cold symptoms / rhinitis. trying to figure out cause

[custard]

hello.

so for the past month or so, i've had irritating cold symptoms every day, and i'm not sick. coughing, sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy nose - it's much worse when i'm at home, so i know it's something due to the environment in my house, which is old and not well ventilated. i'm trying to figure out the cause, it's really driving me crazy.

i went to the allergy doctor today and got tested for dust, mould, and a number of other things, and was not allergic to any of them. so that rules out those things. i also mentioned people smoke (cigarettes) in my house, but usually it's in their own rooms so i hardly notice it. he said 2nd/3rd hand smoke wouldn't cause sneezing and itching symptoms anyway. he said it was probably dryness and poor air quality so recommended i open the window and get a vaporizer or humidifier. and he said it would go away once the weather warms up.

i'm willing to try that, but they're expensive.. and i've never in my life had such a severe reaction (or any reaction) to indoor winter dryness/stuffiness. my house (and my attic room even more so) is stuffier and drier than others i've lived in.. but i wonder if there are other factors, or the doc was wrong about something?

such as this? in november i began taking 50mg of benadryl every other night for insomnia. it helped, and there were no side effects. about a month ago (when these symptoms were starting up) i switched to taking 50mg of gravol every other night for the same reason. i mentioned the gravol to my doc and he said it was not an antihistamine and is not causing or exacerbating these symptoms. but from what i've read online, these two drugs are very similar and are both antihistamines. is it possible that i am going through some form of withdrawal every other day, and my body has become dependent on the drug to block histamines? it's hard to find sleep meds that are safe and effective without psychoactive properties (recovering addict) but i'm willing to give it up if this is a major factor in my constant congestion. thoughts? tips? thanks.

 

[PotatoMan]

Try melatonin or Kalms for sleep. They are herbal sleep aids.

Yes i think it's possible to get addicted to AHs and experience withdrawal which is probably all the cold like symptoms since AHs block histamine I would imagine the withdrawal to produce more histamine in the brain and cause the flu symptoms.

 

[custard]

thanks, yeah i guess i need to quit the antihistamines. must've sneezed 30 times yesterday.

 

[paranoid android]

I doubt the Benadryl or Gravol are really a factor. I have taken Benadryl, hydroxyzine and Promethazine daily for my allergies and i do get some rebound cholinergic symptoms such as hypersalivation, some nausea and watery eyes but that is only if i take multiple doses everyday for months on end. You could very well be allergic to something but not have it show up on a allergy test. I have allergies but none of them showed up on the test they gave me. I know 2 people who have had severe allergic reactions requiring IV anti-histamines and Steroids yet they never found out the cause of the acute allergic reaction.

It could be poor air quality and my allergies always get worse in winter due to the dust coming up from the furnace and the dry air. So i have been taking atleast 50mg's of Promethazine every other day now since around the middle of December just to stop my nose from constantly being runny. And yes Gravol (i am guessing your a Canadian since your using that brand name of Dimenhydrinate) is a anti-histamine that is almost identical to diphenhydramine the anti-histamine in Benadryl. I don't know why your doctor didn't tell you that it was a anti-histamine when it's marked on the packet not to take with other anti-histamines. Also second hand smoke can cause allergies as it just adds to the overall bad air quality. Even though i am a smoker myself i notice my allergies getting worse if i am in a place where other people are smoking as well.

 

[custard]

thanks for the input. since quitting the antihistamines i've been sneezing less and am less congested. i'm pretty sure it was just that combined with very dry air in this old house. i think i'll try some homemade humidifying techniques to manage the remaining symptoms.