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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

hayfever starting and midwife says I can't take antihistamines! What did you do?

25 replies

mrsmo · 20/04/2007 15:56

So I'm getting nicely snuffly and runny nosed but can't take my usual tablets. Baby due mid July and can't face the thought of being snotty till then! If you suffered with hayfever during your pregnancy what did you take that worked?

OP posts:

Princesspowersparkle · 20/04/2007 16:07

Hi Mrsmo- I'm in the same situation as you. Due 20th July but already snoring my head off!! I know that eating local honey is supposed to help, but I'll be interested to see what other remedies people have!

bran · 20/04/2007 16:07

Vaseline on the inside of the nostrils is a good one, it catches the pollen before you breath it in.

RTKangaMummy · 20/04/2007 16:08

I SAW THIS ON TV THIS WEEK

Nemo2007 · 20/04/2007 16:09

mrsmo unfortunately with all the pregnancies I suffered through it. Gp wouldnt give me anyting at all and neither would pharmacist

florenceuk · 20/04/2007 16:10

After much internet searching I decided that nasal sprays were OK in pregnancy given they work on the surface of the nose and the amount transferred into your bloodstream is pretty small. SofiaAmes will confirm also that her doctor thought lortadine (Clarityn) was OK as well. As with everything you need to use your judgement and assess the risk vs the discomfort.

scatterbrain · 20/04/2007 16:10

Ooooh errrr - I took Piriton all through my pregnancy - was 6.5 yrs ago but GP said it was all I could take ! Maybe advice has changed though !

trace2 · 20/04/2007 16:11

am due in june and my consulantant gave me antihistamines but for iching! i have ran out but my gp wont give me any he says i have to go back to hospital for them

saralou100 · 20/04/2007 16:12

sneezed, suffered and moaned!!!

the vaseline helped a bit though

i thonk theirs a homeopathic remedy you can use, but my boss only bothered to point this out to me at the end of hayfever season, so i didn't really investigate it, might be worth a try though!!

you do hav my sympathy...i can't believe its april and hayfever is upon us!!

saralou100 · 20/04/2007 16:13

oh yes, and nasal sprays (make me sick) are ok and eyedrops!!

saralou100 · 20/04/2007 16:13

and i don't thonk, i think!!!

elibumbum · 20/04/2007 17:21

I used a saline nose spray - flushes the pollen out. And you can get a weird powder thingy that you sniff up into your nose and it coats the lining of your nostrils - it is inert so safe to use (even confirms this on the packet). All the other tricks of showering and changing your clothes when you get home, avoiding peak pollen times and wearing wrap around shades help too.

I have to say though I didn't feel any worse than I did when I was on heavy duty prescription antihistamines! I tend to feel really bunged up when I take those. I was in the first trimester during the hayfever season but a colleague was in her second and her GP told her that some antihistamines are ok after the first trimester - I would check with your GP as they might be able to find a suitable one for you.

DivaSkyChick · 21/04/2007 03:46

I'm in the usa for two weeks - atlanta this week. They are having the worst allergy season ever and I've been miserable. I called my friend's obgyn who told me as long as you are not in the first trimester, sudafed is absolutely fine. I know the United Kingdom is different but usa hasmuch worse malpractice suits so doubt docs would be cavalier with this. For what its worth...

ja9 · 21/04/2007 03:58

what did i do? i suffered.

been pregnant or bf for past 4 summers now (inc this one). tried lots of alternative things and nothing has helped.

a pal went to one of those alternative therapies - i think the heal prick one, and it had miraculous effects...

Twiglett · 21/04/2007 06:36

suffered through it I'm afraid

SofiaAmes · 21/04/2007 07:10

I suffered from terrible hayfever and asthma during both my pregnancies. I was told by both my american gp and my uk gp that not only was taking antihistamines and inhalers ok, but a good idea to do as anything that affected my breathing could be harmful to the baby. Though having said that, I did try to limit everything as much a possible during the first trimester.

yesireallycan · 21/04/2007 07:49

How about something homeopathic? Either see a homeopath or buy something generic, Nelsons do a hayfever remedy you can get in Boots.

I have also read that eating honey local to the area you live can also be a big help with hayfever - but it has to be LOCAL honey not just general supermarket stuff.

toadstool · 21/04/2007 07:50

On another thread someone recommended a homeopathic remedy, Pollena, which I've started to use. It has no contra-indications, and many GPs would just dismiss it as a placebo. I tried a homeo treatment in my last PG and it made things worse, but I'd started it at the peak of symptoms - apparently early on is better.

ludaloo · 21/04/2007 08:11

Um...I suffered!!! I tried Pollena but it didn't seem to do a lot. Someone recommended buying local honey and eating often. It helps build up immunity to local pollen?? I never tried it as I can't stand the stuff!!

CantSleepWontSleep · 21/04/2007 08:14

Another sufferer here. Still avoiding them due to bf and it's 14 months since she was born - that's a lot of sniffling!!

castlesintheair · 21/04/2007 08:17

I can get it really badly and the doctor prescribed me Chlorphenamine to take when desperate (you can take up to 4 times a day though I only took 2 in total I think). They knock you out though so best to take at night. You can also have a couple of snorts of Beconase a day I think and use eye drops.

Budababe · 21/04/2007 08:21

Well it was 6 years ago but I am sure I was told that Clarityn was OK - or maybe Zirtek? Anyway - I took it!

I did find acupuncture helped me a few years ago. Maybe worth a try.

Jamantha · 21/04/2007 11:20

I've been told by my GP piriton is the only antihistamine OK during preg, but safer to stick to nasal sprays and eye drops. So I have a nasal spray prescribed and may have to get some eye drops soon as well, as they're smarting a fair bit.

jampot · 21/04/2007 11:21

i took beconase nasal spray and opticrom eye drops but also suffered terribly during pregnancy. Quite often I had to resort to putting teabags on my eyes and lying down.

charmkin · 21/04/2007 11:36

sneezed

canadianmum · 22/04/2007 15:50

I was told by GP not to take any antihistamines, but who knows?

Anyway, went to a homeopath whose name I got off the internet. Was given 2 remedies made up by her. They did nothing for first 3 days but then my hayfever symptoms massively decreased. She also recommended some fabulous homeopathic eyedrops which are safe in pregnancy called Oculoheel. I got them at a homeopathic pharmacy in London but you can get them over the Internet.

By the way, I am normally a complete sceptic about alternative remedies but this one seems to have worked.

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