Incense Allergy (how do you cope?)

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Start by ignoring the jerks (not to use more scatological vocabulary) who think that allergies are mythical or psychosomatic. You have described a systemic allergic reaction which is deserving of medical diagnosis and treatment. As this is the only allergic reaction you mention it may be possible to have an inhalant prescribed to treat only when the allergen (incense) is present. In any case you should see a physician and possibly an allergist to get help with this.

I had a systemic reaction one day after taking aspirin. I had used aspirin all my life (I was in my early thirties, I think) and this was my first time having any trouble. I haven’t had an aspirin since and the allergy is noted on the cover of my medical file. Needless to say you can’t always predict when incense will be used at church, so you can’t just avoid it as one respondent mentioned and as I have done with aspirin.

Get competent medical help with this and in the meantime, if you see the censor being loaded up, run, do not walk, to the back of the church in order to place yourself near an exit if you need to leave. No, you won’t be guilty of missing mass if this happens.

Matthew
 
My allergies aren’t nearly as severe as yours, but even so, it’s certainly uncomfortable not to be able to breathe properly - there have been times when the inside of my eyes and ears were so itchy that I wanted to tear my own head off.

I have found that “over-dosing” on Reactine (two doses instead of one) helps me get through Masses with incense. I mix it with hot coffee - for some reason, hot coffee seems to “activate” it more quickly, or else makes the medicine stronger.

In your situation, I would probably start with two doses, and then take another one if I was still tearing up, or getting a runny nose.

Reactine is non-drowsy, as well, which means that you won’t be tempted to fall asleep, either. 🙂
 
drafdog said:
Start by ignoring the jerks (not to use more scatological vocabulary) who think that allergies are mythical or psychosomatic.

Matthew
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You posted this in reply to my post, what do you mean?
 
As one who can get a gulp of incense while singing and end up in the hospital for a week I sympathize.

OK this sounds silly, but, I have found if I use Hall’s Fruit Breezes Cough Drops - not generics - they somehow interfer with the incense. I have tried other cough drops and they don’t work nearly as well for me, if at all.

I HAVE PERMISSION FROM OUR PRIEST TO USE THEM DURING THE DIVINE LITURGY - AND I USE A LOT OF THEM TOO!

Anyway, I have given them to others who were coughing badly, everyone has been supprised at how they break the incense. We are Byzantine Catholic, believe me, there is a lot of incensing going on in the Litugy - a lot more than the Latin Mass.

Hope it helps.
 
jmcrae said:
I have found that “over-dosing” on Reactine (two doses instead of one) helps me get through Masses with incense. I mix it with hot coffee - for some reason, hot coffee seems to “activate” it more quickly, or else makes the medicine stronger.
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I’ve read that coffee is a good thing to give to those who are having an asthma attack when no other medication is immediately available. The caffeine acts to open the lungs which can aid breathing.

I am not familiar with Reactine. Is it available in the US? I’ve found that a Claritin-D and a small cup of coffee before I go to Mass will usually open my lungs enough for me to sing with my choir. And that’s on days with no incense. On days with incense I usually need to load up on Robitussin-D as well.

I’ve found that Benadryl is the most effective medicine as far as relieving allergy/asthma symptoms. But I’ve nearly toppled over on to the people in the row in front of me from drowsiness once or twice so I generally avoid Benadryl.
 
I have allergies. I can’t take Benadryl it just knocks me for a loop. I sit in the back. Thing is I’m not sure if incense really bothers me cause I am sneezing and itcy eyed before I even enter the church. But often times at Mass it is worse…so I think it might be the incnse or someones perfume. 🤷 I have just put up with it for years carry plenty of kleenex and when can’t control the coughing and sneezing I go out in the vestibule they have a little chapel attached but folks can still hear me. I remember once when I was a child I had a little fancy hanky pinned to my hair for a cover. I was miserable and wished I could just use the hanky…well I LEFT church RAN home; we lived within walking distance and got some kleenex real fast and ran back…didn’t miss anything important. 😉 I feel for you and your throat closing up…mine closes up around people who smoke.
 
