On histamines - learnings from my allergist

I just had a skin-prick allergy panel, and the allergist shared a taught me things that aren't widely known, or at least those of us new to the allergy game.

TIL:

• Daily oral histamine can raise dementia risk, so it's better to avoid routine use.
• Nasal sprays beat the pills. She recommended pairing Flonase (a corticosteroid) and Astepro (an antihistamine) for best results.
• Unlike decongestants such as pseudoephedrine, these nasal sprays don't give euphoric side effects. So if you feel better, it's because spray is calming the allergy.
• If you must take an oral histamine, she recommends Allegra 180 mg. Claritin is less effective relative to other oral anti-histamines. Avoid Zyrtec and Zyzal as they cause drowsiness.