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http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl General Mast Cell Disorders Discussion >> Medicines >> Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time? http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1350680552 Message started by larken on 10/19/12 at 10:02:32

Title: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by larken on 10/19/12 at 10:02:32

Does anyone feel that they develop a "tolerance" to their dose of mast cell meds? I was taking the same dose of three meds for almost two years. I had been feeling worse for the past couple of months. I recently did an experiment and upped my meds by a quarter dose a day of each and now feel much better. I am wondering if my body is getting used to the meds and now needs more to get the therapeutic effect.

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by PamH on 10/19/12 at 10:30:24

Larken,
YES! I think so and I have become allergic to atarax and zyrtec after taking it for a year! I asked my doc if is possible to become allergic to cromolyn. He said yes, it is plant based and possible. He told me to help prevent this from happening, not to skip any doses of the cromolyn. So I am very serious about not skipping because there are tons of antihistamines but not tons of mast cell stablizers!! I have even started rotating my meds, I told the doc about that and he said that wouldn't really help, either you are allergic to them or you are not.

If you feel your body is becoming used to your meds be sure to choose an emergency med that you don't take on a regular basis. That way it will always work for you!
Pam

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by larken on 10/21/12 at 22:46:13

Thanks, Pam. I am wondering if I should stay on this higher dose or switch to something else.

I guess I should talk with my MC specialist, though I am curious to also hear how others here deal with this if they have it. What has worked in the long term?

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by PamH on 10/22/12 at 04:02:49

For me, I switched from zantac to pepcid (generic). I have been using claritin instead of zyrtek. My specialist wrote me a script for clarinex, I got it filled but haven't tried it yet. It is pretty expensive, so I only had them fill half the script. It is a blue pill, so I am thinking it may be a trouble maker! When I do take it, he told me to take it instead of the claritin, must be a stronger dose?! Doc said I could continue my allegra with it. However for some reason, allegra makes me feel unwell and I find myself not wanting to take it...can't put my finger on it. But I usually take benedryl in place of the allegra.
I plan on switching back to the zantac at some point, I just think that if you can have a rotating diet to prevent allergies that rotating meds(that you know you can take) couldn't hurt. Doc said it didn't matter, but I say It cant hurt! I am hoping that it will let me find the perfect med combination. Plus I change one at a time.
I feel like my body has a way of figuring out how to be allegic to what ever I give it for an extended amount of time....Maybe I am paranoid, but at least in my mind I will be able to continue to take meds longer.
Good example: I bought a bottle of Target sleep aids(benedrly), because they are blue instead of the pink benedryl. I know that I can't take the pink ones because of the dye. So I have taking this bottle 6 months or so. It is a big bottle, but the other night I took one pill and my feet started to itch! It is driving me crazy- six months ago I could take the blue dye, but now it is making me react. So I bought some dye free, however they are in gelatin capsuls and gelatin is high in sals, sulfates, and I think histamines. But they seem doable maybe a little reactive, but I'm guessing in six months those will not work. So I'm going to do my best not to use them and save them for emergencies!
I need to find the liquid, dye free benedryl. I can't find it anywhere. I thought it was on the market but maybe not!?
Sorry to ramble on! I'm just wish this could be easier!
For you maybe you could just add an extra dose of one of your h1's, but talking to the doc would be the best thing to do. Just don't let him tell you that it is impossible that its in your mind...because it is not!
Pam

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by KatFromMD on 10/22/12 at 04:22:25

Pam:
I found liquid, dye-free children's diphenhydramine (benadryl) at Target. It was their "Up" store brand, and I don't remember quite where it was on the shelf, but it wasn't where I expected it to be. I think it was generally in the kid's cold and allergy section, though.

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by PamH on 10/22/12 at 09:33:38

Thanks Kat!!!!
There is a Target 2 miles from my house!!!
Yea! :)
Pam

I will let you know if I find it!!!!

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by PamH on 10/24/12 at 07:28:29

Kat,
I got the benedryl!!!! However I don't think it helped me when I took it. My throat was tight from being in a store! ugg! I will have to do another test. I am thinking that the inactive lngrediants are a problem for me. Esp. benzonate stuff- I'm salicylate sensitive..so there are a couple of things that could cause that kind of reaction! I will have to take it when I feel great and see if it causes my throat to swell any.
Thanks though for letting me know where to find it!
Pam

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by MarciaB on 10/24/12 at 14:56:14

I'm feeling weird from Target children's dye free Benadryl too. I was using Wagreens c df Ben but ran out. I'm going to try it again tho. I like having a liquid on hand.

Btw. Doozly just gave us a lot of good info on med ingredients on my intro thread. Just ignore my ramblings. Lol ..

I'm finding that some times I can add a known allergen back into my diet and sometimes I can't. It seems to depend on how strong my reaction is.

And sometimes I'm adding too much of the known allergen and that's what's nailing me. Tracking all this is such a pain. Tc .. Marcia

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by Joan on 10/24/12 at 20:23:15

Right now is not the time to add any known allergens or triggers back into your diet. Save that for when you're stabilized and on a regimen of meds that works for you.

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by PamH on 10/25/12 at 04:11:18

I agree with Joan. Marcia, you should minimize all of your triggers until you become stable, I have been working on this a year now! I am just now adding/testing things.
I did read the good info about the Target dye free benedry, I wish I had read it a day earlier, I wouldn't have wasted $5.50! I am way to sensitive to have all those extra inactive ingredients, even after I have stablized!
I read the box at the store, should have gone with my gut and just put it back! :)

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by KatFromMD on 10/25/12 at 05:41:06

Hunh. I've tried to take the dye free Target Benadryl a few times and it puts me right to sleep (even with just a teaspoon), and leaves me feeling drugged for over a day. I just assumed this was the Benadryl itself, since I've always felt really drugged taking it. Do you think maybe it's just the additives in the Target version? (I tried finding it elsewhere but couldn't!)

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by Joan on 10/25/12 at 13:00:11

The only way to know is to have it compounded or have preservative/additive-free Benadryl injected. I don't know if an allergist can do a skin test for Benadryl, but I would think so. Still, they'd have to have additive-free in order to get an accurate test.

Benadryl can definitely cause a drugged or sleepy feeling. I wonder if hydroxyzine (Atarax) would do the same. I don't know the additives in that either, though.

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by iamnotalone on 10/25/12 at 13:44:31

Joan;
Keeping in mind some of us have opposite reactions: I'd hazard a guess that many people feel sedated by Hydroxyzine/Atarax. My ex-allergist used to prescribe it for me to help me sleep at night with the hives.

Title: Re: Meds less effective/building a tolerance over time?
Post by PamH on 10/26/12 at 08:08:37

Benedryl is marketed as a sleep aid, BECAUSE it is sedating!!
Atarax was sedating for me. I loved it, because I slept so well!