That this is fucking up my life??

[snottery]

Some kind of hay fever / allergy / mild asthma.

I realise it's not 'serious' in the grand scheme of things, but it's really affecting my life and my sleep.

Had phlegm / post nasal drip for years and years and that's bad enough, but recently it also includes such delights as

Hours upon hours of streaming / blocked nose / sneezing almost every day
Taking in too much air when blowing that I get heartburn and trapped wind. Can't burp so this is horribly uncomfortable until it comes out other way
Throbbing bridge of nose
Even my teeth hurt at times
Itchy skin
Sometimes wheezing and a bit hard to get a breath.

It's embarrassing as I'm constantly wiping or blowing my nose or making horrible choking noises trying to get phlegm up.

The final straw has been the past 24 hours. I got 4 hours sleep last night because of it, my neighbour was banging down at me cause of the noise of my nose blowing last night, and I cancelled a family outing this morning cause of embarrassment and just generally feeling shitty because of this.

Finally gave in and took an antihistamine which I found in the cupboard. It's helped somewhat. Not completely but enough.

Please, Please tell me that these tablets work long term and that your body doesn't get 'used' to them??

It's making me miserable.

No idea what I'm allergic to, but it happens when I'm indoors for days and the phlegm has happened year round. I'm guessing dust.

Fyi antihistamines are massively cheaper at Aldi

I have taken fexofenadine (script anti- histamines) and a steroidal nasal sprays every day for years. I could not function without them. Also lansoprazole for heartburn.
See your GP asap, life is too short to be this miserable

I suffered a constant runny nose for a few years- had to sleep with two bits of tissue stuffed up each nostril as otherwise I couldn’t sleep. No amount of sprays or medicine helped and the GP pretty much gave up. I had some success with a Neti pot and salt water- but it was a faff.
It only stopped for good when we moved out of our rented house- there was obviously something there triggering me. We ripped up all the downstairs carpets in our new place, which might have helped. Majority of bedding and furniture is the same though.

Ive taken antihistamine daily for now 20 years. I took them when I was pregnant (under doctor agreement). My allergy is dustmite so all year long.

At times it has got much worse and the antihistamines wasn't enough. My doctor prescribed steroid spay and after being reassured these didn't pass the blood stream, I agreed to take it. It took a couple of weeks to work but made a complete difference.

There are now available over the counter, I only take it when I can the symptoms are about to flare up, so anything from once every couple of weeks to 3 times a week.

Sometimes I forget I have an issue as I'm symptoms free until I forget to take the antihistamine and within exactly 36 hours, all the symptoms start and get bad quite quickly.

I had no side effects whatsoever except maybe my eyes getting dryer.

Try a nasal rinse, they are amazing and not medical!

@snottery

Yes it is actually getting me down.

For some reason I always resist medication, for anything, but I think I need to take it for this. The tablet was cetirizine. I just hope it works long term, even if I just keep it for particularly bad days or socialising.

Triggers are my bedding I think as it starts as soon as I move my head in the morning or when I lie down at night. My cat as well when he's near it seems to be worse.

So you need to change your bedding, maybe pillow and duvet as pp said above

Obviously changing your cat may be difficult, but don't get another one

Sorry if it's already been asked but do you dry your bedding outside?

I have exactly the same symptoms you have mentioned and since I've dried my bedding in the tumble dryer it's eased up.

Omg yabvvvvvvvvu for not taking antihistamines. You need to take one every single day!

Benadryl Allergy Relief is the only thing that touches my hayfever. You can take up to 3 a day.

It’s probably dust mites and/or pet hair. Get anti-allergy bedding, keep the cat off your bed - and take medication! Beconase is good, a daily antihistamine, and also be careful how you blow your nose. You said you were keeping your neighbour awake?

There should be no ‘noise’ when you blow your nose, just the slight sound of air and mucus. Over-blowing will cause a lot of problems and make things worse.

