Allergies
NasalCrom Is a Forgotten Allergy Treatment That …
People who suffer from allergies rarely get the respect they deserve. Complain about arthritis, chest pain or diabetes and you will get lots of sympathy. Describe your drippy nose or ask about effecti…
Is Phenylephrine a Worthless Decongestant? FDA&#…
What took the Food and Drug Administration so long to determine that a common cold and allergy drug does not work? Phenylephrine (PE) is almost 100 years old, having received a patent in 1927. Its eff…
Reader Spanks Us Over Phenylephrine Decongestant…
Last fall I wrote a nasty article chiding the FDA for its delayed action against cold, cough and allergy pills containing the phenylephrine decongestant. That’s because I had written about this prob…
Show 1360: The Pros & Perils of OTC Drugs
In this broadcast, we answer listeners’ questions about over-the-counter drugs. If you have bought a medicine without a prescription, how do you use it wisely? Dr. Stefanie Ferreri, Distinguished Pr…
Stinging Nettles Soothe Seasonal Allergy Symptom…
Allergy season may differ depending on geography and what plants grow in the area. Seasonal allergy symptoms usually trouble people most during autumn or spring seasons. Many people use antihistamines…
Does It Make Sense to Order Your Own Laboratory …
At one time, only physicians could order laboratory tests such as thyroid-stimulating hormone or cholesterol. Now, however, many companies offer lab tests direct to consumers using the internet. Does …
Should You Take NasalCrom for Your Seasonal Alle…
Are your allergies ferocious this fall? Many people would still welcome advice on how to cope with hay fever and other seasonal allergies. Decongestant sprays work quickly, but you can only use them f…
Unbearable Itching After Stopping Antihistamines…
This website is devoted to helping people make informed decisions about their health. To do that, people need information from health professionals and other patients. Over the years, more than 30 mil…
Should Pharmacists Be Able to Prescribe Behind t…
Many countries give pharmacists the authority to prescribe a substantial number of medications. The pharmaceuticals they can offer patients are labeled BTC for “behind the counter” drugs. They inc…
Bee Product Propolis Can Cause Uncomfortable All…
If you were to search online information about propolis, you'd probably encounter a number of products containing it. Why would manufacturers add propolis to their supplements or body care products? S…
Should You Use NasalCrom for Your Allergies?
How do you manage your allergy symptoms? Sneezing, stuffiness and itchy red eyes are more than a bother. Unfortunately, many of the medicines you might take for relief can have unpleasant side effects…
Can You Overcome Allergies with Xlear?
Every year as allergy season arrives, people who suffer from allergies look for solutions. Antihistamines such as cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), levocetirizine (Xyzal) or loratadine (Cla…
Show 1329: Dealing with Dangerous Food Allergies
In this week’s episode, food allergy expert Dr. Edwin Kim will join us in the studio to answer your questions about dangerous food allergies in real time. Email us [radio@PeoplesPharmacy.com] or cal…
Prednisone Side Effects: Deal With The Devil?
Prednisone can be a life saving drug. It saved my sanity when I developed sudden hearing loss in one ear. That was a really scary experience for someone who depends on hearing to be able to do live ra…
Zyrtec Withdrawal Is a Nightmare
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is an antihistamine often used to treat allergies, nasal congestion or hives. It is considered a second-generation non-sedating antihistamine. In other words, it doesn't make you d…
Can You Trust Canadian Online Pharmacies?
The FDA has a peculiar philosophy about drug importation. It allows pharmacy chains, drug wholesales, big box discount drug stores, nursing homes and lots of other drug distributors to purchase drugs …
Can Quercetin Control Your Allergy Symptoms?
Hay fever season is looming, and many allergy sufferers may be wishing they had a way to prevent the misery of sneezing and sniffling. One reader made a serendipitous discovery: quercetin taken for gl…
Prednisone Withdrawal: Can You Ever Stop Cortico…
Corticosteroids are powerful double-edged swords. One side of the blade is beneficial. It can save lives. The other side can do incredible harm. Balancing the benefits against the risks of drugs like …
NasalCrom (Cromolyn Sodium) Is Surprisingly Help…
It is that time of year: sniffling, sneezing and snorting because of allergies. Such symptoms didn't used to be a big deal. During a time of COVID-19, though, people look at you with anxiety and trepi…
The Itch That Won’t Quit | Itching After Stopp…
Chances are good that you have seen a Xyzal commercial on TV. You see an animated owl with a distinctive accent. He wears a monocle…presumably to give this wise owl some extra authority. He lets you…
Stopping Zyrtec (Cetirizine) Led to Itchy Nightm…
Over six years ago we heard from a reader who had used the antihistamine cetirizine (Zyrtec) to ease allergy symptoms. In preparation for allergy tests he tried stopping Zyrtec. He noted that: "w…
Can You Take Quercetin for Your Allergies?
