Tips for the Hayfever Sufferers

rubadub · 31-05-2013 10:47am

dastardly00 wrote: »

I've never heard of the Kinetik Allergy Reliever before.... seems pretty cool.

There are several of them, medinose, sneezer.

I like the kinetik, the design lets you wrap the wire around it and has an insertion holder for the nose things. You can stop & start it with the button (some stay on 3mins once pressed). It beeps when finished. It also has 2 wavelengths of light, the usual red one for hayfever and another supposedly to increase blood flow.

I am a proud cynical skeptic, but studies do show they work, this used placebo lights too
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9109708

There were a few mentions of them earlier in the thread.

annabella26 · 10-06-2013 2:20pm

hi!

i dont much post on here but need a bit of help regarding hayfever relief

my 8 yr old suffers Chronicly with it to the point now that no over the counter meds/eye drops/nasal spray seem to make any difference. im at my wits end as his eyes after 2-3 days end up sticky and infected which also means he has to come out of school as the days i do send him he will get sent home by lunch time anyway. neither me or my other half suffer from it so we cant begin to imagine what pain hes suffering

are there any treatments that arent as widely known or tried that any of you would recommend? this boy was on 4 zirtek minimum ( doc had said to up his dose to when he thought he needed relief) a day and he still was sneezing and eyes watering and swelling to the point he couldnt see and i just dont think any of the tablets etc are working on him anymore

cheers in advance

rubadub · 10-06-2013 2:49pm

annabella26 wrote: »

are there any treatments that arent as widely known or tried that any of you would recommend?

you could try one of the LED devices I linked a few posts back, when looking them up lots of people wanted them for kids, as they preferred a drug free solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOmbUVSI20I

The_Conductor · 10-06-2013 2:53pm

On a related note- you can get a little air ioniser- which you run in the bedroom at night (its not very noisy- and you get used to it anyway), and it helps your sinus no-end. I supplement this with aqueous eye drops as required (OTC).

ash23 · 17-06-2013 3:27pm

annabella26 wrote: »

hi!

i dont much post on here but need a bit of help regarding hayfever relief

my 8 yr old suffers Chronicly with it to the point now that no over the counter meds/eye drops/nasal spray seem to make any difference. im at my wits end as his eyes after 2-3 days end up sticky and infected which also means he has to come out of school as the days i do send him he will get sent home by lunch time anyway. neither me or my other half suffer from it so we cant begin to imagine what pain hes suffering

are there any treatments that arent as widely known or tried that any of you would recommend? this boy was on 4 zirtek minimum ( doc had said to up his dose to when he thought he needed relief) a day and he still was sneezing and eyes watering and swelling to the point he couldnt see and i just dont think any of the tablets etc are working on him anymore

cheers in advance

Have you tried Prevalin?
My 10 year old has hayfever aswell and this seems to work for her. Her eyes get quite bad so it's sunglasses when outside and constant washing of her face. I also have an air purifier for her bedroom which I got in Aldi a number of years ago.

When it gets really bad I end up just packing her off to her grandparents. They live near the sea and the pollen isn't as bad up there.
It's a horrible thing for them to have

I also found that alternating the different brands of antihistamine seemed to help somewhat as they seemed to lose their effectiveness the longer she took them. So one day she's be on zirtek, the next it would be clarityn etc.

annabella26 · 18-06-2013 2:02pm

ash23 wrote: »

Have you tried Prevalin?
My 10 year old has hayfever aswell and this seems to work for her. Her eyes get quite bad so it's sunglasses when outside and constant washing of her face. I also have an air purifier for her bedroom which I got in Aldi a number of years ago.

When it gets really bad I end up just packing her off to her grandparents. They live near the sea and the pollen isn't as bad up there.
It's a horrible thing for them to have

I also found that alternating the different brands of antihistamine seemed to help somewhat as they seemed to lose their effectiveness the longer she took them. So one day she's be on zirtek, the next it would be clarityn etc.

exact same! have had to start puttin him on diff antihestimines becuase you can see when hes become immune to them and his eyes get infected... have him currently on cetrine(spelling may be off) and the prevalin with eye drops as they have become infected! still have to pick up an air purifier! he had been doing great but with few days of sun and people cutting grass were back to square one again this morning

roll on school hols so he wont be missing school becuase of it

Mars Bar · 20-06-2013 1:17am

The eyes!