It could be house dust mite, I have suffered with allergies of some kind most of my life, but hate antihistamines, would rather treat the cause than the symptoms, I believed it was my body's immune system going into overdrive, so I sorted that out, they've almost completely stopped

What a weird thread. If you have obvious health problems, that don't respond to over the counter medication, go to the GP. If they can't help, they eventually refer you to someone who can. Nobody gets a medal for not taking medication when they need to.

I also don't like to take any medication if it's not absolutely necessary. I only have mild hayfever these days but about 20 years ago it was horrendous. I went to the GP and was given oral antihistamines and a nasal spray - it wasn't beconase, but something else. I was also on inhalers for asthma at the time.
Taking these medications made my life bearable at the time.
You need to go to the GP to get this sorted out. It's having a massive effect on your life - it's no longer in the realm of a mild ailment which can be treated easily yourself or simply ignored.

I suffer from terrible hayfever. I find that a deioniser in the bedroom helps me at night, but I also take antishistamines through the summer. The only one that works for me is a version of benadryl, with the active ingredient 'acrivastine'. You can buy it in supermarkets.

Why wait so long before taking medication, there is no prize for suffering.

I'm a sniffy itchy person and would love to see if an air purifier helps.

I have used all the regular stuff this year ( bad sufferer in normal years ) and none gave me relief. I am now taking this daily and it is perfect . It is the same as the injection you can get for hay fever . It has also cleared me of stuffed ears and post nasal drip .
onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com/uk/allergy/telfast

Finally gave in and took an antihistamine which I found in the cupboard. It's helped somewhat. Not completely but enough

I don't understand. Why aren't you regularly taking the medication for your condition?

As lots of people have said, just take a daily antihistamine (I use loratadine) and get a nasal spray and eye drops. You can take them all year round and its no big deal. Also, if you have asthma, get an inhaler.

Changing your bedding will help, as will hoovering under your bed. But it sounds like you need to give in and take medication like millions of the rest of us! It's annoying but less annoying than constantly feeling low-level shite

Sounds like it's allergic rhinitis. I have this and have prescription strength tablets for it, plus beconase nose spray, plus eye drops for when it's really bad. Your over the counter tablets probably won't do that much. Get youself to the GP and get some proper meds for it.

I feel your pain OP, even dd (16) who's never experience hay fever symptoms, is struggling this year.

I get Fexofenadine from the GP which helps. Hope your symptoms ease off soon.

re giving up milk - so many milk free options that taste really good these days, if you're willing to try in tea. Oat milk, almond milk etc

Your asthma nurse should be able to recommend meds for allergies. Mine gave me Montelukast on top of my combined inhaler and reliever inhaler which has helped a lot. She also advised me to take antihistamines for hayfever from February - October inclusive, as I usually get an exacerbation in late Feb, especially if there's an unseasonably warm patch like in 2019.

If your next annual asthma review is a while away you can ask for one sooner due to exacerbation of symptoms.

If your wariness of meds extends to not taking inhalers etc. then request an urgent asthma review today with your GP surgeries asthma nurse, or your GP. They should be able to see you remotely.

Ask your asthma nurse/GP about allergy testing.

Asthma UK has useful info on managing allergies, and they have a helpline staffed by nurses as well.

@TheFoz

Nasonex nasal spray is very good, I don’t know if you can get it otc though. Airwaves chewing gum is great for a blocked nose. You should cut dairy out of your diet if you can, it creates phlegm. Soft drinks give me phlegm too.

Yes, me too with soft drinks. It's the sulfites in them.

Please, Please tell me that these tablets work long term and that your body doesn't get 'used' to them??

I was going to suggest antihistamines but thought 'don't be daft, anyone with an allergy will already have tried them'. But apparently not. I'm another one that takes loratadine daily. It's non-drowsy and taking it regularly allows it to build up, rather than you getting used to it. I take it throughout the summer due to a combination of reacting to insect bites and hayfever.

YABU not to medicate yourself. I avoid too many meds but honestly, the cure in this case is much, much better than the illness.