Anyone up for a hayfever support thread?

[galen]

I never used to get hayfever till 4 years ago. Then that summer I just got it out of the blue. Really badly. Had it every summer since. The thing is till I had it i always used to think "hayfever - whats all the fuss about?" but boy do I know different now!
Today I have been so bad. My eyes tend to be the worst(although streaming itchy nose, tickly cough and sore throat arent much fun either!) Today my eyes are so bad ,they are all swollen, one even bleeding beneath the surface, streaming, stinging and iching so badly I want to tear themout
So far I have tried natural remedies, nasal spry, eye drops and cetirizine. This year I am now trying benadrylas I,m not BF for the firt time in 4 years!

Anyone else want to pop in for some support, tips of advice!

[ibbydibby]

Am glad I have found this thread, (though sorry so many are suffering from hay-fever).

DS1 (12) has had hay-fever for 4 years, we moved from London to Norfolk in early 2008, and not surprisingly his symptoms have been worse both this June and last, compared to when we were in London.

In London, he was prescribed Telfast (and something prior to this which did not work). However once in Norfolk, new GP changed med to ceterizine (sp?). This has held off the symptoms reasonably well until last w/e, when he suffered v badly with runny itchy nose, irritated eyes etc. This has resulted in an extremely painful sorethroat, to the point where he can't eat, talk etc. Sent home early on Tues feeling rough, so took him back to GP yesterday (and kept off school). GP agreed to change med to Loratidine, not keen to revert to Telfast.

So, first Loratidine taken today - and by 10am DS had texted to say hay-fever back. Am posting out of frustration/despair etc. Anyone else suffer extreme sore throats with hay-fever? Anyone have difficulty getting Telfast? Suggestions appreciated - thanks

[stealthsquiggle]

ibbydibby I am generally much worse in towns/cities than in the country [awkward]

Never heard of telfast, sorry - certrizine works for my DM, loratadine for me, but it takes a few days to ramp up. Has your DS tried any nasal sprays/ eye drops

(and yes, raging sore throat is one of my main symptoms, even when my nose is not streaming)

[JudyBlume1019]

ibbydibby, sorry your ds having such a hard time, sounds miserable. I'm from the countryside, but have lived in London for 12 years and started to suffer with hayfever for the first time last year.
My info is that nasal spray, eye drops and whichevetr ah you chose should all be used religiously, preferably before symptoms start, and to stick with them throughout whole 'hayfever' period as they are all cumulative (bar eye drops which I swear do nothing for me, but I'm sticking with anyway as am desperate!).

I don't get sore throat thank goodness, but my eyes are soooooooooooooo itchy!!! Am bf so no ah. Grrr

Got the nose light thingie today. My nose was nowhere near as runny or sneezy after using it, and I think my eyes were a bit better too, but couldn't promise as was far too busy to be thinking about it too much, which actually, come to think of it, is a good sign.

[ibbydibby]

Thanks for your replies Judyblume & Stealthsquiggle - much appreciated.

The tip to use meds every day is interesting, I had previously only encouraged him to have a tablet when he has syptoms (that has been every day for last 2 or 3 weeks, but not every day, prior to that - just some days). I did not realise the effect was cumulative. Hopefully the Loratidine will start taking effect soon (though I have the feeling he was on this when first diagnosed, and was changed as not v effective) We forgot about his eye drops today and he came home from school with horribly swollen eyes.

Stealthsquiggle, Telfast is fexofenadine. This seemed to work ok, when we were allowed to have it!

I had assumed that the worsening of DS1's symptoms was due to move to country, but maybe not. The only time I have ever experienced anything that I can remotely describe as hay-fever was walking down Whitehall in Londo 2 years ago. Apparently caused by pollen from the plane trees - I felt lousy (and so did 50% of the other passers-by, judging by the number who were rubbing their eyes)

Has anyone every tried taking local honey as a way of alleviating hay-fever symptoms?

[stealthsquiggle]

ibbydibby would the school be OK with you sending him with sunglasses, do you think? Only the single thing which makes most difference to my eyes is to always wear sunglasses outside...

[ibbydibby]

Thanks for the suggestion, stealthsquiggle. His eyes are usually manageable, it's just that we forgot the eye-drops yesterday. Sadly he is off school again today. Woke up feeling sick, no appetite etc. I feel that at the moment the new medication is not working, but as he only started taking it yesterday we need to give it a bit longer.

Sadly I was due to go on school trip with DS2 today but have had to cancel as DS1 at home.

[ibbydibby]

Hello again

Just wondering how everyone's hay-fever symptoms are...? DS1 still suffering v badly, have sent him off to school today, but an bracing myself for the phone call to go and collect. I asked him last night if he could think back to the last time when he felt well - he said it was a week last Thursday. That evening I suggested he and DH go out for walk in the evening as it was so lovely and warm, on their return he was v breathless and wheezy (though is not asthmatic) and we ended up in A&E. He has been struggling with hay fever symptoms ever since.

