Runny Nose Mornings in BKK...Allergens...?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 7/1/2017 at 10:31 AM, Tracyb said:

During heavy pollen seasons I take Telfast 180mg. once a day.  (generic name is fexofenadine but its marketed under Telfast here.)  It's a new generation antihistamine and has very few side effects..... especially good if you have any problems with enlarged prostate as this new generation med has no effect on that problem.  The older generation antihistamines aggravate prostate problems.

 

 

After you broached the prostate-anti-histamine issue above, I did some reading up on the subject, and as if often the case, the guidance is not always clear.

 

I found some U.S. government medical and medical organization websites where they pretty much blanketly advise that people with prostate issues should not take EITHER anti-histamines or OTC decongestatants, including the now-restricted pseudoephedrine. And that advice does NOT distinguish between the different types of anti-histamines. It's just broad, blanket statements to avoid.

 

However, in other places, the guidance said that the newer anti-histamines (by which they mean second-generations products such as fexofenadine and cetirizine) do not have as much impact on prostate issues as their predecessors (first-generation anti-histamines). However, those same sites don't say that fexofenadine and cetirizine have NO impact on prostate issues.  Yet, apparently neither of those two newer medications have been required to have prostate warnings on their data sheets, unlike their predecessors.

 

So I'm left wondering whether the first type of advice above is simply too generic and hasn't been updated to reflect the newer anti-histamines. Or, while the newer anti-histamines may have much less prostate-related side effects than their predecessors, that's not the same as saying they won't have any effect on people with prostate issues.

[Tracyb]

11 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

After you broached the prostate-anti-histamine issue above, I did some reading up on the subject, and as if often the case, the guidance is not always clear.

 

I found some U.S. government medical and medical organization websites where they pretty much blanketly advise that people with prostate issues should not take EITHER anti-histamines or OTC decongestatants, including the now-restricted pseudoephedrine. And that advice does NOT distinguish between the different types of anti-histamines. It's just broad, blanket statements to avoid.

 

However, in other places, the guidance said that the newer anti-histamines (by which they mean second-generations products such as fexofenadine and cetirizine) do not have as much impact on prostate issues as their predecessors (first-generation anti-histamines). However, those same sites don't say that fexofenadine and cetirizine have NO impact on prostate issues.  Yet, apparently neither of those two newer medications have been required to have prostate warnings on their data sheets, unlike their predecessors.

 

So I'm left wondering whether the first type of advice above is simply too generic and hasn't been updated to reflect the newer anti-histamines. Or, while the newer anti-histamines may have much less prostate-related side effects than their predecessors, that's not the same as saying they won't have any effect on people with prostate issues.

Those with prostate issues typically understand how meds, alcohol, various food additives such as MSG and other chemicals affect them if they experience urinary problems associated with BPH.  I have to absolutely stay away from Benadryl and Pseudophedrine (first generation drugs) as they each have negative effects for me. Fexofenadine (second generation drug) is my choice when I have allergic reactions because it does not affect me in a negative way.  I think everyone reacts differently and each person should try to recognize how various drugs react with their body.

[OliverKlozerof]

Picked up a new mattress at IKEA yesterday. Same model as the previous one.
http://www.ikea.com/th/en/catalog/products/90244414/
I've been too miserable with the old one to wait 2–4 weeks for an anti-allergenic Latex one to be custom made and shipped. Plus, the IKEA one was just B6000 versus B10k–20k for a Latex one (which some say are not that comfortable).

Today I'm ordering a completely enclosing anti-dust mite cover for it. Here's the local company my doctor recommended:
http://www.green-allergy.com/
(If you use Chrome browser, you can translate the site into English.)
They stock Mitex products and ship in just a couple days.
http://mitex.in.th/?lang=en
Via the Line app, they quoted B2900 for a package including a cover for single bed plus a pillow cover and bolster (one of those long pillows) cover. But on their site, they show the mattress cover only for B1850, so I'm getting that one. (I already have anti-mite pillow covers.)

