Dear G. Wendel, Please, I do NOT mean to be rude but I seem to have missed something here. You are dispensing medical advice with authority but you don't appear to have any credentials. If you are a DO or an MD please tell us so. It would be helpful if you'd include some such information in your signature. You may have introduced yourself to us in the past and I missed your message. I don't mean to offend but I do take it amiss when layfolk dispense medical advice. I don't mean to offend, just to be careful. Thanks, Cindy Donnell ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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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