SMHW said:
I’ve read that coffee is a good thing to give to those who are having an asthma attack when no other medication is immediately available. The caffeine acts to open the lungs which can aid breathing.
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Thanks, that’s interesting! 🙂
I am not familiar with Reactine. Is it available in the US?
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I had assumed it was - I really don’t know. It’s about half the price of Claritin-D at my neighborhood pharmacy.
 
While I appreciate this thread, there is another side to it. I remember when our former parochial vicar celebrated a Requiem that I set-up and served. I remember him talking to the cantor. The canter said “blah, blah, blah, they’ll never miss it.” Two minutes later I asked him at what points he wanted to use incense and he said we wouldn’t be.

At a Requiem Mass?

A couple of months later I was setting-up for an Eastern morning Mass that I would also serve. When I asked him where he wanted to use incense. I can still remember his reply. He closed his eyes and rolled his head back as if I had asked a moronic question and said “we are not going to use incense today!”

At Easter Mass?

My seriously grim and hard stare was enough to keep him from saying anything else. I extinguished the thurible and that was that.

Yeah, in both cases I would guess there was 300-600 people who missed the incense all because of a selfish man.
 
Spiller’s post is (intentionally?) unclear as to who decided against the use of incense at the liturgies he mentioned. And who is to say that the person was not similarly afflicted with an allergy to incense smoke. As the reason for omitting the incense was never given, it is impossible to tell the person’s motive.
[Edited]

Matthew
 
drafdog said:
Spiller’s post is (intentionally?) unclear as to who decided against the use of incense at the liturgies he mentioned. And who is to say that the person was not similarly afflicted with an allergy to incense smoke. As the reason for omitting the incense was never given, it is impossible to tell the person’s motive.
[Edited]

Matthew
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I didn’t omit anything. In the first instance the cantor talked the priest into forgoing incense. In the second instance he made the call and his feigned anger was clearly projected to disguise any guilt he may have been feeling.

I have known that cantor for years – she’s not alergic and I had used incense with the priest before either incident. She wanted to exercise some level of power/control – and she did. He disliked anything that added solemnity to the Mass.

Let me be blunt about something though. If a cantor cannot handle incense smoke then he/she likely needs to step down or find some other means (medication?) to cope. Simply doing away with incense in all instances is bad form.
 
I would agree that a cantor should not have final authority about the use of incense. The priest should be.

But the original topic of this thread is not about whether incense should or should not be used. The topic is how those who do experience difficulties with incense can cope if they are going to be present at a liturgy which does include the use of incense.

If the cantor was not sensitive to incense then I’m not sure how the story is relevant.
 
jbuck919 said:
“Father, I am celeriac and also a recovering alcoholic, how should I receive commmunion?”
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Well you could look for Celiac Catholics online. It’s a group that makes gluten ‘free’ hosts from wheat. Technically you cannot have a host with 0.00% gluten according to the CDW (I think they were the ones that made the call) but these good people make hosts that are acceptable to both the CDW and the American Celiac Association or whatever the group is that is the dietary watch dog for people with the condition. They cost more, but you can buy some, or see if the priest can buy some, and have him consecrate them at mass and have them stored in a pyx to keep them separate from the regular ones. Then you can have it given to you specially from the pyx. Granted this will require an accommodating priest, but most that I know would be willing to work with you. (I had a celiac roommate so I know a thing or two about this. He bad mouthed the Pope over not allowing rice hosts so I had to look this stuff up and bring him down to earth.)

If this is not an option, I will point out that receiving communion is not necessary for salvation. If you are properly dispensed because of food allergy or other reason you will not be in trouble. You will miss out on the wonderful mystery and the grace it bestows, but you can still pray for a spiritual communion (see the EWTN mass for a reference). Keep in mind that the justifiable inability to go to mass or receive communion is a burden and should be treated as such. To us Catholics, that means you can offer this suffering for the salvation of souls, just as with any suffering.
 
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