Thankfully the swelling happened after I got home and not when I was driving. Had a shower though And the swelling went down.

Al Capwned · 20-06-2013 8:36am

Completely forgot to get my injection this year till the eyes and nose reminded me on Tuesday. Went to docs yesterday and got it. Depo medrone is the name of it. Couldn't rememberit when posting before.

emzolita · 21-06-2013 12:57pm

Al Capwned wrote: »

Completely forgot to get my injection this year till the eyes and nose reminded me on Tuesday. Went to docs yesterday and got it. Depo medrone is the name of it. Couldn't rememberit when posting before.

Got mine this week too, still taking Telefast as well

Hope the injection kicks in soon.
(the pollen still doesnt seem to be as half as bad as any previous year though)

Coopaloop · 21-06-2013 2:27pm

Im not sure if this will work, but I am going to try it myself this weekend!

Ive been told by a few different people that taking some locally produced honey can really help with hayfever as you are getting a direct hit of the local pollen and building up your immune system to act as a defence against it!
So maybe ring around local veg shops or health food shops and see if you could get some.

Now really I have no clue if it will work, but I am willing to try anything at this stage.

Also for itchy eyes, Optrex soothing eye drops is a nice soother, you can use it as often as you like too.

dastardly00 · 21-06-2013 11:00pm

Coopaloop wrote: »

Im not sure if this will work, but I am going to try it myself this weekend!

Ive been told by a few different people that taking some locally produced honey can really help with hayfever as you are getting a direct hit of the local pollen and building up your immune system to act as a defence against it!
So maybe ring around local veg shops or health food shops and see if you could get some.

Now really I have no clue if it will work, but I am willing to try anything at this stage.

Also for itchy eyes, Optrex soothing eye drops is a nice soother, you can use it as often as you like too.

Yeah I've read that taking local honey is meant to be very good for hayfever, but I've never tried it myself before. Beware though, locally produced honey is not cheap! :eek:

KERSPLAT! · 26-06-2013 3:24pm

How effective is the injection and approximately how much is it?

I've been taking A.Vogel Pollinosan tablets and using Otrivine eye drops but any length of time outside has my eyes in bits, itchy throat and uncontrollable sneezing. I literally sneezed about 35 times in a matter of minutes at football last week

Any info appreciated

seven_eleven · 30-06-2013 4:41am

I have only managed to sleep about 4 hours in the past 2 days, and I hit the bed about 2am this morning absolutely shattered looking forward to a good sleep.
But no, the thanks my hayfever gives me has me awake now approaching 5am, in absolute agony,

My eyes are in bits, they're so painfull and itchy. I've taken my anti-histamine, nose spray, otrivine eye drops, 2 paracetamol, washed the crap out of my face and eyes, and it still doesnt help all that much. This is beyond ridiculous at this stage and I want it to go away :mad:

In regards to the injection, my doctor wouldnt give it to me 2 years in a row because steroid injections are very unhealthy in general for your body & skin, so regular use of them isnt promoted.

Question: Has anybody used a humidifier? Does it help you much?

paddylonglegs · 30-06-2013 7:50am

seven_eleven wrote: »

I have only managed to sleep about 4 hours in the past 2 days, and I hit the bed about 2am this morning absolutely shattered looking forward to a good sleep.
But no, the thanks my hayfever gives me has me awake now approaching 5am, in absolute agony,

My eyes are in bits, they're so painfull and itchy. I've taken my anti-histamine, nose spray, otrivine eye drops, 2 paracetamol, washed the crap out of my face and eyes, and it still doesnt help all that much. This is beyond ridiculous at this stage and I want it to go away :mad:

In regards to the injection, my doctor wouldnt give it to me 2 years in a row because steroid injections are very unhealthy in general for your body & skin, so regular use of them isnt promoted.

Question: Has anybody used a humidifier? Does it help you much?

