This might be it. The year in which hayfever actually finishes me off.

[JustAMiddleAgedDirtBagBaby]

I've always suffered a bit with hayfever, generally starting early in the year (Feb/mar) with tree pollen but also finishing fairly early, so less affected by the grass.

I started using nasal sprays alongside antihistamine about five years ago.

A couple of years ago I was needing antihistamines/sprays much later into the season, finishing around October.

Last year I just never got to a point I felt it was gone, and took antihistamines all winter too. When the tree pollen started this year, my preferred antihistamine (ceterizine) just didn't work.

So now I'm taking fexofenidine, becodefense nasal spray (the one which is meant to coat the inside of your nasal passages as a barrier), and a saline nasal spray. Most days this just about does it, but my throat and ears are vaguely itchy still and that definitely becomes more noticeable as the day goes on.

Then I have an occasional day, like today, when nothing touches it. I'm itchy, sneezy, my eyes are watering, the inside of my nostrils feels like they're burning and every now and then, without warning, watery snot just cascades from my nose.

It's all just so devastatingly attractive.

I have used the steroid nasal sprays before which helped a bit but the labels are full of dire warnings about only using it for a short period which is no good for me.

Loratizine makes me drowsy and doesn't work as well.

Other than cutting my head off and living in a sealed box, any tips?

I've also ditched cetirizine this year and am trying fexofenadine. No improvement so far. I don't know if there's just a lot more tree pollen this year, it's tree pollen that is worst for me, or if I've built up some kind if resistance to cetitizine. Which would be very annoying, why can't I build up resistance to the actual pollen?

My eyes look red and I look like I'm crying or haven't slept in weeks. I'm so sick of people asking me if I'm okay.

Anyway, solidarity but no suggestions. Sorry.

Go and speak to a pharmacist. I would definitely recommend a daily steroid nasal spray over an antihistamine.
You need to ideally start the steroids spray a week or so before you need it, so watch the pollen forecasts. It's possible to start them later, but it'll take longer to work. Carry on through the season.
Your saline spray might be washing out the becodefence.

Good luck.

Sorry, should have said, doing saline spray in the morning with he intention of shifting anything hanging about, then becodefense after.

Also, not drying bedding or my clothes outside.

Also it's tricky to start steroid spray before you need it when, on current form, I need it all year round!

I'll chat to a pharmacist!

Just swap all that you are taking for Benadryl Acrivastine. Game changer! Truly.

I take 180mg of fenofexadine AM and PM and Montelucast (prescription) at bedtime. Fucking hideous

Like @Sproufortheelf i have the double dose of fexofenadine. I had it from the allergy consultant, think GPs may be able to prescribe that dose too now. I also have Dymista nasal steroid spray which is good.

I have a box of montelukast I haven’t dared try bc it can have nightmares and very low mood as side effects.

Oh I’ve never found any side effects, didn’t know it was even a possibility @WashableVelvet it is worth trying!

I'm the same this year. It started early and has continued developing into chest wheezing and other weird noises. Doc has had x ray of my chest, put me on antibiotics and given me an inhaler for the first time ever. I use fexofenadine, diphenhydramine and beconase. It's a nightmare.

Full sympathy- it's debilitating and I feel like I've tried everything at this stage.
Came out of nowhere 10 years ago and I just pray it will disappear from my life as suddenly and mysteriously. How can this be such a problem!?

I sneeze hundreds of times a day May- July..... and that's not even the worst part. I fantasise about gouging my eyes out and throwing them away. It's like someone is throwing shards of glass into them.

My phone keeps showing me memories of On This Day previous years and I look atrocious in every one of them. Even the ones where I thought I looked OK at the time/ was having a good hayfever day.

On the plus side, in your OP, the gallows humour game is strong! Even if we are miserable, itchy, scratchy, and want to chop off our heads, we keep smiling, right?

Tree pollen season is over - it started in March. If you're reacting now it's more likely to be grass and weeds. The tree pollen season was pretty bad - at least at the start. I also had the cascading snot, which was fun ...

The steroid sprays are quite addictive (there was actually a programme on it this week - I think it was 'Tonight' on ITV), which is why they all have dire warnings on them now. Have you spoken to your GP?

Have you tried the Kenalog steroid injections? I get severe hayfever and associated seasonal asthma and all my symptoms were gone within a few days of getting the injection

It is a bit extreme, but any chance of your moving to near the sea? Allergies tend to be better there

Someone on another thread said that the injections were a game changer.

I see they are discontinuing this for hay fever due to side effects.

I can see the sea from my window.

I dread visiting family in places where oilseed rape is grown.

My GP prescribed me. x4 Fexofenadine 180 tablets daily,. Plus I use momethasone nasal spray all year round.

4 seems a lot but it really keeps on top of it..

I won't go montelukast as can't risk the side effects.

@polkadotpixie sorry! Didn't mean to quote you!

Sympathies. I never had hayfever. Now at 58 this year it has been a bloody nightmare/ cascading snot relentless cough and tight chest. No antihistamines touch it, I have a spray as well. There is pollen flying all round the air here, so dense it is like walking through snow. I have Benadryl rapid coming tomorrow. It has been months of misery.

Trees, grasses, some flowering shrubs (e.g. ceanothus, privet) make me itchy and sneezy.

Oil seed rape in flower makes me feel really nauseous and ill in a different way from hayfever.

I bath or shower before bed, especially if I've been outside, to make sure I'm mostly pollen-free on my hair and body.

I think you have to experiment with different antihistamines- loratidine does nothing for me, but some people swear by it. I didn't think fexofenadine or acrivastine performed any better than cetirizine for me for the price difference to be worth it, but I know they can be a game changer for some. Currently, I'm also using Beconase and Opticrom, and I had quite a discussion with the optician today about hayfever (she wasn't very worried/interested, but suggested Opticrom or the like, which I said I already do.)

Have you tried following a diet lower in histamine? It may sound odd but your histamine bucket might be too high which is worsening the hay fever. I have mcas and it's very much about keeping histamine in check. Foods like tomatoes, citrus, and vinegar make me sneeze uncontrollably and have stinging eyes etc.

I don’t think the NHS has been able to prescribe Kenalog routinely for around the last 15 years or so? You can obtain it from a private prescriber such as a private GP.

@JustAMiddleAgedDirtBagBaby have you tried a nasal spray with the active ingredient fluticasone proprionate? Boots do an own brand one (orange box) and it has been a game changer for me plus Allevia tablets in the high grass pollen season.
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