hayfever

[threewood]

my fiance is 14 weeks pregnant and next week we have to have the cvs treatment.
but my con cern is that my partner suffers from hayfever ans her type gives her serious congestion, hard to breath and sleep at night .

question- is there an actual hayfever chemist remedy which is safe to take whilst pregnant??

please if anyone cab advise i would be greatfull. my partner before pregnancy used to take beconaise.?

thanks

simon

[colette]

I have hayfever mildly , pharmacist could not offer me anything when pregnant. As your partners sounds a lot worse all I could say is to see her G.P. I don't know if steaming may help the congestion.

[SofiaAmes]

I had terrible allergies and asthma during both my pregnancies and took a variety of prescription drugs for them. I think I took clarityn for the hayfever. Go to your gp and get something prescribed. Don't suffer, it's not healthy for either you or the baby. It is important that you can breath.

[josiejump]

I was advised by my doctor not to take clarityn ( my usual hayfever medication) when pregnant as its never been tested on pregnant women apparently. She told me to take Nelsons homeopathic hayfever remedy ( available in Boots), which helped somewhat, but not as good as antihistamine.

I also got really bad sinusitis in my second pregnancy, although not linked to the hayfever, and found that steam inhalations helped a bit. Also, I went to a cranial osteopath who said that the sinus problem was linked to the pelvis ( don't ask me how!) and as such is very common in pregnancy. After 3 treatments, I was fine.

Hope this is of some help to you. Good luck with the cvs.

[aloha]

Go to your GP - I get an exercise related itch disorder (yes - I am genuinely allergic to exercise!!) and took Piriton, which is Ok in pregnancy and has been used in tests on pregnant women for sickness. I checked it on the internet. Ds is perfect!

[Marina]

Threewood, as others have said, get down to your GP for some Beconase. It is true that lots of doctors are reluctant to prescribe antihistamines in pregnancy, but Beconase, because it is a nasal spray is reckoned to be safer than oral antihistamines. Although you can buy it over the counter, best see the GP because it is expensive and on prescription she will get it free.
In the meantime, the homoeopathic remedies allium cep or pulsatilla might help her and are quite safe. You can get these from Boots and other pharmacies.
I am pregnant and a hayfever sufferer, and the pollen counts have been through the roof lately - hope your poor fiancee feels better soon. And good luck with the CVS.

[josiejump]

Sorry, meant chiropractor NOT cranial osteopath!

[Boe]

Hi - Good luck with the CVS - I had it done when was 12 weeks and was not as bad as I was lead to believe - are you going to Kings College. They are really lovely - Professor Nicolades (spelling!!) did mine and although I wa terribly nervous he was such a lovely man that it put me at ease.

Just a tip - take some driiks and snadwiches with you - we had to wait quite a while and the canteen felt like it was a couple of miles away and was not cheap!!

[Rhubarb]

I am using New Era homeopathic remedy which is safe but apparently takes a while to work (I've been taking it for 3 days, no immediate relief yet). I have been told by a nurse that anti-histamines can be taken if you are pregnant, but then some GPs say different. She must see her GP who will work out the safest treatment for her. I do sympathise however, I'm 14 weeks pregnant and am finding it hard to breathe or even function in this weather, I just want to rip my head off and start again!

[florenceuk]

Are these OK for breastfeeding mums as well?? I am staying inside at the moment - can't cope with the itchy eyes and runny nose.

[Marina]

Well, I sniffed Beconase while b/f, Florence...I'm afraid I assumed that if my GP was happy to prescribe it to me in pregnancy it was OK to b/f while taking it. Nasal hayfever preparations don't get into the system as much as oral ones, which is the rationale for them being safer in pregnancy.

[Soly]

Hi, is Piriton safe to take while breastfeeding? I woke up this morning with a slightly puffy face all over. It is pink and slightly itchy and it is making me VERY irritable. I only have Clarityn in the medicine cupboard which is says not to take during pregnancy or b/feeding. Any other tips would be REALLY welcome as I feel really miserable and have to kids to entertain today and couldn't feel less like it!!!

[Soly]

That should read TWO kids

[robinw]

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[Egypt]

I know how you all feel. I am still at the stage of trying to get pregnant and asked my doctor what would be safe to take for hayfever and was told rather abruptly - nothing. With the words from someone who obviously is net a sufferer: "I'd rather have a few sniffles and itchy eyes than do harm to my baby." I told her that I'd heard Piriton was safe and she said "But it makes you drowsy and you're not going to conceive if you're wrapped around a lamp post". So that was helpful. Anyway, she reluctantly prescribed me Beconase and Opticrom eyedrops but wouldnt the anihistamines. I have heard that Piriton is fine though. Let's face it, how many birth defects have you heard of through taking antihistamines? and if you can't sleep/breath/function properly, what good is that to your baby?

[Soly]

Thank you robinw and Egypt - as a result of your info I asked my dh to get some Piriton or anything else I might be able to take while he was doing the shopping this afternoon. He came home saying that the supermarket had 'nothing like that'! Like your GP Egypt, he has NO idea how hayfever symptoms can make you feel and couldn't be bothered to go to a chemists!

Incidentally, why do GPs assume that everyone wants medication that are non drowsy making? While I was pregnant I had a wracking (don't know how to spell that) cough for weeks and it kept me up every night - I was shattered every morning but still had to get up and get a child ready for school etc. I would have loved to have had something that would help me to go to sleep!

Good luck with getting pregnant Egypt.

[tamum]

Soly, I asked several pharmacists and doctors when I was breastfeeding, and the only antihistamine they all said was safe was Zirtek. It's available over the counter, so maybe that would be worth a try? I should check the current advice though, this was 5 years ago.

[robinw]

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[Rhubarb]

My GP said this about Piriton:
It is one of the longest brands of anti-histamines and therefore more is known about this particular brand than any other.
It is sometimes prescribed to women during the first trimester of pregnancy to combat morning sickness.
It is perfectly safe to take during the second trimester.
During the third trimester is is not advisable to take because it may make the baby drowsy which is not good if you go into labour. But then you can get non-drowsy Piriton these days.

I really don't think people appreciate just how bad hayfever can be. Before I saw my GP I had asked various chemists and midwives, and had phoned NHS Direct and they all told me not to take anything during pregnancy. Again they heap this guilt onto you; "You don't want to do anything that may harm the baby do you?" No of course I don't, but then I don't want to spend the whole summer shut indoors with dd either! I can't even have the windows open!

I would advise anyone who is suffering, not to bother with the chemists, but go straight to your GP.

[pie]

I agree Rhubarb about going straight to your GP. I saw mine a few weeks ago and she prescribed Benconase, for the reasons Marina described. And Piriton if I had no luck with the nasal spray.

It hasn't gotten rid of the symptoms completely but has made them bareable, esp with the stress incontince the SPD is causing. God now that is getting embarassing.

Anti histamines are regularly prescribed for morning sickness though, so there is a precedent for taking some of them.

[robinw]

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