Where's my zyrtec?
The great thing about clinically quiescent lupus is that I'm on very few medications. The bad thing about clinically quiescent lupus...is that I'm on very few medications!
What do I mean? For the majority of my eight + years with lupus, I've been on Zyrtec (and Zantac) to control angioedema - random swellings in my lips and eyelids. As my disease activity lessened (and I started taking better care of myself), my swellings decreased considerably, so my doctor and I decided to see how I would do sans the two medications. Thankfully - I did great! I haven't had any swellings at all - but now that it's allergy season, I'm missing my Zyrtec. I never realized that for all of those years, the drug was keeping allergy symptoms at bay. For the past three springs that I've been Zyrtec-free - I've either lost my voice (due to a scratchy throat), had itchy, watery eyes, or, like this year, had a runny nose and congestion.
I know I could go back on Zyrtec (since it's now sold over-the-counter), but you know what? I'm enjoying my slimmed-down list of medications. I've worked hard to reduce my prescriptions to the two that I'm on...so I think I'll tough it out for now.
However, depending on the pollen count over the next few weeks - I may change my mind. Check back with me in a month...and if I don't get back to you...it's because I'm probably at the drugstore buying my Zyrtec.
What do I mean? For the majority of my eight + years with lupus, I've been on Zyrtec (and Zantac) to control angioedema - random swellings in my lips and eyelids. As my disease activity lessened (and I started taking better care of myself), my swellings decreased considerably, so my doctor and I decided to see how I would do sans the two medications. Thankfully - I did great! I haven't had any swellings at all - but now that it's allergy season, I'm missing my Zyrtec. I never realized that for all of those years, the drug was keeping allergy symptoms at bay. For the past three springs that I've been Zyrtec-free - I've either lost my voice (due to a scratchy throat), had itchy, watery eyes, or, like this year, had a runny nose and congestion.
I know I could go back on Zyrtec (since it's now sold over-the-counter), but you know what? I'm enjoying my slimmed-down list of medications. I've worked hard to reduce my prescriptions to the two that I'm on...so I think I'll tough it out for now.
However, depending on the pollen count over the next few weeks - I may change my mind. Check back with me in a month...and if I don't get back to you...it's because I'm probably at the drugstore buying my Zyrtec.
Comments
And as for your age - I remember checking into the hospital once, and the nice lady who was registering me took one look at all of my checkmarks by the symptoms I was experiencing, my list of medications, and then my date of birth, and said, "Oh, honey. You're too young to have all this." Yeah, you think? :)
Hang in there - hopefully, the rain will keep that nasty pollen away!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stoping by - your site looks great!