Steve,

when i arrived here i had 100-count bottle of 6-hour pseudoephedrines with me from the US. when i ran out i had a bad surprise. here they only sold the 12 hour time-release form of it. i had a problem with those too and used them seldom.

a few years later they took all pseudoephedrine off the market completely, except for in one combination (Actifed) that has an antihistamine in it too. Well that upset me because that combination knocks me out, so i cannot take it during the daytime!!!

However, i did not use pseudoephedrine for allergies as a primary treatment. first line was an antihistamine, and at times i had to stay on the antihistamine. i use Chlortrimeton (chlorpheniramine) because it works for me. you may find do at first sign of allergic reaction is take that, and try and maintain on that.

i would use Sudafed only to clear nasal congestion. that sometimes happened if the allergic reactions built up too fast... where the antihisamine did not act in time to prevent head congestion and painful sinuses. Then Sudafed worked great. Sometimes i would also use Sudafed during a bad cold. it helped with the congestion. I generally do not use antihistamines during a cold because colds are not due to allergies. Also, my antihistamine has a very drying effect because it is first-generation. I tried 3 different second-generation ones which have fewer side effects like dryness and drowsiness, but none worked so i went back to Chlortrimeton. You, however, may have good results with second-generation antihistamines (eg. Zyrtec). The pharmacist can advise you on choosing one.

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Nowadays, I use a prescription steroid nasal spray, and hardly ever use pills at all.

The generic name (active ingredient) is "beclomethasone." In the US the trade names are Vancenase and also Beconase. In the US it may also be available as nasal aerosol (i had that form there and liked it better).

This product is used to treat seasonal and chronic allergic rhinitis, such as you and i have. It works by counteracting the inflammation caused by allergies, thereby reducing excess fluid production and preventing congestion. It may seem expensive but one purchase lasts over a month... in the end it is cheaper than pills. Its action is local and not systemic, so it does not interfere with sleep or cause manic reactions - this makes it safe for bipolars as well.

For acute attacks, i sometimes have to resort to pills as well. Mostly i use my antihistamine. Occasionally I use Actifed (the local formula contains pseudoephedrine 60mg+triprolidine 2.5mg) but only if i am desperate for a decongestant. For this purpose I would use the 120mg sudafeds before they disappeared.

Good luck and again i'd ask about a steroid nasal spray and possibly a bronchial inhaler if you also get a seasonal allergic cough.



~ waves ~