Whodunit

While catching up on last season's Games of Thrones over the weekend, a small patch of skin on the back of my left arm above my elbow began to burn. A feeling I'm quite familiar with, a hive was beginning to form. In the early stages of a hive I'm typically still in denial. Oh, I'm just itchy. Maybe my skin is dry? But when I actually look and see the little bump surrounded by red, I am in denial no longer.

My next step is to figure what to do. The time of day plays the biggest role here. If it is during the morning or afternoon, I choose to take a Benadryl. Once the evening hits it becomes a bit trickier. I typically take my Allegra any time after 9pm. Depending on the severity of the hive; I have to decide if the hour it takes for the Allegra to begin working is worth waiting out. For this particular hive, even though it was only slightly after 8pm I chose the Allegra. It didn’t feel too bad and there was only one.

Now that the hive has been addressed and assessed, comes the biggest step yet – figuring out what made it appear in the first place. I will be the first to admit, my dinner was not the healthiest. Did that bit of Cherry Coke rack up my histamines? I try not to have soda too often, and it’s never caused hives. So, no? Was it stress? I was not stressed at the present time, but my day had not been the smoothest. Did the shift in weather freak out the senses? Not a clue.

And that is probably one of the most frustrating parts to having allergies. Sometimes it’s just one big game of Clue, but there is no Miss Scarlet with the candlestick in the library to blame. There is just my own Mr. (actually, Miss.) Boddy to blame.

Prescription Protection

With allergies, come prescriptions. My latest is a generic version of Flonase. And with these prescriptions, often come side effects. And these side effects may not always be related to the actual medicine. Identity theft is not usually listed on the label, but every bit of your personal information is.

I fill my prescriptions at my local Target. As far as pharmacy experiences goes, this is the best I’ve had, but their packaging often leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I understand that they want to ensure their employees can easily access information to help ensure that you and only you are picking up your prescription, but if you’re not careful when throwing it away you might also be providing this same information easily to identify thieves.

The bag that prescriptions come in from Target contains a label. On this label is my full name, address, telephone, and birthdate. To ensure this information stays between me and my pharmacy, I take a Sharpie to it and block out all information as much as possible. Next is the packaging that the actual medicine is in, this usually contains my full name. And lastly, inside the bag are additional labels. These labels also contain my my name, address, telephone, and birthdate. I take a Sharpie to them all.

The next time you fill a prescription read all the labels to not only take as directed, but to also ensure you’re not allowing anyone else to do the same to you.

Happy Friday!

I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking. Mind over matter truly has an impact on our overall wellness. It has been proven that smiling increases positive impacts on our health. As this article suggest even fake ones help. In an effort to enjoy the present and reduce stress, every Friday I will take a look back at what made me smile each week. I would love to hear what lead you to have a happy Friday.

1. While my spring allergies have been wrecking all sorts of havoc this week, I feel a little bit better knowing that I am prepared to take them on.

2. A cloudless sky on a warm Sunday afternoon, pure bliss.

3. My birthday may have been several weeks ago, but my flowers are still going strong.

Happy Friday and here’s to an even happier weekend!

You Can't Always Get What You Want or What You Need

During my follow up appointment with ENT for this whole sphenoid debacle he gave me a couple samples of and also a prescription for Patanase. Per their website, Patanase is a “steroid-free prescription nasal spray that works to fight the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever.”

After my first use, I was in love. The spray opened my breathing passages and helped me clear out some of the residual infection. It was pure bliss. A few days into my use of the spray sample, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew in my heart there was no possible way this was covered by my insurance. I know I have sung the praises of Omnaris, but it's not a spray I use regularly because my insurance won't cover it. Sure, you can get a nifty $50 off coupon for you first few refills. First, in order for me to get the pleasure of using said coupon, I would have to fork over $130. I was devastated when I found out Omnaris was not covered by my insurance. It was the first nasal spray that truly worked for me.

So, when I tried to fill the Patanase prescription over the weekend I just knew in my gut a product this wonderful would not be covered. The pharmacist confirmed my suspicion. It was not covered and cost $199 for one bottle. Not really in my budget for something that would be gone in a months time.

For the time being, while my sphenoid heals I will see if I can obtain additional samples from my ENT and allergist, but I know that is not a long term solution. I really wish I had one of those.

