Allergy Meds...what do you take?

[Metroid]

The older I get, the worse my allergies have become. And this year they are pretty brutal. I'm curious what the other allergy sufferers here take for relief. Whether it's over the counter or not. And how well it works.

[WaCougMBS]

I've run the gambit in the last 15 years or so, from prescription Claritin, to over the counter claritin, to Zyrtec (prescrip and OTC), and now I'm on to Allegra. Ask me a year after I've switched and I'll tell you whatever I'm on is the best, but I swear these things wear off after you've taken them steadily for a number of years. The OTCs really do seem to mimic the "real thing" pretty well though, so there's some monetary upside to the Claritins/Zyrtecs of the world if they work for you

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

I have pretty bad allergies, but I've found Allegra to be the best so far.

[RedHopeful]

I've got an uncle that swears by organic apple cider vinegar. Since taking a couple of tbsp's a day, he claims his allergies usually don't bother him anymore. Another natural remedy I've heard about is local honey. I know it does something because one of my dog's who is allergic to like 20 million things really does better after taking a tsp of honey a day. His hair and skin truly feel better.

[BitterDodgerFan]

allertec (kirkland brand) from costco is hella cheap and does the job. sometimes have to take more than 1 though.

[ensanimal]

Benadryl is the only thing that works for me.

[Art Vandelay]

I used to get allergies pretty bad but most allergy meds med me feel just as crappy as the allergies themselves, so I generally didn't take anything. I tried Allegra and it was the only thing that actually worked and didn't make me feel like crap. It didn't get rid of my allergies entirely, but it did help. Now I take the generic (fexofenadine) and it still helps. What really worked to pretty much eliminate my allergies entirely was bee pollen. A tablespoon of locally-sourced bee pollen a day might do the trick. Certainly worth a try if you haven't found anything else.

[GiantsFan14]

I don't have allergies.

[Metroid]

I used to get allergies pretty bad but most allergy meds med me feel just as crappy as the allergies themselves, so I generally didn't take anything. I tried Allegra and it was the only thing that actually worked and didn't make me feel like crap. It didn't get rid of my allergies entirely, but it did help. Now I take the generic (fexofenadine) and it still helps. What really worked to pretty much eliminate my allergies entirely was bee pollen. A tablespoon of locally-sourced bee pollen a day might do the trick. Certainly worth a try if you haven't found anything else.

Yeah I've always meant to go the local honey route, but I always forget. And I've read that for the honey to be really effective, you need to be taking a tablespoon of it a day for like a month leading up to allergy season. It's like building up a tolerance or down-regulating or something or other. I've also heard that if you take it after your allergies have already kicked in, you can actually make your symptoms worse. Do you remember taking the honey prior to your allergies kicking in?

[Art Vandelay]

I started taking a tablespoon a day in January or February, so well before allergy season kicked in. Also, I use bee pollen, not honey, though I've heard similar claims about honey.