What antihistamine do you use for hay fever?

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I can already feel my hay fever rearing it’s ugly head. The last couple of days I’ve had really itchy eyes and a runny nose, and it’s usually worse when I’ve just got in from a walk. I think it’s caused by tree pollen.

Last year it affected my eyes for the first time and it was hell - I didn’t want to go to the doctors due to the March lockdown so I just dealt with it, but it was awful and I spent most days with bright red eyes and sneezing every few minutes.

Can anyone recommend a genuinely good OTC antihistamine, or should I go to the doctors? I currently use Benadryl one a day, but I’m not convinced they’re making much difference.

I sympathise - I've noticed the tree pollen season starting recently too. I find Fexofenadine, prescribed by my GP, to be the most effective antihistamine. I also use Opticrom Hayfever Eyedrops, available OTC, which really help itchy eyes.

Yy to prescription fexofenadine. It's the best stuff.

no antihistamines, I use a steroid nose spray.

Steroid nose spray works best for itchy eyes. I’m also allergic to birch pollen and I live in a woodland, slightly stupidly :-)

I find Benadryl eye drops also hep but I’m in the US - don’t know if they’re a thing in the UK.

Piriton.
Whatever generic hayfever tablet Boots have.
Actifed cough syrup, if I'm caught short.

Whichever otc one a day one I see first. If it doesn't work, I try a different one. Sometimes I've had to use the benadryl multiple pills a day one. I find often that the one that worked one year doesn't the next. Or it stops working half way through the year. Bloody nightmare.

I use generic loratadine and cetirizine and find they work better if I alternate them.

ahhhhhh suddenly the sneezing makes sense !! And the itchy eyes. I have also been wearing my specs more which aggravates the itchy, my lenses seem to act like a filter/barrier!

Every year it catches me out, I shall rake out the antihistamines and relax that it's not a lurking corona infestation!

I alternate between loratidine and certirizine, sometimes both at opposite ends of the day if my eyes are scratchy or the sniffles are getting me down.

Prescription fexofenadine - none of the non-prescription ones even make a dent in it - plus sodium chromoglicate eye drops which are from the chemist, and using eye wash and sterimar. Increasing my steroid inhaler and using my reliever helps too

And it still doesn't get rid completely.

Boots nasal spray, only one ive tried that doesn't give me a banging headache or make my tremors worse.

Beconase nasal spray is amazing, I have gone from streaming eyes, blocked nose, itchy ears and scalp to virtually no symptoms at all since using it.

Pirition or the generic version. It's called Chlorpheniramine Maleate. I also have hay fever wipes, eye drops, and Beconase Nasal spray for ease of symptoms.

Benadryl but the 3 times a day one, the one a day doesn't help me at all.

OTC and rotate them, plus montelukast on prescription. (Allergy and cough induced asthma.)

Following, for tips!
My DD suffers horribly and has been quite badly affected this last week which is our earliest onset by far

You need decent eye drops, nose spray and Fexofenadine.

Don't underestimate the impact on your life. Go to your GP esp if it's affecting sleep.

Loratadine. I buy cheapo supermarket own brand because it’s exactly the same stuff as the branded products.

Cetirizine sends me to sleep, which is v useful before a long-haul flight, but somewhat less so when I need to go to work.

Fexofenedine, nothing else works for me. I bring it back from abroad where it's OCD.

I find that Beconase nasal spray works brilliantly, but after 2 days it gives me nose bleeds. Does anyone know if there are more gentle sprays? Is that even a thing?!

Beconaze spray and verifiable tablet. Also I wear sunglasses more than necessary, they seem to help.

Cetirizine not verifiable!!

Bit late now but start antihistamines in January. Give them time to build up in your system.

Cetirizine, beconase nasal spray, optrex hay fever eye drops

We tried everything OTC and prescription and nothing really touched it for the DCs - now we go have an injection called Kenalog once a year and no symptoms at all. it is not cheap at £75 a go but worth it.