Acupuncture for hayfever

[bopdude]

Has anyone here tried this treatment, if so, what were the results, any improvent, about the same, or worse

I'd like to keep this thread as clean as poss ( yeah, I know, fat chance ) the reason being, I am a HEAVY sufferer and have tried just about everything I think over the years, from injections of kenolog to clinical trials ( guinea-pig stylee )
I've heard stories about acupuncture for hayfever, one from my sister about a friend, she seems to be less streesfull, as those that suffer will know.

Any offers / comments

[greencreeper]

Do you know what makes you sneeze?

[skyblueheroes]

I only got it at about 21 but have a couple of months each year of streaming eyes and sneezing. I'm not too bad but the pills you get from Boots just don't seem to work.

[Kliro]

Accupunctures working for me, not hayfever though.

Its not cheap though

[Salu]

I would be very interested to see any "research" in to the effectiveness of this as cannot see how acupuncture can have any effect on an allergy due to the mechanism of allergy.

That doesn't mean I am sceptical of all acupuncture though....

[Shaun]

Thanks bop, I almost forgot it was nearly time for me to start with the runny eyes again.

I have got some rusty nails though if you want me to have a go on you

[bopdude]

Well that wasn't bad, from my initial post saying can we try and keep it clean, not one of the 7 replies is on toipic

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Do you know what makes you sneeze?

Yes, quiet a few things in a variety of strenghts.
Fungi pollen, tree pollen, grass pollen, house dust, saw dust, cats, dogs, mould......... to name but a few

Originally Posted by skyblueheroes

I only got it at about 21 but have a couple of months each year of streaming eyes and sneezing. I'm not too bad but the pills you get from Boots just don't seem to work.

Nope, gone through the lot, off the shelf a prescription, trying a new one that Rammy suggested, my condition is just laughing at them

Originally Posted by Kliro

Accupunctures working for me, not hayfever though.

Its not cheap though

thanks for that

Originally Posted by Salu

I would be very interested to see any "research" in to the effectiveness of this as cannot see how acupuncture can have any effect on an allergy due to the mechanism of allergy.

That doesn't mean I am sceptical of all acupuncture though....

Me as well mate, me as well, all I'll say is 1 billion chineses can't be wrong seriously though, I have heard 'stories' about it, waiting to hear back from my sisters friend, I'm dessperate so will try anything almost

Originally Posted by Shaun

Thanks bop, I almost forgot it was nearly time for me to start with the runny eyes again.

I have got some rusty nails though if you want me to have a go on you

No worries mate, rusty nails do you think it will work ??????

Originally Posted by bopdude

Well that wasn't bad, from my initial post saying can we try and keep it clean, not one of the 7 replies is on toipic

<snip>

Now be fair, only two of the posts were completely off topic ... the thread went unscathed for ooooh, must have been almost eight hours before going astray.

Can we please try not to sabotage threads by taking them off topic. Especially not as fast as this.

[bopdude]

Originally Posted by Chris T

Now be fair, only two of the posts were completely off topic ... the thread went unscathed for ooooh, must have been almost eight hours before going astray.

Can we please try not to sabotage threads by taking them off topic. Especially not as fast as this.

OK, maybe I exaggerated a tad, such is my suffering atm, honestly, I would not wish hayfever as bad as I get it, on anyone, makes me irritable ( well more so ) down, miffed, /slips into wet reporter stylee, wet, freezing cold wet, totally p****d off

[WHISTLED]

Not had it for hayfever but spent months with physio for back problem, went to accupuncture once and cleared up within 48 hours. BRILLIANT.

[Ramrod]

Marina will probably jump up and down on my head when she see's this but here goes:

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) increasingly use complementary medicine. The aim of this study was to determine whether traditional Chinese therapy is efficacious in patients suffering from seasonal AR. <blah> CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that traditional Chinese therapy may be an efficacious and safe treatment option for patients with seasonal AR.
.........................................

The effect of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

<blah>
This study compared active versus sham acupuncture in 40 consecutive patients with a history of allergic rhinitis and a positive skin test. Patients were randomized and assessed prior to treatment and then reassessed after 12 months. Improvements in symptoms using visual analogue scales, reduction in skin test reactions and levels of specific immunoglobin E (IgE) were used to compare the effect of treatment.<blah>No differences in clinical symptoms were seen between active versus sham acupuncture, thus the conclusion being that the effect of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis should be further evaluated in larger randomized studies.
............................................

[Protective effect of acupuncture on allergen provoked rhinitis]

A study of the protective effect of an acupuncture therapy against a nasal allergen-provoked rhinitis was undertaken on patients suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis. <blah> The objective and subjective results of the allergen-provocation in the VCC were not able to verify a protective effect of the acupuncture therapy. The "Diary of Complaints (Symptoms)" which the participants had to keep over the 2 months following the treatment showed a definite reduction of the subjective complaints in the verum group during the second month. The range of scatter was too great for a statistically significant result.
.............................................


