I don't take allergy medicine anymore

We were recently in San Francisco visiting our good friends Jeremy and Michelle. It was a delayed birthday celebration for Jeremy. A big group of us piled into a 15-passenger van and drove to Chico, where the Sierra Nevada brewery is. I had a sampler of their 16 different brews (small portions). They have, in addition to their standard pale ale, about 7 or 8 other pale ales and India pale ales. It was pretty fantastic.

Sampler of the brews at the Sierra Nevada Brewery

Since about my third year in Austin, I have suffered pretty badly from seasonal allergies. I perpetually only have use of one nostril. This last cedar season (which was really bad, even for Austin standards), I was taking a cocktail of Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra just so I could think straight at work. My doctor said it was okay.

Jeremy also has pretty bad allergies, and all of the above-listed medicines have stopped working for him. He recently started using, probably partly just to blend in with California culture, the NeilMed Sinus Rinse, which is similar to the Neti Pot.

I did not want to try it. I do not like putting things up my nose. I do not use Nasonex. Ever. The thought of spraying something into one nostril, through my sinus cavities, and out the other nostril (or worse, my mouth) was pretty disgusting to me.

But once I saw the glorious green flow of mucus coming Jeremy's nose, I decided to try it. It was invigorating. It felt like the inside of my face was clean. I had no boogers for the rest of the day (which, if you are aware of my proclivity for nose-picking, you know is both a pro and a con). Best of all, I could breathe and had no allergy symptoms.

So I bought one, and I've used it every day since then. And I have no more allergy problems. I can wear my contacts again, because my eyes are not red, itchy, and watery anymore. My skin is no longer itchy. And all of this during oak season, my worst allergy.

If you have allergies, you need to try it. It is weird, but you will get over it. You will be amazed at the junk coming from your nose. You will save a fortune in allergy medicine that doesn't quite fully work. Do it. And tell me about it.