Hi,this is my first post,and I wonder if anyone can help.I live in the mountains in the Valais,and my wife got a very bad insect bite in the garden two days ago.We went to the pharmacy,and she was given Cet eco tablets,which she started taking yesterday.Early this morning she has
been very sick,with bad stomach pains.Has anyone had these symtoms with these tablets,or can anyone give me advice.We have been living in Switzerland for only four months,and never knew the insects were so violent.

hey all

you guys may want to post about this over at the hayfever forum http://www.hayfeverforum.co.uk

thanks

jon

Many thanks Jon,
I will take your advice.

Red Baron

Hi Red Barron,

My wife had a similar reaction and we used Fenestil drops on it. Seemed to help.

honey right on the bite is also a disinfectant. Then there is Plantain, chewed up and then the "slime" put on the wound is a natural astingient.

best,
Olivier

Some tips that will help relieve some of the symptoms.

For burning, itchy eyes, placing a slice of cucumber on each eye (esp good if it comes straight from the fridge) will give instant cooling relief.

The homeopathic eye drops, "Oculoheel" are also brilliant, you can buy them over the counter at any Chemist shop. They are also very convenient, in that they come in separate applicators, with each one good for two applications.

Rubbing the inside of your nostrils with olive oil, can also be a help soothe the burning feeling from a constantly running nose.

Watching your dairy product intake also makes sense, as they are well known for increasing mucus production, (may even be a source of allergy itself for some) so for those that get really congested with it, soy products may be an alternative for a while.

Boosting up the daily intake of vitamins B-12 and C, will also help build up the bodies immune system, to fight the allergic reaction to pollens, allergies etc.

Another thing that is recommended, is abstaining as much as possible from; pork, animal fats, too much salt, white sugar and white flour.

As well, keeping "regular" is also considered important, so upping your fibre intake can only be beneficial.

Hope this helps.

My son and I both suffer from hay fever. This season in Zurich is pretty intense.

At home we take a combination of Claritin (actually a generic version) which does half the job. I was more happy with Nasonex though. This is an intranasal corticosteroid. I prefer this as it's not whole-body like an antihistamine. The stuff was magic, 3 days of use and suddenly hay fever was just gone.

Does anyone know if there is a Swiss version of this and if so do I need to head to the doctor or can the apotheke help me directly?

The trick is to take it daily just before you go to sleep, no drowsiness the next day.

Use Beconase nose spray too whenever it gets really bad.

Is fexofenadine (Allegra) available here? I find it as effective as Zyrtec, while being non-sedating.

Topical steroid sprays (Flonase, Beconase, etc.) help also, but you must use them every day, or you are wasting your money.

You can get Nasonex here too, goes by the same name. It is however a prescription medication and costs about 40.-/Bottle.

I use this as well and find it very helpful, in combination with Claritin which you can get over the counter here.

Well for 30 years of trying I have still not managed to find anything that works for me. Most anti-Histamines I have tried in the UK over the years (and believe me I have tried a lot of different ones) leave me drowsy and /or give me a headache. Most of the tablets only give up to a maximum of 20% relief anyway. Doctors have prescribed stronger forms of tablets / nasal sprays and I have tried Nose plugs. I have had immunotherapy, laser treatment on my sinuses. The only thing I have not had is the injection.

For a number of years I used to find that I would end up with fluid on the lungs and very asthmatic symptoms. I would end up with the usual inhalers for that too. The only thing I have found that works for me at night is to wear a face dust mask. It reduces the amount of pollen that gets into my nose and at least allows me to sleep. It's not the most comfortable thing to do but at least I get a full nights sleep.

I know I am allergic to grass and tree pollens. In the UK my season used to run from the end of May to the end of June. Now here it appears to be end of April until - To be discovered.

In the end during the day I prefer to keep blowing my nose and resist rubbing my eyes. That reminds me I must see if Kleenex is public traded company and see if I can get some stock. Seems like I'm adding to their profits big time.

