Guest guest Posted September 2, 2001 Report Share Posted September 2, 2001 Hi everyone, Its been awhile since I posted. I saw my allergist this past week and since Allegra hasn't been working for me, he prescribed zantac in conjunction with the allegra. I was awfully skeptical since zantac is medication used for acid reflux and ulcers. How effective is this combination? I don't want to take any more medication than needed; I already feel as though I'm a guinea pig.I am scheduled to take allergy shots twice a week for 6 months, with a possible 3-year duration. Insurance won't cover the shots either, so I am left with the bill -$250. My hives primarily occur at night; skin testing has confirmed an allergy to dust and mold, which means my hives are year-round. I find that sleep is hard to get these days, but with a little benadryl, it's pretty manageable. Since having the hives for nearly 7 months, I have experienced depression as well. Is it just me or does anyone else feel this way? ~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2001 Report Share Posted September 2, 2001 Hi , Please don't feel like you are the only one to become depressed over this disease. I think at some time or other we have all become depressed because of the unknown of how long we will have them. Isn't it nice to know that you aren't the only one? It certainly helps us feel more " human " ! There are days when I have no clue how to go on, but we do, we just keep truckin on ! You may be surprised how well the Zantac added to the Allegra works ! Give it at least 2 weeks, If the allegra and zantac don't seem to work, then try the Zyrtec with the Zantac. Nothing, including steroids worked for me, but for some reason, once I was on the Zantac/Zyrtec combo, I started noticing a difference in the hives after about 2 weeks. Good luck and keep us posted. Ann >From: illluzhen@... >Reply-To: urticaria >To: urticaria >Subject: Zantac effective? >Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2001 00:07:53 -0000 > >Hi everyone, >Its been awhile since I posted. I saw my allergist this past week and >since Allegra hasn't been working for me, he prescribed zantac in >conjunction with the allegra. I was awfully skeptical since zantac is >medication used for acid reflux and ulcers. > >How effective is this combination? I don't want to take any more >medication than needed; I already feel as though I'm a guinea pig.I >am scheduled to take allergy shots twice a week for 6 months, with a >possible 3-year duration. Insurance won't cover the shots either, so >I am left with the bill -$250. > >My hives primarily occur at night; skin testing has confirmed an >allergy to dust and mold, which means my hives are year-round. I find >that sleep is hard to get these days, but with a little benadryl, >it's pretty manageable. >Since having the hives for nearly 7 months, I have experienced >depression as well. Is it just me or does anyone else feel this way? > >~ > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2001 Report Share Posted September 2, 2001 Hi , Please don't feel like you are the only one to become depressed over this disease. I think at some time or other we have all become depressed because of the unknown of how long we will have them. Isn't it nice to know that you aren't the only one? It certainly helps us feel more " human " ! There are days when I have no clue how to go on, but we do, we just keep truckin on ! You may be surprised how well the Zantac added to the Allegra works ! Give it at least 2 weeks, If the allegra and zantac don't seem to work, then try the Zyrtec with the Zantac. Nothing, including steroids worked for me, but for some reason, once I was on the Zantac/Zyrtec combo, I started noticing a difference in the hives after about 2 weeks. Good luck and keep us posted. Ann >From: illluzhen@... >Reply-To: urticaria >To: urticaria >Subject: Zantac effective? >Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2001 00:07:53 -0000 > >Hi everyone, >Its been awhile since I posted. I saw my allergist this past week and >since Allegra hasn't been working for me, he prescribed zantac in >conjunction with the allegra. I was awfully skeptical since zantac is >medication used for acid reflux and ulcers. > >How effective is this combination? I don't want to take any more >medication than needed; I already feel as though I'm a guinea pig.I >am scheduled to take allergy shots twice a week for 6 months, with a >possible 3-year duration. Insurance won't cover the shots either, so >I am left with the bill -$250. > >My hives primarily occur at night; skin testing has confirmed an >allergy to dust and mold, which means my hives are year-round. I find >that sleep is hard to get these days, but with a little benadryl, >it's pretty manageable. >Since having the hives for nearly 7 months, I have experienced >depression as well. Is it just me or does anyone else feel this way? > >~ > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2001 Report Share Posted September 2, 2001 Hi, . Yes, Zantac, which is actually an H2 antihistamine, can be very effective when used in combination with an H1 antihistamine. (The general concensus is that Zantac works best with Zyrtec, though.) The reason Zantac and similar drugs (Tagamet, Pepcid, etc.) work for CU is because they block the release of histamine 2, which is gastro-intestinal (H1 is respiratory). Both types occur in the skin, so hives respond better to a drug combo that addresses both. Anyhow, Zantac and the others are ANTIHISTAMINES, even though they are referred to as antacids - and they work as antacids because when you control the histamine in the stomach, you also control the acids produced. As for the allergy shots, this question came up once before, which Myra addressed by writing: " Certainly taking allergy shots in the midst of urticaria would run the risk of Anaphylaxis..... I haven't read of anyone doing this.... may go looking for an article about it, though. " Depression, I think, is part of dealing with any chronic illness. I've read that many chronically ill people go through some of the classic stages of grief, which includes depression. And when you think about it, that makes sense. We are experiencing grief - grief for the loss of our lives as we knew them, for the loss of control we struggle with. Air hugs, Jackie Life is tough, but I'm tougher. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2001 Report Share Posted September 2, 2001 Hi, . Yes, Zantac, which is actually an H2 antihistamine, can be very effective when used in combination with an H1 antihistamine. (The general concensus is that Zantac works best with Zyrtec, though.) The reason Zantac and similar drugs (Tagamet, Pepcid, etc.) work for CU is because they block the release of histamine 2, which is gastro-intestinal (H1 is respiratory). Both types occur in the skin, so hives respond better to a drug combo that addresses both. Anyhow, Zantac and the others are ANTIHISTAMINES, even though they are referred to as antacids - and they work as antacids because when you control the histamine in the stomach, you also control the acids produced. As for the allergy shots, this question came up once before, which Myra addressed by writing: " Certainly taking allergy shots in the midst of urticaria would run the risk of Anaphylaxis..... I haven't read of anyone doing this.... may go looking for an article about it, though. " Depression, I think, is part of dealing with any chronic illness. I've read that many chronically ill people go through some of the classic stages of grief, which includes depression. And when you think about it, that makes sense. We are experiencing grief - grief for the loss of our lives as we knew them, for the loss of control we struggle with. Air hugs, Jackie Life is tough, but I'm tougher. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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