Allergies

I was allergic to a lot of stuff back in Kansas. For years I'd go in to get shots for my allergies. Once a week, twice a week, three times a week, then the doctor gave up because the drugs weren't doing anything anymore. I don't recall them ever helping, but it was a long time ago.

When I went off to college I was lucky enough to find an area where my allergy problems were minimal. After college I found I had some allergy issues in Kansas City, but still nothing like on the farm. Washington, DC isn't as bad as the farm, but I have to take a lot more drugs than I did in Kansas City or Pittsburg, KS.

Typically I take double the recommended dosage of an antihistamine and a decongestant. With Claritin I kept upping the dosage. At around six times the recommended dosage, taken twice a day, I finally started to notice it doing something. Any meds that end in -D (Claritin-D, Tavist-D, etc-D) kill my allergies but act as anti-Viagra and eliminate my ability to sleep. No, I'm not amped up, I just can't sleep.

This time of the year is the worst for my allergies. Everything is pollinating and every horizontal surface in the city is covered with a fine layer of yellow. I'm taking three times the antihistamine dose and taking the decongestant at double dosage every four hours like the instructions say. I also have some children's liquid allergy meds that I take hits off of for instant relief from time to time.

And I'm exhausted. I always hear people complain about how Benedryl knocks them out. It doesn't bother me much. Not normally. I dunno if it's the extra drugs or the allergies or what, but I'm exhausted.

I'm gonna stare at this wall for awhile now.