Tips for the Hayfever Sufferers

Rantorama

Today has been the first day all year I've had very bad hayfever

Anyone recommend tips/best treatments they have used.

Thanks in advance.

im...LOST

Rantorama wrote:

Today has been the first day all year I've had very bad hayfever

Me too!!!

angeldelight

One Zirtek tablet after breakfast and it doesn't bother me at all. It's a non-drowsy antihistamine so won't affect driving or anything, I used to use Piriton but had to take it few times and made me really sleepy, couldn't do without Zirtek now!

Smileylynz

Piriton, , Hope I spelt that right, Excellent Tablets, Cheap too, Get them n any chemist! They dont make me drowsy, but nearly made the girl I work with fall asleep yesterday!!!

Dudess

NASAL SPRAY!!! One of the best things ever invented! You can get them over the counter or (I think) stronger ones on prescription. Pay attention to the dosage, mind. You can't just use it whenever you start to feel itchy/stuffy/streamy. Use antihistamines in conjunction with it. I, and others, have found that using antihistamines on their own is a waste of time, money and energy. My GP agrees.
There is also an injection. However, I wanted to get it one year but my mum, who's a nurse, advised against it because of the level of steroids it contains.
This was before I started using the wondrous NASAL SPRAY!!
In my experience (and it's not modest, if I may say so), nasal spray + antihistamines = winning combination!
(Go for a non-drowsy antihistamine - I recommend Zirtek - and, again, don't pop them whenever the feeling takes you. Might seem obvious but it has to be said. Also, you don't want to be relying on them. But you shouldn't have to worry about that anyway because of the magnificent NASAL SPRAY!!)

I love you, Nasal Spray. You save my summers!

The_Conductor

I suffer from bad hayfever.
I was prescribed Neoclarityn (the big brother of Clarityn) but decided I would have to stop taking them as I was going through 10 or 12 a day, along with a shipload of actifed just so I was able to breath.

I have bought a very large dehumidifier with particulate filters. I have to change the activated carbon about once every 10 days (its a bitch its so difficult to buy activated carbon here.....)

I now need nothing to get a good nights sleep (I still need a ship load of decongestants and antihistamine in work, which is a bitch).

You can get decent dehumidifiers with particulate filters for between 200 and 300 Euro (Argos and some other places do cheaper ones, but while they may work for humidity they are not great as particulate filters).

Santa Claus

I find Sterimar brilliant. It's a nasal spray of just salt water and is available over the counter.
A quick spray clears out the pollen that gets stuck in the sinus cavity !

cuckoo

Dudess wrote:

NASAL SPRAY!!! One of the best things ever invented! You can get them over the counter or (I think) stronger ones on prescription. Pay attention to the dosage, mind. You can't just use it whenever you start to feel itchy/stuffy/streamy. Use antihistamines in conjunction with it. I, and others, have found that using antihistamines on their own is a waste of time, money and energy. My GP agrees.
There is also an injection. However, I wanted to get it one year but my mum, who's a nurse, advised against it because of the level of steroids it contains.
This was before I started using the wondrous NASAL SPRAY!!
In my experience (and it's not modest, if I may say so), nasal spray + antihistamines = winning combination!
(Go for a non-drowsy antihistamine - I recommend Zirtek - and, again, don't pop them whenever the feeling takes you. Might seem obvious but it has to be said. Also, you don't want to be relying on them. But you shouldn't have to worry about that anyway because of the magnificent NASAL SPRAY!!)

I love you, Nasal Spray. You save my summers!

Word. I use Flixonaise (over the counter nasal spray) every morning, and take an antihistamine in the evening.

This summer i've been getting very itchy eyes - eyedrops (a Boots freebie when i bought some antihistamines there) help.

tabatha

my husband has it very bad. nothing works for him. he has been taking a table spoon of honey for the last four weeks every morning as this is suppose to help and as of yet he has no problems. he normally gets the kenalog injection every year off the doctor and it lasts all summer long. its a steroid injection. works a treat!

athena 2000

Santa Claus wrote:

I find Sterimar brilliant. It's a nasal spray of just salt water and is available over the counter.
A quick spray clears out the pollen that gets stuck in the sinus cavity !

