rag weed - can't breathe

[amazeofgrace]

I am sick, I went to the Dr's and they tell me it's not strep and that rag weed is very bad right now. Now I have never had allergies and what the heck is rag weed???

I feel like I have a cotton ball stuck in my throat and I get that lovely tickle in the throat then cough till you pee your pants cough!

I can't breathe I am weezing and I do not have asthma.

Now I start school 2morrow morning, I am only taking one Sat class (psychiatric 123) to test the waters, and now not only will I stick out because of my age & weight, but because of my loud annoying cough! I will be toating lots of cough drops!

 

[trinityroyal]

AOG, try to get one of those over the counter, non-drowsy allergy medications.
Reactine, Claritin, Allegra...Costco makes a generic version of Reactine or Claritin, and they do wonders to keep the allergy symptoms at bay.

I'm not exactly sure what ragweed is either, only I know the pollen from it is nasty! I'm allergic too. No fun.

 

[DammitJanet]

Rag weed kinda looks like green seeds on weeds in fields. I am allergic as all get out. It would be almost pretty if it didnt make me sick...lol. I take the allergy medications too. Either allegra, claritin or zyrtec. I get the cough till you pee thing too. All I can say is stock up on depends. If you arent to that point yet, poise pads work well too. I got past the pad point quickly.

You can try the cough drops but they didnt do me much good. Try a cough syrup dxm in it...and if you have any codeine type pills...they will help stop a cough cold. So will phenergan. You can also make this weird chicken broth stuff made with chicken broth, ground ginger and a red pepper that you bring to a boil and let steep for a bit. Strain and drink. It actually does help.

 

[Hound dog]

Pick up some Caritin on your way to class. Love that stuff. But I'm stuck with zyrtec thanks to rotten kidneys. ugh Doesn't work near as well.

Good luck on your class. You'll be just fine.

Funny thing though.......About 6 yrs ago I also took a psychiatric class to test the water. And I'm still there. Not the whole 5 yrs though. I waited til Nichole was a senior to go back full time.

And if you're like me.......psychiatric classes are no sweat, they're fun.

 

[susiestar]

Ragweed isn't fun. I know exactly the cough you mean. Just because you don't have an asthma diagnosis doesn't mean you might not need albuterol. The albuterol inhaler can help a LOT if you are wheezing for any reason. The cough can be an allergy-onset form of asthma. BOTH of my boys ONLY coughed for years from their asthma. The last year they both got some nasty wheezing, but this is the first time. Asthma can onset as an adult, but just because you may react not doesn't mean you will always react this way.

It would be smart to call the doctor and get an inhaler though. If you have problems with the albuterol there IS a medication called xopenex - far more $$ but works better for some people, though not all. If you can't get ahold of your doctor, have Urgent Care assess the wheezing - it is nothing to mess around with.

be gentle with yourself!

 

[Abbey]

I have to tell you, my inhaler is a life saver for whatever is in the air or blooming that makes you cough. I use it rarely, but when I do, I get great effects. Finding out what you are allergic to is like finding a needle in a haystack. You just go for the medication that works for you.

Abbey

 

[Kjs]

My oldest son has terrible trouble with Rag Weed. Only that one. The whites of his eyes look like uncooked egg whites, hanging out. He sneezes awful, can't breathe.
He takes Allegra and swears by it. He tried claritin once, goes back to Allegra.

Sure hope you find something that helps you. If you cannot breathe and are wheezing did the Dr. offer an inhaler? I have one for that very reason. Affects me more in spring. I rarely use the inhaler, but it really helps when you are having trouble breathing and wheezing.

Hope you feel better and good luck with school.

 

[trinityroyal]

Oh yeah! I totally forgot about albuterol inhalers. I haven't had to use mine since we ripped up all the carpets in our house, but they're a godsend when you need them.

Hope you find the medications that work for you AOG.

 

[Lothlorien]

I'm pretty miserable myself. I've been fighting it off, but the sinus infection has finally taken over and it all started with the ragweed.....Goldenrod season is right around the corner. I've seen huge bushes of it.

 

[TerryJ2]

So sorry, Amazed. My husband is very allergic to ragweed, too. He's got asthma. Can you get an inhaler for this time of yr?
I see a lot of people here are allergic to ragweed.
Take care.

 

[Star*]

I have had bad allergies ALL my life - took shots for 10 years -

Wear a mask, use your AC, clean the filter once a week, and take whatever medication your MD prescribed. Don't mow the grass, avoid outdoor activities.

Not much you can do until it gets colder. Keep your windows shut in the car and home too.

And....invest in some GOOD kleenex - the kind with Aloe or Germ killers are softer on your nose.

 

[Lothlorien]

I've spent the better part of the past several weeks, hostage in my house. It gets so cool at night, now and I want to be outside or have the windows open, but I suffer, so at the risk of my huge electric bill ($400. last month) I am staying in. husband just changed the AC filter and I'm medicated up the wazoo. I still feel like someone very huge is sitting on my sinuses and my throat itches like crazy. I will probably end up at the doctor on Monday to get some very strong antibiotics.