To ask how any hayfever sufferers managed in pregnancy?

[Sparksi]

Posting here for traffic. My hayfever is horrendous. Itching, streaming eyes, sneezing 7 times in a row. Was anyone else like this in pregnancy and what remedies did you use? Reluctant to take loratadine, although it suggests it may be safe there isn’t enough research for me to be comfortable. Another silly q - can me being so allergic/having so much histamine in my body affect baby?

Someone suggested local honey but don’t know if it’s too late now the hayfever season has started

Didn’t take anything and just put up with the discomfort. Pregnancy is so short it’s it worth risking your baby’s health

I remember sitting on a riverbank while DH was fishing and I was heavily pregnant. I couldn’t see as my eyes were so swollen and I had to go and sit in the car.

Acupuncture - a total lifesaver.

You can use eye drops and nasal sprays I think?

I have to take prescription fexofenadine as I have bad hayfever but I can’t take it this weekend due to a surgery on Monday and they have said to not take it for a few days beforehand.

I’ve been washing my face frequently, washing hair every night, using eye drops and nasal sprays and keeping sunglasses on.

The honey thing I think you have to start much earlier in the season and it has to be local so it’s relevant to the pollen around you?

Thanks, I feel the same. It sounds as though yours was severe too.

I used nasal spray, as recommended by GP and pharmacist. It's not as good as antihistamines but it helps a bit.

I actually didn't suffer during my two pregnancies. The only time in my life that I haven't. I imagine my immune system lowered whilst pregnant possibly. If I haven't got my tablets then the only thing that half works is constantly washing my eyes out. Not putting clothes on the line to dry and staying inside with windows shut as much as possible.

Personally I would just take loratidine. They can’t do testing on your unborn foetus to know whether it is safe or not so the official advice is always to make the mum miserable and unwell just in case it might be harmful. But there is generally no evidence and scientific sense tells you there will be no harm. As soon as you get to secondary care level with any condition then will tell you to take the relevant medication (with several clear exceptions of course.).

Anyway appreciate you won’t really feel confident in this advice so will ignore it

So maybe try Vaseline around the eye sockets, Optrex, and lots of face washing

Acupuncture. It was amazing. The therapist put needles around my sinuses and forehead etc. I literally went in streaming, itchy and sneezing and came out with no hayfever symptoms. Lasted for a few weeks.

As far as I understand the major issue is that hayfever medication has often not been tested for safety on pregnant women (so they can't guarantee it is safe for the baby).

Non medicated options are obviously safe.

When I was pregnant I used...
Sterimar - saline spray (physically washes away the pollen)
Haymax- a balm you put around your nostrils to help trap pollen. Vaseline apparently also works.
Eye drops - supermarket/ pharmacy own brand.

Basically these were non medicated physical preventative measures to either stop the pollen or wash it away.

As far as I can remember, my hayfever wasn't as bed then as it sometimes gets now (even though I take a loratadine daily, and didn't when pregnant). Fingers crossed you find the same.

I usually have awful hayfever march to September. Usually GP prescribes fexofenadine. Pregnancy they said take piriton, went to pharmacy to buy and they refused to sell to me and told me was unsafe. I tried to explain GP told me to and they said none was safe and I should push through 'for my baby'. Put me off. Spoke to midwife who said loratadine is fine, certainly after 12 weeks, and that pharmacist was batshit. Referred me to bumps medicine website.

In the end I was so put off by awful pharmacists (they also gave me a right lecture about being prescribed anti nausea meds when I was already over a stone down) I didn't take any. Stayed inside, windows closed, big sunglasses when outside. I also on bad days wore a mask.

What's wrong with Piriton? That has been prescribed to pregnant women for decades, and has no known adverse side effects in pregnancy.

I got hay-fever from pregnancy... horrendously allergic. I was so miserable. After months of agony my obs prescribed piriton but please don't take without doc sign off ! The wee allergen is now 15 and 5'10...

Piriton saved my sanity

OP the NHS guidance was updated about 3yrs ago - Loratadine can now be taken during pregnancy. I checked with my GP first but they said no issues, and I used through the summer of my pregnancy. Also ok to use while breastfeeding.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antihistamines/

My Hayfever is so bad I have acupuncture and start antihistamines regardless in May. Eye drops/nasal spray. The Works.

I got given a spray that didn’t really help.
I tried to just get on with it.

I ended up at the drs with swollen eyes, lips and throat…. It was completely miserable all coinciding with morning sickness that wouldn’t go.
She gave me piriton.

If you feel really bad please go to the drs.

Other things to try
-shower (wash hair)/ change your clothes if you’ve been out on high pollen days.
-don’t hang washing outside especially bedding.
-soothe eyes with cotton pads soaked in optrex and put in fridge or freezer.
-if you are sneezing a lot I’ve found lying down and not moving in the dark or using an eye mask really helps. I’ve noidea why.
-another one I don’t know why, for the sneezing extra strong mints 🤷‍♀️

The whole thing is totally miserable, I hope you find some relief x

HEPA air purifiers at home will help (they have multiple other health benefits too, also for baby once born). Get the highest CADR (clean air delivery rate) you can afford. Avoid ones with UV light or Ionisers (or switch those off).

Also wear large glasses - sunglasses or if you don't wear glasses generally get some stoggles or similar

FFP2 masks when out of the house will also help massively. And also have other health benefits (including reducing your risk of catching an airborne infectio, as this can be quite dangerous in pregnancy)

Congrats on the baby and hope your hayfever calms soon

I took Piriton.
Loads of it!

I've suffered from hayfever and particle allergies most of my life, but avoided antihistamines in pregnancy and I'm still trying to reduce my reliance on them. Echoing the posters who advise to wash face and hair frequently, I notice a huge difference in my allergies before and after washing my hair. I also find hayfever wipes really effective. A quick swipe around nose and eyes if out and about during the day tends to calm things down. Wishing you all the best.

Smear Vaseline around the insides of your nostrils. Sounds gross, but you get used to it.

I think now there are also safe nasal sprays - I’d ask a pharmacist.

I just took loratadine. It's fine. No need to suffer unnecessarily.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kinetik-Wellbeing-Allergy-Reliever-Association/dp/B0B3Y6GD89/ref=mpssa111?adgrpid=72416044969&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.njhy5LsHt-2M2yGB7OznU4zBwX83sLAfFN4BVy0Co0CQb9TiNpMml8RsQbdNRMukMhSU72TctkmWxM9gJurJsooF15DbZjjdDMDUVT6-SHGd5dqn90xnsU-psFNIBb-5GUHYeG678IP7G4ge9r8m5kdujRUQCaJHQ9ek8ZVDkSfyOABtKIT2s9neD0TUUUvfYl50HQnUNri3UU37bQMtg.5WY0QLCV6CScdcWkipaf195EDk98Py3A8bbVStri9U&dibtag=se&hvadid=606326720812&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1006765&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=718597551863914838&hvtargid=kwd-316476935405&hydadcr=139844_2301935&keywords=hayfever+light+therapy&qid=1719097965&sr=8-1

This literally saved my sanity during pregnancy. Was desperately unwell with Hayfever and ready to try anything. I was pretty sceptical but it really works, and DS 1 swears by it every summer too.

Highly recommend nasal rinses!

https://www.boots.com/neilmed-sinus-rinse-kit-10077009

I have severe uticaria and hay-fever. I took fexofendiine throughout all my preganacies

Mine too - I've been taking it daily for over 50 years.