Effect of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis: clinical and laboratory evaluations.


Of 22 subjects with allergic rhinitis who received a series of 6 acupuncture treatments, 11 (50%) were virtually symptom-free by the end of the series, 8 (36%) experienced a moderate reduction in symptoms, and 3 (14%) received no significant relief. Clinical assessment of symptoms was made on a 6-point scale before the first treatment and before each subsequent session. Laboratory tests included absolute blood eosinophils, percentage of nasal eosinophils, and radioimmunoassay of serum IgE, performed before the first treatment, at the end of the series, and 2 months later. A significant decrease in subjective clinical rating of symptoms correlated with a concurrent drop in absolute numbers of blood eosinophils and percentage of nasal eosinophils. IgE levels decreased in 64% of the subjects by completion of treatment and in 76% at 2-month follow-up.


These were small trials but it looks like acupuncture for hay fever may work for some people......

[greencreeper]

Originally Posted by bopdude

Yes, quiet a few things in a variety of strenghts.
Fungi pollen, tree pollen, grass pollen, house dust, saw dust, cats, dogs, mould......... to name but a few

Not good - makes it hard to avoid a flare up It's mainly dust with me - though once I start sneezing and my nose is all inflammed, I sneeze at pretty much everything. I can't see how acupuncture could work But if it does, then great.

[patrickp]

I used to get hayfever very badly when I was younger, bopdude. I finally found that a homeopathic remedy did the the trick; unfortunately I can't remember which one it was now - there are a few different ones for hayfever, and it's been 15 or 20 years since it pretty much went away. Besides, what worked for me wouldn't necessarily work for you.

But it was very effective and, of course, completely without the side-effects of more conventional treatments.

[bopdude]

Originally Posted by patrickp

I used to get hayfever very badly when I was younger, bopdude. I finally found that a homeopathic remedy did the the trick; unfortunately I can't remember which one it was now - there are a few different ones for hayfever, and it's been 15 or 20 years since it pretty much went away. Besides, what worked for me wouldn't necessarily work for you.

But it was very effective and, of course, completely without the side-effects of more conventional treatments.

Yeah tried some homeopathic remedies a few years back, the normal dosage had no effect, so as there were no side effects due to it being natural I would take 10 times the amount in an effort to see an improvment, nothing was ever gained by it thanks for the idea though

Looks like there maybe something to the acupuncture going by Rammies post, I'll have to make some calls tomorrow.

[Salu]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Marina will probably jump up and down on my head when she see's this but here goes:

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) increasingly use complementary medicine. The aim of this study was to determine whether traditional Chinese therapy is efficacious in patients suffering from seasonal AR. <blah> CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that traditional Chinese therapy may be an efficacious and safe treatment option for patients with seasonal AR.
.........................................

The effect of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

<blah>
This study compared active versus sham acupuncture in 40 consecutive patients with a history of allergic rhinitis and a positive skin test. Patients were randomized and assessed prior to treatment and then reassessed after 12 months. Improvements in symptoms using visual analogue scales, reduction in skin test reactions and levels of specific immunoglobin E (IgE) were used to compare the effect of treatment.<blah>No differences in clinical symptoms were seen between active versus sham acupuncture, thus the conclusion being that the effect of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis should be further evaluated in larger randomized studies.
............................................

[Protective effect of acupuncture on allergen provoked rhinitis]

A study of the protective effect of an acupuncture therapy against a nasal allergen-provoked rhinitis was undertaken on patients suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis. <blah> The objective and subjective results of the allergen-provocation in the VCC were not able to verify a protective effect of the acupuncture therapy. The "Diary of Complaints (Symptoms)" which the participants had to keep over the 2 months following the treatment showed a definite reduction of the subjective complaints in the verum group during the second month. The range of scatter was too great for a statistically significant result.
.............................................


Effect of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis: clinical and laboratory evaluations.


Of 22 subjects with allergic rhinitis who received a series of 6 acupuncture treatments, 11 (50%) were virtually symptom-free by the end of the series, 8 (36%) experienced a moderate reduction in symptoms, and 3 (14%) received no significant relief. Clinical assessment of symptoms was made on a 6-point scale before the first treatment and before each subsequent session. Laboratory tests included absolute blood eosinophils, percentage of nasal eosinophils, and radioimmunoassay of serum IgE, performed before the first treatment, at the end of the series, and 2 months later. A significant decrease in subjective clinical rating of symptoms correlated with a concurrent drop in absolute numbers of blood eosinophils and percentage of nasal eosinophils. IgE levels decreased in 64% of the subjects by completion of treatment and in 76% at 2-month follow-up.


These were small trials but it looks like acupuncture for hay fever may work for some people......

What's the source of this Ramroad?