Thanks for your replies. I'll give loratadine a go.
Never tried eye drops - my eyes are the worst. So I'll have a look at that.

It's weird my other reactions have gone mad at the moment - apples and touching the guinea pigs.

I use loratadine (none of the others work for me), I never have a branded one though I always just ask for loratadine it's much cheaper.
DS1 (5yrs) has cetrizine, DS2 (4yrs) has chlorphenamine, neither boy gets drowsy with these.

I also use beconase nasal spray, opticrom eye drops and clarityn/neo clarityn/loratadine.
ds just changed to zirtek, it works better for him than the above.
Its all about finding what suits you best as everything is different for everyone.

I use Clarityn - or get Neo-claytin on prescription.

or could you manage with beconase / flixonase and eye drops? I think they work v well - especially the eye drops.

oh and i am using a nasal spray called beconase which is really good. my first year with it and it is excellent. cheaper over the counter than by presc

try loratidine - marketed heavily as clarityn but most chemists do it cheaply.

for your ds2 i would go for loratidine too as the tabs are small and it's non drowsy (unless you want to give at night!) you can get his via a free presc from gp of course

I suffer from hayfever and have not really gone don the medication route before - don't know why just hate taking medicine.

I'm fed up of it now and have tried a couple - Boots own non-drowsy and zirtek non-drowsy. So why am I drowsy?? I took it about 4 hours ago and am zonked. Arms feel weak and could just go to sleep. This happens with both of the ones I've tried. I have noticed this other years when I've tried the odd tablet. The problem is they work for my hayfever, but I then can't be bothered to do anything.

One other thing - ds2 also suffers from hayfever. He's 7 and it's a nightmare trying to get any liquid medicine into him. I noticed Piriton do allergy tablets suitable from 6+ - are they small like the one a day antihs or are they normal tablet size?