^ This is one of the most simple and effective methods around. It truly works. Wetting a cotton bud or a twist of tissue with plain water and gently wiping inside your nose can be helpful for a quick fix too.

Static M.e.

One Zirtek tablet

Agree on this works wonders for me

Orlee

Otrivine for your nose - It's amazing!

See if you can get a hayfever injection from your GP - but you can only get it every second year.
It's a bit pricey but if you're really bad then it's worth it. I actually get blisters on my eyes from this curse and I haven't found anything over the counter that works but I suppose everyone reacts differently!

Oobie

The zirtek isn't working today - I can't stop sneezing!

grimsbymatt

angeldelight wrote:

One Zirtek tablet after breakfast and it doesn't bother me at all. It's a non-drowsy antihistamine so won't affect driving or anything, I used to use Piriton but had to take it few times and made me really sleepy, couldn't do without Zirtek now!

Don't pay for brand names! Go to your chemist and ask for generic cetirizine dihydrochloride - it's exactly the same stuff. Most effective treatment I've found, for less than a quid a box.

JohnDigital

I’ve always had really bad hayfever and have been through all the prescription and non-prescription drugs. For me the nasal sprays just exacerbated the situation. Zirtek seems to be the best for me. But what I figured out a few years ago was a link for me with milk and bad hayfever. I stopped taking milk from May to August and my heyfever is at least 50% less. If I were to drink a pint of milk this morning I would be in bits with heyfever this afternoon. A bit of milk in Tea/Coffee doesn’t bother me.

conzy

I have a runny nose and im sneezing today:(

I took a neoclaratyn (prescription extra strength claratyn) and hopefully it will keep it under control:)

Dudess

conzymaher wrote:

I have a runny nose and im sneezing today:(

I took a neoclaratyn (prescription extra strength claratyn) and hopefully it will keep it under control:)

Me too.:mad: Just another point on the antihistamines: the non-drowsy ones are non-drowsy because they contain a stimulant so don't take them before going to sleep.
JohnDigital, I'm surprised you've had such a bad experience with nasal spray (in case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a fan ) but that just goes to show you, different treatments work differently for different people.

dabbler2004

Piriton works for me, I take one every morning in the summer months (a stitch in time ), tried Clarytin but found they made me very drowsy.

Dudess, sorry to disagree but nasal spray just made me 10 times worse but like you said different strokes for different folks

My name is Mud

Rhinolast nasal spray works a charm for me

tk123

Rantorama wrote:

Today has been the first day all year I've had very bad hayfever

Anyone recommend tips/best treatments they have used.

Thanks in advance.

You're lucky - I've had it since April on and off but today it was bad which sucked cos it's my birthday! I've been taking Zirtek on the mornings when I have symptoms but they haven't been working in the last week or so. I'm planning on getting the hayfever jab next week - i've been putting it off since I heard you get it in the a$$ :rolleyes:

ChityWest

Happy birthday ! I find piriton stops it everytime - take one a day for a week or two and then it's gone till next year. No drowsiness and pretty cheap too.

tk123

Thanks!! I can't take piriton - it gives me crazy palpatations when mixed with my thyroid medicine.

Rantorama

This morning I put some vaseline on a cotton bud and put it in and around my nose, i was O.K. today

But be sure to do this early in the morning,before the spores get up there,or it will be all day sneezes:mad:

Aspiration

I've tried Zirtek, Clarityn and Piriton and they don't work on me. I can't take nasal sprays because I get nosebleeds... so does anyone have any other suggestions? I haven't talked to my doctor bout it yet, as i've just gotten used to all the sneezy and puffy eyes with years but I mean, if I can stop it, of course that'd be great too?

GAAman

i get it really bad for a few days a year i dont take anythin but at its worst try dabbin a bit of vaseline around the entrance of the nostril and the lip underneath your nose

It catches the pollen and stops it goin up and buggin the hell outta ya!!

melekalikimaka

yeah i get it really bad, i get athmsa from it and sometimes a rash. i take neo claritin and if i start getting really bad a quick shower clears me up a bit...well maybe thats me with the skin allergy aspect but it helps my eyes alot too

Supercell

Xyzal - Non drousy, no streaming eyes and nose, has transformed my summers. Needs a docs prescription though.