So sorry to hear about you. My OH is not far off you but not as extreme. I'm sure you have ran all these options already but are you taking precautions with your living and sleeping area? Ie Hoovering up pet hair and washing pet that may have pollen on hair, regular showers to remove pollen from your hair and clothes, avoid drying clothes outside, regular hoovering carpets, keeping windows closed ,

I know these may seem obvious but sometimes it's difficult to spot the source of pollen. Best of luck anyway

dastardly00 · 30-06-2013 10:50am

seven_eleven wrote: »

I have only managed to sleep about 4 hours in the past 2 days, and I hit the bed about 2am this morning absolutely shattered looking forward to a good sleep.
But no, the thanks my hayfever gives me has me awake now approaching 5am, in absolute agony,

My eyes are in bits, they're so painfull and itchy. I've taken my anti-histamine, nose spray, otrivine eye drops, 2 paracetamol, washed the crap out of my face and eyes, and it still doesnt help all that much. This is beyond ridiculous at this stage and I want it to go away :mad:

In regards to the injection, my doctor wouldnt give it to me 2 years in a row because steroid injections are very unhealthy in general for your body & skin, so regular use of them isnt promoted.

Question: Has anybody used a humidifier? Does it help you much?

Really sorry that your symptoms are so bad seven_eleven

For how long this summer have you been taking the anti-histamine tablets, nose-spray and eye drops? And what ones are they?

Sorry I haven't used a humidifier, so can't help you with that.

The_Conductor · 30-06-2013 10:55am

Running a dehumidifer here too- have to get up overnight- as its so humid its 6 litre reservoir fills at the rate of about a litre an hour.

Are there any large scale dehumidiers, with hepa filters, you can get that have large reservoirs- and don't break the bank (I'm probably asking the impossible). The unit I have at the moment I got almost 10 years ago- its on wheels so you can move it around the place- but its damn heavy and I cant get replacement filters for it anymore.

ChewChew · 30-06-2013 11:07am

Been feeling your pain for years folks, until this year thank god!!! So after last summer when my hayfever stopped I developed really severe sinus infections. I was on antibiotic after antibiotic. Then it stopped for a few weeks but on jan 3rd I was back in the doctors and on an antibiotic again. I finished my 7th antibiotic of this year on April 26th (I think) and I was in with an ENT on may 1st. So I have chronic allergic rhinitis which didnt clear up simce summer 2012!! So he started me on new treatment and I had to get allergy tests, which I did. And also a ct sinus. So my three allergies are grass, trees and dust! No animal dander thank god.

I started straight away on nasonex nasal spray and rhinolast nasal spray. He also advised me to stop using sterimar and use the neilmed sinus rinse twice a day. I got the depomedrone injection for 5 years in a row and my GP stopped giving it because its not a good idea to get more than 3 in a lifetime. My ENT guy told me never to get it again.

I was one of you guys who suffered so bad with hayfever. My eyes, ears, mouth and the roof of my mouth suffered so much. This year I have experienced none of that. I can actually sleep with the window open at night and I'm getting great sleeps at last!!! This new treatment is only for 3 months though so I've to go back to him in September and see what he thinks but now I can say a 100% yes to rhinolast for hayfever treatment! It's well worth it guys!

seven_eleven · 30-06-2013 4:10pm

dastardly00 wrote: »

Really sorry that your symptoms are so bad seven_eleven

For how long this summer have you been taking the anti-histamine tablets, nose-spray and eye drops? And what ones are they?

I take Xyzal anti-histamines all year around for my chronic rhinitis. I take Avamys nose spray during the summer months, and my eye drops are otrivine over the counter.

meganmaher21 · 19-07-2013 11:56pm

Is the injection still available?

Al Capwned · 20-07-2013 1:40am

meganmaher21 wrote: »

Is the injection still available?

Yes. As far as I know it's available all year round...

ZENER · 21-07-2013 12:24pm

Like many here it's difficult to enjoy the fine weather when you suffer from hay fever , I was in Wexford on Thursday and Friday and was suffering badly. The hotel recommended a medical centre where the doctor was able to see me within a couple of hours. Initially I thought he was going to give me the steroid injection but he said he would try a different tact with me considering my age.

Over the counter antihistamine make me drowsy regardless of what it says on the box so he prescribed me Telfast 120mg, Betnesol steroid nasal drops and Opticrom eye drops. I was very sceptical that any of these would work but was happy to try anything as my holiday was being ruined by the constant running nose, streaming eyes and incessant sneezing ! Miserable doesn't begin to describe it.

