This has my scratching my head...most, if not all of us, with COPD and its components suffer from allergies, some minors, some like myself, severe...without a daily allergy med, it would trigger an exacerbation...an allergy attack goes straight to my lungs...

I have been taking a daily Zyrtec for the better part of 2 yrs, and I just yesterday asked my primary for a NON Narcotic anxiety med...He wrote a script for Atarax. I had to look it up. Its an antihistamine used to treat anxiety...Is this something new...I have never heard of such thing...Or maybe its one of those when the "benefits out weigh the risks)...hmmm?

COPD Warnings

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a severe lung condition that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. If you have any of these diagnoses, you should avoid many nonprescription antihistamines without a physician recommendation.

Antihistamines that are safe for you are the group that used to be by prescription, but now can be bought freely, such as Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra Allergy.

However, all of the older antihistamines are potentially dangerous, and you should speak to a physician before using them.


The dangerous group for patients with COPD includes medications for hay fever, the common cold, motion sickness, sleep, and menstrual problems.

Those for hay fever include diphenhydramine (e.g., Benadryl), chlorpheniramine (e.g., Chlor-Trimeton), and clemastine (e.g., Tavist).

These three active ingredients are also found in many combination products for the common cold, as are other ingredients of concern such as doxylamine (found in many Nyquil products).

Motion sickness medications to avoid include dimenhydrinate (e.g., Dramamine), cyclizine (e.g., Marezine, Bonine For Kids), and meclizine (e.g., Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy). Nonprescription sleep medications to avoid include doxylamine (as found in some Unisom products) and diphenhydramine (e.g., Sominex, Nytol, and some Unisom products). Menstrual products to avoid include any containing pyrilamine, an antihistamine that does not have any proven effect on either premenstrual syndrome or menstrual cramps.

I have been on prescription singular since before my COPD diagnosis. My PCP keeps refilling it so I figure it must be OK. The emphesema barely bothers me....just limits my endurance and slows me down. My main component is the chronic bronchitis which left untreated will cause me to practically drown in muscle. I use the singular 10mg and twice weekly allergy shots. I received immunotherapy (shots) most of my childhood and to treat the horrible allergins that are in Central Texas hill country. The shots biggest benefit that I've seen is making the muscle thicker so I can cough it up.....otherwise it was endless postnasal drip into my Bronchia.

Again my computer decided I wanted muscle. I meant muscos .....sorry.

once i stopped smoking i lost that gurgly/ wet cough & 1/2 of my "nose allergies".
then put on 02, OMG, i went to desert dry!!! and live with that horrid dryness to this day.
but i still get my seasonal allergies that now, instead of it causing runny nose, i fell like someone filled my sinus cavities up with clear peanut butter that won't blow out. it is horrid!
so i take 1/2 dose of allergy med as a whole does dries me up too much ---just comfort wise, and i use lots of saline spray to be able to blow my nose.
& yes, when i have an exacerbation my dr explained that because i don't have a "productive cough" that all that dried up mucus sits in my lungs until it rots, causing me a bacterial infection; that is why, for me, i have to have antibiotics when ever i start getting sick & that is why i don't start coughing up the pretty colors until a few days into the antibiotics & the crud starts breaking up.

allergy meds are anti histamines --- what about decongestants that are often mixed with the allergy med to stop the runny nose? i assume those arent good for us either as even when i take mucinex my dr says do not take mucinex D

good topic, softflower, with spring here & the seasonal stuff begingin :)

ps, do others on 02 find that it dries you out horrible? (not like a medicing "cottonmouth"; i can only explain it as "desert dry"???)

Cannulas with a flow below 2 , usually don't need a water bottle for humidity. I did use a nasal cannula for low flow O2 & it dried me out. I much prefer a cannula with a more open tip ...not tapered to a point. My dentist gave me a sample of Biotene mouth rinse & it helps with the dry mouth.

This is my first year having severe allergies - I had it about a month ago and I had to suffer for 2 weeks with nothing and then it settled down but it is back - When I called my doctor and asked what to use - She said Zyrtec or Claritin only - generic was fine - I got claritin and I am feeling better but now I am working up my breathing again - We all know how that goes - Good luck to you all that goes through this

This has been the worst season for me in many years for allergies. I don't take anything because I was told not to when I was originally diagnosed with asthma many years ago. I use a saline spray when I am really stuffed up in my head. A lot of my medications cause dry mouth & nose so I try not to add anything that will dry me out more.
Thanks for sharing all this info. with a newbie!

Ohana; i do love the biotene mouth rinse/spray & to save money i buy the big bottles & refill my spray bottle i originally bought :)
i keep it by my bed so when i wake up all dry i can do a quick squirt :)

also, i love the nose strip tapes things; breath right strips. they help me breath so much better when i lay down & get all clogged up.

zyrtec i prefer over the claritin, i guess that is another "personal choice things.
it doesn't seem to dry me up so much.
but i don't do the zyrtec "D" (decongestant) as i that is for runny nose & mine sure doesn't run :)

This comment is a little late!! But I just wanted to thank you, Holly, for posting this information. Last night I took Benadryl, which my daughter had suggested I try when I cannot go to sleep. After taking it, this post came to mind and I thought I remembered benadryl as one of the products to avoid. So, I searched for antihistamines on here and there it was!! I really appreciate this information. Lord knows I don't want anything in my body that would cause more mucus issues--it's doing quite well without any help!!

So, thank you again. I love you all for all the great information that you share. I don't always comment, but I do read most everything posted. I've learned more here than I learned from my docs!! That's really sad, though, that the health professionals we rely on do not keep us informed (at least that's my experience).

Hugs to you Holly and all of you DS experts, that I consider my friends!!

I use Zyrtec on the advice of my doctor, and he says to avoid decongestants if possible because they can raise blood pressure, especially sudafed. Use saline nasal spray, nettie pot, and things like that for congestion in your sinuses.
BJ

ps, If we avoided every thing we are supppose to avoid, there would be very little we could take. Benedyl puts me to sleep, that is why I do not take it. It is stronger than any sleep aid I have ever had.

Great to be me thank you for your reply. I agree with you 100%. It is hard not to be highly irritated that Dr's do not warn us of the thing we read about on the forum. So we need to take responsibility for our health and come to the forum where the real info is! Thanks to all of you! You are amazing people with courage and strength! (and very smart LOL)

I have mentioned this before on some other posts but I will mention it again.

DH and I started taking a supplement called Protandim just because we heard it was like this amazing fountain of youth or something.

It helped our immune systems amazingly well. Far fewer colds and my seasonal allergies went away completely.