Anti histamine

[YorkieTheRabbit]

Sorry for a boring thread
DP has started getting hey fever for the last couple of years. He’s never that keen on taking medication but has tried piriteze, which help the symptoms but knock him out. Can anyone recommend a really non drowsy one? Thanks

Don’t take cetirizine - it can have withdrawal symptoms. I had a horrendous time coming off it.

Loratadine has worked quite well for me.

I take cetirizine at a high dose (4 tablets a day) and find it fine

He could also try using Otrivine eye drops and beconase nasal spray.

I find cetirizine makes me sleepy.
Loratadine does not.

Fenofexadine?

@tillyteatowel do you? Thats concerning, my dd is on a daily dose has been for about a year and will be for a while, but the plan is eventually she will stop taking them. That has never been mentioned as a possibility.

I avoid taking them except in an emergency. They all make me feel slightly out of it, even the non-drowsy ones.

High doses of vitamin C to bowel tolerance which should reduce over time, zinc and vitamin D.

Thanks everyone, I’ll have a look at these.

@kimlo it doesn’t happen to everyone but you can get really severe itching on withdrawal - I spent years thinking this was just because I needed the tablets. There have been some lawsuits I believe.

The best thing is to taper off it gradually and not stop suddenly.

Benadryl works best for me

Sorry, I hate to worry people but I do wish I had known about it sooner. My experience was along the lines of what’s described here: elemental.medium.com/quitting-zyrtec-is-total-hell-c3e79d753a1a

But that won’t happen to everyone.

Cetirizine and loratadine are both fairly cheap non sedating antihistamines (cheap because you can get generic versions as they have been off patent for years), although prices seem to have been hiked recently. Both available on general sale (ie you don’t have to go to a pharmacy) so from supermarkets etc. I’ve taken both, luckily haven’t suffered from the itching tilly describes with cetirizine. I find loratadine more effective but it tends to dry out my eyes (I have slightly dry eyes anyway). Currently taking half a tablet loratadine per day which is controlling the symptoms without drying the eyes too much, combined with 2 sprays of Beconase.

@tillyteatowel I'm glad you have brough my attention to it, I'll know to ask at the allergy clinic abput it when they think it's time to bring her off it. At the moment theres no alternative for her but to be on it.

I take cetirizine and have been doing for a few years now, I’ve not had the issues tillyteatowel has had but I will definitely bear it in mind, thank you.
Loratadine just doesn’t work for me unfortunately. It might be a case of trial and error for you to start off.