GP won’t prescribe hayfever medication for child

[HelloSunshine100]

Single parent, working, receive universal credit, no child maintenance
child 8 years old has bad hayfever- needing to have piriton twice a day. One bottle of piriton lasts for 7 days at cost of £6. Will have to buy throughout the pollen season however long it lasts. Likely will need some nasal spray as well
Gp won’t prescribe antihistamines or any medication for hayfever for a child
i understand adults have to buy their own antihistamines, hayfever relief medication etc but was kind of hoping they would prescribe for a child?

Savers has cheap tablets that you can crush with a spoon and conceal in food.

I think there was a nationwide warning not too long ago that GPs were no longer prescribing things like otc medicines like calpol and diaoralyte.

I think it's a great idea to practice swallowing pills now, the hay-fever tablets are one of the smallest ones.

at that age try the tablets. they are much much cheaper than the liquid.
and the tablets are tiny, so easy to take.

Look in Poundland

Why does she need it in school? If it’s a daily med give it at home. If it’s needed more than once a day then stitch to one that’s one/ 2 doses a day.

Of it’s because of food allergies and reactions the Gp will usually prescribe a bottle for school because it’s use may be required during the school day so just have a chat with them.

I can’t believe the gp was going to prescribe some 1% hydrocortisone cream for my baby. It’s £1 in savers and I have tubes at home already.

I had really bad hayfever as a child. My mum got some tablets from the health food shop - whatever the equivalent of Holland and Barrett was in the 1970s - and they not only relieved my hayfever then, but it has never come back! I wish I knew what they were. My point is that it might be worth trying the homeopathic route.

I.go to the pharmacy and fill in a form and get a big bottle, twice the size of the supermarket ones. It's free.

Be careful as citrizine can cause drowsiness! I felt like I was wading through glue.

Don’t crush pills without a pharmacist confirming it’s one that’s safe to crush. Some drugs it effects how they work.

but I agree with others that tablets are the way to go or buy non branded liquids. Ds does have a prescribed antihistamine but that’s only because none of the OTC ones work for him.

My son has a conduit and stents in his heart so is prescribed dispersable asprin once a day but we just buy it ourselves, it's so cheap compared to what it takes out of the NHS for each repeat.

89p for a pack of 30 one a day tablets from Aldi. Cut them in half, stick it in a bit of jam or peanut butter if he won't swallow it.

She should be alright for a school day if you give her a dose in the morning.

YABU. You don’t have to buy piriton. Aldi sells a Cetirizine 30 Pack which is under £1. As long as a medication has the same active ingredient then it’s fine. People shouldn’t really be getting prescribed medication that they can buy cheaper themselves.

My child has piriton specified on an allergy plan in case of exposure to their allergen and keeps some at school just in case. The GP, despite having a policy they won’t prescribe OTC meds, has never objected to prescribing it for school purposes, given they only need it every couple of years. Just explain the situation. If your child needs it daily then give it outside of school hours or ask your pharmacist for a once daily alternative.

I have Fexofenadine on regular prescription - the brand Allevia is exactly the same and can be bought on amazon. They’re 120mg tablets but can be cut to size.

You’re quite right, I should have added that this was based on advice from the GP.

Cetirizine is way better long term than piriton too, we've had both prescribed for food allergies so don't use them regularly but even then they've taken the piriton away now as its a old style antihistamine.

I'm rather surprised your GP didn't suggest getting an OTC one.

https://www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk/product/offers/reduced-clearance/crazy-deals/piriton-chlorphenamine-allergy-tablets-4mg-500-tablets-free-deli/

These work out as 5p each.

School doesn't need to give it.
At that age they can have certirizine which is twice daily morning and night, and it's better than Piriton as longer lasting and non drowsy.

Crush the tablet and mix it with local honey. The honey is meant to help too.

They are correct as per NHSE guidance. Piriton is also a sedating antihistamine so less good for use during the day.

Would suggest change to cetirizine, teach him to take the tablets (they are generic) and buy it on amazon where you can get 360 tablets for about £15. My kids were taking antihistamine tablets from about the age of 6, largely because the cetirizine liquid tastes so vile.

Yes this was an issue for me. My dcs school would only give medicine if a doctor had prescribed it and the doctor no longer would prescribe hayfever medication. I don't know what they expect parents to do.

If you put the tablet in something thick eg a spoonful of trifle or cadburys chocolate dessert they won't notice swallowing it.

It's half a tiny tablet.

The NHS is not allowed to prescribe over the counter medications.