Unfortunately, DD20 has to take Claritin daily and has since she was 9 or 10. This is due to skin allergy issues which are much more difficult to pin down. The Claritin seems to keep it subdued (the itching) but it isn’t a cure-all. When she was little I remember being at her annual check up and telling the doc about her skin. She pulled aside the gown to put her stethoscope on her back, and my DD’s entire back was breaking out in red hives! From the gown! She has crazy sensitive skin, but it’s also softer than a baby’s you-know-what.
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My allergist said it isn’t uncommon. Cantaloupe is related to ragweed…so if you have a ragweed allergy, you are more likely to develop an allergy to cantaloupe.
And yeah…it didn’t start to bother me much until my thirties. Now, I can’t even eat anything that has come in contact with it.
Bananas are even worse. I start to have trouble breathing now even if it is in baked goods. I used to be able to eat bananas as a kid!
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I have seasonal allergies and have tried many different medications, but none of them reliably work, unless they have side effects. Benadryl (zonk!), Claritin (dry eyes), Zyrtec (too weak), Flonase (dry mouth). If I have to take something, I usually start with Zyrtec and switch to benadryl (and go to sleep) if I can’t handle it anymore. But usually I don’t take anything and just blow my nose frequently.
I’m on Allegra from Valentines Day to J4. If pollen gets bad, I have to add Nasonex, works better than Flonase. If I let it get out of control, out comes the Astelin nasal spray. Then, I also get cold induce cough. I have to take Albuterol at the onset of a cold. But it didn’t do much when I caught the flu last December at WDW. I coughed for 2 months intensely. My allergist didn’t know what to do with my cough.
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Well - it SAYS 24 hours… but I need it Q12… 
I use generic.
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I don’t think we have ragweed in CA.
Makes a great sleeping pill when the stuffy nose and coughing takes over my life.
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And people wonder why we don’t trust anyone anymore.
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Are you allergic to latex?
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No. At one point I thought I was. But it turns out I am allergic to adhesives.
Back when I was first given an insulin pump, they wanted you to apply tape over the skin where the infusion set would go. They sent at least 15 different types, but after a day or two, my skin would turn all red and weepy under the tape. I thought it was due to latex in the tapes, so I was given latex free tapes. Same problem!
Ironically, the only adhesive that hasn’t caused a reaction is the adhesive the comes on the infusion set directly. So I don’t use tape at all. Just the QuickSets directly!
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Oh yes, Nasonex works best for me. But it doesn’t completely stop my nose from running.
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I have to keep reminding people Ive had allergies for like 8 months on and off. Its been a bit crazy down here with the different types of pollen. Im not going to keep testing everytime I sneeze “just to be sure”. I tested once, when I had to (although I think the testing isnt accurate). Im not sure if I would be of any help to a contact tracer anyway. There is only a handful of people I am around without a mask. Obviously I would tell all of them if I had a strong suspicion I have Covid. Im not necessarily against helping the tracing but I also dont feel like I need to give personal info to the strangers. And I definitely do not want to end up on some government Covid list. 
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I am highly allergic to adhesives. Not super-fast, but sometimes 24 hours AFTER I remove it I can erupt.
As the new-to-me doc was finishing my c-section I pleaded with the nurse to alert him. I couldn’t fathom dealing with inflamed skin AND a incision.
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I thought about switching to Allegra… I had a cold/bronchitis/virus/something that started in December and I had a cough through March. I took antibiotics and Rx cough meds. I visited the doctor again in early March and she suggested a chest xray if the cough didn’t go away. I also had shortness of breath and my chest was really tight during this which I hadn’t had with bronchitis in the past. My doctor was kind of stumped as well. I’d like to think it was actually Covid but it probably wasn’t. It wasn’t the flu either though as I didn’t have the other, usual symptoms (fever, aches.) Who knows. Most likely a random virus.
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I have a script for year round but I don’t always take it. I might start taking Claritin in April or May if the trees or grasses are too high. This year they weren’t.
I definitely have to start by mid July. SOMEthing pollenates then that I’m mildly allergic to. That sets me up to be really triggered by a bumper crop of ragweed. Unless I’ve already been on Claritin. We have two types of ragweed here and live in the country, so there’s a lot of pollen. Sometime between mid September and the first frost I can quit the Claritin.
That’s interesting about cantelope and ragweed. No wonder I’m not a fan! Chamomile is also in that family. Chamomile tea does not calm. 
In the “how colleges are doing” category:
DS18’s Community college just announced on Monday they were going to start batch testing. My son is unhappy. He has to go to campus one day a week for a few hours. He’s thinking of dropping the class. 
He doesn’t want the government having his DNA. (
…
)
DS20’s still doing all in person at his small college. They’ve been reminded about their “commitment” to one another and to not let their guards down. They’ve also been reminded it is their best interest to get the flu shot. However, they will not be having a flu shot clinic on campus this year. They are welcome to go to the pharmacy in town. It’s about a 15 minute drive away, and certainly not every student has a car… 
. And the shot is only free if they have an insurance card. And it’s only on certain days and times.
. My son will never make that happen.
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I went on FB today. Always an adventure! I told you our school district came out with their plan to hopefully start bringing students back per their hybrid plan. The comments! OMG! Half are saying it’s too soon and half are saying why do we have to wait. It’s so polarizing. I quickly closed FB and came back here to hide.
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And then there’s this…
Little late in the game to be considering this!
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