If I were as talented as Annie at the Transplantable Rose, http://annieinaustin.blogspot.com/ I would write a song about it. I can hear it in my head, but it looses something between there and paper...and I couldn't hear it if I played it anyway. That's one of the symptoms I get when I get Cedar Fever--my hearing goes. My ears plug up, and quite often I will have spells of dizziness and nausea along with the red itchy eyes and nose. It starts a couple of weeks before Christmas, but doesn't get too bad until mid January to mid February. If I weren't taking massive amounts of Pharmaceuticals, I couldn't get out of bed. I have tried Butter Burr and Stinging Nettles and other natural remedies that escape me at the moment, but nothing helps. The only thing that seems to make it manageable are Zyrtec and Singulair. It's not constantly bad. I will have good days with lots of energy and I feel like I can tackle the world, but they are almost always followed by attacks of sneezing, stopped up nose, and red swollen eyes and nose that looks like I have been crying all day. Very attractive! Then there are the body and head aches and chills that make you think you are coming down with the flu--but no! The thermometer says no fever--lug yourself out of bed and off to work with you once again.
The weird thing about Cedar Fever--it doesn't come from Cedar Trees. The correct name is Juniperus ashei. I have no idea why it's not called Juniper Fever. Except maybe it sounds better. Cedar fever-- Juniper Fever. Sounds better I guess. All I know, it stinks and I'm not talkin about the smell!
22 comments:
That's terrible! Is it pollen or what? Whatever, I know allergies are miserable. Hopefully it will let up soon and your life can return to normal. Just take care and thank heavens for the meds.
Beckie, it is a pollen. All the millions of Cedar--er--Juniper trees are all trying to procreate right now. They say you can see it happen! Just at the right moment, the male tree will give off it's pollen all at once, and it looks like an orange bomb has gone off--poof! Windy days are the worst, and we've had quite a few of those lately with no rain to wash it all away. But hopefully it will all be gone by the end of this month.
That sounds miserable, MG! I hope you get a rain soon to wash away all that pollen so you can feel better once again.
Glad to see you back online; I've been wondering what had happened to you. I thought you might be travelling.
I suffer from allergies too. Miserable. I always have a bad time in the spring when the trees shed their pollen. Then the corn mid summer adn gain in the fall during ragweed season.
Marnie
Awww - that's aweful! I was wondering where you were. Tell you what - you can come and live with me until spring. We're buried under snow and nobody's pollinating here at all. Trees don't pollinate until May. So you're safe.
Hope you feel better soon. Allergies are the pits!
Hugs,
Wendy
We all suffer really bad here in the patch. What has worked out really well for us is a chinese herb product called Pe Min Kan Wan (I call it Pee Wee Herman). If
taken just before the cedar pollen kicks in really bad and then continued use through the season it builds up and really works. You can find it at Turtle Dragon or White Crane or Thien Nhon (Lamar and 183).
Regards,
ESP.
I forgot to mention that Rockrose caught a great picture of one in full explosive bloom...check it out
http://wwwrockrose.blogspot.com/2009/01/cedar-pollen.html
ESP.
Hi Rose. No traveling for me, I always kind of hibernate after the holidays for a while. Plus I have been busy with my mother here between bouts of allergies. She has been gone for a week now, so it is time for me to get my life back on track.
Marnie, Allergies are pretty much a year 'round thing for me too. After Cedar, it's Live Oak, then Ash, etc., etc. I am looking forward to no allergies or bad bugs in heaven.
Thanks Wendy! You would be so surprised if I showed up on your doorstep one snowy day! LOL! We could have a great snowball fight, and then go in where it is warm and have a huge mug of hot cocoa!
Thanks for the tip on the herbal remedies, ESP. I would love to try something that doesn't make me sleepy or jittery--and doesn't involve an HMO!
I checked out Rock Rose's picture. Now I know why this weekend was such a tough one! Amazing!
Sorry to read about your cedar woes. I only get it when the pollen count is really high. I prefer to go with the Georgetown count as I think the city one is always way out of line with where we live. Trouble is on those beautiful days like today I just have to go out to work in the garden. I'm not so sure about the herbals ESP. I would want to be sure they did not come from China as they may have goodness knows what in them. Try using a netti pot. That really helps.
Wish I could write a song to make you feel better, Mornin' Glory! It stinks that it hits when people can actually be outside without danger of heat stroke.
Putting "cedar fever" into YouTube pulled up this home video with song as background> No music credit given but it could be Steve Earle doing Shake Rattle & Roll.
Hope you get relief soon!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie, whoever would have thought that such a malaise could be the inspiration for so much creativity? But my money is still on you!
Hello Lancashire Rose! Thanks for stopping by. You know, I don't even look at the Pollen Count anymore--my body always lets me know. But you are right--things are much different on the north side of Austin than the south. Daughter lives off of Convict Hill, and I can be fine at home, and come down with a headache when I get that far south.
I use a product called Sinus Rinse (very original, no?). My allergist recommended it as the netti pot always made me feel I was drowning myself.
Good thoughts on products from China...I had not thought about bad stuff in herbal remedies, but that is a distinct possibility!
I don't listen to the pollen counts, either. My allergies always begin in my ears and eyes, so when I wake up with my eyes glued shut and drainage dripping from my ears, I know the pollen's high! I'll never move from Texas, but IF I did, my number one priority would be to live somewhere that cedars don't grow!
Ah, Nola, if it wasn't Cedar, it would be something else. Unless you move to the North Pole SOMETHING will be pollinating! I've lived enough places to know, there is always something to get the allergies going Spring, Summer, and Fall. We are just lucky enough to "have it goin' on" in the Winter too here in Texas! LOL!
How awful for you....I cannot imagine having to endure that.....
It is a pity your cannot find a natural cure.....needs must when you feel that unwell......
Cheryl, I guess the most natural thing I have done to combat Cedar Fever is the salt water rinse. It has helped immeasurably with sinus and ear infections. My daughter has been encouraging me to try the Chinese Herbs. If I could be sure of their purity, I would love to try them.
My daughter is allergic to most trees, both conifers and deciduous, so I know how miserable you must be. Good luck with it!
Hmmm, cedar fever seems related both to cabin fever (my similarity in name) buckthorn hatred (by symptoms). I've actually written a song about hating buckthorn, and because I have no consideration for my fellow blogger's eardrums, I'm actually going to record myself singing it, along with a friend playing the piano!
Monica, I can't wait to hear your song. Considering my hearing is pretty well shot this time of year, I'm not too worried about what it might do to my ears. ;-) Let me know when you have it online.
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