Hayfever remedies in preganacy?

[AnEcumenicalMatter]

Help, please!

Beautiful spring morning here and I am suffering with horrendous hayfever symptoms.

Ordinarily, I have antisitamines every day of the year for hayfever and a range of other allergies/eczema and I've been doing really well without them since finding out I'm pg (I'm 24 weeks now).

Right now, I'd kill for an antihistamine! Is there anything I can use to alleviate the symptoms? Or am I destined to be a sneezing, snuffly, snotty mess for the next 16 weeks?

Oh I feel your pain! I think this will be my 6th year without antihistamines after ttc one yr, being pg the next, bf the next, then 2 yrs ttc and now this yr being pg again, although I'll be bf by hay fever time.

I've heard of local honey being good for it. I found it to help a little last year (but it is no antihistamine!!!).

Erm, I bought some kind I air humidifier / purifier thing from our Lloyds pharmacy but really that made no difference as far as I could tell.

Other than that I'm afraid I don't have much advice to offer, only sympathy! I'll be watching with interest though in case anyone has any pearls of wisdom!!

Had some success last year with the stick it up your nose electrodes thing. Some docs give Piriton which maks me drowsy so I switched to taking it before bed. My sympathies. Last Spring I would have sold my grandma for a Zirtek!

Oh yes - I bought those electrode things for sticking up the nose a few years ago. I tried them and maybe had the most marginal improvement but not even enough for me to bother getting ten out another year

i took antihistimes all the way through all 5 of my pregancies for hayfever and eczema, the consultant said this was fine, piriton is the on they recomend in preg i think? have a chat with your dr or a consultant if you can as some are safe to take :)

I'd speak to your pharmacist. I was given a nasal spray but can't remember the name of it offhand. It did work a bit.

My own doctor said she used Piriton during her pregnancy, so it can't be too bad - haven't reached my hayfever season yet so haven't had to try it. jaffacakes the nasal spray might be Prevalin - that's what I'm using now, it doesn't have any active ingredients but seems to act as a barrier cream (a bit like smearing your nostrils with vaseline!). It has helped a bit I think, or maybe I'm just clutching at straws - but it does feel a bit odd spraying a load of gunk up my nose. I also tried a saline spray from a pharmacist, but that really didn't seem to do anything at all for me.

Thanks, folks. I see a pharmacist tomorrow and I have a routine appointment with my doctor coming up so I'll ask him what he thinks...although, when I first found out I was pg and asked him about taking antihistamines he just said 'no, you can't take them'. Maybe if I'm sneezing and snotting all over him, it'll encourage him to think of an alternative

I'd be interested to see what the pharamcist says - without fail everything I've asked a pharamcist for while pg, they have either just told me to go and see the doctor or suggested a totally non medical 'solution' (which, without fail, has made no difference!)

Good luck though :)

yes the pharmacist will tell you to see a gp, which if fair enough, your gp should be able to find one that is suitable for you take in pregnancy tho :)

I took piriton through both of mine, that's the one they say you can take

One thing I heard (no idea if it works but anything's worth a try) is to put a bit of Vaseline under or just inside your nose. Apparently it catches the pollen.
Hope you find something that works!

I got antihistamine tablets perscribed from the doctor for mine, so didnt have to pay :)

miaboo - was this while you were pg? Can you remember which antihistamine it was by any chance?

It was chlorphenamine 4mg tablets I could take 3 a day, was also told piriton was ok, but got a bulk of the tablets from the doctors

i think piriton is chlorphenamine isnt it? i ahve some in the cupboard i could go and check! its the chemical name wheras piriton is a particular brand of it and you can just buy it, but it will be free when you are preg and for a year after baby is born :)

Think it might be they always give you the no frills version dont they!, was told over the phone by nhs direct that piriton hasent ever been cliniclly (spelling ) tested on pregnant women before so thats why some say no, so she basically said the ball was in my court and how desperate was I!

Hmmm...I have piriton in the cupboard and am tempted to go and neck one but I'll wait until I've spoken to a medical professional.

I'm in Northern Ireland...all our prescriptions are free for everyone anyway.

I took Piriton. DD seems normal but you never know.... :)

Yep, I was told by the consultant that piriton was fine :)