Oobie

Piriton knocks me out but it works. I can't drive for ages after taking one though because my eyes won't stay open.

rugbug86

im immune to the drowy effects of piriton.

i can't use nasal sprays cos they make my nose bleed so i tend to take 2 piriton, a clarityn and a prescription hayfever remedy from america, early in the morning, and i'm fine for the day. but if it gets really bad, i just take more piriton.

mtr

Hiya, I tried goats milk with my usual medication and I found the goats milk made me less congested in the head and my eyes watered less. I would have a couple of glasses a day. It was suggested to me by a farmer. He said that goats eat the bushes that people have allergy issues with. You can get the milk in the local supermarkets.

I am going to try honey as well this year with my porridge. I have been told to use unprocessed honey. Is that the same as the honey that comes from Ireland in a jar in the shops? Is organic honey unprocessed? Any suggestions?

The medication I take is xyzol. It is presribed, but nothing else works for me.

*Angel*

Aspiration wrote:

I've tried Zirtek, Clarityn and Piriton and they don't work on me. I can't take nasal sprays because I get nosebleeds... so does anyone have any other suggestions? I haven't talked to my doctor bout it yet, as i've just gotten used to all the sneezy and puffy eyes with years but I mean, if I can stop it, of course that'd be great too?

I use to try loads of them and they wouldn't work, but I think the problem was I didn't give them a long enough try maybe just a week or so. I gave piriton a proper go couple weeks taking it every morning (in the summer just) and it worked great and i'm still relying on it! It gets rid of the puffy eyes too.

Supercell

Amazingly I havent had to use any medication so far this year and i've moved to the countryside!!
Maybe the traffic fumes in the Dublin suburbs made my symptoms worse or something, am very suprised to be honest.

StandnDeliver

Get honey from your local area, and have a tablespoon a day in your cereal,smoothie, coffee etc. i know a girl who started this treatment and now she is rocking in the hayfever season,no symptoms at all.
she started doing it last year and swears by it. worth a try as honey is less than €3 a jar.

dame

Have you tried using Sap sheets?

http://www.kenrico.com/sapsheet.html

They're fantastic! My other half has hay fever but using these last few weeks and no sniffles yet this year.

Put one sheet on the underside of the toes to detox sinuses) on each foot every night or every few nights.

Kenrico (Japanese company) make the best ones (get the gold ones TRMX2) and they're sold all over the world under different brands (but will say manufactured by Kenrico). They'll cost you a fortune if you buy them in health food shop in Ireland (E36 for a pack of 14 in under the name Crystal something), but you can order them in batches from America for 100 sheets for approximately E62 including the delivery, (I did that and they arrived a week later). The company was called Health Marvels.

dame

Longfield wrote:

Amazingly I havent had to use any medication so far this year and i've moved to the countryside!!
Maybe the traffic fumes in the Dublin suburbs made my symptoms worse or something, am very suprised to be honest.

My other half would get symptoms when walking anywhere near Guinness brewery. The smell of the hops would do it.

Piste

Even though Clarityn is marketed as one a day you can take one every 10 to 12 hours if you find that one isn't enough, and as the pollen count tends to be highest in the evening if you take one at 7am and one at 7pm that should sort you out.

You can take Beconase or Flixonase Nasal spray in conjunction with an anti-histamine, four sprays in the morning and four at night and you're sorted! But it's more preventative than anything else so it may take a while to build up even though I found it worked instantly for me.

Also when you come home at the end of the day (especially if you've been outside a lot) change out of your clothes and wash them, you'll have pollen spores in your clothes that can get into the air in your house.

TheJoker

Believe me when I say this....

Having an auld "tommy tank" can get rid of the symptoms for a few hours.

This is not a joke....

Pet

Longfield wrote:

Amazingly I havent had to use any medication so far this year and i've moved to the countryside!!
Maybe the traffic fumes in the Dublin suburbs made my symptoms worse or something, am very suprised to be honest.

My hayfever only got really bad when I moved into the city centre for college. You tend to be constantly exposed living in the country, whereas in the city, there's no pollen for ages, and then all of a sudden in April/May, you're bombarded. Makes sense.

