FIGHT BACK : ANTI-ALLERGY MARKETING GETS ITCHY.

Byline: David Horowitz 

Now is the time when many people sneeze, cough, itch and have a restless night's sleep if they are allergic to the seasonal pollen in the air, to their cats, dogs, microscopic dust mites, mold spores or a thousand other critters.

Our eyes tear and swell, our throat gets scratchy, we get hoarse and grab for anything on the drugstore shelf that offers any implied relief - and we'll pay heavily for it.

We are all constantly reminded of possible airborne allergens by full-page newspaper ads, TV weather reports sponsored by prescription medication and over-the-counter drug companies and homeopathic herbs with strange-sounding names.

Yet, the simplest way to get nasal allergy relief, according to the allergists I spoke with, is to use a saltwater nose spray, drink large quantities of water and take aspirin or a brand of ibuprofen for sinus-related headaches. If the symptoms are really severe, the allergists may recommend a special prescription or over-the-counter medication.

But allergy medication makers have now found different ways to get you to spend your money on allergy-related products that promise to bring relief.

Several months ago, I signed up to receive allergy information by sending in a $5 rebate coupon my doctor had given me along with an allergy prescription.

But now, I keep getting mail and e-mail reminding me to refill my prescription - in the form of more rebate coupons and small-print drug information sheets.

The mailings now contain catalogs advertising allergy products like mattress covers, pillow covers, name-brand room air cleaners and pricey German upright vacuum cleaners that suck up dust mites with ferocity.

The quoted prices are reduced 10 percent when you call an 800 number, but you save almost nothing by the time you pay for shipping and handling.

After my sneezing jag, I headed to my local drugstore to buy some saltwater spray for my irritated nose. Then, I was stopped in an aisle by a display pitching Nasalcrom nose drops.

When it was a prescription remedy, this drug cost almost three times the price it now sells for over the counter. The display offered the 100-spray size, a video and a $1 discount certificate on the next purchase - all for $6.95, which is about half the regular price of the nose spray itself.

The pharmacist saw me checking the offer out and said, ``Try it, you will like it, particularly at the special price.'' I took his fatherly advice. I went home and watched the tape. It was filled with a cast of unconvincing actors talking about their allergies and trying hard to look like real people. Then, a doctor popped up on the tape and tried to add credibility by telling viewers about hidden allergies they might not know they have.

The performances so turned me off that I returned the whole kit, including the nose drops, to my pharmacy as a protest and got my money back. By the way, the saltwater spray did the job for me at half the price of the Nasalcrom.