero Chinese except the names of my 2 fave patent meds for allergies - those I can rattle off like your auntie.
Perversely pollen allergies are worse in towns as they tend to plant mostly male trees there to avoid the mess of rotten fruit on the pavements. My husband turns into a zombie with antihistamines. Scotland is not as bad as England and the Outer Hebrides are the best place in UK during the Big Pollen. Possible to work remotely from there? Or better still, somewhere in the tropics or Southern hemisphere? Extreme and expensive solutions I know. I take it antidepressants can’t be taken with the antihistamine? Sending good wishes!
I’m afraid I’m not ready to leave my loved ones behind and move to the Outer Hebrides but thank you for the information. It’s never nice to take medication to deal with side effects. I was given escitalopram by one doctor in Greece along with the antihistamine bilastine, and I had anxiety attacks so severe that my hair fell out! So I haven’t wanted to try that again.
Dear Tania, greetings from Guatemala! I’m new to substack and have no clue whether you’ll read this or not, but here goes:
1. I want to thank you for the Perfume Guides you wrote with LT. My life has taken a fragrant turn for the better in the past six months, and those two volumes have provided a seemingly unending fount of inspiration, delight, knowledge, and pleasure. The perfect companions to my new obsession.
2. In a not unrelated note, I understand your antihistamine dilemma. I spent 25 years dealing with chronic rhinitis and, eventually, sporadic (about twice-yearly) asthma attacks triggered by allergies. I hated the remedy almost as much as the condition.
3. One day, I decided I’d had enough of the firefighter approach — that Sisyphean loop of antihistamines and inhalers and nebulzations that merely got me from one crisis to the next. Coaxed by a friend, I tried acupuncture and homeopathy and after eight months, I was veritably cured. (I’m not here to persuade you of this approach, but the fact is that it worked for me: I haven’t had an allergy or asthma attack, nor have I taken an antihistamine, in seven years.)
4. Finally, and to sew a thread through points 1-3, I lost my sense of smell the year before Covid. My anosmia (later hyposmia) was caused by an unlucky bout with the common cold. Go figure! Fortunately, the olfactory nerves can and do often generate. My sense of smell has improved dramatically in the past year, thanks in part to the rigorous use of a nasal corticosteroid spray —and the passage of time. Enter my love affair with perfumery and my acquaintance with your work.
All this to say that I am delighted to have found your writing on this platform, and that I wish you a swift and definitive victory over the culprits of the Big Sad.
Thank you for commenting! If I can ever get over my hatred of acupuncture maybe I’ll give it a try. Enjoy smelling all the perfumes!
¡Abrazos!