So this might be a weird one because I can just look this up anywhere, but Ive been dealing with some vexing medical problems the past year and I just want to see how allergies affect others. Maybe hearing from regular people instead of doctors will ease my mind a bit. A little back-story on my issue (though I’m not looking for a diagnosis), almost exactly a year ago I developed sever constant chronic rhino-sinusitis. I am constantly having to clear my throat and snort/sniffle. Its non stop every 30 seconds or so and no matter what combo of meds I take for allergies, nothing really helps. I have never had allergies before (that i know of) and all of a sudden, after well over 40 years on this earth, I’m allergic to everything. And I do have allergies. According to the test I took a few months ago, I tested positive for 45 out of 50 allergens they tested for. To make a long story short, every doctor I go to says its allergies. Says to get allergy shots and keep taking sprays and pills everyday etc. Nothing brings me any relief. I’m on the strongest sprays that are killing my sinuses and multiple 24hr allergy pills (Doctor ordered), and its almost like I’m not taking anything. So my questions to you wonderful people:

  • What do allergies feel like for you?
  • Are they constant or do you have flareups?
  • Do meds help you significantly?
  • Am I just being a big baby and how I feel is just what allergies feel like?

I know this is subjective and everyone will have different answers and that’s fine. Honestly, I don’t really have anyone to bounce ideas off of and talk about this, so this is as much a way for me to scream into the void and vent, as it is to gather info. Again, I’m not looking for a diagnosis, just your personal anecdotes so I can put my own situation into perspective. Love all of you peeps, thanks in advance for any replies!

Edit- Mods, I realize this kinda flirts with rule 3, please feel free to remove it if you so deem.

  • @[email protected]
    8•10 hours ago

    As far as I know, I have 2 main allergies: pollen and metals (some metals, not sure which exactly).

    Pollen

    • It feels like my nose is a leaky faucet. It will run and run and I’ll have sneezing fits for hours. If I blow my nose, it makes the inside feel super-dry and itchy, which just kicks off more running and sneezing. So it basically feels pointless to blow my nose at all, and I usually settle for sniffling instead. But if I do that too much, I start getting mini-sinus headaches.
    • Flare-ups. Sometimes I’ll see the plants that trigger it and I’ll start sneezing within 10-20 minutes. Other times I’ll go outside and it’ll start out of nowhere. It’ll last for hours.
    • Meds do not seem to help at all. Maybe they shorten what would be a 6-hour episode into a 3-hour episode but who tf knows. I have yet to find anything that kicks in faster than a couple hours after use.

    Metals

    • I break out in a highly localized rash. It’s red, bumpy, and itches like mosquito bites.
    • Flare-ups after prolonged contact (several hours) with a metal. It’ll last anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days.
    • No meds. It’s pretty easy to ignore when it flares up, and it’s easy enough to avoid exposure.
    • @linearchaosEnglish
      3•6 hours ago

      My mother had reactions to nickel. Every time I would buy her some kind of cheap jewelry as a kid She have to go and get a different chain for it usually stainless steel.