"Use of this medication may cause drowsiness, headaches, foot drop, hallucinations and temporary blindness lasting 1-4 years--"see" your doctor if symptoms persist."

I suffer from seasonal allergies. Every year around December, those pesky oak trees decide to do their thing and aggravate my allergies. My discomfort lasts until February (sometimes March or April if  we receive little rain) of the following year. So, essentially, my Christmas is not very merry, my New Year is not so happy and I am not feeling the love on Valentine's Day. I am not one to go to the doctor unless I am unable to relieve my symptoms with home remedies (facial steaming, nettie pot, or good old fashioned Vicks).

As I progress in years and have adopted a busier lifestyle, the home remedies are less effective and I have less patience waiting for them to "kick in".  This leads me to my current complaint. Now that I am visiting my health care provider with more frequency, I am realizing several things: 1) I have seen an actual physician 2 times in the 10 years I have been going to the doctor and everytime I go, 2) I am given a myriad of prescription, samples of medicine and told to "try this and see how it works" then told to come back in 1 week and 3) given antibiotics?

My issue? Why do I feel like a lab rat? Why am I given different medications that have contraindications? Why do you want me to "try" a medicine and then come back?
I love my Physician Assistant, we have become friends. She "gets" me as the person I am who just wants to have these meds in case the weekend gets rough or worse-I can't breathe. She knows, for the most part I won't fill the prescription and I won't use the free samples unless I have no other choice.  I feel the quality of medicines is questionable. I don't feel the medicines work and If I am suffering so badly that I throw caution to the wind and take them--I feel worse! Then it starts a vicious cycle of additional symptoms and complaints.

It has been said that "perception is reality". My perception is that the quality of healthcare as it relates to the testing of prescription medications, the push to get them approved and the relative freedom with how they are dispensed is poorly handled. So, unless and until things change drastically in this arena, I will be coughing my way through opening my Christmas presents, sneezing to the tune of Auld Lang Syne and rubbing my itchy eyes while Cupid tries to shoot me with his arrow.