Calling all hayfever sufferers…

[burntoutnurse]

Please tell me what works for you!

I’ve tried everything. All antihistamines over the counter. Currently naughtily taking two Alevia’s a day. I’ve got the nasal spray, and eye drops.

im taking local honey.
I’ve also tried

the wipes and Vaseline as a barrier.

I’ve heard some people sting themselves daily on nettles. I’m literally at the end of my tether about to try this…

im booked in for the kenelog injection next week.

but I am miserable, irritable and exhausted with it. I go on holiday next Thursday so need to feel better soon 😩

I use the same regime as @HungryForSnacks. I don’t find I’m needing the nasal spray much now.

I take the 180mg of Fexofenadine at night as I go to bed as I find I then don’t really start getting symptoms in the morning.

Would also agree with taking it all year round. I have for about two years now and it’s been a game changer for me. I’m allergic to stuff all year round although summer is worst but taking meds all year seems to have really calmed the response down completely.

I also agree acupuncture can really help. I had it years ago and it was really good.

Also had the injection years ago when still given by doctors and ended up with two periods a month for six months and very anemic so I wouldn’t recommend. It’s been discontinued by the NHS for a reason.

I'm taking 240g Fexofenadine and I have told my GP I will take 360g if needed.

I didn’t even know it went up to that!

I had a bit of a “discussion” with a GP via their messaging service.

I requested my usual spring prescription of 180g Fexofenadine and Dymista nasal spray and a GP replied saying no, the Fex 180 is only for treating hives but she can prescribe me the 120.

I went back and forth with her until I wasn’t able to respond via the messaging system any longer and had to actually call and ask the receptionist to tell her it’s need to be 180g and not the 120g or there’s no point!

I could just get the 120g OTC. The reason I ask for a prescription is so I can get the higher strength. The 120g is ok-ish, but it’s not as effective for me the way the 180 is.

I’ve been taking this combo every spring/summer since 2018 so it was a bit annoying she was telling me it’s not what I need.

Thankfully she agreed to it in the end. Before I took Fex, each year I struggled badly with hayfever from the age of 17. I’d sneeze continually, get that awful itchy feeling in the roof of my mouth, struggle to sleep , have a badly blocked nose and often end up with some kind of cold/throat infection from all the mouth breathing.

I only wish someone had put me on to Fexofedanine earlier!

A game changer for me has been a Phillps air purifier.

I have a big one that I use in the bedroom overnight, I put it on boost for 20 mins or so before bed and then run it on silent mode overnight.

I have a big one that I use in the bedroom for that purpose but sometimes move it to the landing to run through the whole house.

Then I also have a much smaller one that I can move from room to room and also even take away with me if we travel by car.

Alongside the usual medication, it makes a huge difference to my quality of life in hayfever season and was worth the cost.

The big one came with a 3 year filter and because I only use it for several months a year it should last for many years. I think the smaller one has only a 1 year filter.

Ok so I have multiple allergies so I’m on a lot.. but it does help with the Hayfever.

i take Fexofenadine x 2
Loratidine
Citirizine
Steroid Nasal spray (strong prescribed)

im on these for other issues but it has been good for the hayfever. Although my nose does start dripping when I leave the house still. So I will probably be upping some of those antihistamines over the summer months. I can also add in some other ones like Phenergen/Piriton.. I think you can take up to 4x what’s on the box (info from immunologist)

Id go see the GP instead of faffing with over the counter. If anything it gets so pricey buying everything individually.

You Have my full sympathy OP 😭 I have seasonal allergies but also perennial allergies .
I take Desloratadine antihistamine tablets , Mometasone steroid nasal spray, a steroid asthma inhaler and I have a salbutamol rescue inhaler.
That is all on prescription from my GP but I do also buy sterimar nasal spray to clear my nose and sinus congestion.
It is very difficult to get an appointment for a medication review so the other week I asked the local pharmacist for some Fexofenadine .
I am trying that instead of the Desloratadine.
I am fed up of being tired and the brain fog .
i do have a large Shark air purifier in the bedroom, I try to clean a lot ( I’m also allergic to dust mite ) and we have a very stylish little air purifier from IKEA in the living room too .
all general suggestions of closing windows aren’t practical really .
i do feel better inside the car 🤣 with its good AC and filter system or inside coffee shops etc that have AC .
i change bedding but maybe not often enough ( pillow cases x 2 per week at least and all the bedding maybe every 10 days )

I take a prescription only antihistamine called Drynol which is better than any of the over the counter ones for me. I can't use nasal sprays as they give me nose bleeds.

I have a pollen screen over my bedroom window so that I can open it at night. This year I bought an air filter which has been helpful. It has helped reduce a blocked nose so that I'm not breathing through my mouth all night. The one that I got is Starkvind from Ikea.

The thing that has helped the most is my children growing up so that I don't need to be with them when they're outside. I went to visit my granddaughter the other week and spent over an hour in her garden and felt so ill for about three days afterwards.

@Crickacrack - 180mg of Fexofenadine is available OTC in Australia and the US. I have been to the US a few times over the last few years and I go to Australia every year so I stock up then. But I realise not everyone can do that! But just thought I’d let you know in case or if you know anyone who is travelling to either. It might also be worth letting your GP know it’s OTC in those countries so there is no reason it can’t be prescribed at that level here. Also my pharmacist neighbour said that they can now recommend 180mg to people.

