See those little bottles right there? Yep. Those are mine. All of ’em.
There are so many because I used to carry them around with me all the time. That, along with a sheet of Sudafed and a packet of Claritin. Allergies used to be the bane of my existence. (If you’ve read a little about my story, then you know how much of a struggle I’ve had with an aluminum allergy, as well. )
I still remember that day in the fourth grade, when my teacher pulled me aside and asked me if I needed to go home. My eyes were itching so badly that I couldn’t see because I was blinking so much.
My mother took me to the eye doctor, where they prescribed me eyedrops to stop the itching and redness. The first time I put the drops in, it was a major struggle. My mom tried to hold my eye open so she could put the drops in, and I remember seeing the tip of the bottle just coming for my eye…
And the drops, oh how they burned. But I got used the the burn, and eventually came to like it because it meant sweet relief from itching, burning, and swollen eyes.
From the fourth grade until about two years ago, I carried allergy eyedrops with me everywhere.
Until then, it had never struck me that being allergic to dogs and cats and trees and grass wasn’t normal. Well, maybe it’s pretty “normal” now—common that is. But I don’t believe that that’s the way God intended us to be. Allergic to grass? Trees? Really? He created us in a garden!
I found these little eye drop bottles the other day when I was cleaning out a cabinet I had forgotten about. I missed them when I junked my bathroom. Then I found more in an old purse I hadn’t used in over a year, maybe longer. Gosh, there’s just so many of them. I’m just looking at them on the table, and I can’t believe I was dependent on these to function normally or even to see well enough to drive. There are so many of them…and I’ve gone through so many over the years.
I used to carry around a little pill bottle, too, full of ibuprofen, sudafed, and loratadine.
I was helpless, really. At the mercy of medicine, and unable to enjoy the beautiful God-given creation outside without collapsing in a fit of sneezes, skin rashes (from coming in contact with grass, trees, etc.), severe congestion/runny nose, and other symptoms of hay fever.
Loratadine, which is in Claratin, has a number of side effects, including1,2:
- Fast or uneven heart rate
- Feeling like you might pass out
- Jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes)
- Seizures
- Headache
- Nervousness
- Feeling tired or drowsy
- Stomach pain, diarrhea
- Dry mouth, sore throat
- Eye redness, blurred vision
- Nosebleed
- Skin rash
Here’s all the stuff that’s in the eyedrops:
Dextran 70, Polyethylene glycol, Povidone, Tetrahydrozoline HCl, Naphazoline HCl, Pheniramine maleate, Zinc sulfate, glycerin, benzalkonium chloride.
I’m really not sure what any of these are, but I’d rather not put them in my eyes, just the same.
How I stopped my allergies for good
In 2008, I had a horse back riding accident that injured my back and neck. Rather than get back surgery, I started seeing a full-spine chiropractor. Yeah yeah, I know about half of you think chiropractors are quacks, but you’re about halfway right. Most chiropractors don’t practice in a way that is true to the origin of the profession, and YES there is a lot of woo-woo out there. Seek chiropractors that practice based on science. Read more in my post here. Anyway, I started going because of my neck and back, but I noticed other changes, as well.
After every adjustment, my feet broke out into a bright red rash that crawled up over my ankles. My feet and ankles would swell for about a half hour, then it would go away. I think my body was trying to detox, which was a good thing. My sinuses were also draining better, and my vision stopped worsening.
The following spring, my allergies didn’t appear. They just flat out didn’t come. That’s when I forgot about my eyedrops, I guess. Threw them in a purse or a box, and left them there. Some how they made it through a move… Maybe I was saving them, “just in case.” But I needn’t have, because I haven’t used them since!
In addition to regular chiropractic care, I also contribute my lessening allergies to my improved diet. Around the same time I started going to the full spine chiropractor, I began switching to real, whole foods and moving away from processed, packaged food. I hadn’t heard of Weston A. Price yet, but you can read about that discovery here.
Anyway, that’s all I got for this post, I guess. I just found those little bottles and figured I’d share! How has living a healthier lifestyle improved your quality of life?
1 – http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a697038.html#side-effects
2 – http://www.drugs.com/sfx/loratadine-side-effects.html
So glad found relief! I’ve never had major issues with allergies, but over the last few years, it seemed like they were getting worse. I especially had issues when visiting my brother’s house. He has two little dogs, and after about 15 minutes in his house my nose and eyes would get itchy until I left.
But, this fall and winter have been great for me with allergies and colds, thank God. I’m not sure if it’s one or a combination of four new things, that I can think of, that I started doing in the fall, that’s made the difference. I don’t have any issues now when over my brother’s house, and I haven’t gotten a cold this season. I usually catch a cold in the early fall, and then it can be on and off throughout the winter. This year, I’ve had just the sniffles for a couple days, and then gone.
One thing that i started doing is drinking a lot more raw milk, as regular milk, and as kefir. Another change is that I’ve been taking oral probiotics. They supposedly spread throughout the mouth and nasal cavity. I also started taking (I ran out and need to buy more) Host Defense turkey tail mushroom capsules. They supposedly regulate your immune system and stop it from overreacting, like in allergies and autoimmune diseases. The last new thing that i can think of, is that I’ve been eating a lot more sauerkraut. Not sure if it’s any of these that has made the difference, but something has made the change for the better, and I’m very glad about it!
Take care,
Paul
Raw milk is gold! Kefir, too. I also drink kombucha and eat kraut. Maybe they help with allergies (maybe not), but I know they definitely have made a difference in my gut health overall. :) Glad they have for you, too!
I use doTERRA essential oils for my allergies. I used to use a store brand allergy medicine and it would take weeks to build up in my system. This year I switched to essential oils and oh what a difference! I take 2 drops peppermint, lavender and lemon in a shot glass with a little water. Within 10 minutes all itchy nose, throat, eyes, sniffling etc is gone!
I noticed you use mountain rose herbs but I couldn’t get much info on them and their safety etc. If you’re interested in another kind look to doTERRA, they have saved me and my family from so many issues. Ear infections, flu, cold, allergies, cuts, bumps etc.