Talking Allergies

Hello fellow allergic people,

I am a new member requesting some feedback. Today I am going to the allergist to see if she will start allergy shots again (the desensitization type). I had them for years in the past & they helped, but dread constantly going back & forth to the hospital. Now that I have been off them for 2 years, my hay-fever has gone wild.

My sister sells a product line called Melaleuca. She feels strongly that I should skip the shots altogether & buy her vitamins & herbs. She says that they will stop the allergies & be a healthier alternative.

Has anyone really had powerful help from vitamins? My hayfever is pretty strong. Oh, and by the way - my husband is on the other end - he wants me to get the shots & is annoyed that he pays medical insurance & that I would consider my sister over a doctor. He also said that those things can be lacking FDA approval.

Please help me out with any facts that you many have - I'm down to the dead-line here & just found your great site yesterday.

Thank you, all, very much.

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Extreme Hay-Fever

do what you know works for you, you're going to be getting into "allergy season" shortly, and you don't want to be messing with new treatments. i am someone who isn't huge on taking a bunch of meds (i'm allergic to benadryll and to keep my skin allergies happy i'm on three different meds it drives me nuts) but i'd rather have it controlled cause what i'm on works the messing around with herbs and stuff, which can end up being just as dangerous as perscription drugs if theyr'e taken wrong, or what-have-you.

as for the allergy shots, i know that when my allergist wanted me to take them (i didn't cause i was going off to college, and the timing was bad, and my pills worked for me after) i could get the shots at my GP, is that an option for you?

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allergies - penicillin, benadryl, dust mites, enviornmental & chemical
conditions - dermatographism, eczema, well contorolled asthma
dietary - lactose intollerant, vegatarian

Hi, thank you, our GP is in the same building as the allergist. But, I am going to ask about giving the shots to myself instead.

Thank you for the warning about herbs having the potential to be dangerous.

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Extreme Hay-Fever

Just a friendly warning, beware of Melaleuca, it's one of those multi-level marketing companies, a.k.a. pyramid scams, like Amway. In other words, you never make back the money you invest in those. They might also be making false claims about vitamins, etc.

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15 year old - asthmatic, allergic to cats, dogs, horses, waiting to be "officially" diagnosed for anaphylaxis
12 year old - asthmatic, allergic to tree pollen and mold, OAS
Husband - Allergic to amoxycillin
Self - Allergic to housework only

Hi Nicole,

Thank you so much for responding to my inquiry. I started shots again yesterday. It will be a while before getting to the high dose again. I'm not really looking forward to driving there & waiting once or twice a week, but it could be worse, right?

Anyhow, I'm not going to try Melaleuca for the allergies afer all. I may just buy some of their cleaning products or something to be supportive of my sister, but for the allergies, I'm going through my doctor.

Thanks for the warning about the pyramid thing - I know that you are right.

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Extreme Hay-Fever

WOW, cant believe the misinformation out there. Melaleuca has been around since 1985. That's the longest running multi-level scam business I've ever heard of.

I have a friend who's allergies have been cleared with using this companies vitamins along with a toxic free home from the other products they offer.

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Knowledge is power - Francis Bacon

Well, I personnally have never heard of allergies being cured with vitamins.

And there certainly is no medical evidence to that effect.

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15 year old - asthmatic, allergic to cats, dogs, horses, waiting to be "officially" diagnosed for anaphylaxis
12 year old - asthmatic, allergic to tree pollen and mold, OAS
Husband - Allergic to amoxycillin
Self - Allergic to housework only

to silverfrizz and nicole: Regarding Melaleuca vitamins and the company overall. I too, am a customer of Melaleuca - first let me say...it is NOT an MLM company...that is stated very clearly in their web site. Unlike pyramid companies or multi-level ones, Melaleuca customers do not "sell" their products nor do they stock pile....you only order what you personally use....and you do it yourself thru the company. Also the comment made by nicole about making back the money you invest....you pay a joining fee $30. US $40. Can..much like you do when you join Costco. Scam organizations have you pay huge fees, often for product you get stuck with. So...if you want to make comments about the integrity or ethics of a company, you should research a bit before you say things. If you want the truth about the vitamins you can check out the independant studies done on them.
I'm not saying vitamins help heal everything but they do fortify your immune system...and it has been proven that allergic reactions are related to sensitive immune systems. These vitamins absorb at 90% or higher. Store bought have been shown to be below 25%. Also, clearing out the toxic cleaners and daily household products etc and replacing them with more natural products helps your body to de-toxify. The World Health Organization (WHO) now says about 80% of cancers are related to environmental toxins...that includes what's in your home, as most of us don't work in chemical factories. Blood testing also shows that we now carry many toxic chemicals in our bloodstreams.
So, by all means, continue to do treatments that are familiar to you and ones your doctor suggests. But many people I personally know have taken these vitamins to their doctors and have been told they are top quality. You couldn't get me to go back to buying store-bought junk if you paid me...its just not worth my health and that of my 4 asthmatic , allergic kids....who no longer react to my household cleaning prooducts!

I was looking around their website and found many different types of vitamins. What do you use for your allergies??

Very well said about Melaleuca, I too was a customer for quite a few years. I absolutely love the company, their products and their "direct Marketing" approach. It is brilliant. With direct marketing no one gets scammed or hurt. You buy a membership, shop at preferred customer prices, save money on GREAT products and "if" you choose to refer friends you receive commission on what they purchase. Very simple concept. No strings, No selling.
By the way,
I'm looking to find a preferred customer in my area, Ontario Canada, that I can contact about the company. I have lost touch with them over the last 2 years and would love to be a customer again.
Can anyone help me out?
Thanks again
Kimby

Hi kimby - yes, I can help you out with that ...I'm in the GTA area and can give you my web site to go to: www.momsjobfromhome.com - click on the Guest area area and you can register for more information...then I'll have info with which to contact you...not a good idea to give out phone numbers etc in this forum. My name and e-mail address are at the bottom of the home page.
Melaleuca is always a safe, healthy choice...and they are a company with integrity...that's why my name is connected to theirs...wouldn't
have it any other way.

Hi Mary L - the basic vitamins are the best place to start. (women's and men's are different because men don't need as much iron). They are from more natural sources and absorb very quickly so you get optimum benefit.
As I said before...vitamins don't "cure" anything...but they do allow your body to strengthen its immune system. I'm around people, especially kids, all day long and have not had a cold or the flu yet this past school year...even though others around me have coughed and sneezed in my face Vitamins are vitamnins ...the difference is in absorption. Cheap ones are like having hotdogs...ours are like having a steak - they both accomplish the job...filling you up, giving you some nutrients....but one is obviously healthier for you due to quality. Me...I'd rather have the steak!!

Hi Pepper,
Thanks for the info, will go to your website when I get a minute.
I will put Kimby in the comments box so you know who I am.
PS.
Steak for me !! lol

Pepper-
Very wise for forums in general. If you do wish to send a private message to a specific poster, you can click on the box at the bottom of their post which has the 2 people and the letters PM.
They will get an e-mail adivisng them of a private message and the link to to message.
You can send yourself a "PM" to see how it works.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees

Thanks Susan - will try that next time. Good idea to send a pm to myself to see if it works!