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tony

May 18, 2005, 8:16 PM

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Allergies in Mexico?

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Hello,
It is springtime here in the California valley - which means my
allergies want me to get a nosectomy. I have spend alot of
time in Mexico, but mostly during the summer and winter. I have
never had a problem with my allergies there. Is Mexico more allergy
friendly than the US? Sincerely, Tony

"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."

jennifer rose

May 18, 2005, 8:32 PM

Post #2 of 10 (1373 views)

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Re: [tony] Allergies in Mexico?

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Mexico's a big country with a lot of climates. And a varied lot of allergens. What area of Mexico are you talking about, and to what are you allergic?

From early March until the end of May, it's pollen and dust central in Morelia and Patzcuaro, which keeps me taking Allegra. When I visit the Lake Chapala area in August and September, there's some kind of mold in the air that I find annoying.

tony

May 18, 2005, 9:15 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Allergies in Mexico?

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I am allergic to grasses, Mulberry trees and others and jasmine
to name a few. My wife says that very few people have allergies as
compared to the US. She only knew of a couple of people growing up
who had this. I have been all over Mexico and while some of the musty
enviroments have bothered me, I have never run into my full blown
sneeze attacks....Tony

"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."

Carron

May 19, 2005, 8:20 AM

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Re: [tony] Allergies in Mexico?

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The allergins are here, unfortunately. In northern Mexico they blow in from the northwest deserts. In southern Mexico they come with the molds of late rainy season. I suspect they also lurk at all places in between.

Our family's drug of choice for allergies and sinus headaches is blue Benadryl tablets which include a decongestant. Unfortunately, these are not available in Mexico, although other antihistamines are. So we import tons of little blue tablets from Texas every year.

You might also experience reactions to new allergins from pollens in Mexico to which you have never been exposed. Bring your favorite meds when you come since they might not be readily available here. And always remember to say "salud" when someone sneezes!

Gringal

May 19, 2005, 9:03 AM

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Re: [tony] Allergies in Mexico?

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I'll stick my "nose" into this one and pass along some folk medicine, courtesy of a sweet old lady in Sebastopol, CA who noticed my state of snuffy misery long ago. I tried it and it works. Buy some local honey (preferably the kind with a bit of comb or maybe a few bee wings in it). I buy mine from a guy with a wheelbarrow full of honeycombs at the local outdoor market. Take about a tablespoon daily and expect results in about three months. Keep on taking it forever. The nicely packaged, refined and filtered honey on the grocery shelves won't do the job. I didn't have much faith at first, but decided it couldn't hurt to try because it's cheap, it wouldn't have nasty side-effects and it doesn't taste bad. Friends have tried it and swear by the effectivness.

(This post was edited by gringal on May 19, 2005, 10:05 AM)

MG Rabon

May 19, 2005, 10:49 AM

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Re: [Carron] Allergies in Mexico?

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In Reply To

Our family's drug of choice for allergies and sinus headaches is blue Benadryl tablets which include a decongestant. Unfortunately, these are not available in Mexico, although other antihistamines are. So we import tons of little blue tablets from Texas every year.

You might not be able to find the blue pills (we like them too) but both of the ingredients are available at most any drug store in Mexico.

Difenhidramina y pseudoefedrina

There are many over the counter remedies that have a combination of these two ingredients. We just buy them separately and take one of each to achieve the same result.

Compórtate bien, y si no puedes, invítame!
MG Rabon

Papirex

May 19, 2005, 11:55 AM

Post #7 of 10 (1265 views)

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Re: [gringal] Allergies in Mexico?

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Gringal, Your advice about eating local honey is good, effective, and there is some science behind it. My Doctor in Napa recommended it. Bees in any given area collect nectar, and pollen from a variety of local plants, including the plants that some people are allergic to. If a person with allergies eats local honey they usually develop a degree of natural immunity to their allergies.

I was born and raised in Napa. The Napa Valley is probably the worse place in California for allergies. My Doctor told me that he used to treat people for allergies every year that had lived in California all their lives, and had never had any problems with allergies until they moved to Napa.

When I lived there, I was pretty much in misery from early spring to late fall. There was something blooming and giving off pollen that I was allergic to all the time in the growing season. I depended on medications to be able to breathe and function. Eating local honey gave me some relief, not comfort, but some relief. My symptoms were so severe I never developed complete immunity. I do agree with your recommendation to eat local honey regularly.

There are tests that a person can take that involve a series of vaccinations of the things most people are allergic to on a persons back in a pattern. Any reaction to those vaccinations proves that a person is allergic to that substance. They can be identified by matching the location of the allergic reaction to a chart of the pattern the vaccinations were applied in. A serum can then be custom formulated for that individual. Taking injections of that formula for 3 or 4 years will then provide immunity to those substances. These tests must be done in the winter when the plants are dormant. I always let it slide every winter when I felt good and didn’t take the tests. So did my Doctor who had just as many allergies as I did.

When I moved to Alaska I only had a small problem on 2 or 3 days in over 3 decades there. I have never had any problems at all in Cuernavaca, or anywhere in Mexico. I haven’t been in all areas of Mexico in all seasons though, just in Cuernavaca. I don’t need to eat honey every day anymore.

Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

MARIA CUERVA

May 19, 2005, 1:02 PM

Post #8 of 10 (1253 views)

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Re: [RexC] Allergies in Mexico?

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A friend of mine did the very thing you spoke of- took injections of the custom serum for years. It did not work.

DonaldEug44

May 19, 2005, 2:24 PM

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Re: [cuerva] Allergies in Mexico?

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The shots do work somewhat. I am allergic to almost everything and took the custom blended serum for several years. I have not had a shot in probably five years and seldom get worse than a stuffy nose once in a while. I take a Corecedin D and clear right up. Before taking the shots I would get rashes all over my arms and legs and my eyes would almost swell shut. They also have an oral serum available in Europe, and I think in Canada, but the FDA has never approved it for use in the U.S.

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. - Albert Einstein

Georgia

May 20, 2005, 9:36 AM

Post #10 of 10 (1184 views)

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Re: [tony] Allergies in Mexico?

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Guess it depends on your nose. Mine is happy here for the first time in 40 years: I used to suffer from ragweed and mold allergies, but not here Lakeide. Ah, happy nose!