More antihistamine as PPs have said plus take it year round.

If you wait until there are symptoms you are doomed.

I thought I'd give mine up in December/January but it turned out that 1. I was too stupid to remember when I was supposed to restart them and 2. there was still something I could be allergic to in winter.

I've been giving my son nettle tea with honey everyday and it's made a huge difference

Yes, I’ve actually got it from target before. I was in the U.S. in October last year AND March of this year and forgot to stock up both times!! 🤦🏽‍♀️ Not sure when I’ll be going again due to the current politics over there but next time a friend or family is coming from the U.S. I’ll definitely ask them to bring some instead of the usual cookies I ask for.

I’ve never had an issue with GPs prescribing it before so I’ll just make sure I speak to another one next time. It was funny , she initially told me I must be mistaken as I couldn’t have had 180g prescribed previously and I told her I definitely had and she should look on my record! And that’s when she came back to me the second time effectively saying she has checked now and those other GPs were wrong to prescribe me that - at which point I called the reception.

But yeah it may help to mention it’s OTC in some countries if I get any further opposition next time!

If you wait until there are symptoms you are doomed.

Yep. It’s for this reason that I was getting quite irritated /anxious when the GP was trying to block my prescription request.

I knew if I delayed any further the emerging symptoms would become full blown and that would be me for the next few months 🤧

I don’t need to take them all year round but taking from April /early May to August works for me.

first year if hayfever for me. Antihistamine don’t much cut it and the string prescription ones knock me out. Becconase is helpful but the biggest difference has been using a Neti pot thing morning and evening and getting hepa air filters

I've always had hayfever though it isn't that bad now I'm older. My husband seems to have it this year for the first time ever.

The more sedating antihistamines work better for me (Piriton, Phenergen).

Washing face including eyes and inside nose when symptoms flare up, as often as needed (just with water) is really helpful.

Even though anti woo, DH found homeopathic remedy tablets worked well for him when OTC treatments didn’t:

https://www.weleda.co.uk/mixed-pollen-30c-125tabs-302035?returnurl=%2fshop%2fhealth-care%2f%3

I went to GP when I realised it was carrying on year-round for me. They prescribed Avamys which absolutely fixed things for me
https://www.ashcroftpharmacy.co.uk/ad-landing-page/a-spray/?gadsource=1&gaddcampaignid=21863800992&gbraid=0AAAAAoPTVdoJZDo5Z7XnkphRZGDQisHVH&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq72yJW-jQMV-4lQBh0I6yXmEAQYAiABEgIAmPDDBwE

When I ran out I got this over the counter from boots which works the same

www.boots.com/boots-allergy-relief-50-microgram-nasal-spray-10235461?srsltid=AfmBOooTLocRrnVU1d5bzAWhtXOMzJ2Uu_wsT5Chh1QDZ-qGT-n6fpbv

Both of them I take daily to build up in my system then weekly/as needed if I have a flare up. Absolutely game changing

I’m sorry to hear that many others are struggling with their hay fever this year. Oddly, my allergies haven’t kicked in at all yet and I’m not even taking antihistamines which I would normally be eating like Smarties at this time of year.

I put it down to two things. Firstly, the bizarre weather. Here in the East Midlands it has been a ridiculously dry spring with almost no rainfall for months and fresh, clean air from northeast winds. (In fairness, this is the first significant dry spell here for more than two years.) This must have a big effect on pollen levels.

Secondly oil seed rape, one of my big triggers, seems to have disappeared. A few years ago this part of the country was carpeted in the stinking yellow stuff in May, yet this year I have barely seen a single field of it. I’m sure my allergies will be back in full force for the grass pollen next month, though. Joy…

@Crickacrack - last time I was in the US I bought a year’s supply. I only bought one pack in Australia in Feb but I think I’m ok till I go next year. Like you I’m not planning on going to the US anytime soon!

Homeopathy worked for me when meds stopped working. Much milder nowadays too and sometimes hardly notice it. I use Helios they have a hay fever remedy.

Piriton in the orange box is the only thing that works for me in intense pollen times. Makes je sleepy so don't like to use it a lot.

@Crickacrack My GP is lovely about prescribing the 180s, but when I've run out and bought them ootc, I've found them very easy to snap in half to take 1.5 tablets.

@burntoutnurse I agree with the PPs who say to take the Fexofenadine every day year round. I think there might be something to doing it that way that desensitises you to the allergens. Mine has been much better since I started that a couple years ago. I also swear by nasal rinsing and take Montelukast (singulair) on days I need something extra.

My DP swears by wheatgrass powder. I think you might need to start it before the hayfever season kicks in though. 😔

I had the Kenalog injection for many years when I was in my 20s (I’m 65 now) and at the time they did say “it could lead to osteoporosis when you’re older” but I didn’t care as it was really effective. About 8 years ago, on having an X-ray on my back, they discovered I do have quite severe osteoporosis now! So that’s something to think about, but the doctor did say to me that they don’t give Kenalog any more because of the side effects.

I did and she wasn’t helpful!

Oh bum. Mine gave me a ladder of what to take and at what doses depending on how bad it was.

NHS no longer advise the use of Kenalog as it is proven to cause bone thinning and other long term side effects