WindSock

Eat local honey to build up your immune system to the pollen.

Victor

Piste wrote:

Even though Clarityn is marketed as one a day you can take one every 10 to 12 hours if you find that one isn't enough, and as the pollen count tends to be highest in the evening if you take one at 7am and one at 7pm that should sort you out.

Be careful with exceeding stated dosagesa nd only do so under medical supervision.

tk123

Does anyone use eye drops - if so which ones? I use Otrivine and they burn my eyes out for about 5 mins after taking thm My doc prescribed me Nasonex and it works treat but I still have to use eye drops sometimes...

sweet-rasmus

hey, i heard that if you take "mixed pollen" as a homeopathic remedy it should build your immunity against pollen. now, they do warn it's meant to get worse before better. i started taking them about 2 months ago, but i found it was causing me to sneeze after taking it most of the time it being exam season in college i thought i'd stop trying, but has anyone had any success with the homeopathic remedy???

i don't really like taking tablets for the hayfever, so on bad days i try to shower if i've been outside and the pollen is high, and to change my clothes. strangely enough, i find that eating yoghurt always soothed the symptoms.

i'm intrigued about the honey, but being a vegan i can't try it. on the plus side i hope the absence of dairy for the past year will help my symptoms!!

tk123

where do you get the pollen stuff?

sweet-rasmus

erm, you should be able to buy the mixed pollen homeopathic remedy from most chemists (made by WELEDA). or healthfood shops. the one i got was in a "hayfever survival set" http://www.weleda.co.uk/products/name/hayfever-survival-kit

kizzyr

A teaspoon of honey (ideally from your local area) in a cup of chamomile tea is very good for hayfever and clearing your sinuses. Something else also worth doing is to dry your clothes but particularly your bed clothes inside rather than outside on a clothes line as the pollen gets trapped in them and then you wear them all day or sleep in them at night and so never escape the pollen.

tk123

sweet-rasmus wrote:

erm, you should be able to buy the mixed pollen homeopathic remedy from most chemists (made by WELEDA). or healthfood shops. the one i got was in a "hayfever survival set" http://www.weleda.co.uk/products/name/hayfever-survival-kit

Thanks I might try it - i've been taking medicine on and off since the Feb and I'm just tired of it at this stage I can't even wear my lenses anymore and have to wear my dorky glasses instead

kraggy

The worst part for me is the eternally itching eyes which just get itchier and itchier the more i scratch.

it has been psychologically disturbing at times. really.

however, i went to my gp a couple of years ago and basically begged for help.

I had taken all anti-histamines, nasal sprays etc in the past and the steroid injection (Depo-medrone) worked for about 5 years but in the last 3/4 years that hadn't worked.

So, desparate and down, he prescribed me tablets and nasal spray and eye drops to try and attack it from all angles.

The eyedrops were and still are the business. They are called Opticrom and they are available over the counter for less than €10.

They really did wonders for me.

Hope they do for you!

sweet-rasmus

the only problem with the homeopathic remedy is that it isn't a quick fix. don't forget the internet has a wealth of information about hayfever!

shapez

I use Clarityn or Piriton. It really depends on the person. I've used the nasal spray before but I didn't find them effective.

Evil Phil

sweet-rasmus wrote:

hey, i heard that if you take "mixed pollen" as a homeopathic remedy it should build your immunity against pollen. now, they do warn it's meant to get worse before better. i started taking them about 2 months ago, but i found it was causing me to sneeze after taking it most of the time it being exam season in college i thought i'd stop trying, but has anyone had any success with the homeopathic remedy???

Nelsons on Duke St Dublin should be able to help you get a remedy that works for you. They're a homepathic pharmacy, I find that most health food shops haven't a clue about homeopathy or how it works.

I dont' have hayfever (thank god ) but I've taken remedies for other things and they've worked great.

kieranmcg1

I heard this a while back but my hyfever has never been bad enough to try it but iv heard something that is sipposed to help hay fever sufferers is to share a kiss with a lover . it would be the kind of thing you would try if you were cought off guard . worth a try if it helps at all