Do I have Spring allergies?

What are the best drugs to treat spring allergies?

• For the past couple years I have gotten terrible allergies from different things in the air during the spring time in the Northern California region. I've tried taken Clariden-D and some other over the counter drugs. I'm wondering which drugs are most effective. I've heard that there are shots you can get also that combat these types of allergies.

• Answer:

  Nasal sprays that contain steroids (like Flonase) are often more effective than oral anti-histamines (like Claritin).  For best effect, start using a month or two before Spring begins and use everyday, even if you don't have problems that day. Claritin is also one of the least effective anti-histamines; try fexofenadine (Allegra) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl)  or others instead for more effect (but also more chance of side effects, like drowsiness).  You can also combine steroid nasal sprays and oral anti-histamine tablets. The D in Claritin-D is psuedoephedrine (Sudafed).  It is a great nasal decongestant.  If you have other symptoms, like itchy watery eyes, it won't help with them.  You can buy the cheap generic brand and use it just whenever you have symptoms. I can't say much about shots (I'm a pharmacist and a fellow allergy sufferer), but I know that they are expensive and require many doses.  I have never looked into their effectiveness.