Fed up with hay fever

[Auburngal]

This year is particularly bad because of the heavy rain we had in the spring which has produced larger amounts of flowers and leaves. When it rains or windy, pollen moves about. Plus with councils implementing No Mow May (I believe it’s some BS to ‘save money’ by not mowing the verges and public spaces but this cracks kerbstones, road surfaces etc) and it will turn into no mow at all.

Taking the anti histamines which isn’t doing anything. Fed up of getting conjunctivitis, running nose, coughing and generally feeling rough. Have to be careful with my eyes as had surgery on them for a visual condition which makes them super sensitive.

I find Dymista nasal spray to be the most effective thing for hayfever, its a combined antihistamine and steroid spray.

Smear a little vaseline around the inside of your nostrils before going out. It prevents a lot of pollen from entering the nasal cavity. Keep windows shut during the day to keep pollen out.

Are you wearing a mask when outdoors? Like a standard 'blue' one. For many years they are routinely prescribed in lots of countries for allergies and respiratory distress from air pollution and for me they have always worked well. No idea why U.K. doctors never got behind this.

You could also ask your doctor for the injection rather than taking pills every day.

What antihistamines are you taking?

I have found a three pronged approach for the last year has made a huge difference to me. I take an Allevia at night and use a steroid nasal spray and Opticrom eye drops in the morning. I repeat the eye drops if needed. Allevia is only available OTC here in UK in 120mcg doses but available by prescription at 180. Or OTC in the US or Australia at 180 so I’ve managed to stock up as was in the US last year. Or I take one and a half of the UK tablets.

I take the Allevia all year round now as I seem to be allergic to so much. Including real Christmas trees!

Oh - Allevia is Fexofenadine. Different brand names available for the same medication too.

It's miserable. I find antihistamines a lot less use than Beconase nasal spray, if used like clockwork. Weirdly it even seems to help my eye symptoms.

Also wash and turn your pillows frequently and keep your bedroom windows closed during the day.

We have an air purifier with ioniser thing. I don't really know how or whether it works, but either the placebo effect is incredible or it helps my cat allergy hugely.

Last year I switched to fexofenadine. I take Treathay but the other main one is Allegra. It changed my life. Used to suffer so badly but (touch wood) last year and so far this year I've got it under control. I also have a new nasal spray called Benacort if I do feel some symptoms. Hayfever is so horrid. I hope you find the right treatment for you.

Sorry not Allegra. Allevia

I agree that you need fexofenadine.

My hayfever is always terrible in March so I start taking antihistamines in February but this year I started them right after Christmas and my hayfever was significantly better this year.

Have you tried Barrier Balm?

Also, don't hang your bedding and towels outside.

I find Otrivine nasal spray is the only thing that cures my blocked nose! It saves me every summer and means I can actually get some sleep and enjoy food!

Fexo and beconase. Every day. I start it early.

This! It's miraculous stuff and also keeps my eye symptoms down. I use anti histamine eye drops for when my eyes get really bad.

Mine hasn't started yet this year, not looking forward to when it does.

I have allergies all year round but they're particularly awful at the moment, I think it's the cladosporium. I'm hardly sleeping because I'm waking up every 30 - 60 minutes from coughing fits. Nose is constantly streaming and my eyes are burning and watering.

I take loratadine and dymista daily and have just bought some sterimar in desperation. I'm waiting for immunotherapy to hopefully help desensitise me to cladosporium and grass.

Be careful with putting vaseline up your nose, especially if you're doing it regularly and you're sniffing constantly. There's a risk of lipoid pneumonia

Get an P3 half face mask like the builders use. I wear that (at home!) when it gets really bad. They look stupid, well pre covid anyway, but they really relieve the symptoms for a while.

Have you tried Fexofenadine @VictorianBigot? I find it much more effective than loratadine.

Yes, tried them all. I think fexofenadine 180 mg is marginally more effective for me than loratadine, but neither works particularly well. I used to have fexofenadine 180 on my repeats but they've taken it off for some reason and they've ignored my request to add it back on. Immunotherapy is my last hope but I've had radio silence since my allergy tests last December

Ask for a referral to a consultant/specialist and you might be able to eventually get access to the Grazax treatment that is being weirdly gatekeepered at the moment by the NHS/NICE (?) despite showing very promising results in trials. Long process with some allergy tests etc.
Severe hayfever ruins a quarter of the year for so many people and isn't taken nearly as seriously as it should be, including by the medical profession.

When I ran out of 180mg of Fexofenadine I took one and a half of the 120 tablets. If I know friends or family going to the states or Aus I ask them to get me some 180mg tabs. That and Nasonex spray works for me. Or Avamys spray. I haven’t bothered going to the GP. I get prescription stuff from the Independent Pharmacy online.

With my asthma I struggled with masks, them blue disposable ones are the worst. During mask wearing days got customers saying they are struggling with the masks and always wore the masks above. I said try different ones