I suffered badly last year and used a nasal spray from the Chemist which worked well for me. Was a blue box and called Optrivine I think.

This year I seemed to have avoided any severe effects, but my son is suffering badly. Not sure if there are any 'kid' versions. Maybe have to take him to the doctors if this does not clearup.

I am also badly allergic to cats but don't fancy the injection route. Just avoid them when possible and have some drugs to help when it can't be avoided.

Then of course there is my allergy to cigarette smoke, but that's another story.

Oh and one other remedy I found that works which is quite drastic but may help those with a chronic condition.

If you know when you hay fever season is schedule a long haul flight and take a Holiday to somewhere else in the world. I week or more somewhere where it is not your hay fever season is a wonderful if brief relief.

I was quite fortunate the last few years I used to work for an American company and had to fly over at least twice a year. I always tried to schedule my trips over in June and December where possible. As my hay fever would completely disappear for a week of blessed relief.

Can anyone comment on the severity of their allergies in CHF compared to places they have lived in the US? Has anyone suffered from allergies in Texas or Florida? How does it compare to Switzerland?

From the Seattle area... Zurich is a lot worse for allergies right now. There are a few people in my office who moved from Seattle this past year and we're all struggling a lot. We don't know if there is simply more pollen or if it's different (different trees, plants, etc.) and our bodies are struggling more. My working theory is that the Uetliberg is blooming right now and our prevailing wind is from that direction. Of course that is a theory based on almost zero real facts

I went to the apotheke and picked up beconase (sp?) and it has already helped. The directions say full effect in 4 days but the relief was almost immediate.

Thanks. Do you hsvr trouble buying Pseudoephedrine in CHF? It is now behind the counter here. You are limited in qty and have to show ID to buy it.

Red Baron - Do you know what it was that bit your wife? There is a pretty nasty little yellow spider that has invaded CH in the last year.

Other than that, I have not heard of anything out of the ordinary (bees/wasps/ticks).

Sutter (on the forum), can tell you more about the spider.

Good luck,

fduvall

Regarding sudafed...sorry, I haven't tried.

1. I am intimidated dealing with pharmacists and such. Broken, halting German until I can stumble out my request if they speak English. I also had a bad experience when I was sick and asked for acetaminophen and they sold me paracetamol and I literally yelled at the poor woman about what crap this was, etc. etc. Then I looked it up and realized I was, in fact, a moron. I went back and apologized.
2. Sudafed and such don't help me with allergies and leave me feeling really dehydrated.
3. They have this stuff here, some sort of homeopathy thing for colds... works wonders even if I don't believe in homeopathy. Reminds me of the bumper stickers "it doesn't matter if you believe in god, as long as god believes in you". When I am sick I could care less about theory.

What I have found in Switzerland which is really nice is that pharmacists (apotheke) are knowledgeable and hand out amazing stuff that just works. No doctors, usually reasonably priced. For all the homesickness I go through at times, apothekes make me smile.

Maybe this will help be a little bit 'Factual'.

http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/e...th/pollen.html

I take HALF a tablet of Zyrtec if I plan on working in the yard. Additionally I put a few drops of allergy lotion into my eyes. You can purchase two bottles ALCOM "from Walmart in the states for four dollars" .I always make sure that i have a supply at home as I suffer quite badly from allergies during the summer. Zyrtec can be purchased from any apotheke without a prescription.. I find this to be the best solution and am extremely pleased as I have absolutely no problems if this regime is followed..
PS. Zyrtec is NON drowsy... It does not make you sleepy nor tired.


Meant to say Bausch and Lomb Opcon-A Eye Allergy Relief ... not OPCOM

I normally get my pseudoephedrine in the UK, where it is also behind the counter but no ID required, and cheaper than my last purchase here in Switzerland (a few years ago).

Oh, and Switzerland's money is referred to as CHF. The country is CH or Switzerland. They may be known for banks here, but the country isn't comprised of swiss francs