Hayfever advice

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I find that Clayrityn works for me, one a day lasts all day.

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That's probably the stuff I get but without the retailer packaging. I get a months supply i.e.30 tabs for one prescription price (£6.95 ish?) not sure how that relates to retail prices but if it was left to me to buy that way I would keep forgetting!

[northwind]

I use a nasal spray of some sort when it's bad, and boots' own daily tablets mopst of the time, they work well for me. I almost got some homeopathic stuff once:

Me: "Can I take these at the same time as these other treatments?"
Pharmacist: "Yes, because they don't do anything at all"

I have suffered from hay fever since I was a child and taken most things at one time or another. I do find a medicine will work for so long then stop working, I dont know if the body builds up a resistance to them.
At the moment Flixonase seems to work for me.....

I find even the non-drowsy ones, still make me feel thick headed, nazzy and drowsy. At the moment my throat seems most affected...I wake up every morning with a raspy throat and my eyes stuck together.....nice

I usually get the Boots own-brand stuff - comes in packs of 30 tablets, one a day is plenty and doesn't make me drowsy - I commute on the bike and haven't had any probs with dozing off or sneezing fits!

IIRC they do 2 versions - Cetirizine (sp?) and Loratadine, I've tried both and they seem to be equally effective. Also, Boots seem to put all their hayfever stuff on a 'buy 2 get 3rd free' offer every year - brill for me cos I get the eye drops too. In fact, I'm off to Boots tomorrow to stock up!

I find Loratidine works the best for me, much better than citiride hydrochloride. The cheapo packs are just as good as forking out for brands, as it is the same chemical! Try a few, then get the one that works the best.

I find that most of the OTC stuff works for me, but only if I take it early in the morning before the inside of my nose gets irritated from too much sneezing. Once it gets to that point Iam flubbered for the day unless I got and sit in a steamy bathroom for a couple of hours!
Unfortunatly its Rape pollen that effects me most and the Bl00dy stuff is everywhere!

Oh bad luck, it's miserable. I use Neoclarityn from the doc, and Beconase spray. The over the counter stuff doesn't hit the spot. Here in Shropshire we have vast amounts of oil seed rape in full bloom at the minute, it's terrible stuff, often when I go out the bike is coated in yellow dust. Wifey gets Telfast from the doc - that is serious stuff but it's completely non-drowsy and it doesn't seem to have any after effects. The consultant at the Nuffield prescribed it last year and said to take it on a continuous basis from April to September.

Ask your GP about getting a Kenilog corticosteroid injection - one injection in April is usually enough to see me through the whole summer. You have to argue hard to get it and have tried and failed with other treatments but I found it worked a treat. There are side-effects sometimes as with all steriod based treatements but if you suffer hayfever 24x7 from March to October you have to weigh up the pros and cons. No tablets, no drowsiness, no sniffing, no sneezing (not good with the visor down) & no sore eyes.

For the squeamish amongst you I'll put you in the picture - it's a big needle and it goes in your a*se. Yeap... so tempting to say the obvious but I won't.

Mike.

My drug of the week is benadryl, and gotta say, loving it. It has a decongestant in it, so I'm not forever sniffing! And it's not drowsy!

My pharmacist recommended that I start eating local honey from the start of the year to build up an immune system. However, I get hayfever from grass seed, rather than pollen, so prob wouldn't be effective for me! But worth a go for others. She also said to start taking tablets in Feb/March time (Alright for those with bottomless pockets!) and that would start building up an immunity too.