Loratadine/Hayfever - any pharmacists around?

[Longtallsally]

I struggle with extreme tiredness, starting with the arrival of tree pollen in April, and continuing though to August/early Sept and find that loratadine deals with it wonderfully. However, if I miss a day I feel almost hung over, barely able to stay awake, groggy, headachy, irritable.

Just wondered whether this is normal?! I know other people who have the tiredness symptom as part of hayfever, so I assumed that it is. However, dh has just asked whether it is or whether there could be any withdrawal symptoms from the loratadine?!

Hopeful bump?

Sorry, not a pharmacist, but a fellow hay fever sufferer. No idea if Loratadine has withdrawal effects as it was far too sedating for me so I only lasted a few days on it. I did get 2 days of hives after coming off Cetirizine (another 2nd gen anti histamine) though. I did have other side effects whilst on it though (muscle and joint pains, dizziness) so might just have been a general bad reaction.

Have you tried nasal steroids? You can only take them for 3 months but I found them far more effective than oral anti histamines. You can get them from the pharmacy. Bizarrely, they cleared up my hay fever cough and itchy eyes too. I am yet to find anything that helps with the tiredness though, and find all anti histamines very sedating. If I have to take an anti histamine now I take Piriton (chlorphenamine), one of the older style sedating ones. I take just one tablet before bed (Piriton are 3-a-day for full dose) and find that by mid morning the next day the sedating effect has worn off and I've at least got a good night's sleep.

Fellow hayfever sufferer and pharmacist! I think its likely that the tiredness is the hayfever, I always feel like the itchy eyes makes me feel tired as well as the general rubbish feelingness. Loratadine isn't considered to have any discontinue effects although as the above poster mentioned, it can cause drowsiness as a side effect. I have never noticed any withdrawal effects and I also take it all summer long!

As a side note I am a fan of the nasal steroids too but they dont help with my eyes. You could dry eyedrops and nose spray instead of the loratadine if you were worried?

I have animal allergies and am a vet (!!) so take loratidine year round when not pregnant. I have never noticed or heard of any withdrawal effects. I do get really tired when having a bad allergy day though, so I think it's your allergy rather thsn your meds.

Thanks for the reassurance. I do feel better when on loratadine than off it, so will keep going. Have had such a horrid niggling headache for July and August - sure that is hayfever related, as it clears briefly when I sneeze. Had forgotten nasal steroids (haven't been this bad for years) - will give them a go.

It's nice to know others understand how you feel. I love the sun, so hate having to hide indoors. Agh! Sneeze! Grrr!

I feel hung over with all hay fever medications especially off I miss a day.

If

Use saline spray in your nosea couple of times a day as well. It def helps me and I take loratadine for all of June and July. Never noticed any withdrawal effects but the hayfever symptoms are really noticeable if I miss a day. They do make me feel a little bit spacey and tired.