Any suggestions - Dreadful Hay fever but I'm allergic to most antihistamines

[HazyLazyDay]

Pollen count has been very high where I live (UK) yesterday and today and will be for the next few days. I have the most awful hay fever with red, itchy eyes, extremely itchy nose, throat and ears and nose is also runny / a bit blocked. Any antihistamine that I've taken previously has made me nauseous, with headache and drowsy so I'm reluctant to take them. I suffer a little from health anxiety so I'm also worried that I might react badly as my throat is already itchy... could it swell up and cause breathing difficulties? Does anyone know what is the best one to take with the least amount of side effects as they all say that they can cause anaphylactic shock... Or is there a natural alternative that I could try?

Oral allergy syndrome is linked to Birch trees which are in full bloom at the moment so explains your suffering

Wrap around sunglasses and sodium chromoglycate eye drops are great if you’re having eye symptoms and cold damp compresses

As well (or instead) as what you are prescribed....

• Haymax rubbed around your nostrils helps stop the pollen
• Sterimar or other saline spray helps stop a stuffy nose
• Optrex for your eyes

These were what I used when pregnant.

Some people also swear by the bands for an acupressure points - did sod all for me though.

Another vote for fexofenadrine

However in my view if you are like me and nothing was working you need to consider sublingual immunotherapy- however I am having to pay for this privately. It is not available on the NHS. It is worth every penny though

The nasal spray I have is dymista which is a steroid/antihistamine combination

Hello OP.
I really sympathise, I have it extremely bad too.

I get severe blistered contact dermatitis wherever pollen touches my skin and currently on steroid cream nursing an angry blistered rash on my chest.

It causes asthma for me too with an itchy roof of mouth, tight chest and difficulty breathing as well as the usual sneezing, red eyes etc.

I’ve been given fenofexadine, steroid cream and an inhaler but it’s too early yet to see if they are going to work.

Quite what I’ll do if it doesn’t work I don’t know 😕

I too cannot have certain fruit, Kiwi are the worst, citrus to a lesser extent.

Me and DH have recently have vegan which some people say helps, the dairy apparently aggravates it.
I’ve bought lots of nettle tea as it’s a natural antihistamine apparently

I have been awful.

Although my asthma flared up too and steroids are helping. I was also prescribed a steroid nasal spray which has helped lots

My DH had horrendous hayfever for years until he discovered allergy bands which you wear round your elbow. It presses into a pressure point. We've recommended them to a lot of people and they have worked really well for them

twitter.com/londonallergy/status/1374797248484278275?s=10

I copied this for a hay fever sufferer I know.

I had awful hayfever for years - would need to take 4 or 5 tablets a day.

I had a course of acupuncture which was life changing. 15 years on, I get the odd day every year but nothing other than that.

Saved me a fortune in anti h too

I googled a while ago for this and it said lots of hayfever sufferers swear by a spoonful of local honey daily, though it's not been proven scientifically. I gave it a go (though not local honey), and it did seem to help. May have been a placebo thing but tbh I don't care- I was miserable!

Other tips:

Vaseline or a barrier ointment thing on your nostril openings
Keep windows closed as much as possible.
Avoid going outside in the early morning and between 5 and 7 daily.

I also have OAS. I developed hay fever at the same time as the OAS.

And I have dozens of birch trees around my house...

Nasal sprays work best for me for nose, throat and especially eyes.
Not drying anything outside on the line.
Benadryl eye drops help - not sure if those are available in the UK.
I used to find sodium chromoglycate eye drops helped but not so much any more.
I’ve been having allergy shots for several years which is helping.

For me the real game changer is the nasal spray.

Local honey, zirtek, acupuncture - none of that helped me at all.

Quercetin is a supplement that is a natural antihistamine. Any medical antihistamine makes me either pass out asleep or makes me high , so I tried this supplement and found it very good.

I use an allergy reliever thing that you put up your nose. You look ridiculous for a few mins using it but it does help.

lloydspharmacy.com/products/lloydspharmacy-allergy-reliever?currency=GBP&variant=32060079996991&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItrCx6q2V8AIVzO3tCh2UZgkIEAQYASABEgKp1vD_BwE

Local honey helps apparently.

I find steroid nasal sprays like Beconase way better than systemic antihistamines, and they even seem to help with eye itchiness. You can also get antihistamine nasal spray which might affect you less than the tablets.

With many hayfever meds you need to keep taking them every day to get the best effect.

Also I have an electric air filter/ioniser thing. They're about £50 I think. Run it in your bedroom, keep the door and windows closed in the daytime, turn your pillow over when you go to bed and change your pillowcase frequently. You will have a nice allergen-free retreat for 8 hours a night and that will give your allergy response a chance to calm down. Seems to break the cycle of your body's over-reaction. The air purifier sounds a little "woo" but it was really effective when we acquired cats and I have other allergic friends who swear by it.

Oh an air purifier for your bedroom helps

Ask your doctor to prescribe fexofenadine. I’ve got horrendous allergies and it’s the only antihistamine that works in a meaningful way.

Hay fever eye drops OTC are good as well, and I’ve found the nasal barrier sprays you can get in boots to be good too. Personally I’ve found steroid nasal sprays more trouble than they’re worth - always ends in a nosebleed!

Sinus rinses (you can get in boots) can really help with flushing out the allergens too - particularly helps with the bunged up feeling.

I can’t do the honey thing as I’m allergic to it - the irony!

My worst allergy is grass pollen. I had 3 yrs of shots for it and it’s greatly improved, and I’ve found that my other seasonal allergies have lessened (but not to the extent that I don’t need medicines). My doctor never told me it was an option, I was referred to the allergy clinic for another reason and they told me about it.

All medicines say they could cause anaphylactic shock, because anyone can be allergic to anything. It’s very, very unlikely though that an antihistamine will do that for you.

Fexofenadine 180mg I get on prescription. I hVe been bedridden before but beats weak OTC stuff

I've been reading a lot about the hayfever injection recently, have you considered that? It doesn't appear to be available on the NHS, only private clinics, but it's a one off injection of a steroid I believe which sees you through the summer. Might be worth looking into.

I take Montelukast like a poster above, it controls my asthma and hayfever to an extent but it doesn't really stop the itchy throat especially through the night. In recent years I've used hayfever wipes at night, I use them around my nose and brush very gently over my eyelashes and sometimes a quick wipe over my pillow to try and remove pollen. They do relieve some of the annoyance!

We’re prescribed fenofexadine and montelukast, which are very effective.

I also stick Vaseline up the nostrils and it reduces the symptoms. Or there are powder sprays which act in a similar way.

Fexofenadine is your friend.

There's no scientific proof to back up the honey nonsense.

I find avoiding pollen (don't mean to state the obvious!) helps. Wear close fitting sunglasses outside the house, vaseline up your nose, keep windows closed and don't go out if you can during peaks. Wear clean clothes daily and shower and wash hair daily. Hopefully if you're worse with certain pollens you only have to do for a few weeks.

shower & wash hair if you have been out & change your clothes - if you are wfh shower before bed & wash pillow cases frequently
I am having 2nd AZ tomorrow -I hope I have this good side effect
can pp please send in positive yellow card side effect!

Oh! Can I suggest a chat with a sympathetic pharmacist? They might be able to help!