Well, it's good that the pharmacist knows all your meds. If the doc didn't like it though, it's probably better you're not taking it any more.

I know it's a pain, but it sounds like you do need to continue your trial and error phase, to replace the antihistamine contained in your old Durahist-D. An antihistamine will control allergic reactions, alleviating the itchy, tickly, sneezy, scratchy, drippy, eye-watery stuff.

The drugs you take now -- Sudafed and Mucinex -- will not do this. They only help with reducing nasal stuffiness and thinning secretions, respectively. Neither of these drugs affects the itchy sneezies.

Believe me, I knowwww the trial and error stuff is hard. Especially the "error" part of it... when stuff doesn't work, or gives side effects.

Here, they have taken all my staple antihistamines off the market! They still sell Actifed, so for now, I'm kinda safe, as it contains both an older antihistamine which does work for me, and pseudoephedrine. But I know it's just a matter of time before it disappears too, so I too am desperately trying to find a newer antihistamine that works.

So far have not had much luck with any of them... I'm on my third one. Fourth if you count the fact that my GP made me try the active isomer of one I told him hadn't done much. Brilliant idea, man.

I probably need something with the drying effect.... ie, one of the older drugs. Problem is, the pharmaceutical manufacturers are simply not distributing these drugs here any more. My pharmacist says they don't make enough money off them so they pulled them. I asked the pharmacist today, if he could maybe find me some Benadryl in the guise of sedative, or as motion-sickness treatment. Nope! Zip! Zilch! Nada!

These drug companies never heard of, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." So they fixed it, and now it's broke!


Sorry. I ranted. I rant periodically on this stuff. I've been upset about it for a few years now.

I find that salt helps too. Sometimes I take pills with slightly salted water if I am sick. It's easier to swallow and does not trigger the cough reflex as easily.

waves

Waves,

When I have heard you talk about not having this available I thought that the government made a decision. Are you saying that this is a marketing decision?
I do not know which one is more frustrating.

I was under the assumption (sorry) that it was a situation similar to the gov here putting pseudo ephedrine "behind the counter."


This is basic from where I am sitting:
People need to breathe.
Geeez.
Both you and Steve should have a better time with your treatment options.

M

Yep. somewhere, I prolly still have a chlorpheniramine script that now isn't worth the paper it's written on. It is legal, just not fillable. A few years ago, I went to several pharmacies in the city... I'm not talking my dinky lil' town either -- I live near a major European hub. No can do. All of the databases showed it as "supplier warehouse out of stock". One tried to see if any rural pharmacies might have residual stock, lol. They would have bought it for me, but nope. Nothin. All gone!
No, with the antihistamines, it's marketing. And actually, even the Sudafed was most likely just a sales issue on this market. That I'm aware, the drug was not reregulated or legislated out here. It just stopped being findable. It was hard to find in the first place, ever, and probably didn't sell much. I don't think there was a problem, here, of people making illegal stuff with it. It's probably harder to do that even with common drugs, because all drugs here are behind the counter. You want so much as a baby aspirin, you have to ask a warm body. A single pharmacy will often only stock a few boxes of anything, so low theft potential. On top of that, only the extended release was ever on this market.... probably harder to mess with. Pseudoephedrine is still available to me as part of Actifed -- the original formula was preserved here, unlike in the US where it was switched to contain phenylephrine. I'm grateful for that, but I don't know how long it will last.

Ya know???
Thank you for hearing me.

Oh and, fexofenadine ("Allegra" in the US) has officially failed me. I am totally stuffed up today.



waves

Hi Bizi I tried a number of herbs many years ago. I didn't find any that would relieve my allergy attacks.

I remember that I tried hops for relaxation. That helped a little. I sort of slipped away from herbs over the years. I might go to one of those health food stores the next time I'm in the capital city. BF

Homeopathics are not herbs...i think.
they are over the counter medications in the form of drops that help your body learn to recover from a particular ailment. let me see if I can find a better definition for you.
bizi

Maybe I didn't give it a chance. It says it has triamcinolone acetonide(glucocorticoid). Glucocorticoid is a steroid. Oh my. That should be working. I probably didn't try it long enough.

I would only take something like this for a couple of weeks. I would not want to become dependent on it.

Thanks for making me double check on the chemicals in this allergy spray medication. BF

I was told by someone that the Durahist was the only thing that helped some people with their allergies. So the pharmaceutical company that made it wasn't making enough money. It seems like people at the top in a number of occupations are making bad decisions. They turn a deaf ear to the public which is never good. I needed that Durahist. I was better off with it,and now it's gone. I needed to rant about this bad decision that the pharm. company made. Oh well. Profits above people.

I guess that they are trying to sell all of these other new anti allergy medications. BF

Steve

I believe durahist is still available.

Its maybe a durahist d or pe.



But I just goggled and found it. But not a date for the article. But I'm sure
I've seen it in the stores.

Donna

Hi Bizi. I don't know very much about Homeopathic treatments. I'm going to have to do some research. Thanks. BF

Hi Waves. I should go to a major pharmacy in the capital city to find out what they think would help. I forgot who I talked to on the phone about the Durahist,and a substitution for it a couple of years ago. He didn't want me to have to drive 70,or 80 miles to get allergy help. He may have not wanted to help me.

The pharmacist out here is a small town pharmacist. I don't know. Maybe a pharmacist who is more knowledgeable can help me.

It sounds like you have a severe problem with allergies like I do,and most people don't get it,or understand the magnitude of suffering that this type of allergy condition causes,and they end up not caring. I'm sorry that you go through this to. With a allergy attack there is sometimes a anxiety attack. That's the last straw with both of these things happening at the same time. It makes the allergy attack more intense, and causes the gag reflex to happen. When that happens,my whole body heats up. I use to steam up the side of the car that I was one. I still do sometimes. The perspiration during the allergy attack is no fun either. BF