allergies and cycling?

[cyclemanpat]

My allergies are super bad this year. Stuffy nose, throat, and just an over-all weak feeling from all that. Any of you guys battle this and what pills or anything else seem to work best for you? It is just so hard to get motivated to ride when you feel like total crap.....HELP

[CaptainWilier]

I have the same issue. I also currently have a BAD sinus infection that I blame on the bad air here the past few weeks. I normally pop an allergy pill before a ride and can make it through ok but it has been especially polleny this season. Excuse me while I go cough up a jelly donut.

[cyclemanpat]

I mean it is unreal here in Kentucky. I climbed on my bike today and didn't even make it out the door!!! What brand of pill do you take? Can't take any that make you sleepy..........

[mxfox]

Same here, and up until about a week ago I was really suffering, itchy eye, sneezing, and worse tightness in chest, along with wheezing, then I rememberd my DR. friend had given me a bag of goodies to combat this last year. So I began using Nasonex, after a few days I am back to normal, and I also have some albuterol for my chest.

I had been tested years ago and have allergies to grass, trees, etc. but not animals, it hasn't been bad the past few years but this year it is definitely worse.

[toyota]

I had really bad chest tightness on my last couple of rides and could barely catch my breath even after small climbs.

[Johnny Rad]

Unusually wet conditions led to an allergy hell in my area is what I've heard. I'm taking Claritin redi-tabs to good effect (plus blowing lots and lots of snot rockets out on the road). Allergy season can't last forever, right?!

[JPJ]

Used to get terrible hayfever, from pollution, cats hairs, pollen, you name it!

Moved to Perth, Western Australia - aaahhh clean air, no more allergies!

In the meantime try Echinacea and Garlic tablets + Horseradish & Vitamin C, boosts the immune system and helps relieve the frustration!
Have to do it for a while to build up the system though...

I used to use Telfast as a quick fix, couldn't handle the Beconase nasal spray, used to send me into itching fits with even more streaming eyes!!

[Tazzy]

Yay for hayfever... It took ages for my heartrate to settle yesterday.
The elm is shedding it's seeds at the moment -> one of my problem spots

[STARNUT]

I have the same issue. I also currently have a BAD sinus infection that I blame on the bad air here the past few weeks. I normally pop an allergy pill before a ride and can make it through ok but it has been especially polleny this season. Excuse me while I go cough up a jelly donut.

Same here........... Allergies are spanking me this season. I all hopped up on Zyrtec NOT Zyrtec-D. I have some D incase it I get all congested but that stuff make my heart go like a lab rat.

I've tried it all: Zyrtec, Claritain, Bena-sleep-er-dryl, anything else.

Zyrtec is far and away the best (for me) thus far. No sleepy time, no lab rat heart rate, no dry mouth, no weird taste, and no stomach problems. Claratin make me all foggy headed and groggy yet.......not sleepy. Weird.

Best of all................ you only need one a day.

Starnut

[cyclemanpat]

wow...I guess I am not the only one feeling miserable!! I will try a few of these suggestions and see what works. It must be a bad allergy season, i haven't felt this bad in years. I need to find something that works well to get my motivation back to hit the HILLS

[geraldatwork]

I had really bad chest tightness on my last couple of rides and could barely catch my breath even after small climbs.

Sounds like asthma brought on by an allergy. I am 60 and found out I had exercise induced asthma about 10-12 years ago.

[DocRay]

In the meantime try Echinacea and Garlic tablets + Horseradish & Vitamin C, boosts the immune system and helps relieve the frustration!
Have to do it for a while to build up the system though...

All of those herbal remedies have been clinically proven to do nothing. Might as well suck on a pine cone.
Besides, allergies are from a hyper-active immune system.

For seasonal allergies, I find Reactine (Cetirizine) to be very useful, but I also need salbutamol puffer just prior to the ride. Cetirizine does not lead to drowsiness and one pill last 18 hours.

You have to try a few OTC brands, they work differently in different people, but there are some brands that the FDA is re-visiting because it's not clear they do anything at all.

[DocRay]

I had really bad chest tightness on my last couple of rides and could barely catch my breath even after small climbs.

You need to get accessed by a respirologist, not the internet. You need to deal with this because ~5,000 people a year die from asthma that is untreated. If you don't treat it, you actually damage your lungs and in the long term this could lead to severe disease like COPD. you could end up with a severe attack in the middle of nowhere.

I had similar symptoms, but it was not asthma, it was bronchial constriction induced by exercise. A methylcholine challenge test determined this.

What is amazing is that with proper treatment my output has gone up considerably. If you suspect this is a problem, you won't believe how much better it is to breathe clear.

[toyota]

I had really bad chest tightness on my last couple of rides and could barely catch my breath even after small climbs.

You need to get accessed by a respirologist, not the internet. You need to deal with this because ~5,000 people a year die from asthma that is untreated. If you don't treat it, you actually damage your lungs and in the long term this could lead to severe disease like COPD. you could end up with a severe attack in the middle of nowhere.

I had similar symptoms, but it was not asthma, it was bronchial constriction induced by exercise. A methylcholine challenge test determined this.

What is amazing is that with proper treatment my output has gone up considerably. If you suspect this is a problem, you won't believe how much better it is to breathe clear.

I have wasted tons of money going to doctors with no cure for the problem. It doesnt happen all the time and in fact the last two rides were the first time in weeks that it has happened. The Saturday ride had me coughing hard throughout the rest of the day after the ride but the the Monday ride didnt seem as severe. I cant figure out exactly what triggers it and nether can any doctor.

This was actually one of the reasons that a quit cycling for a few years. The other problem I had was getting real dizzy and actully passing out during hard efforts. Turns out my cholesterol was nearly 320 and lowering that through diet and cod liver oil has eliminated the dizzy problem. I have no idea if the chest tightening is related to the dizziness problem though.

[rustychain]

The east coast of the US is bad for allergies. What works best for me is an herb called stinging nettle (sounds sweet ) Its supposed to stengthen the immune system or some such rot. I now somebody will slam me and the whole herb industry and I am not a doctor (but my handwriting does look kind if Dr.'ish). However....it works well for me (my wife too) and as yet produced no side effects other then my gloves are a lot cleaner. I use a liquid form and mix some drops in warm water. It took about 3 days for a noticable effect. Read the label and don't take it if your pregnent dudes

I also suggest taking a shower when ever your outside for any length of time to reduce exposure, reduce consumption of milk (got mucus!) and as always hydrate well.

have a nice day