Just Ask

After having sinus surgery and being in the midst of immunotherapy, it's not a secret around my office that my nose does not work the way it should. It is this fact that has made me the go to girl for all questions sinus, allergies, and asthma related at work. A task I do not mind in the least.

My mother was a health educator before I was born. The lady that came to school to about sex? That was her. Talking about health has always been a big part of my life and the biggest inspiration for this blog. After writing several how to sinus rinse guides and providing numerous allergy medication referrals to co-works, I figured it was time to start sharing what I have learned with others.

So, in the interest of sharing what I know, I have set up a Formspring account for anyone to ask any allergy related questions. I have added a link to the side bar.

Got a question? Just ask.

A Reminder

I am the worst at remembering to medication of any kind. Vitamins? Forget it. I have lost count of the number of times I have forgotten to take a vitamin even when it was sitting on the table right in front of me.
A big part of getting over my recent sinus infection has been making sure I take Mucinex and Sudafed consistently. The former only lasts four hours and the later six hours per dose. Now, I am aware that could save myself the headache of remembering to take the medications by using Mucinex D every twelve hours, but I have found that I need more Mucinex than I do Sudafed. I have less side effects from both by take the lower dosages at a time.

Plus, I worked out a way to eliminate the headache in remembering to take these on time. My iPhone has come in handy for many tasks, but I rely on it the most to remind me to take my medications. Every time I take a medication, I change the time of the reminder to the next schedule dosage time. And like clockwork every four and six hours, I can rely on my iPhone to remind me to take what I need.

Back On Track

Due to the not so lovely sphenoid infection of 2013, I have had a whopping total of one allergy shot in 2013. I guess that would not be too bad if I were on the once a month shot schedule, but I'm supposed to be receiving them every other week. A very important rule with immunotherapy injections is that you cannot receive the injection if you display severe allergy symptoms or if you are sick. So, with my infected sphenoid all shots were put on hold until I was better. Which in all honesty was really okay by me, I was too sick to even notice my allergies. They did not bother until a week ago, but I waited until I had my follow with my ENT before scheduling any shots.

The great thing about an ENT is that they can actually look in your nose with a scope to determine what is wrong. For years before I saw my ENT, I had plenty doctors just look at me with a confused look because there was nothing else that knew to do for my nose. Last Friday, my ENT gave me the all clear to begin my allergy shots again. He saw no pus and no infection in my sinus. The only cause for concern was my very allergic rhinitis. Now I am happy to report, I have had two allergy shots this year.

Ayr Saline Nasal Gel Review

What it does: Ayr gel is a cool and soothing gel designed to aid dry noses. It provides temporary relief by opening the airways and reducing sinus swelling.

How to use: Before using wash and dry hands thoroughly. Place a dab of the gel on your left index finger and rub half of the dab on your right index finger. With the gel now on both index fingers, rub inside the corresponding nostril.

Where to buy: I’m lucky that my local Target pharmacy carries quite few hard to sinus remedies. I’ve also seen it at independent pharmacies and my local Rite Aid.

Recommend: Absolutely. I love this gel. I was really skeptical prior to using it. Rubbing gel in your nose sounds gross and silly, but grossness and silliness aside it’s fabulous. I don’t go a day without using. I carry one in my purse to use on the extra rough allergy days. It brings immediate relief upon application.

My Night Routine

To ensure my allergies don’t prevent me from having a good night’s sleep, here is the routine I follow each night.

An hour before I do my nightly sinus rinse, I take an Allegra. I actually take the generic version by Target. I have taken both the generic and name brand without noticing a difference in effectiveness, so I choose the generic to cut down on costs. And now for a confession, the way I achieve this each night is due to my iPhone. At 8:45pm, 8:55pm, and 9:00pm, my phone kindly reminds me to take my Allerga. If I left it to chance each night, I guarantee my success rate in Allegra consumption would decrease significantly.

Then I rinse my nose. It’s the same process as in the morning. Consistency is key with rinsing. My biggest suggestion with nightly rinsing is the time which it is done. Ideally, an hour before sleep yields the best results. Any closer to bedtime and there is still quite a bit of water in the sinus. When lying down right after a rinse, that drowning sensation when the water rushes out of your nose? Not fun.

Right before bed, I finish off the evening with Ayr gel. Just a dab in each nostril is a very soothing way to fall asleep.

Good night!