Anyway surprise surprise, the antihistamine didn't make me drowsy (apparently this particular one is prescribed to pilots?!) the nasal drops worked wonders and I haven't needed the eye drops!

.... Now . . . . Anyone have any cures for sunburn ?!

Ken

Viewtodiefor · 16-05-2014 7:26pm

Anyone tried prevalin?

dastardly00 · 02-06-2014 8:15pm

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

Anyone tried prevalin?

I tried it for a few days, but I really didn't like the feeling when it thickened up when it was in your nostril

It just wasn't for me. Since I was only using it for a couple of days, I can't comment on it's effectiveness.

exercise is the antidote · 04-06-2014 6:34pm

Hayfever....is a pain in the backside. I can remember playing hurling when I was young, running around with my head tilted upwards and sorting like a pig.

. Seems to boder me more now when I get a dose.

The_Conductor · 05-06-2014 10:30am

Eyes all swollen these last 2 days.
Thought I was going to get away this year- apparently not.
Think I need a little appointment with my doc on this one- Neoclarityn isn't cutting it.

Penny Tration · 15-06-2014 6:46pm

Eyes are raw red and streaming. Blowing my nose and sneezing so much that I'm getting frequent nosebleeds. This is worse than usual. Usually antihistamines sort me out, but not this time

Penny Tration · 15-06-2014 6:46pm

Eyes are raw red and streaming. Blowing my nose and sneezing so much that I'm getting frequent nosebleeds. This is worse than usual. Usually antihistamines sort me out, but not this time

rubadub · 16-06-2014 10:03am

My LED thing is still working fine for me. Reduced on amazon at the moment, if your cart is over £25 you get free delivery, so you could buy a tshirt or something to bump it up.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kinetik-Medical-AR1-Allergy-Reliever/dp/B004MZMYPS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402909316&sr=8-1&keywords=light+hayfever

Viewtodiefor · 16-06-2014 10:08am

Guys why are ye suffering when there is no need to??

Use beconase nasal spray and prevalin spray also then opticrom eye drops and a zirtek tablet. These will sort any problems I get it as bad as anyone!! Try it it works !!

12 element · 16-06-2014 10:10am

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

Guys why are ye suffering when there is no need to??

Use beconase nasal spray and prevalin spray also then opticrom eye drops and a zirtek tablet. These will sort any problems I get it as bad as anyone!! Try it it works !!

That works for YOU. It doesn't work for everyone...

Penny Tration · 16-06-2014 10:11am

12 element wrote: »

That works for YOU. It doesn't work for everyone...

Doesn't work for me. I'm taking antihistamines and nasal spray. No difference.

The_Conductor · 16-06-2014 10:31am

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

Guys why are ye suffering when there is no need to??

Use beconase nasal spray and prevalin spray also then opticrom eye drops and a zirtek tablet. These will sort any problems I get it as bad as anyone!! Try it it works !!

It may work for you- it certainly doesn't for me.
Its not a one size fits all- different things will work for different people- and your approach is completely useless to me.

Viewtodiefor · 16-06-2014 11:13am

The_Conductor wrote: »

It may work for you- it certainly doesn't for me.
Its not a one size fits all- different things will work for different people- and your approach is completely useless to me.

Use opticrom eye drops aswell!

The_Conductor · 16-06-2014 12:48pm

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

Use opticrom eye drops aswell!

Errrr- yes, I have done. To no avail.
You seem intent on trying to peddle your own mixture to the rest of us- regardless of the fact that hayfever is a collection of allergies/intolerances, which affect people in different ways.
Frankly- I don't understand whats so hard to comprehend- people are different- and we react differently to stimuli (or medicines). There is no one-size-fits-all.

Viewtodiefor · 16-06-2014 1:14pm

The_Conductor wrote: »

Errrr- yes, I have done. To no avail.
You seem intent on trying to peddle your own mixture to the rest of us- regardless of the fact that hayfever is a collection of allergies/intolerances, which affect people in different ways.
Frankly- I don't understand whats so hard to comprehend- people are different- and we react differently to stimuli (or medicines). There is no one-size-fits-all.

