Before I get too far into the part of the summer where I'm not affected by allergies, I want to say that I'm very happy with the stuff I shoot up my nose to combat my hayfever, and I will wholeheartedly endorse it.
A few years ago I got a prescription of Nasonex -- you know, the spray featuring the bee voiced by Antonio Banderas -- and for the first time in virtually my whole life, I could breathe, I could live normally without needing to blow my nose or scratch my eyes every five seconds every May and August. I truly was a man reborn, and I had rarely been happier.
And that was the only time I have ever been able to sniff Nasonex. Ever since I have not been able to get a prescription, dammit. I have been reduced to using pills such as Claritin and Allegra, as well as trying Flonase and Nasacort. None of them have worked -- not just compared to Nasonex, but worked, period. The Nasacort was in particular disappointing; the assistant at Target said it had virtually the same active ingredient, and I checked the box and it appears as if they do, but it was virtually useless.
Told that when I visited the doctor and complained about hayfever just before allergy season traditionally starts. He too said that the Nasacort has similar properties to Nasonex, but he thought that they delivery system of the two medications was different and explains why I get relief from one but not from the other. So he wrote out a script for Nasonex. Well, he tried; apparently Nasonex is not part of my health insurance plan's formulary. Thanks, Obama! (I kid! I kid! I'm a fan of President Obama! Geez, relax. ...)
Instead I got this nasal spray I've never heard of. In anticipation of a runny nose and bad congestion, and of course knowing that I paid for it with my premiums, I took it, not expecting much. But you know what? It works almost as well as Nasonex. I have been able to cut down blowing my nose (compared to times I've used all those other medicines or when I haven't taken anything at all) and scratching my eyes by, oh, 90%. I still blow it on occasion, and I feel redness in my eyes, both things that I didn't have at all with Nasonex. But this is more than acceptable.
I felt the consequences of not taking this medication when I forgot to take it for the second time in a day. The one thing about this nasal spray is that it's not 24-hour, it's 12-hour. But I usually only take it once, when I wake up, so I won't be sniffing and suffering through work. By the time it wears off I'll be at home, and I figure I won't be around any grass for my body to suffer reactions. I didn't take it the Saturday evening when I went to the Minnesota United game. And I got a package through Living Social, where I could walk onto the sideline while the club was warming up. I breathed in all the pollen coming off the pitch and immediately I started blowing and running and scratching my eyes. And I was basically miserable for the rest of the match.
So I am totally going to plug this non-commercial nasal spray that has helped me through allergy season: Flunisolide. Weirdly, I just looked it up, and it is commercially sold as an asthma spray. So is me taking this legal? I don't care if it's not, I'll still take it. And if you're suffering from seasonal allergies and nothing else works, give Flunisolide a shot. It may change your life!
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