Allergy Medicines – Do They Really Help

Why does my allergy medicine make me feel bloated and tired? Have you ever found yourself asking that?

It’s spring and with the beauty and new growth of spring comes allergic reactions to all that pollen from the grasses, trees, weeds and flowers. Are you a part of the population who is affected by pollen in the spring and fall?

I am part of this population, as I carry both the gene for Gluten Sensitivity and the gene for Celiac. When the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic was first starting, I decided to be proactive and to buy some allergy medicine in advance.

Staying on top of my allergies would be an important part of staying healthy and Coronavirus free. Keeping my immune system quiet and my mucous production turned off was my priority. That way I wouldn’t make it ‘easy’ for any viruses to gain access and then have a smooth ride into my body.

So, I picked up a large bottle of allergy medicine from the store. Great thinking…or so I thought. Once I got home, I decided to look closer at the ingredients. The bottle I bought had the non-active ingredients listed on the inside (under the sticky part) of the label. I peeled back the label and my jaw dropped, quite literally, to the floor!

First non-active ingredient…corn starch!

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Why was that such a shock?”

It was a shock because corn is part of the grass family. Let that sink in. I am buying allergy medicine because I have a HAY FEVER (or GRASSES FAMILY) allergy. WHAT?!?

Who thought this was OK????? I got on the computer and started to look up information about this. Every year I dread springtime because then I have to take allergy medicine which ALWAYS makes me exhausted, bloated and foggy-minded. Now I understood why.

Additionally, wheat starch can be used, and sugar (Sugar Cane and Corn Sugars) are also common inactive ingredients. Wheat, corn, and Sugar Cane are all GRASSES.

Why in the name of all that is good, did someone EVER think that using grasses in an anti-grass allergy pill or liquid would be acceptable and healthy for the customers who use it?

WOW! I feel cheated! Below are some excerpts from articles I found in just a few minutes of searching;

Here is the info listed for a generic Benadryl type of medicine by the US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE; https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?
setid=74681d44-6de1-41e5-9f42-4639fa604256 Here is a quote from the article,
Hidden Allergens in Medications, (https://www.verywellhealth.com/allergens-in-medication-1324300);

“For example, “starch” on a food label means cornstarch. On a medicine label, it could mean potato, corn, tapioca, or wheat starch. In addition, wheat starch doesn’t need to be explicitly labeled on a medication, even though any food containing wheat must spell out that fact (wheat being one of the Big Eight allergens). Similarly, food manufacturers must specifically label maltodextrin that’s derived from wheat, but this is not the case for maltodextrin that’s used in medications.”

An article from Reader’s Digest: The Truth About the “Inactive Ingredients” in Your Medications (https://www.rd.com/health/healthcare/inactive-ingredients-in-medications/); “A new study suggests that the inactive ingredients in your medications may trigger allergic reactions and stomach issues. Are you at risk? When you’re picking up over-the-counter drugs or prescription medications, you’re focused on the ingredients that will make you feel better, not the ones that are along for the ride. But those inactive ingredients comprise as much as 99 percent of a pill or capsule…”

When you are allergic to something, even a small amount can be a really big problem. It was not lost on me that in these articles they didn’t seem to draw the NATURAL conclusion that ingesting the grasses family ingredients that a person cannot breathe without problems is idiotic. Hmmm….

There are so so many possible reasons why this is the case. It is much easier to just trust that the pharmaceutical and medical communities will do all the thinking for you. However, there is much truth to the saying that ‘nobody will take care of you as well as you will take care of yourself’ if you are seeking to be healthy.

No-one else knows exactly what you feel like. Be bold. Take responsibility for your health back from wherever you have put it and put yourself on the road back to feeling great!

Here are Natural Tips For Allergy Relief:

• • Reduce or eliminate eating the grasses family of ingredients, at least during the springtime and fall. Just for review, the grasses family includes wheat, rye, barley, oat, teff, sorghum, millet, spelt, corn, rice and sugar cane (sugar). This will clear your body of the excess inflammation associated with eating these ingredients. REMEMBER, IF YOU CAN’T BREATH THEM SAFELY, YOU CANNOT LIKELY EAT THEM SAFELY.

• • Reduce or eliminate liquid dairy products (and cheese too, if needed) for the duration of the allergy season. Dairy evokes a mucous response in our bodies (you want to keep mucous production down).

• • Use a nasal wash once or twice daily. Using a Netty Pot or Nasaline can wash out the pollen that gets into your sinuses daily.

• • Find some natural allergy medicines (probably homeopathic) that are wheat, corn and sugar free. Just google it.

• • What you will probably find is that if you do all of the above, your allergic reactions are way less. I also find that staying inside on windy days, while also avoiding going outside at dawn and dusk, keeps my allergies down.

You can find grain free and sugar free foods by using google as well. Also, check out Grain Free Mama’s products. They are all EDIBLE GRASSES FREE (No gluten/grain/sugarcane), botanical nut free, naturally dairy free and soy free.
gfmamas.com.

Every journey begins with the first step…take your first step today.