At 09:05 PM 10/18/00 EDT, Ken wrote:
>Could someone please tell me about this Allergy pill. Is it just for
>allergies, or is there an decongestant in there also? Is it drying? I have
>tried regular Claritan which did not help me; I have also tried Claritan-D
>which helped some, but didn't completely get rid of the stuffy nose. I need
>something that will combat the allergies, & open up the nose without over
>drying. Could Zyrtec be the answer? I also have this constant mucous
>problem. Would humabid be good for this. Please help my Vocalisters!!!
Dear Ken,
You poor soul!! Allergies, and nasal congestion...a bane to singers,
indeed! Zyrtec, like Claritin, is an anti-histamine. Its major side effect
is sleepiness, but can also (like all anti-histamines) cause dry mouth.
The reason Claritin-D probably helped you more was because of the
decongestant action of its co-ingredient, pseudo-ephedrine (Sudafed). As
systemic medications go, pseudo-ephedrine is probably the most tolerable for
singers but carries the potential side-effect of palpitations-tachycardia.
If this is not an issue then medicines like Humibid (guaifenisin), an
expectorant which may help loosen secretions (to make them "runnier")
combined with pseudo-ephedrine (eg Duratuss) can be helpful. For singers, I
try to avoid anti-histamines because of their potential drying effects.
Also, because singing is a mentally intensive activity, the often associated
somnolence is worth avoiding. But I try to avoid systemic medications for
local problems as a general rule.
Hence, if nasal congestion is the problem and if you can--I recommend that
you_Start_ with a nasal decongestant spray such as oxymetolozone (eg.,
Afrin) to clear you passages. Once they are open, change to cortisone-type
nasal spray (eg., NasoCort, Nasalide, Vancenase, etc) and use this twice
daily until your allergy season is over. The problem with Afrin is that
they soon fail to work if used alone, so the corticosteroid nasal sprays are
a must in this situation. If thick nasal secretions are a problem, then the
guaifenisin (Duratuss-G, Humibid,etc) may be helpful. Finally, drink lots
of water.
GWendel
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