Just wondered how you guys get on with them and what you are like symptom-wise when not taking them.
I got some digestion, post-nasal drip and shortness of breath issues. Gonna see if I can combat some of this with some basic antihistamines and maybe a steroid nasal inhaler. I came across an old menshealth article (on google, no I don’t read menshealth) about a study talking about it possibly affecting gains. It seems pretty insignificant as they were all on really high doses. We meatheads can be overthinkers at times though!
Right now the way I see it, if they make me feel a bit better then I can push the gym harder for longer which will completely offset any possible minimal effect anyway so i’m not too bothered.
The main question is just finding out how many of you can’t live without them.
Mine have really changed over the years. In the spring, now, I swear I’m on a medicine carbonate worth of stuff just to function halfway like a human being. For at least a few weeks every year I’m on an antihistamine, nasal steroid, and inhaler, and now it’s even starting to happen in the fall. I 100% would have made fun of me a quarter century ago. I have a little trouble keeping my weight down when I’m taking this stuff, and it’s all a watery mess, but whatever; otherwise I’m just a drippy ball of mucus. I don’t know how people decide acute stuff like this is shortchanging their gains: how could you even tell?
I meant the medicines themselves possibly affecting gains because of a silly little article I found, not the symptoms themselves. As I say though, I imagine any impact would be massively minimal and offset by actually functioning “halfway like a human being”. This post was mostly about what symptoms people get because there is such a massive spectrum and I’ve been suffering for a long time. Hearing peoples experiences may help me better manage my own 'cause it can really get on top of me occasionally.
Heh, for sure. Old me would feel completely emasculated by this kind of stuff. “What, the air is a bit too humid? Come off it!”, “Too much fried food upsets your belly? Poor baby”.
I get it, I just don’t know how I’d be able to “tell.” There’s so many things that go into improving, so many markers that could improve, and it all happens so slowly, how I would I be able to point my finger at an antihistamine and say “you held me back!”?
So for me it’s red/ watery eyes, nonstop sneezing and running nose, then, eventually, it turns into a sinus infection and I get crushing headaches that even 6 gallons of coffee won’t solve. All that is ridiculously fatiguing, like you point out, so it hampers everything.
Yup. A million different components in our lives, stay focused on managing the big ones; effort, consistency, nutrition, sleep etc. Everything else is unmeasurable.
Cheers for the replies. Yeah, i get red eyes, constant post-nasal drip, can give me a funky taste and cause coughing. I swear it gets into my chest and on it’s worse days I can feel very heavy and short of breath there. It makes concentrating on work incredibly difficult.
I’ve taken cetirizine on and off with varying amounts of relief and just started on a fluticasone nasal spray. Only two days in and not feeling much different but I understand it’s a medicine that can take a while to work.
I forgot about this. Both when I lived in the northwest and this lat brief stint in the southeast I had to use an inhaler for a period because of the allergies. It was weird in the south because I grew up there, but I guess we change over time.
I have horrible seasonal allergies to the point where it hinders work. If I forget to take the meds, I’ll have to stop what I’m doing, go inside for a half an hour and reset.
I get itchy, red eyes and face, coughing and sneezing and my face just drains fluids from it It really drags me down and I feel absolutely exhausted after a fit.
I’ve been using Levocetirizine (xyxal) and Fluticasone (Flonase) together the past couple of years and it has worked fairly well.
The things during spring/summer that screw with progress for me are being outside/on roofs all day/lots of walking and carrying tools. Dehydration, lack of eating and having time to rest are tough when it’s super hot and work is busy.
Interesting about the red face stuff. I can sometimes get quite flushed, especially around the nose and cheeks. I just always thought that was just “me”, being naturally pale and reacting to different heats. Maybe allergies are contributing to that more than I realize.
I have taken loratadine for years now. I get some of the itchy eyes, nasal drip, coughing, shortness of breath, but mostly for digestive reasons. I get so bloated a can’t breath, followed by stomach upset. Everytime I get the idea of eating a bunch of “healthy” stuff I pay the price. Last week it was somthing as simple as Waldorph salad.
Things I have eaten my whole life. Apples, grapes, etc… not so great anymore.
What digestive issues do you get if you don’t take them? I read that anti-histamines can work for digestive problems but never actually spoke to anyone about it.
Indigestion. Like the kind where you need to belch but it won’t come out and it’s all locked up under your rib cage. Then diarrhea. Makes me absolutely miserable.