Spring has arrived. Maybe you’ve been hit hard with seasonal allergies this year and are suffering with clogged sinuses and the other symptoms that often go along with that misery: sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, stuffy nose, sore throat, fatigue or weakness.
Have you noticed that the numerous ads for allergy medicines, both OTC and prescription, tout their ability to alleviate your SYMPTOMS but don’t say they’ll address the inflammatory response that’s CAUSING the allergies themselves?
Symptom relief is Western Medicine’s standard approach to allergies, as represented by this statement on WebMD: “In general, there is no cure for allergies, but there are several types of medications available — both over-the-counter and prescription — to help ease and treat annoying symptoms like congestion and runny nose. These allergy drugs include antihistamines, decongestants, combination drugs, corticosteroids, and others.” (WebMD, 2017)
Read on if you’re interested in addressing what’s actually causing those symptoms – and much of what else is ailing you.
CHRONIC INFLAMMATION & ALLERGIES
The symptoms of seasonal allergies are actually indications of chronic inflammation in the body that are producing an autoimmune response. Taking drugs may suppress these symptoms but does nothing to reduce the chronic inflammation – and actually makes it worse. Chronic inflammation in the body is a precursor of chronic disorders and diseases.
Chronic inflammation –> autoimmune conditions & diseases
“Autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an autoimmune disease.” (Wikipedia, 2017)
Autoimmune conditions and disorders include:
Allergies
Asthma
Rheumatoid arthritis)
Skin conditions (such as acne, eczema and rosacea)
Digestive problems (such as irritable bowel disease, gut strictures and Crohn’s disease)
The combination of diseases called Metabolic Syndrome (elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting plasma glucose, high serum triglycerides and low high-density cholesterol (HDL) levels)
Alzheimer’s disease
Repeating sinus and yeast infections
Gum disease and tooth decay
Cancers
… and many more
Inflammation accumulates in the body until it can’t deal with it any more and the inflammatory symptoms turn into a full blown disease.
The immune systems of people with seasonal (and other) allergies have developed low level, chronic inflammation. When they are exposed to a harmless substance like pollen, their immune systems respond as if a severe threat to the body has been encountered and needs to be destroyed at all cost. In this overblown immune response, the body tries to sneeze the pollen out, mucus and local inflammation in the sinuses and nose build up to try to isolate the rest of the body from the ‘perceived-as-dangerous’ substance. And you’re miserable!
So if you want to fix your allergies, you have to reduce the chronic inflammation in your body and let your immune system calm down. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET
A good way to reduce inflammation in your body is to eat an anti-inflammatory diet. You’ll find many such diets online. This one is from Dr Gary Kaplan, a pioneer in the field of Integrative Medicine:
Consume at least 25 grams of fiber every day
Eat a minimum of nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day
Eat four servings of both alliums and crucifers every week
Limit saturated fat to 10 percent of your daily calories
Consume foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids
Eat fish at least three times a week
Use oils that contain healthy fats
Eat healthy snacks twice a day
Avoid processed foods and refined sugars
Cut out trans fats
Sweeten meals with phytonutrient-rich fruits, and flavor foods with spices
ee 11 Food Rules For The Ultimate Anti-Inflammatory Diet for the details and a good information on the connection between allergies and chronic inflammation. (Kaplan, 2015)
ALLERGY MEDICINES’ SIDE EFFECTS, WARNINGS & INTERACTIONS
Other reasons to reconsider taking medications for seasonal allergies are the negative side effects you may get from taking these drugs, the warnings about who shouldn’t take them, and the drug interaction warnings. XYZAL ALLERGY 24 HR (levocetirizine)
Xyzal (levocetirizine) is an antihistamine that reduces the effects of histamines in the body. Histamines can produce symptoms of sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and runny nose.
MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECTS
headache
muscle aches
sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
sore throat
stuffy or runny nose
SOME OTHER OBSERVED SIDE EFFECTS
anxiety
dark urine
decrease in urine volume
painful urination
difficult or labored breathing
difficulty with swallowing
blurred or loss of vision
disturbed color perception
dizziness
double vision
over-bright appearance of lights
night blindness
dry mouth
fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
hyperventilation
irritability
itching skin
joint or muscle pain
large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
nausea and vomiting
nervousness
puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
seizures
tightness in the chest
trouble sleeping
tunnel vision
body aches or pain
diarrhea
Additional side effects have been observed. Here’s the entire list.
WARNINGS
To make sure Xyzal is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
kidney disease
liver disease
gallbladder problems
urination problems (caused by conditions such as enlarged prostate or spinal cord lesion)
You should not use Xyzal if you are allergic to levocetirizine or cetirizine (Zyrtec).
It is not known whether Xyzal will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Levocetirizine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.
