Daily Allergy Management & Impact on Clearance

Allergy shots have become difficult and I am almost to maintenance. Allegra is not enough. Tried Zyrtec this week and it was the best day since I started getting allergies again a year ago. However, I am having trouble clearing my lungs, bringing anything up, and my chest feels tight. The tightness can happen when I huff to hard and then I have to do some belly breathing to get my wind pipe and chest to relax, which helped. But still, with all my huffing and such, didn't get a thing up and some tension left in my chest. I may have to go back to Allegra, Anyone have any advice???

Allergy shots have become difficult and I am almost to maintenance. Allegra is not enough. Tried Zyrtec this week and it was the best day since I started getting allergies again a year ago. However, I am having trouble clearing my lungs, bringing anything up, and my chest feels tight. The tightness can happen when I huff to hard and then I have to do some belly breathing to get my wind pipe and chest to relax, which helped. But still, with all my huffing and such, didn't get a thing up and some tension left in my chest. I may have to go back to Allegra, Anyone have any advice???

@kat711 I have had good luck with a combination of Xyzal tablets and Azelastine nasal spray. This takes care of the itch, runny nose and congestion without totally drying out membranes. It even helps the itch in my eyes without excessive drying.

@sueinmn thanks for your response. My allergist has asked me to take either Allegra or cetirizine (Zyrtec) because the allergies are significant. I'm having trouble making it through to maintenance with Allegra. Over my life I have had to discontinue allergy shots 4 times. Made it all the way several years ago and should have keep up on it. Allergies returned. Cetirizine is so dehydrating but I love the management of the allergies, feel great. But boy is it hard to clear the lungs.

@kat711 When I was building up to maintenance and had a bad (inflamed) reaction the allergist said to take 2 tablets of allegra, which helped a lot. Have you tried that, along with topical steroid? It helped the itching and very large welts/bumps I used to get.

Regarding difficulty clearing your lungs you can always neb 2 vials of hypertonic saline, which I often do.

@kat711 When I was building up to maintenance and had a bad (inflamed) reaction the allergist said to take 2 tablets of allegra, which helped a lot. Have you tried that, along with topical steroid? It helped the itching and very large welts/bumps I used to get.

Regarding difficulty clearing your lungs you can always neb 2 vials of hypertonic saline, which I often do.

@scoop

I read, but I don't remember where, that Allegra can interfere with something to do with BE. I wish I could remember. I stopped using Allegra. I wonder if the allergist was familiar with that interaction.

Roz

@rozie83
That's something I worried about too. According to my pulmonologist it's fine for me to take Allegra daily. When I do, I notice the lung mucus is lighter, which we think is due to reduced allergic symptoms therefore less nasal dripping into my lungs during sleep. Furthermore, my doctor says that Allegra is unlikely to negatively affect airway clearance. Unlike earlier antihistamines, fexofenadine (Allegra) lacks anticholinergic activity and does not impair mucociliary clearance, making it a safe choice. That's a such a relief to me. It's possible that environmental allergies and asthma set me up for BE in the first place, but I will never know for sure.