In IKEA's description of the mattress there is no mention of anti-allergenic properties. Still, with the anti-mite cover it should stay bug free for quite a while.

Man was it nice last night to sleep on a bed that's not full of toxic mite dust! With the old one, I cringed every time I moved, as invisible toxic dust would be pumped into the air, forcing me to take shallow breaths. So, last night was a huge improvement and I actually had to keep reminding myself it was now OK to breath normally. Did use a couple tissues this a.m. though, so after I got up I vacuumed my room. (Since I'd been experimenting with just the screen door shut to the veranda, more outside dust had come in.) Kept the door closed last night so cooler and less humid in room.

I also got all new roach killer baits to replace the ones I'd had in corners.
http://www.combatbugs.com/en/home/products/cockroaches.cky.html
Since the allergy test I had showed high sensitivity to cockroaches, I figured it was a good idea (and something I'd been meaning to do). But again, I've never seen a large roach in my little room on the 9th floor, and only a tiny one maybe once every few months. These little black discs are "baits" with openings where the bugs can crawl in, eat their fill, then go back and kill the nest. (Not sure how that works, but that's what it says on the box.) They are "child-resistant," so hard to pry open to see if there are any bug corpses inside...but there shouldn't be, as they are just "baits." 

So, things seem to be improving. I've certainly learned a lot in the process.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

11 minutes ago, OliverKlozerof said:

Picked up a new mattress at IKEA yesterday. Same model as the previous one.
http://www.ikea.com/th/en/catalog/products/90244414/
I've been too miserable with the old one to wait 2–4 weeks for an anti-allergenic Latex one to be custom made and shipped. Plus, the IKEA one was just B6000 versus B10k–20k for a Latex one (which some say are not that comfortable).

Today I'm ordering a completely enclosing anti-dust mite cover for it. Here's the local company my doctor recommended:
http://www.green-allergy.com/
(If you use Chrome browser, you can translate the site into English.)
They stock Mitex products and ship in just a couple days.
http://mitex.in.th/?lang=en
Via the Line app, they quoted B2900 for a package including a cover for single bed plus a pillow cover and bolster (one of those long pillows) cover. But on their site, they show the mattress cover only for B1850, so I'm getting that one. (I already have anti-mite pillow covers.)

In IKEA's description of the mattress there is no mention of anti-allergenic properties. Still, with the anti-mite cover it should stay bug free for quite a while.

Man was it nice last night to sleep on a bed that's not full of toxic mite dust! With the old one, I cringed every time I moved, as invisible toxic dust would be pumped into the air, forcing me to take shallow breaths. So, last night was a huge improvement and I actually had to keep reminding myself it was now OK to breath normally. Did use a couple tissues this a.m. though, so after I got up I vacuumed my room. (Since I'd been experimenting with just the screen door shut to the veranda, more outside dust had come in.) Kept the door closed last night so cooler and less humid in room.

 

 

Mites do better in humid environments. So keeping your room cool and dry (cooler and dryer) is a plus in that regard.

[OliverKlozerof]

On 7/13/2017 at 2:08 PM, mommysboy said:

1) Why now?  That's the question really.

2) Why not move back to where you were before?  It maybe suited you better.

3) Is this anxiety related? 

4) An anti-histamine of some sort (you may have to experiment) should be able to help with the allergic reaction to natural allergens, but won't help with the non-allergenic causes, eg, exhaust fumes.

5) IMO, you should be nowhere near any exhaust fumes at this time.  Why not take that holiday!

1) It's the rainy season and even more humid than usual. Mites like humidity. I was just away for a couple weeks. The AC was turned off in my room; ideal for a bloom of mites.

2) I moved to my current location because my last building was torn down. Overall, the air is much cleaner out in Udom Suk. I also suffered from allergies at the old location.

3) As I just got back from a wonderful vacation, I don't think so.

