Hello, I have been in Taiwan for just over two months. For the past 5 days I have had a bad headache and I feel light headed. I also feel weak. It may not sound like much but it has really started to bother me as there seems to be no end in sight. I feel pressure from my temples and all around the back of my head.
I have been to see a doctor who has given me pills for what he see’s as a sinus problem. However the pills have not helped much.
I am asthmatic so allergies may be a possible cause. I was wondering if anyone had experienced a similar problem? Part of me feels like it may have something to do with air conditioning as the problem seems to be worse when I spend a long time in the apartment.
I would be grateful for any information regarding this, even though I know this may seem like a strange post for a Taiwan specific website.
Yep, sounds like allergies. I have had the same symptoms for the past week. You need some serious allergy pills.
Thanks for the quick reply! Do you use a prescribed allergy pill or just something over the counter? I have to admit it does seem possible to get quite strong drugs over the counter here without a prescription.
My doctor also suggested wearing a mask outside and arranging any fans to face the walls in our apartment. Sadly he also suggested removing fried food, chocolate and tea from my diet which pretty much removes all of the guilty pleasures available at the nearby night market.
Prescribed. OTC just aren’t strong enough. Allergies here are intense. My girlfriend was here in the spring and she immediately became dizzy and wiped out until she started sharing my pills.
The only diet changes I have made is less dairy: yogurt and cheese.
Keep your place clean. Don’t open windows after heavy rains, take off your clothes when you come in and shower.
In general expect this to happen 4-5 times a year for a week or more. If you hit it in the first day or two I find it goes away fast. If you wait a week or longer it takes longer.
Make sure you are drinking enough water and not getting too hot, that’s another possibility, dehydration and heat stress.
Thanks, I have got a bit bold about the sun lately. I never seem to get burnt here, I always joke that the pollution prevents the rays from reaching us.
I’ll look into the allergy pills and my gf wants me to try some kind of traditional variant.
I’ll probably be moving out of the city soon which may make things better or worse depending on what i’m reacting to.
Get yourself an air purifier.
Change your sheets every 2 weeks.
Vacuum your mattress and pillows every two weeks.(preferably with a specialized vacuum)
if your drinking , diet soda , get off it , it has aspartame in there its not good for you ,
drink , water with alittle orange juice , make sure the juice has no sweeterns in it to , get some one to read to bottle ,
I’m in Taichung, and I just got a blood test at my local dr.'s office to screen for allergies because I was having breathing problems since being here. I was screened for 36 possible allergens, and lo and behold tested way high crazy positive for dust allergies, while my husband tested negative for any allergies. It’s good to know, because now I take cautions like vacuuming more regularly, washing bedding and airing it frequently, getting rid of carpet, etc. perhaps a local dr. In your area could do a screening. The health insurance covered it.
[quote=“winstantine”] I was wondering if anyone had experienced a similar problem? Part of me feels like it may have something to do with air conditioning as the problem seems to be worse when I spend a long time in the apartment.
I would be grateful for any information regarding this, even though I know this may seem like a strange post for a Taiwan specific website.[/quote]
Not strange at all. See an allergist. They can test you for things like dust or cockroach allergies.
Any changes in eating/beverage habits?
you might also consider teh agriculture industry in your area. For example the place we have lived in the last 3 years is amango growing area, and Mango are especially bad for allergies due to having nasty stuff in them. i am thankfully unaffected, but the wife, who is local, suffers miserably from allergies. With mango as an example, its not jsut the sap that is nasty, but htey also release somethign else through flwoering season. my mind is blank tonight so i cant think of the chemical responsible at this moment, buts its an easy google search.
Masybe check out what plants are heavily grown in your area, and consider moving. but tropics are also VERY bad in spore loads with fungal stuff growing, among otehr thins liek plant/animal allergy issues.
Yes, I was getting them too everyday, felt lightheaded and nauseated everyday. I did some mad research and tried to combat it holistically. I tried everything under the sun including meds, shots, you name it I tried it. Nothing worked. Then I went back to California and started going to Jamba Juice just cause I liked it. And lo and behold my headaches went away. imagine my surprise and utter disbelief yet ecstasy when this happened. So when I returned to Taiwan i went to Jason’s and welcome and px mart… but a few times the blueberry was moldy, now I just go to Costco and buy the frozen blueberry with cranberry juice. And it solved the headaches issue, I believe it’s the super high level of antioxidants. also, just started eating healthier, and I found the raspberry and blueberry smoothies really helped. Give it a shot, it just might help, like it did for me, cheers and good luck
Jamba juice, although tasty, is crazy full of sugar! Even a small cup can contain 58 grams of sugar . A new class action lawsuit filed against Jamba Juice alleges that it isn’t as good for you as it claims.
By the way. Jamba is here in Taipei. At least they were a year ago.
OP has not been seen for 4.5 years. 
Moment of silence for OP. 
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True, but just don’t get orange dream machine and drinks with ice cream! You forgot to mention they also have straight juices. It ain’t only smoothies anymore. Also the Jamba Juice in xinyi is a joke. Tiny cups with lots of shit
You sure you dont have diabetes or hypertension or something ?
Anyway the sugar rush is probably not good for ya.
The other thing is some people might have hayfever or allergies to mould. Mould especially this time of year.
I think we’re gettin off topic. I’m not saying drink Jamba Juice all day, I’m saying juicing helps. And if you’re lazy like me and don’t want to juice at home, you can simply go to ANY juice store. And yes I have bad allergies too, both to dust and mold. I had it diagnosed at Cedar Sinai. And that’s what they said, cut out dairy, processed foods, crap…and change to a healthier diet. Which is what I did. Again, this thread isn’t about Jamba Juice
, or Robucks, or anywhere else. It’s about what helped with my headaches.you can simply order carrot juice with ginseng, ormaybe y’all think it’s Dairy Queen lol. Anyways at least I’m sharing my experience on what worked. You’re just criticizing, oh yeah… I forgot everyone’s a critic and expert. But what are you bringing to the table to help. Oh… nothing… except you don’t like Jamba Juice… yes, got it, Point taken. Ummm …anything positive to contribute?
Nope I pointed out that having a juice could shoot your sugar levels up and that is what is helping . Could very well be something else, nevertheless I’d check with a doc.