Has anyone tried prescription hayfever meds?

[AlexaWhatsMyUsername]

And are they more effective than over the counter combinations of tablets, nasal sprays and eye drops?

I’m in a SLIT (grazax) clincial trial, been taking it since before Christmas so hoping this year will be manageable! Unless I’m in the placebo group

I usually have a Kenalog injection. It’s not a vaccine, it’s a steroid so will suppress your immune system, hence it was not recommended during the past two years due to covid (even my private doctor wouldn’t administer it). Be careful who you choose to supply it, there are plenty of untrained practitioners who’ll willingly inject you out there and there are two dose strengths - the unscrupulous will try and charge you for two low doses rather than one high-strength (which for most is the best way to target severe hayfever). The NHS no longer administers it due to issues surrounding long term or overuse (more than one injection per annum) causing build up in muscles (my doctor records which side of my body he gives it each year). Because it was not available the past two years I had to resort to nasal sprays and found that fluticasone propinate was the active ingredient that worked best for my hayfever type (grass pollen) but everyone is different and early hayfever sufferers who react to tree pollens might find something else works best for them. If you do get an injection you are supposed to carry a card with you for the following 12 weeks and in case of a medical emergency. I’ve always chosen to get the injection as my career has involved have to drive regularly significant distances/early starts and taking 4 antihistamines is not a good idea in combination with that!

@Sunshineandrainbow Both private. I could wait for SLIT on the NHS but it's a long wait and it needs a good number of months to be effective

I wonder if people think fexofenadine is more effective simply because, until now, it has only been available on prescription?

Possibly because one can get a higher dose on prescription?

I had tried Benadryl but had only moderate success with that, so my gp didn’t bother with that one. The higher dose of fexo was great though- maybe if we had stuck with the Benadryl then a higher dose of that would actually have worked. Interesting question!

@EggbertHeartsTina I've just completed the 3 year course of Grazax and saw an improvement from the first year onwards.

I'm finding it important to find anywhere that does the Kenalog injection...

*impossible...

I used over-the-counter antihistamines from the ages of 1 to 16, and then switched to prescription. God, the change was immediate. I had no more hayfever, at all, and it completes erases my allergies to cats and dust also. Allergies run in my family so to go from suffering constant hayfever and allergic reactions to none at all was both a huge surprise and a big improvement to my quality of life. I would never go back.

Oh, and the prescription antihistamine I use is promethazine/phenergan, every night before I sleep.

I take avamys loratidine as i don’t get on with fexofenidine and a second nasal spray of localised anti histamine. I also sometimes use red light therapy

I’ve been using nasal steroids for 40 years, had injected steroids the works. I’m allergic to every tree pollen weed and mould but don’t get the same symptoms with each

Some trigger the asthma more and can be life threatening some trigger eye symptoms and some trigger everything

I’m also allergic to dust mites so suffer all year round

I noticed a shift in the seasons about 10 years ago and it’s now reached the point where the mould season ends in December as the earliest tree pollens start

Worcester university have a great site that informs what pollen levels are in local areas that I find really useful

I really do need to move to next stage immuno therapy but at the moment I’m reluctant as I’m already immunocompromised and steroid dependent

fexofenadine its brilliant. For some reason mine is worse at night and I struggle to sleep.

That's interesting @Tomnooktoldmeto. My GP isn't particularly interested in my hay fever and potential other allergies - as soon as they found out I have a cat they blamed him. Funny how I'm the same wherever I go - I can be wearing brand new clothes in a place he's never been I still suffer!

Anyway I digress. I used to cough, itch, and feel generally unwell from the end of March to August/September. I'm now finding I have symptoms until the end of December, some relief in January/early February and then away we go. I'm nowhere near as bad as you but I also can't get on with fexofenadine so I have 2-4 ceterazine a day. Nasal sprays give me a sore throat and the stronger ones give me nose bleeds so I don't tend to use them.

I take three tablets of fexofenadine per day, and three of ketotifen. Hay fever is only one of my allergies, but it definitely does help!

Oh, also Montelukast at night.

Oh, and I forgot that I have promethazine to take as a PRN as well!

@hartof 180 is not even close to the highest dose, but the GP probably doesn't want to be responsible for increasing it. Normally when it comes to the high doses it needs to be a consultant taking responsibility.

Does anyone find that anything works for hay fever related eczema. My DH gets terrible hay fever but the worst symptom is the accompanying eczema on his face and scalp. Has anyone found anything that helps with this?

I have a prescription antihistamine called Drynol, I think the active ingredient is bilastine but I’m not sure. It’s far more effective than loratadine and I haven’t had needed an inhaler since I’ve been using it.

*TooManyPJs
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Actually the main reason I have my antihistamines is for eczema! I have to say that my eczema is still bad, worse than a lot of doctors know what to do with, but the phenergan helps reduce the itching overnight as well as most of the hayfever/allergy-related flare-ups. It's definitely not a cure, but it can be a treatment and as long as you're not expecting a miracle I'd say its worth asking to try it out. My skin is bad, yes, but I can't even imagine how much worse it would be if I didn't have antihistamines. If I miss a single dose I can definitely tell, which must mean it's doing something good!