Quercetin is a flavonol, an antioxidant compound many plants make. Scientists have been studying this compound since 1857. Within the last decade, they have identified a number of health benefits it c…
Mystery Allergen Nutmeg Is Tough to Avoid
Have you ever had to track down a mystery allergen? The sleuthing needed to figure out what is causing allergic symptoms can be quite daunting. One reader describes a dramatic discovery of a nutmeg al…
Stopping Antihistamine Leads to Unbelievable Itc…
Every so often, doctors discover something from their own experience as patients that they didn't learn in medical school and haven't heard from their colleagues. Often, the symptoms of withdrawa…
Does Watermelon or Pineapple Make Your Throat It…
When we start to describe a healthful diet, we always mention fruits and vegetables. But while most people can enjoy a big slice of watermelon on a summer afternoon, some absolutely cannot. Does fruit…
Do Flonase and Nasacort Harm the Sense of Smell?
The benefits of steroid nasal spray for allergies are significant. There are, however, some side effects that you may want to know about before you start using them. A loss of the sense of smell or ta…
Solve Spring Allergy Symptoms Safely!
This spring has been especially heartening. We went from a really hard winter to a time of renewal. Watching everything turn green has given a lot of people hope for the future. But for tens of millio…
Are There Natural Ways to Reduce Allergy Symptom…
While some people revel in the glory of spring flowers and new green leaves, others suffer. Allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, nasal. congestion and fatigue or fuzzy brain can be troublesome. Are th…
Should You Report Drug Side Effects to the FDA?
Have you ever looked for a drug’s side effects on the web? That is where most people go these days for medication information. It’s a surprisingly terrible way to get drug data. That’s because m…
Will an Allergen-Free Diet Help Your Joint Pain?
Would you like to find a way to reduce or control your joint pain? One of the fundamental principles for people with arthritis is to keep moving, but that can be hard when your knees creak or your hip…
Is Your Pillow the Source of Your Allergy Sympto…
If you have year-round allergy symptoms, as so many people do, you might want to undertake some detective work to see if you can identify the source. That way, you might be able to avoid those things …
Show 1229: The End of Food Allergies
Very likely you have heard of children who are allergic to peanuts. Sometimes the tiniest whiff of peanut dust can trigger a frightening reaction. Food allergies have been increasing dramatically amon…
Reader Regains Sense of Smell Lost to Flonase
We have five senses, and the loss of any one of them can be profoundly disturbing. If you have ever had one ear blocked so that you can't hear out of it, you will have experienced this. While visual i…
Quercetin Is a Natural Way to Relieve Spring All…
Spring brings warmer days, butterflies, blooming flowers and–pollen. If your spring allergies are bothersome, you might be looking for a natural approach to alleviate itchy eyes, sneezing, hea…
Show 1208: Keeping Kids Healthy in the Age of Co…
Schools are closed and kids are home so that they don’t catch COVID-19 and spread it to family members. Of course, parents don’t want their children to get sick, either. How are we keeping kids he…
Singulair – Montelukast Warning About Psyc…
What took the FDA so long to issue a montelukast warning about serious neuropsychiatric reactions? We are constantly amazed that the Food and Drug Administration moves so slowly when it comes to serio…
Are Household Cleaners Harmful to Babies?
New parents may attempt to protect their babies from germs, but they shouldn’t try to keep their homes too clean. Household cleaners may have undesirable side effects. The Dangers of Common Ho…
Are Your Medicines Delivered in Cold Weather?
Baby, it’s cold out there! Depending upon where you live, the temperature could be below freezing at some point during the day. If you get your medicines delivered by the United States Postal Servic…
Do Doctors Know About Zyrtec Antihistamine Withd…
We first heard about the cetirizine – Zyrtec antihistamine withdrawal phenomenon a decade ago from a reader of our syndicated newspaper column: “I have had terrible trouble trying to stop taking Z…
Will You Breathe Better by Cutting Out Dairy?
Allergy sufferers know frustration. The difficulties of just trying breathe through the nose during hay fever season are significant. That's without counting other allergy symptoms such as trying to n…