Dearest Sjogren's angels:
I haven't had seasonal allergies for 40 years.
But now something is 'doing its thing' in the air of North Carolina, and my eyes and face itch and I'm hoarse and sneezy and feel tired and achy.
I also had a flare of my osteoarthritis, and lo! and Behold! two new bumps appeared on my right ring finger knuckle.
I never knew those people with crooked fingers had such 'fun' getting them that way. The flare was awful, kicked up my bladder pain from IC and I thought I had a UTI (nope). I keep thinking things will stay status quo ante, but they never do it seems.
Well, my old friend osteoarthritis is alive and well, and I'm hoping I'll acclimate to NC and the allergy will subside over time.
Keep me posted on everything.
I read constantly.
Kisses
Elaine (aka Carolina, achoooo!)
Most of pa has been infested with stinkbugs,, brought over from China and some other places,, nothing eats them,, there everywhere and look like a prehistoric creature,, they dont bite or anything,, but there just horrible,, and were hitting ragweed season up here, I;ll just rinse out whats left of my sinuses,, and let fall roll into winter
Oooh so sorry to hear it. Everything I've heard from a friend about NC makes it seem like paradise. Hope this is just a short term (whatever that is blooming) that will go away soon.
Take care
Hi Carolina:
Fall season allergy is so different from spring. I had headaches, skin ulcers a few days ago. Took a few days of claritin (less drying than anti-histamines) and it cleared up. The skin ulcers I just used a hydrocortisone cream- it went away.
It seems to AI folks, we are hypersensitive and tend to react to so many things in our surroundings.
Meditation and exercises focused on relaxation really helps me.
Pegasus
Fall allergies are no fun. You'll have to experiment with the available OTC options (Claritin, Zyrtec, etc) to see which one helps without bringing on the desert dryness.
You might want to also try the allergy type filters in the AC/heat system to cut down possible allergens blowing around the house.
I too have had unusual allergies for no reason at all (off season and intermittent). I think AI diseases cause odd allergic responses. After all, don't allergies come from the immune system.
I didn't know osteoarthritis deforms joints...I thought RA was the only one that does that. I have OA, but luckily haven't noticed any bumps or crooked fingers.
Good luck
Ahh, my dearest Sjogren's angels, non-Sjogren's angels and assorted devils:
I have been using Claritan during the day and Benedryl at night.
I've just stayed in side since I triggered the entire thing by sitting outside on our new deck. It is so gorgeous here, but I need to enter this new environment carefully it appears.
North Carolina IS paradise. But this is our first time living here and being here in the Fall, and something just 'pushed my buttons'.
and Oh yes Anita, not the top knuckles, that's the RA, but the end joint and the middle joint. I'll look for some pictures.
http://www.eatonhand.com/img/img00038.htm
Try cutting and pasting that link. My middle fingers each have the last part bending toward my first finger, just taking a turn!
And I've already had surgery to remove a deteriorated bone that was causing terrible pain at the base of my left thumb.
I tried taking a pain med I used to take all the time, Tramadol. I took some yesterday afternoon and it seemed to help, so I took some last night and itched like crazy the entire night. Not quite an allergy, just a negative reaction. Sigh.
And we did put new filters in the HVAC system, so that's a good thing too.
I always have so many things going on (intestinal, headaches in several places, still painful knee from surgery, blah blah blah) that adding one more seems like par for the course.
thanks for replying guyz!
Keep me posted.
Kisses
Elaine