What am I allergic to??

[jazzman111]

I live in the Hartford, CT area. For the past several years I've experienced increasingly severe allergic reactions to something that emerges in mid- to late-March. I experience, especially at night, extensive post-nasal drip that, in turn, irritates the mucous membranes in my throat, causing sore throat symptoms. At first, I thought I had caught a bad Spring cold but soon realized it was actually severe allergy symptoms. Last year my symptoms were so bad I was pretty much a incapicitated for a week. My doctor convinced me that shots weren't the answer and he recommended that I contact him sometime in February, which I've done. He's prescribed Allegra-D and Nasonex and recommended I start taking them in the early part of March as a kind of pre-emptive strike and conditioning of my mucous membranes. Would be interested in learning:
1) Has anyone else had success with this preventative treatment? and
2) Does anyone have an idea of what the heck it is that's doing this to me?
(My guess, at this point, is some kind of mold that sends out its spores in the very early Spring and/or pollen from white pines (they're all over the area).

[dustoffkid]

For that time of year in CT I would suspect trees... everything is pollinating then. You can get local pollen counts on the weather websites by putting in your zip code.

And yes, I do use allergy meds before the pollens start going nuts- it makes a huge difference. SO does vacuuming OFTEN once the pollens start coming. (If you don't have a vacuum with HEPA filtration, wear a mask when you do- it may make you feel silly, but it works.)

Good luck!

[jazzman111]

Thanks for your reply--I can see why you call yourself the "dustoffkid"!
As for "trees" in general--and ,here, it's all pretty academic, since whatever it is, it's making me sick as hell--the reason I pick white pines is just that they are all around my house and neighborhood. Also, and I'm no botanist, but it seems to me that other kinds of trees, like maples and oaks, seem to bud later in April and May with the warmer weather.

[dustoffkid]

Actually, "dustoff" is a military term for MEDEVAC. But it works the other way just as well.

When I had my allergy testing done I was allergic to six different trees on the test (all of which grow in Northern NY)... and all the grasses too.

[jazzman111]

Well, my friend, my hunch has proven to be wrong. I learned from pollen.com that, despite the fact that pine pollen seems to be a likely suspect because of all the visible, yellow stuff it leaves on everything in the Spring, it's generally regarded as not responsible for allergic reactions. The most likely suspect for my time is maple, which starts pollinating as early as February and reaches its peak in March.

So, are/were you a helicopter pilot?