If you’re allergic to everything, it may interest you to look into mast cell activation or histamine intolerance. There’s also a theory in alternative medicine circles (and an entire Ray Peat forum which is simultaneously informative and nonsensical) about your fat-soluble vitamins which are involved with autoimmune/allergy issues and can be out of whack. And so their answer is to take larger amounts of fat soluble vitamins. This can be dangerous if done with animal derived sources of vitamin A, like your skin can start sloughing off and you get wicked nausea and diarrhea and headaches. Theoretically, these symptoms in the Ray Peat world mean you need more vitamins D, E, and K to balance the vitamin A toxicity effects. An imbalance of fat soluble vitamins (too much or too little of any of them) can contribute theoretically to certain types of diseases/conditions.

I have an issue with absorbing fats/food and my allergies are worse when I’m having flare ups, so I do see some merit in this theory. I have found that supplementing fat soluble vitamins, (+omega 3 and 9, and various other B vitamins and vitamin C, and zinc and iron and copper and selenium), has helped my allergies out a ton. I really really recommend that if you have systemic allergies like this, to see if supplements/vitamins help.

I had allergies for years. It was like a constant cold or worse - runny nose, itchy eyes, itchy throat, brain fog, fatigue, a little difficulty breathing (from being bunged up all the time), occasional tinnitus, etc. It was often a living hell. Often I couldn’t exercise, because the extra breathing from exertion would make symptoms worse again. Symptoms would seem to go in cycles to an extent, but they never went away completely.

I went back and forth to doctors who were all useless. In the end, I tried cutting out various things in my diet. I was already vegan, which, by cutting out dairy, had reduced the symptoms for years, but I was still suffering from constant colds, just not as bunged up or run down as previously. I ended up finding that wheat was making everything worse. It took 5 weeks of not having any wheat at all (and before that. various other things) to find this out. Since then, I cut out all wheat, and hardly ever get cold like symptoms (or colds) any more, and never get hayfever any more. (The only time symptoms return is when I screw up and have wheat or spelt accidentally or thoughtlessly).

I found I’m also allergic to touching cardboard - I can’t handle it without gloves or I’ll get eczema, basically Having cardboard in the room where I sleep is a bad idea, and can set off itchy eyes and a slight sniffle. I’m also affected by damp and mold in a house, but less so since cutting out wheat.

I’m not saying everything is a wheat allergy, but it’s definitely worth trying to isolate things. I found you need to completely cut something out of your diet for 5 to 6 weeks to notice if it’s affecting you. Start with more common things or things you know to be bad.

Also, one year I suddenly starting getting allergic reactions to beer - pretty much any kind of beer brought on itchy, weeping eyes, sore throat, sneezing, etc. with symptoms lasting for hours. I talked to another guy who had the same thing happen in the same year, and we thought it might be to do with a change in yeast or sulphites or something that affected all brewers. I cut out beer, and years later cut out all alcohol.

I’ve found eating mostly organic food, cutting out cane sugar (and fructose syrup and similar), wheat, and alcohol has removed nearly everything that was making me ill for so long. It took a long time to find what worked for me, and doctors were absolutely no help at all. Pills and drugs only mask symptoms and don’t deal with the root cause, and can often stop working after a while, depending on what’s affecting you and how (this is what I’d found in the past, anyway). Diet and environment changes seem to have better long term results by far.

Food is grown as a commodity to make investors rich - a lot of it is literally poisonous; but it is possible in nearly every country to filter out the worst crap and get to healthier options. But look for changes in your environment, too - new paint in the house, a damp patch previously unnoticed, changed ingredients in laundry liquid/powder, new clothes, cat litter, etc. Something could be triggering all of this, and it can take some detective work to isolate it.

(And to answer expected questions about being a vegan who doesn’t eat wheat or sugar or drink alcohol: I eat well, I eat plenty, and I have never felt healthier or better in ny life. But I do eat a wide range of fruit, veg, grains, beans, seeds, nuts, etc. and I mostly make my own food). And I’m not selling anyone veganism or a gluten free diet or anything else, just saying what worked for me when nothing else did.

Good luck, and I hope you find relief soon!

So I’ve had allergies all my life. Waking up stuffy or sniffling is super common, I don’t even keep track of it. When it’s bad, if I tilt my head back, I’m literally drinking mucus lol (gross). I joke about being allergic to the outdoors, spring time’s bad, and there’s particularly something about the desert that makes my allergies act up. Some of the shrubs out there, sagebrush maybe. And I can get it basically everywhere, even while traveling to other countries, so it seems like I’m allergic to multiple things. My allergy symptoms are pretty much sneezing and sniffling, nothing to do with the throat.

I’ve taken OTC antihistamine meds before. They don’t completely dry me out but it helps a little. They’re not a magical cure, so I actually don’t bother most of the time unless it’s bad and I have something important going on.

I don’t think you’re being a big baby, because it sounds like you just developed this issue? I just deal with it because it’s normal, it’s been going on my whole life, kinda like wearing glasses lol.

For me its like a constant cold symptom. Runny or stuffy nose, sneeze attacks, swelling and redness, stuff everyone gets when they get sick.

2 specific pills per day keeps it under control most of the time. Some days nothing can save me. I had to try so many different medicines to finally find what works for me. My stuff doesn’t work for my sister. You’ll just have to try stuff until something works, like an episode of House M.D.

Are you being a big baby? I dunno man, everybody has their struggles. I’ve had my whole life to become numb to this problem. Maybe you’re just not used to it?

I have allergies and they suck.

Most of the year, a daily dose of OTC Claritin takes care of it for me. But sometimes in the spring or fall, the pollen counts get too high and the Claritin isn’t enough. Doesn’t help that I’m allergic to multiple types of pollen. What helps me a lot is to start taking OTC Flonase. It makes a huge difference. The thing with allergies is, the medications work better if you get out in front of the allergic reactions. You can catch up after they start, but it takes longer.

One tip that helps some folks is to take a shower before you go to bed. This can reduce allergens building up on your pillowcase. Obviously, launder your linens regularly.

Also, vacuum the house (wearing a mask) and replace your HVAC filters frequently. Consider getting better filters that are good for allergies (but note they are expensive).

Don’t forget the cabin filter in your car.

Finally, the absolute best allergy therapy that I personally know of is immunotherapy AKA allergy injections. This regimen is a major PITA, but it works really well for some folks. It basically trains your immune system to stop freaking out and tolerate the allergens. I did it as a kid and it completely eliminated my allergies until adulthood when I developed new ones. I have considered doing it again, but I’m making do with the OTC regimen for now.

I hope this was at least a little helpful. You have my sympathy. Allergies are no joke, they can be miserable.