At present he is struggling to do anything - we spect approx 1.5 hours in my sister's garden yesterday afternoon, and once back home, was feeling so tired that he was talking of going to bed after tea (he is 12yrs). He ended up going to bed at 9pm as usual, but hardly talking as his throat is so sore. We woke him at 6.30am today to get him to take his medication, in the vague hope it might start working in time for him to have some breakfast and get to school.

Sorry for such a long post but it is really affecting him at the moment. Any suggestions? Have been to GP twice in 5 days, and am fully expecting to be taking him back at some point this week.

PS Stealthsquiggle, forgot to say in previous post that he wears glasses all the time and so can't really wear sunglasses, thanks for suggestion though.

[kittybrown]

Sorry your son is struggling ibbydibby.

Has he tried taking the antihistamine at night? I think it was stealthsquiggle that mentioned it as a preemptive strike earlier. I find with me that it really helps combat the tiredness. I get a good nights sleep and wake up only slightly swollen, wheezy and drippy! Eyedops and beconase help during the day. I find sudafed helps on bad days to ease the sinus headaches.

[ibbydibby]

Thanks for your reply kittyb

At the moment he is on 1 loratidine per day (that's all he is allowed I think), he takes this in the morning. Are you suggesting taking this say at bedtime as opposed to in the morning. Can you take beconase in conjunction with this? Maybe something I should speak to GP about.

He was v tired today, he does take a packed lunch to school but DH has just told me that he gave him extra money to buy something if he's tempted. He is eating so little at the moment, that we think the tiredness is due to this as well as the hay-fever. As DH said he will probably fill himself up with a load of junk, but it might just cheer him up.

[kittybrown]

I find the tiredness is a mixture of things. The heaveyheaded feeling, disturbed sleep at night and the antihistamines ( even the non-drowsy make me fuzzy!)
I take mine at around 9 and it stops me waking up at 3 with a blocked nose, etc.

I'm sure you can take them togeather (well my Dr said to do both at the same time). Check with your doctor or pharmacist to doubly make sure though.

[ibbydibby]

Thank you.

We are off to the GP later today (again - 3rd time in less than 2 weeks - DS joking about season ticket..). He is tired, had no appetite this morning, felt sick, sore throat. He wanted to go to school, but I worry about him going with no breakfast and feeling so rough. He has been unwell for 12 days now, and is so miserable.

[chloesmumtoo]

Oh ibbydibby, I was just looking on this thread to see if there was anything written about feeling sick with pollen allergies. Dd has been really affected. Had her on 2 doses of cetirizine evening and morning. Although you cant tell by looking at her (from other peoples point of view eg school ect) she has been going through it at home. Getting cold flannels at night for her eyes, worsened eczema and itching, feeling sick, and like you say has gone off food. She was very upset last night and distressed, took quite a bit to calm her down. She gone school today with a letter, because I honestly didnt know if the feeling sick was to do with it or whether she was just feeling low and depressed. Had her home recently feeling sick for days but didnt really understand what was up with her.

[gardeningmum05]

not read the whole thread so someone may have mentioned this before.
i think the reason that hayfever is much worse this year is the lack of bees. there are not enough bees to get rid of the pollen.
i have struggled terribly this year, my eyes are red raw. i put cucmber gel on them and that seems to soothe them abit

[LoveBeingAMummy]

Hi All

I can't believe how bad it is, I'm 33 and have had this since I was 2/3 years old. I feel sooo crap in so many ways. I am beginning to think it might not just be hayfever, bbut aafter reading this I think it is.

Sorry no tips to report.

However Dh who has never really got it like some of you have said, did get some symptoms the other day and it has diffo changed how he is with me re my hayfever....think he thought i was overactingbefore.

[glitterchick]

I am absolutely dying at the moment with hayfever. I think it's particularly bad this year because the weather has been super - pollen having a bloody party! I have been overdosing on Clairtyn, Zirtek and and new thing called Cetrine - none of which work. Last 2 summer's have been complete crap and rained all the time not allowing pollen to get into air so not much hayfever. I would seriously consider the injection but a bit dubious about the fact it's a steroid.

[mummyhill]

MY GP is refusing to prescribe anything cause I am 28 weeks pregnant and I am in hell. Symptoms not much better even though we have had non stop rain since 3 this afternoon. Although we do have a cat so that may not help. We have had him for 10 years though and I thought I had become desensitised to him?!?!?!

On looking through this thread I think I may be going into the chemist for a light up the nose thingy!

