Hayfever question....

[realhousewifeofdevoncounty]

AFAIK I have never really suffered from hayfever until now, though I do have other allergies (cat fur, penicillin) and occasional eczema.

For a couple of weeks now I have been getting really bad red, runny, itchy eyes that are particulalry bad first thing in the morning. Is this classic of hayfever - i.e worse in the morning on waking? I don't sleep with the window open or anything.

Also, my GP has prescribed antibiotic drops to rule out infection, plus beconase. I can't take oral antihistamines as I'm breastfeeding, but the GP seems to reckon that the nasal spray might help my eyes. Is this likely? Doesn't seemed to have helped so far!

Ta!

[LancyLass]

Can't answer the question about hayfever being worse in the morning. Seems unlikely to me. But it is possible to suddenly develop hayfever. I'd never had any allergies but suddenly started getting slightly runny nose and dry throat whenever pollen count is v high in last few years. Also pollen count has been v high last couple of weeks so that would match with when your eyes started being itchy. Why not try eye-drops too?

[realhousewifeofdevoncounty]

Yes I have dry throat too! After a bit of googling I did discover that apparently symptoms can be worse in the mornings as that's when the pollen is released into the air, then the warm air takes the pollen high up into the atmosphere, then when it starts to get cooler in the evenings the pollen falls again so symptoms can worsen again.

Yes perhaps I will ask for eye-drops as I've also discovered you can get steroid eye drops. Not sure why doc didn't prescribe them in the first place as the itchy eyes was the main thing I was complaining about!

Thanks for the response, was beginning to think no one cared!

[LancyLass]

You learn something new every day! Going to tell DH as he gets bad hayfever and it's usually worse in the evenings. Always assumed was cos antihistamines were wearing off but the cooler evenings thing is interesting. Hope it gets better soon.

[realhousewifeofdevoncounty]

Yes apparently you should keep all windows closed at those times. AFWIW I was told by a doctor that you can in fact take more than one of those "one a day" non-drowsy anti-histamines like loratidine/clarityn etc. and it is perfectly safe. So, if you have had you tablet for the day and you symptoms come back, it is fine to take another one up to no more than about 3 - one a day is intended as a kind of preventative dose, but if you ahe bad symptoms you can take more quite safely in the short term. That's what I was told anyway in regards to my cat allergy (used to take them when I stayed at mum and dads who have cats!), may be worth checking with a pharmacist/doc before taking my word for it! If your husband is really suffering when they wear off it might makes things more bearable for him!

[dustwhatdust]

RHWODC- that's really interesting- i suffer from hayfever and allergic asthma , cats and peniccillin allergies too.
My hayfever started when i was 10 years old , asthma at 14 and finally cats at 16 about 4 years after our family aquired 2 siamese kittens ! my mother was 40 when she suddenly started having hayfever so seems it's quite common to aquire these allergies out of the blue !
sneezing and ichy throat is worst first thing in the morning too , as i sleep wtih a window open , so now i realise why !
good to know i can take more of the one a day of the loratadine tablets , because this year has been really bad for me with particularly sore eyes all day though .

[catinthehat2]

AND AND AND -
if you end up taking a fancy pants brand of hayfever tablet at £3.50 for 7 or whatever extortionate amount, look up the active ingredient...

...then go to Wilkinsons and get the generic Wilko/Galpharm version @ £1.50/14, or possibly less

eg Claritin = Loratadine

[kittyspolitti]

RHWODC - Beconase does help with hay fever eyes. It might seem strange as you stick it up your nose but they spray does get through to the eyes. I'm not sure you can use any of the anti-histamine eye drops as you're breastfeeding same definitely goes for steroid eye drops. I've only been prescribed those once when my eye's really swelled up and nothing would calm them down. They're only for short term use as they can lead to glaucoma.
What I use in between doses of anti-histamine drops is Optrex itchy eye drops. You can use them as often as you want they just flush the eyes out.

Wearing sunglasses helps as well (obviously not when you're in bed though!).

[realhousewifeofdevoncounty]

Thanks all - I'll stick with the beconase then. TBH, whilst I didn't realise I had such a problem with my nose, I have noticed that after a few days of not taking the beconase I have been a bit sneezy and bunged up so perhaps it was helping more than I realised...