Health & Support
Moderators: positivelinny, devilish_patsy, lalabanana, peaches0405, ksylvan, nycgirl, iae, smwhipple



First off, I think I'm allergic to work. After reading some symptoms from online articles about workplace illness, it's no lie. I've been at my current employer since last September and when I started, I immediately could tell there was issues with this air. For awhile, I would go into sneezing frenzies. Symptoms have changed as of recently. As my day progresses, my headache becomes frontal like there is a cloud in front of me. I have trouble concentrating. My eyes and ears itch. Sometimes these are accompanied by a scratchy throat.

I am currently taking the generic OTC for 24 hour Zyrtec. It's really not helping. Any other suggestions on what is good? I've never had allergies before but I think they're starting....

1 Reply (last)

First off, see a doctor.  After that, talk with someone in Human Resources.  If this is truly work related, then the employer is responsible for giving you a healthy work environment.

Next, I am not a doctor.

All that being said, I've dealt with allergies my entire life.  The various OTC allergy meds work differently for differnt people.  The new generation (Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra) are less likely to cause drowsiness than the older generation (Benedryl, and others that I'm not remembering).  I also find the new generation ones aren't always as effective as the older ones either.  They seem to take longer to build up in my system to get peak effectivness.  Your mileage may vary, though.  In short, you may want to try one of the other OTC allergy meds.

You mention a headache that sounds to me a lot like a sinus headache.  Part of my wonderful allergy problems are also constantly congested sinuses, which cause awful headaches.  There are prescription meds to help with this, but something that I've found almost as effective is saline nasal spray (i.e. salt water).  A couple of squirts in each nostril in the morning and evening, and my sinus feel quite clear.  It's worth a try, no?

Good luck!  Dealing with these sorts of things isn't fun.

1 Reply (last)
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