Cigarettes and seasonal allergies

[fray]

It's that time of year again. The pollen is out and I am sneezing my head off, my eyes are watering, and I just basically feel like crap.

I had seasonal allergies when I was a kid and no medication ever helped. I suffered with then until around my sophomore year of high school and they just went away. It was nice.

So fast forward to last spring. I start having seasonal allergies all over again and they are back with a vengeance. I went back to the doctors and went back to a new cocktail of allergy medicines that don't work. One day was particularly stressful and I bummed a cigarette off of someone. 2 minutes later I find that I can breathe out of my nose again!

So it would seem that all those years ago when I started smoking in high school, that smoking cigarettes is the only option that works against my allergies.

So I woke up this morning sneezing and blowing my nose. Stopped by the gas station and bought a pack. Smoked one cigarette (gross) on the way to work and I am still sneeze free.

I hate that it works so well because I really don't want to open myself to getting back on the coffin nails. At any rate for the next 2 months I will be smoking a cigarette a day or sneezing my head off.

 

[dotma]

wow really? I have never heard of such a thing, and i have awful spring allergies too. I use that prescription nose spray, only thing that works that doesnt put me right to sleep.

 

[Wil]

I'm finding the opposite to be true. They were gradually getting worse as I got older (I'm 34). Wonder if they were getting worse because my lung function was getting worse instead of because I was getting older. No allergy issues at all since I quit smoking...

 

[mattiem]

Guess you will just have to think of that one smoke as prescription medication. Strange that it is working the way it is but one smoke a day is much better than the allergy suffering. If you can keep in mind that it is just another medication that you have to take for a short time I don't think it will chain you back on the smokes. JMHO

 

[DietSalem]

My allergies are back starting today - and this worries me. Mine are so bad that there are days I cannot leave the house because my eyes are swollen shut. That was WITH smoking. If what you are saying is true.. I'm in for some trouble.

 

[sweetz]

My allergies are back too, kicking up early this year. I think I had actually forgotten how miserable it is.

Still, the thought of smoking one analog a day...no thank you. I'm trying a daily claritin, if nothing else it makes them bearable.

 

[nansc]

I agree with you guys my allergies have real been bad too.I wonder what was in the cigs that kept them calm.I know they really have a lot of chemicals in them.I have a kleenex on me all the time.Smoking is not an option for me they really hurt my lungs.

 

[fray]

The only thing I can think of it is paralyzing the cells enough to not produce the immune proteins that kick it all off.

I am not advocating smoking by any means. If over the counter or prescription drugs work for you I would think they are much safer.

 

[nansc]

I knew what you meant.Oh believe me i when my body was screaming for a cig I had one.I just cannot have too many or my lungs really hurt.I have COPD,have had it for a long time and waited too long to quit,then I found ecigs.Thank god.

 

[bruiser]

I'm allergic to practically everything, except food. One thing I found out about tobacco smoke, when I started researching allergies, is that it is non-allergenic. I know that may surprise some people, but there is a protein, the name of which I can't remember, that causes allergic reactions. tobacco smoke does not have that protein. People can be sensitive to tobacco smoke and that causes symptoms that resemble allergies.

 

[tidegirl]

That is odd. Smoke is one thing that causes my eyes and sinuses to go nuts. (Imagine how dumb I felt when I figured that one out after about 15 years of smoking. Not that smoking in general is smart, but still...)

Sweetz- if the Claritin isn't working well, try Zyrtec. It works much, much better for me.

 

[bnrkwest]

Actually I read years ago the cigarettes do help some sinus/allergy problems. I also have really bad allergies and sinus problems and I found once I quit smoking mine got better. Now spring is here and I am really feeling the effects of pollen, dust etc. What I take instead of over the counter meds is Spirulina, a natural antihistamine. Look for it at health food stores or vitamins online places. When I am really bad I take several a day, some days I am fine without them, but they work wonders for me and family members. Just wanted to share, much better than smoking an analog. bnrk

 

[wyattc08]

That's weird, smoking usually caused my allergies to be worse...