4) I couldn't take antihistamines for a week before the allergy test I just had. Now I don't want to take them so I can correctly gauge the effectiveness of the measures I'm trying to decrease the allergens. Generally, I much prefer to address the cause of a malady rather than take a pill to address its symptoms. (I will take a pill in extreme cases, of course.)

5) I have to walk along roads, wait at bus stops occasionally. I wanted to delay going to the beach until I had the problem pretty well sorted out. Otherwise, I'd just be returning to it. Now that it *is* mostly sorted out, I *will* be heading off for a break soon. ;-)

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, OliverKlozerof said:

1) It's the rainy season and even more humid than usual. Mites like humidity. I was just away for a couple weeks. The AC was turned off in my room; ideal for a bloom of mites.

2) I moved to my current location because my last building was torn down. Overall, the air is much cleaner out in Udom Suk. I also suffered from allergies at the old location.

3) As I just got back from a wonderful vacation, I don't think so.

4) I couldn't take antihistamines for a week before the allergy test I just had. Now I don't want to take them so I can correctly gauge the effectiveness of the measures I'm trying to decrease the allergens. Generally, I much prefer to address the cause of a malady rather than take a pill to address its symptoms. (I will take a pill in extreme cases, of course.)

5) I have to walk along roads, wait at bus stops occasionally. I wanted to delay going to the beach until I had the problem pretty well sorted out. Otherwise, I'd just be returning to it. Now that it *is* mostly sorted out, I *will* be heading off for a break soon. ;-)

 

Oh, ok,  I thought I'd read you were on a bike, but maybe it was someone else.  As you have suffered before albeit to a lesser extent, I expect this is just some big event, such as poor air quality, or build up of allergens in your room as you say.

 

I agree about medicine.  I don't think anti-histamines are much good for anything other than mild symptoms, and if you only have mild symptoms I don't see the point in taking them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OliverKlozerof]

Anit-Allergen Laundry Additives

 

Ordered De-Mite laundry additive last night from Amazon (I don't think a similar product is available in Asia, but I didn't do an extensive search). 
https://www.amazon.com/Mite-Laundry-Additive-liter-bottle/dp/B01AHGT6EM
There were a couple sources on Amazon that wouldn't ship to Thailand, but the third one I tried, EntirelyPets, did. Pretty expensive: almost US$50 for a 1 liter bottle, and almost as much for shipping, but should last a year or two.
The rationale behind buying it: Yes, washing your sheets, etc. at 140F or hotter will kill dust mites; and yes, my washing machine has a 95C water setting (almost boiling!), this is not good for many fabrics and the washing instructions usually say 'warm water,' not hot. Washing that hot fades colors and makes this last a shorter time. De-Mite kills mites in any temperature wash.

 

There was another product that also rated highly, Allersearch Allergen Wash:
https://www.amazon.com/Allergen-Wash-Laundry-Detergent-oz/dp/B0010DN1UW/
I couldn't find an Amazon partner who would ship to Thailand, so I went with De-Mite.
Whereas De-Mite is just an additive to your regular detergent, apparently the Allersearch product is both mite killer and detergent in one. It also seems to deal with other allergens and critters, whereas De-Mite is targeted at mites.
Comments said both products have a 'medicine-like' smell, due to the tea tree oil they contain, but the smell becomes very minor after laundry is dry.

 

Allergy Shots/Immunotherapy

I watched a couple youtube vids on allergy shots/immunotherapy. Looks like you get a few shots per week to start, becoming once a week, twice a month, once a month, all over a two year period (or so). Looks to be effective in most cases. Not sure the cost here in Thailand. Anyone know? But I don't really fancy having to take that many trips to the hospital for shots. I think now that I've mostly handled the current bout, I'll be relatively fine. Still, I may consider it in the future if I can get more info about it and hear from some locals who have experience with it.

BTW, with the new mattress, things continue to be quite good. I've put off cleaning out my wardrobe, so may get to that today. Starting to get strength back, which is a relief.