Xyzal is not approved for use by anyone younger than 6 months old.
Do not take Xyzal if you have end-stage kidney disease or if you are on dialysis. Any child younger than 12 years old with kidney disease should not take this medicine.
Before taking Xyzal, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, kidney disease, or gallbladder problems.
It is very important not to give a child more than the prescribed dose of Xyzal. A child’s body absorbs twice as much of the same dose size of levocetirizine as an adult’s body.
Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, if they get worse, or if you also have a fever.
DRUG INTERACTIONS
Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before taking Xyzal with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.
Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:
ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra)
theophylline (Aquaphyllin, Asmalix, Elixophyllin, Theolair, Theosol)
This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with levocetirizine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.
(Drugs.com, 2017A) ALLEGRA ALLERGY 24 HR (fexofenadine)
MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECT
Vomiting
SOME OTHER OBSERVED SIDE EFFECTS
chest tightness
feeling of warmth, redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest
large, hive-like swelling on face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
shortness of breath, difficult or labored breathing
body aches or pain
chills
coughing
difficulty moving
dizziness
headache
joint pain
loss of voice
muscle pains or stiffness
nasal congestion
nausea
stomach upset
diarrhea
pain in arms or legs
pain or tenderness around eyes or cheekbones
painful menstrual bleeding
runny or stuffy nose
sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
sneezing
sore throat
swollen joints
unusual feeling of tiredness or weakness
viral infection (such as cold and flu)
nervousness
sleeplessness
Additional side effects have been observed. Here’s the entire list.
WARNINGS
If you are allergic to any drugs or if you have kidney disease, ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking Allegra.
Fexofenadine is primarily eliminated by the kidney and the risk of toxic reactions may be greater in patients with renal impairment due to decreased drug clearance. Care should be taken in dose selection and it may be useful to monitor renal function.
Do not take Allegra with fruit juice (such as apple, orange, or grapefruit).
It is not known whether Allegra will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine. It is not known whether fexofenadine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
DRUG & FOOD INTERACTIONS
A total of 71 drugs (285 brand and generic names) are known to interact with Allegra.
56 moderate drug interactions (229 brand and generic names)
15 minor drug interactions (56 brand and generic names)
There may be other drugs that can affect Allegra. Tell your doctor about all medications you use, including prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
Consuming large amounts of certain fruit juices, including grapefruit, orange and apple, may decrease the levels of fexofenadine in your body. Fexofenadine should be taken with water. Refrain from drinking large amounts of grapefruit, orange, or apple juice.
(Drugs.com, 2017B) Look at ads for pretty much all the pharmaceuticals in Western Medicine’s arsenal and you’ll see they too are designed only to suppress or reduce symptoms, not address the underlying cause of those symptoms so you become healthier, not just feel less unhealthy. CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE VS FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
If you truly want to fix your allergies, you’re going to have to reduce the amount of chronic inflammation in your body and not rely on conventional Western Medicine, which generally focuses on reducing symptoms.
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
While on YouTube looking for real allergy medicine ads, I came across this parody, for a fake drug called ‘Antihistemenia’ and its side effects. Laughing at it cleared my sinuses.
FURTHER READING
Chronic inflammation in the body:
Functional Medicine and its focus on identifying and rectifying the underlying causes of symptoms:
Addressing the underlying cause of seasonal allergies:
This post is dedicated to the memory of Russell Hardin.
REFERENCES
Hardin, J.R. (2/14/2014). Reducing Inflammation in the Body. See: https://www.allergiesandyourgut.com/post/reducing-inflammation-in-the-body
Hardin, J.R. (12/7/2014). Dr Amy Myers Explains Functional Medicine. See: https://www.allergiesandyourgut.com/post/dr-amy-myers-explains-functional-medicine
Hardin, J.R. (5/10/2015). INCREASED GUT PERMEABILITY – CAUSES & CONSEQUENCES. See: https://www.allergiesandyourgut.com/post/increased-gut-permeability-causes-consequences
Hardin, J.R. (6/2/2015). Functional Medicine vs. Western Medicine. See: https://www.allergiesandyourgut.com/post/functional-vs-western-medicine
Hardin, J.R. (2/5/2017). Incremental Medicine + Functional Medicine = Good Medicine. See: https://www.allergiesandyourgut.com/post/incremental-medicine-functional-medicine-good-medicine
Kaplan, G.(2015). 11 Food Rules For The Ultimate Anti-Inflammatory Diet. See: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22607/11-food-rules-for-the-ultimate-anti-inflammatory-diet.html
WebMD. (2017). Allergy Medicines. See: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/allergy-medications#1
Wikipedia. (4/15/2017). Autoimmunity. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoimmunity © Copyright 2017. Joan Rothchild Hardin. All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site or blog is intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.