bad allergies from the water?
 

anyone ever get bad allergies (stuffy or runny nose) right after you ride? what's good to take this time of year before you go out and ride?

I've never taken anything before I ride but our lake is horrible for allergies (man-made w/ silt lake bed). I take Zicam extreme nasal decongestant after and that solves it for me. Its pricey 10-15/bottle I think, but it will last a whole summer

that's not expensive at all. thank you, i will try it out. was your nose getting stuffy or runny all the time? my nose especially gets stuff...

stuffy for me and the stuff instantly clears your nose, but it will be runny for 10-15 min and then it will be completely clear for 5-6 hrs. I'm a teacher so I hate trying to teach with the sniffles or talking in a nasally voice.

Nasal sprays and eye drops work best for me. Once a day and your set. Never had any luck with pills, claratin, zyrtec, etc

^^ Agreed. Nasal spay and drops get it done.

April/May sucks riding at our lake. The ground and cars are all covered in green pollen and so is the water, it's even worse after it rains. Think all the rain washes the pollen from the ground into the lake, which then floats. My wife and I actually both got allergy hives from the water last year this time, not to mention itchy eyes, bad sinus congestion.

Gonna try keeping nasal spray/drops in the boat.

Our Dr said to wash our hair and face off with soap and water to make sure nothing is still on our skin that can enter our eyes, mouth or nose later on, but not sure I'll do this. Maybe a wet wipe to the face & hair.

I break out in hives once in awhile when on the water from the pollen but it happens speratically so I don't bother taking anything. The is where it first started happening to me. Now it can be anywhere. Even on the weekend here my wife and I went for a walk and when we got back I could feel I was ichy. Sure enough I had a mild break out.

Ear plugs help too. Anything to keep the water out of your sinuses/head. Doc's Pro Plugs are the best and have a vented version that allows you to hear too.

I get an annual Kenalog injection, this affets me really badly, I turn into a runny sneezy mess for most of the summer.
The injection clears everything up.
Acording to wiki it's just a brand name for Triamcinolone.

Hope that helps.

Our lake is surrounded by oak/pine trees and this time of year is terrible. Parts of the lake look like mustard. The other day the wind picked up and it looked like someone was doing donuts in the dirt, you could visibly see clouds of pollen pouring out of the trees. Weirdest thing, my notoriously horrible allergies were not bothered at all.

I usually just rock Alavert or Loratidine. Those both seem to work well.

Ok, I was mistaken early on this and my allergist cleared it up. I wanted to get tested for water allergens (pollens)...he told me that it is the runoff of lawns and trees into the lake, not the lake algae and water plants. I used to get completely congested but now take allergy injections every 2-4 wks to keep it under control. If the nasal sprays do it for you, thats good, antihistamines/with decongestants will probably help most. Good luck, its miserable, at least it flairs up after we are done riding

Kenalog works wonders, I use goggles and a nose clip too. An allergist will never give you Kenalog because it only costs 10-25 bucks once a year. Sometimes it lasts two years. Allergists want to milk your wallet dry. Kenalog is so effective with no side effects. Get it from your general practitioner(doctor).

I recommend Kenalog to everyone.

Good info here. I suffer really bad this time of the year too. My eyes get very red and very itchy after riding. My nose gets stuffy too but I use Nasonex (nose spray) and that lasts all day. I usually take Zyrtec this time of the year and it helps, however, it seems this doesnt work when I ride. Maybe the concentration of the pollens in the air and water? The month of April wrecks me so bad I dont even want to ride.

Im gonna have to look in to this Kenalog.

I have been knocked out for the last 10 days, only trying my normal Zyrtec and MucinexD combination, finally went in to the Dr, got the generic for Flonase, and I haven't breathed this well in, well at least 10 days! Mowing always triggers my allergies, and normally the lake will re-trigger them more than most other outdoor activities, especially when there's any algae present or pollen on the top. Highly recommend the nasal sprays now.

