As I pack for my trip this coming Thursday, I'm wondering... how does springtime in Paris rank for allergy sufferers? Do I need to bring the regular Claritin or will I need to register as a potential drug offender (Iowa law, long story) and get the heavy duty Sudafed-laden stuff to keep my sinuses and tear ducts from running a marathon?

Thanks!

Sara

I take my Zyrtec-D every single day, so I do bring it with me. I've found my sinuses impacted in Paris more by pollution/exhaust and germs than by allergens.

Bless you
For most of my life, I have had hay fever and Spring and Fall were miserable. ( good news-you can actually grow out of it!) But I am also allergic to the allergy meds, or most of them. Until I was given Zyrtec by my doc when I found out I was allergic to shrimp
It is pretty good! does the job without putting you to sleep.
Regular Claritin might work for you too..take both for insurance

If you don't want to be drugged up on pills during your trip, you can always ask your doctor for a nasal spray like Nasonex. I use the latter myself in pollen crazy FL.

On your way to Paris, stop in PA and get some Actifed, which is still legal. It is the only med which helps me.

PS - Be careful if you ever get to Lithuania. People will be wondering why you are thanking them, since achoo means 'thank you'.

Take your regular drugs. If something happens (you lose them or whatever), one of more common hay fever/allergy drugs available without prescription in France is Polaramine (6 mg repetabs). A Parisian pharmacist recommended it to me after I broke out in hives from a Crabree & Evelyn bath product (first time that ever happened). It did the trick but it's likely to make you drowsy.
I don't think Polaramine is sold in the US (under that name, anyway). Some background info:
http://health.yahoo.com/drug/d00784a1

Better to bring your own meds, of course.

FWIW, my allergies don't seem to bother me as much in Paris, in spring or any other time.

The hazards of Paris in the spring depend entirely on the types of plant to which one is allergic. I'm allergic to such things as olive trees and alfalfa, but since neither of these are grown around Paris, I'm allergy-free in the city in any season.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm back home now and just realized I'd never responded! It turned out my allergies were just fine. I didn't take the Claritin until three days before I was scheduled to return (had to, because I'm allergic to cats but have three, silly me).

Anyway, for anyone else wondering, Paris in the spring time seemed quite bearable to this allergy sufferer.

And Actifed was the drug of choice for someone with a cold, so it has many uses.

And thanks, Jed, for the tip about "achoo!" Ha!

Sara