[Mummy2Scarlet]

I went out for a walk on Wednesday and walked down a grassy lane(with seed heads on), almost as soon as I had come out of the fields, my eyes began to swell, although I didn't touch them, because they stung so much, and they were also watering like mad. When I got back to the office, I was alerted to the fact that something was wrong because a colleague immediately came up to me and said, "Oh my goodness, have you been beaten up?" and sure enough my eyes were like golf balls. I went home, but they continued to swell so that I couldn't see, and my daughter (5yo) couldn't look at me when she got home, because my eyes made her feel sick. It's Friday now, and my eyes are still swollen and puffy, although better than Weds. I've already had one course of steroids this year, and my GP won't prescribe another. I'm also taking antihistamines (neoclarytin), eyedrops (olapatadine?) and a nasal spray. What can I do?

[LoveBeingAMummy]

mummyhill, i was pg last year and had started taking my meds cause i didn't know, was really scared when midwife advised me to stop taking them.

[stealthsquiggle]

ibbydibby you probably have more advice from GP by now but yes, I would suggest your DS takes his one dose per day at bedtime, after a shower to get pollen etc out of his hair (and making sure bedding is washed at 90deg to get rid of allergens and then dried inside). I firmly believe that once the symptoms get hold, as it were, it takes a lot more to stop them - one dose late at night should at least get him through the school day, even if he is then miserable in the evening - it is easier to spend the evening lying on the sofa with a cold flannel over your eyes than to suffer through the school day.

[ilovepeppapig]

hi
can i join this thread?

my hay fever has been thev worst ever. In particular my eyes have been swollen, watery, and on friday they were bleeding beneath the surface. I am a teacher and i have even taking to wearing dark glasses in the classroom. It is terrible. I have tried to be happy and jolly but even the children keep asking me if there is anything that they can do to make my eyes feel better!

i have got eyedrops but like someone else said it is like putting bleach in my eyes. usually i have had to go to bed at 8 in a darkened room with a cold flannel on my eyes.

i take zirtek and sometimes clarytin.
today my eyes have been alright!

[teenycalls]

Hi fellow sufferers, I too have quite severe hayfever but it affects my chest more than my eyes/nose (after reading some of your comments especially about blisters on your eyeballs I now feel lucky!)I have been rushed to hospital 3 times over past couple of years as literally could not breathe, my airways get really swollen and my lungs produce the same mucus that other people's noses do!

Anyway, whinge over, just wanted to let you all know not to dry your clothes outside during hayfever season as they get covered in pollen that can live for up to 3 months. (Sorry if you already know this)This is especially the case if they are out late afternoon or evening when the count is highest. This applies double for bed linen and towels and triple if they have been out during a shower or damp evening. A homoepath told me this and I have noticed a massive difference especially with bedding. Bit of a pain but worth a try

[ibbydibby]

SOunds like a lot of you are suffering, how is DD now chloesmum? How old is she? DS1 only started getting hayfever when he was 9, this year has been the worse by far. In the last 2 weeks he has had 5 days off school and 3 trips to GP. Thanks for tips about washing washing bedline, stealthsquiggle, had been drying it indoors, but not washing at 90 degrees. Will try that. DS1 has now been unwell for over 2 weeks, we can keep what I regard as the "primary" symptoms at bay in the daytime, but he has a persisitent sore throat which he seems unable to shake off, and often feels sick.

At the moment I feel as if we are just clutching at straws every time we go to GP and get a different prescription. DS is due to go on school trip to France in July, for 4 days, and I am now wondering if he will be fit to go.

Am up at this unearthly hour (well it is early for me!) as I woke up worrying about him.

[chloesmumtoo]

She has been alot better over the weekend thanks ibbydibby, mind you we did stay in. Windows closed, fan on lol! Fully dosed up. She had sore throat late last night again but seemed to cope with it. I think trying to manage school in the week and with all their symptoms just tips them over the edge doesnt it. Not easy for them. Dd is seven, by the way. Im hoping it goes well this week. Poor you having his trip to france ahead of you. Not good. I know what its like, here a couple weeks ago I was sat fretting just over her school day trip!

[stealthsquiggle]

ow ow ow ow ow my eyes itch. I can't wear sunglasses to work (using computer). I can't work with the windows shut (I would cook - it is 27 deg in my office with windows open and fan on). The gardener (well, lawn-cutter) is strimming right outside my office which is driving me nuts and making my eyes worse. DD (2.5) was complaining that "there's something in my eye, Mummy" this morning [sigh]

Grr. Mondays. Who needs 'em?

[kittybrown]

I'm with you with the supremely itchy eyes Stealth! I hid behind my sunnies on the way to school but still had tears streaming down my face. Cue lots of "oh, what's wrong" which I'm not keen on as I usually like to blend in to the background. It's hard though to be quiet and inconspicuous when your a snivelling wreck.

I have found the perfect place to be though. It's the cinema. I went with friends on Friday night and within 20 mins my eyes and nose were normal. They must have some super-duper air-conditioning I reckon. As soon as I came out my eyes starting to prickle and itch. I want to live there!