I have suffered from allergies my whole life.  Cats and dogs used to simply give me a runny nose, itchy eyes and dry throat.  Now I can barely breathe or see from the reactions and more things set me off.  I have tried everything from Benadryl to Zyrtec, to nasal sprays and shots.  Nothing has worked.  A friend of mine recently got a cortisone shot for his cat allergy and was fine withing hours.  How bad are the side effects, what are they, and is it worth the ability to finally breathe?
Hello, I would like to know whether you have nasal obstruction or asthma or both. As you have asked about cortisone, I would like to mention the following:1. Cortisone is a corticosteroid. A single corticosteroid shot usually does not cause significant side effects except pain at the injection site, sometimes gastritis, etcetera.2. Of course, repeated or long term use of cortisone (or any other corticosteroid tablet or injection) can cause various and some serious side effects like gastritis, hypertension, diabetes, psychosis, osteoporosis, weight gain, cataract, glaucoma, suppressed immunity, skin changes, etcetera. So it is never advisable to have corticosteroid tablets or shots without a doctors' recommendation.3. For severe allergy symptoms, intranasal corticosteroids (for nose allergies) and inhaled corticosteroids (for asthma) are preferred, they act locally and do not cause above-mentioned side effects.4. Personally, I would suggest you get allergy testing done which will help you to know the substances you are allergic to and also how to avoid them.5. Please try to avoid exposure to dust, smokes and air pollution as much as possible.6. A healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals (adequate green leafy vegetables, fruits, sprouts, etcetera) will also help you in the long run. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. 