For those of you who suffer from allergies, seasonal or otherwise, you know how frustrating it can be. The symptoms can range from slightly annoying to sick-in-bed, and the remedies are many and varied. How do you know what kind of help you need – acupuncture, herbal formulas, over the counter medications, a combination of the above? What helps for the short term and what helps for the long term? Here is some overarching advice about surviving allergies with as little disruption to your life as possible.
Home Remedies
As most allergy sufferers know, many home remedies are marginally effective. Avoiding irritants from known triggers if possible (being outdoors and around what bothers you), cleaning your indoor air, and doing saline rinses may be helpful but won’t do away with symptoms completely. When your body is having an allergic response, you need to take action.
Herbal Supplements and Medication
One of our clients was recently bragging to her out of town friend about how we have really helped with her allergies with the formula Pe Min Kan Wan. Pe Min Kan Wan is translated as “Nose Allergy Pill,” which is pretty self-explanatory, don’t you think? The questions that often arise around Pe Min Kan Wan are can I take it with other medications like Zyrtec or my inhaler and how much do I need to take?
You can combine Zyrtec with Herbal Formulas for allergies like Pe Min Kan Wan. Zyrtec works by blocking histamine and the side effect is it makes you drowsy. Many people take Zyrtec at night so they can sleep. Taking an herbal formula in the morning can help you to feel alert and stop the symptoms of itching, sneezing, and a runny nose.
Also important to know: dose matters! If you are experiencing allergies, the dose on a bottle of Pe Min Kan Wan is 4 pills. If you take 4 pills and experience a slight improvement, it is OK to take a second dose of 4 pills anywhere from 2 to 6 hours later, depending on the severity of your symptoms, followed by a third dose at another 2 to 6 hours later. Basically, you are keeping up with the Pe Min Kan Wan to get those symptoms under control.
Special Considerations
Here in Colorado, where it is very dry, be careful that you do not get too dry from your medications and herbs. Maintaining awareness of your symptoms throughout the day will help you be more comfortable, so if it means setting an alarm periodically to check in during your busy day, do it! You may adjust the timing of your herbal formula to fit your needs, and many people may adjust herbs during the day and continue to take Zyrtec at night.
Additional Help
Acupuncture treatments can help with allergies. You may be surprised at how well a combined treatment plan of acupuncture and an herbal formula like Pe Min Kan Wan can work for you. We can help you figure out an integrative plan based on exactly what you need and what will work for you. Many of us are conditioned to think taking four pills at a time is just too many, and we don’t have confidence in administering herbs to ourselves effectively. It is absolutely OK to follow dosing instruction on the bottle or ask us for instructions.
Need a little more guidance? I can schedule a short phone appointment to clarify your symptoms and response to treatment. If you want to order these herbs for your allergies, we can help you with that, too.
We want to empower you to take positive action for your well-being!
