Forums >Health and Nutrition>Running on Allergy Medicine
I was wondering if anyone has any advice or suggestions on running while taking allergy medicine. I've been dealing with allergies since summer, where I'm getting hives, swelling, asthma. I've seen my doctor and an allergist, been tested, the whole nine yards. I need regular allergy shots, but I will not be able to afford them for at least six months.
In the meantime I've been using an inhaler when necessary, and taking Zyrtec. I can get relief for 36-48 hours on one Zyrtec, but the problem is, it just saps the life out me running on that stuff. I'm sluggish and just don't have the energy I'm used to having. Some days its like I have a drag chute on. Benadryl was even worse.
I'm not going to stop running, and will work around it the best I can, but I was wondering if anyone had tried different antihistamines and what differences they noticed. I'm sure there are plenty of allergy sufferers out there, I'm wondering how they deal with it.
5K 20:20 9/17/11 13.1 1:36:58 6/12/11 26.2 3:34:19 9/23/2012
I can't answer your question because I'm too busy laughing at your name. If I can get myself together I'll come back.
The Crap Whisperer
Zyrtec turns me into a zombie - I use generic Claritin. I really don't notice any side effects from it at all.
Being the best tiny spec that I can be!
That's cool. If at some point you are able to regain your composure, I'd love to hear what you have to add.
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Zyrtec works better for me than anything else I have tried--luckily it doesn't zonk me out. Have you tried Allegra or Claritin...or even prescription Singulair. I wish Singulair worked for me, since for some people it will treat their asthma and allergies with 1 pill/day.
What about a prescription nasal steroid spray? I've had pretty good luck with those in the past.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Good Bad & The Monkey
Zyrtec is an 18-24 hour med. If it is giving you 48 hours of relief, it is likely the wrong dose for YOU. Take a half dose and see where you get.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
The OP has systemic symptoms and needs systemic treatment. The Nasal spray is local to the head.
I agree about trying singulair.
It looks like everyone's mentioned the major ones. My allergist gave me some samples of an antihistimine called Xyzal last year. I honestly don't know much about it. I didn't feel it was any better than OTC Zyrtec for my symptoms, so I didn't bother asking for a script. I think he said a lot of insurance companies balk at paying for it. Or, maybe he meant prescription antihistimines in general. In any event, throwing that one out there as one you may want to ask your doctor about.
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
ok, in general, the names for medications are just weird, but the allergy medicine xyzal? That's plain laziness by the marketing team.
Maybe most of the vowels on their keyboards were broken. I have this issue with my cell phone.
It's worse than that... x-y-z-al.
And how would one even pronounce that?
Lots and lots of problems with Xyzal. Xyzal (levocetirizine) = Zyrtec (cetirizine). Essentially. It is a way to extend patent protection. Zyrtec is the greatest. Then the day generics come available, the marketing drug development team suddenly finds a newer better version. By adding a small molecule onto the active ingredient molecule. And then they get patent protection on the new one and can kinda forget about the old one.
In this case, it is even more wonky. All naturally occurring molecules have two isomers, left and right. Cetirizine is a mixture of the two isomers. Levo-cetirizine is just one isomer. So they did not even really create anything new or add a molecule. Rather, somehow, magically (like how homeopathy works) just one isomer is worth marketing. I bet that the moment patent protection for the levo isomer runs out, they will decide that it was really the other isomer they should be selling...
(pronounced: zigh - zal).
And no, it should not work better than OTC Zyrtec or generic because it IS Zyrtec. For more money.
isomer is a frozen d'oh.
xyzal sounds like zigh-zal. Or perhaps Cthulhu.
edited to add: Ok I guessed right the first time, but I was slow posting because I was trying to spell Cthulhu properly.