Just trying to help. Sorry I did! Ok best of luck hope u find something that works

Coopaloop · 16-06-2014 5:48pm

Hayfever has been so so bad the last few days, I had got a prescription from my doc about a month ago, finally gave in today and got it, a nasal spray- avamys and eye drops opatanol, has anyone used either of these? So far so good, my nose has stopped running and my eyes are not as itchy, bloody better work, the two of them cost nearly €40,I can take a tablet too if I need to.

davo2001 · 17-06-2014 2:59pm

I hate this time of year, the antihistamines along with the nasal spray usual do me from April -> end of june however the last few days have been awful.

Night time is the worst, can't sleep because the room is like an oven and a medium dose of hayfever, cant open the Window because i'll be suffering with hayfever twice as bad then.

I'm looking at totally decontaminating my bedroom, any clothes myself and OH have worn will not go into the room because they would have pollen on them (change in the spare room) and have a shower before bed. I've also ordered a good HEPA approved air purifier and filter which should reduce the pollen count in the room and also cool it.

Suffering from this for 25 years, I must say I did use the Kenalog steroid injection a few years ago and it worked FANTASTICALLY. However the potential side effects are too great to risk taking it again.

Kent Brockman · 18-06-2014 11:24am

Son has really bad hayfever (has in the past developed infected conjunctivitis from it) & the rest of us have it in more moderate stages.

This is what we do for chap that has it bad:
Opticrom 4 times a day, Zirtec morning & evening, Hayfever Band on arm, vaseline around outside of nostrils, wear sunglasses, take a spoonful of LOCAL honey every morning, keep windows closed (use fan to circulate air), use air purifier in bedroom, shower before bed, change clothes & pillow cases every evening. Ice pack to reduce swelling around eyes.

Constant battle & just about keeps it under control.
Vitamin C is also supposed to be helpful. Have also tried Prevalin, but the nasal sprays seem to make his nose more stuffed up (sinusy!) & he started having nose bleeds so we stopped using them.

Hopefully there is a tip or two there that can help someone else. Best of luck.

dastardly00 · 18-06-2014 2:17pm

Kent Brockman wrote: »

Son has really bad hayfever (has in the past developed infected conjunctivitis from it) & the rest of us have it in more moderate stages.

This is what we do for chap that has it bad:
Opticrom 4 times a day, Zirtec morning & evening, Hayfever Band on arm, vaseline around outside of nostrils, wear sunglasses, take a spoonful of LOCAL honey every morning, keep windows closed (use fan to circulate air), use air purifier in bedroom, shower before bed, change clothes & pillow cases every evening. Ice pack to reduce swelling around eyes.

Constant battle & just about keeps it under control.
Vitamin C is also supposed to be helpful. Have also tried Prevalin, but the nasal sprays seem to make his nose more stuffed up (sinusy!) & he started having nose bleeds so we stopped using them.

Hopefully there is a tip or two there that can help someone else. Best of luck.

This is obviously my own opinion, and I'll get shot down for saying this, but if someone's hayfever is that bad, then I think it's worth it to get the injection, or at least some form of steroid medication.

I have gotten the injection twice before when I was younger. First time I was about 12, and my hayfever symptoms totally disappeared for a few years. I was 19 when I got the injection again, and the hayfever was completely gone for two years. As I've grown older, the symptoms haven't been anywhere as bad as when I was younger. As long as I take an anti-histamine tablet + a nasal spray from May until September then things aren't too bad.

candy19 · 20-06-2014 12:12am

Does anyone know if the injection is covered on the medical card?

Coopaloop · 20-06-2014 12:15am

candy19 wrote: »

Does anyone know if the injection is covered on the medical card?

My doc told me the injection wasn't available anymore as the side effects were too dangerous. I'm not sure if that's the case everywhere, but I got the impression it was. Could be wrong tho.

exercise is the antidote · 20-06-2014 12:52am

It's available alrite. I asked for it but my doctor wasn't comfortable giving it but said it was available as a last resort!!

12 element · 20-06-2014 1:04am

What are the side affects that make it so risky?

The_Conductor · 20-06-2014 8:23am

Coopaloop wrote: »

My doc told me the injection wasn't available anymore as the side effects were too dangerous. I'm not sure if that's the case everywhere, but I got the impression it was. Could be wrong tho.

