Hayfever in pregnancy

[Jenjen85]

Is there anything I can take? It's started early this year and there's no way I can last until baby arrives in August with runny nose, itchy eyes etc

usually cetirizine or loratadine are fine to use. sometimes low dose steroids (fluticasone nose spray) are fine as well. ask your mw or gp

Good to know, for some reason I thought we couldn't take anything so have been snuffling away! Will chat to my consultant next week

I used Prevalin allergy nasal spray. It's listed as being completely safe in pregnancy

I got a prescription for steroid nasal spray and eye drops which helped a lot when pregnant.

My GP told me not to use loratadine - no proven harmful effects, but the manufacturers recommend avoiding in pregnancy (which means they can't prove it IS safe. Steroid nasal sprays (beconase, pirinase etc) and eye drops are ok.

Ask your pharmacist. There are over the counter drugs which are safe. When I was pregnant my midwife said I could take Cetirizine up until close to the end, when hay fever season was over anyway. I tried with Polaramine but it did NOTHING. I was quite miserable, to be honest.

Good luck.

Ooo good thread, I asked my pharmacist today and he gave me a cold stare and said there was nothing unless I could get a gp to prescribe it. I can't live like this until August either. My pelvic floor is already shaky from DD and it's too much sneezing to risk!

Get yourself to your GP. I was prescribed loratadine while breastfeeding even though leaflet says not to use if pregnant/breastfeeding. Having said that, if my symptoms were itchy eyes and runny nose I might have have been prescribed something else, say eye drops and nasal spray.

I was lucky enough that my hayfever and asthma disappeared when pregnant, unfortunately they came back with a vengence after I gave birth.

I've been using ceterizine. I think it's on the b risk list which I think means it's probably fine but never been tested. I have dust allergy as well as hayfever so have been taking it for the last 7 1/2 months. To be honest I didn't ask a dr, just google. I feel like I have the flu if I don't treat it so decided it was worth it. I've mentioned in passing that I take hayfever medicine and consultant and midwife didn't ask anything about it.

Another tip is to put Vaseline just inside your nostrils as it traps the pollen and stops it going up your nose.

www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/935.aspx?categoryid=54

Clear your nose out every morning with saline spray and then use Boots Allergy Barrier which is totally safe in pregnancy. It has kept mine at bay.

I'm so miserable right now what with itchy eyes, runny nose, constant sneezing, coupled with permanent nausea and first trimester exhaustion! My doctors said I could take the eye drops but not the tablets. I've also bought a balm to go under my nose to trap the pollen, no idea if it's making a difference yet though :-(

The Opticrom eye drops are amazing!! My nurse told me to use them and they are fab. I also use a nose spray and lip balm around the nose. Other things that help are washing your hair and washing clothes after you've been outside as pollen sticks to them.
I know it sounds ridiculous to some people but hay fever is truly awful when pregnant. Especially the sneezing and bladder control problem! I hope it eases for us all soon!

Don't know how you feel about homeopathy - always a controversial subject on here - but I had appalling hayfever from March -September every year and took every antihistamine available. Each one worked like a wonder-drug for a season or two and then I was at the maximum dose and needing to move on to something else. When I was pregnant with DS1, 8 years ago, I was at the point of trying anything - or tearing out my own eyes. I used [[http://www.hayfeverfree.co.uk/]]. You take it for two weeks (I took it early in the season and experienced a really quick improvement - I normally react to tree pollen and then to grass pollen - and that year I skipped any reaction to the grasses) and then you take it Jan or Feb before the next hayfever season. I didn't get any hayfever at all the next season (when once again, I couldn't have taken antihistamine due to bf).

Word of warning - I had an allergy to something else and took antihistamine and my hayfever returned...I repeated the ispoathic course and I've done it again this year (pregnant again) - but three times in 8 years (at £45 per course) has still save me a fortune on prescription charges and most years I've had either no symptoms or one or two sneezes a day. For me, the worst of hayfever was always inaccessible itching to my soft palate and eyes, and this has disappeared.

Like seven201, I have dustmite allergy all year round. I'm six week's pregnant and taking cetirizine. My IVF clinic said it was fine and when I asked my GP about it, she simply printed off the studies that said there was no evidence it was either harming or harmless and told me to make up my own mind. If I don't take it I sneeze violently and constantly, and my eyes and nose stream uncontrollably, so I am taking it.

Hi there, I thought I'd post a comment as I too have been suffering from hayfever/allergies and tbh, it's fucking miserable so I totally sympathise.

After 2 weeks of wanting to itch my face off, I went to the GP who prescribed me beconase nose spray & cetrizine. The docs said that they were considered safe and there were no known issues reported. It also may be worth considering how far along you are in your pregnancy. I was advised that as I am 20 weeks, the baby is now formed so there is no risk (or v unlikely) of developmental concerns. I'm also taking the Opticrom drops which have been very good.

I hope you get sorted as the allergies are miserable. I seem to be hyper sensitive in pregnancy. Feel better soon

I used the nasal spray and eye drops which I kept in the fridge so they were really refreshing :) boots also do a cheap cucumber eye gel which is also lovely used out of the fridge if you do end up a bit puffy :)

Another natural remedy which is supposed to be useful is eating local (to you) honey. Something about the local pollen being used by the bees to make it.

Texted my midwife team the other day for this very reason and they said piriton are fine to take - even in first trimester. Makes you drowsy but at least it means not suffering at night too!