Seriously, if you get a Kenalog injection you will never go back to pills and nose sprays($$$) they have the "speedy" side effects.Don't go to the Allergist. It is just once a year and done. No side effects/speediness. Cured. Like before when you were not bugged by the pollen/dust coated water. That stuff gets concentrated on the water surface and just rinses in and out of your nose, eyes. It's not the algae or the weeds, it's pollen and dust. Grass has pollen, trees all have pollen, flowers, etc etc. If more people understood what Kenalog does all those other pill and spray companies and most allergists would be out of business.
KENALOG. I'm not kidding.

how much does one of these shots cost? i have health insurance but not sure if this covers it.... anyone know the cost upfront?

I pay 10 to 25 cash no insurance

i got the shot but it only lasts for 2-3 weeks. anybody get a shot that lasts at least 6-12months?

she also gave me a prescription for flonase.

Adam went to an allergist.

Go to your regular Doctor- first just call and ask if they will do it, most all have it.

Kenalog, one shot, lasts one year. No more pills or sprays, or shots that only last 2-3 wks and drain your wallet.

I am in no way connected to Kenalog other than that I know how well it works and how much money and hassle it saves.

There is no magic injection, everything comes with a price. The drug lasts 3-6 wks in your body, once it is in, there is no taking it back.Any side effects, you will have for that period, Kenalog is a long acting corticosteroid, It is used for chronic inflammatory conditions, allergies sometimes fit that profile. If it last you a year, then your allergies are only out for that window.
A doctor needs to determine if it is right for you.

i will see how this flonase works out and this shot and see an allergist if my allergies start acting up again. i asked about kenalog but they told me the steroid they gave me was the same thing and there isn't a shot that last for an entire year.

Already!?!?? This usually happens in late summer in Texas once the surface temps get pretty high. Yep, take an allegra or whatever you like before you dip in and you should be good to go.

I didn't go in the lake for years because it destroyed me. Started using nose plugs and it has done the trick. Looks a llittle dorky but no drugs needed. Let's me ski so i am ok with dorky. Like someone said earlier, you want to keep the water out of your sinuses. It is funny because no one else is effected but me.

Ok, speaking from personal experience, KENALOG works. I have had the shot almost every year for 10 plus years. I have never had ANY side effects from Kenalog, it does last for 12 months, I have even had it last 24 months. Within 24 hours of getting the shot your sinuses will clear and you won't be bugged by allergies for 12 months. I just got mine for $15 cash. Ah how nice to breathe easy and not be taking pills and sprays everyday.

It works like magic for $15. So there is a magic injection and it's called Kenalog.

I asked my Dr last week about Kenalog injections and he refused to use them on patients since repeated Kenalog shots have been shown to cause avascular necrosis. :eek: He mentioned this is what happened to Bo Jackson and said that years and years ago it was used for allergy treatment, but with the new evidence that it causes your hips to rot out, most medical practices no longer offer it as repeated injection.

A quick google of Bo reveals that someone said he lost his hip due to anabolic steroid use...he sued them. Kenalog is not an anabolic steroid.

Is your "Dr" an allergist?

It was a primary care physician and he said Cortisone steroid injections like Kenalog that bo jackson took, which seems quiet common in sports. The lawsuit filed by Bo sounds like someone got the 2 steroid types confused, but I really don't' know anything about that. Just posting what I was told. It seems there's plenty of sites online mentioning the link between cortisone shots and necrosis after years of repeated use, but also opposing arguments about how many many people get the shots vs how rare it is for someone to get necrosis. Either way, it seems like a disclaimer dr.'s should tell their patients. Glad mine did.

the more time I spend googling this topic of Corticosteroid and Necrosis, I find half the arguments say they do cause it, and half say they don't. Seems to be a topic of debate in medical practices.

A few days after I go in the water, my fingers peel and I loose many layers of skin. They get super dry and sensitive. No nasal issues though!