My GP had no issue in prescribing it.
Its not covered under any schemes though- not even the 144 a month GPS scheme.
Total cost almost 80 all told.
Money well spent.

The_Conductor · 20-06-2014 8:27am

12 element wrote: »

What are the side affects that make it so risky?

Possible side effects-

Raised blood pressure
Water retention
Muscle weakness
Weakened immune system

There are whole groups of patients (notably those with autoimmune diseases) who are only supposed to be given the injection under continual supervision- e.g. Type 1 diabetics, Crohns/UC sufferers etc.

Also- you're supposed to avoid measles/chickenpox/shingles for 2-3 months after the injection because of possible impaired immunology.

Normal injection given is Kenalog.

nesf · 20-06-2014 8:39am

The_Conductor wrote: »

Possible side effects-

Raised blood pressure
Water retention
Muscle weakness
Weakened immune system

There are whole groups of patients (notably those with autoimmune diseases) who are only supposed to be given the injection under continual supervision- e.g. Type 1 diabetics, Crohns/UC sufferers etc.

Also- you're supposed to avoid measles/chickenpox/shingles for 2-3 months after the injection because of possible impaired immunology.

Normal injection given is Kenalog.

Ah, I was wondering why my GP hadn't suggested it as she prescribes me steroid nasal spay and an antihistamine each year remarking on my symptoms being out of the ordinary. Those side effects would rule me out of anyone optional like this.

nesf · 20-06-2014 8:41am

Kent Brockman wrote: »

Son has really bad hayfever (has in the past developed infected conjunctivitis from it) & the rest of us have it in more moderate stages.

This is what we do for chap that has it bad:
Opticrom 4 times a day, Zirtec morning & evening, Hayfever Band on arm, vaseline around outside of nostrils, wear sunglasses, take a spoonful of LOCAL honey every morning, keep windows closed (use fan to circulate air), use air purifier in bedroom, shower before bed, change clothes & pillow cases every evening. Ice pack to reduce swelling around eyes.

Constant battle & just about keeps it under control.
Vitamin C is also supposed to be helpful. Have also tried Prevalin, but the nasal sprays seem to make his nose more stuffed up (sinusy!) & he started having nose bleeds so we stopped using them.

Hopefully there is a tip or two there that can help someone else. Best of luck.

You're describing my childhood there. Nasal sprays + tablets and moving out of the countryside and into the city helped. Air purifiers etc didn't do anything for me personally. I'd strongly suggest chatting to your GP about this. You really need to figure out something before they're of exam age.

Penny Tration · 20-06-2014 9:11am

nesf wrote: »

You're describing my childhood there. Nasal sprays + tablets and moving out of the countryside and into the city helped. Air purifiers etc didn't do anything for me personally. I'd strongly suggest chatting to your GP about this. You really need to figure out something before they're of exam age.

I'd second trying to get it under control before exams.

I developed it before my Junior Cert exams, and it was so bad. Ended up with a bad bout of conjunctivitis, and while I did my exams and did well on them, the strain on my eyes was so bad that I closed them every ten minutes in the examto rest them :pac:

Kent Brockman · 21-06-2014 7:37pm

dastardly00 wrote: »

This is obviously my own opinion, and I'll get shot down for saying this, but if someone's hayfever is that bad, then I think it's worth it to get the injection, or at least some form of steroid medication.

I have gotten the injection twice before when I was younger. First time I was about 12, and my hayfever symptoms totally disappeared for a few years. I was 19 when I got the injection again, and the hayfever was completely gone for two years. As I've grown older, the symptoms haven't been anywhere as bad as when I was younger. As long as I take an anti-histamine tablet + a nasal spray from May until September then things aren't too bad.

Unfortunately the injection is not an option for us as the child in question had a kidney removed when he was 2 and a half.

larrlin24 · 25-06-2014 12:01pm

My hayfever is out of control this year. Constant nose bleeds, really sore throat, itchy eyes, nose is running all day long, sneezing non stop. I've been taking one clarityn a day and prevalin which works for a couple of hours, but after that I'm miserable. I haven't slept properly in so long. I'm awake all night with a horribly sore throat. Think it's time to go to a doctor

Tips for the Hayfever Sufferers

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