Hay Fever - Is there any cure?

[oceanauk]

I am a long term hay fever sufferer - from when I was about 11 or 12 until the present (now being 35!) - I was told once I would "grow out of it" - to the contrary I am now even worse - in fact I dread summer as the last two years I've been really ill.  I do not sleep and last summer my nose quite literally ran like a tap non stop with clear, water-like liquid - I couldn't even talk to people because my nose would not stop!  My throat will be permanently swollen and I generally feel just completely dreadful.  It's very hard to explain to anybody who has not had it how awful it is.  I spent a lot of time at the doctors too last summer begging for different medication as I think I have tried everything and either I'm now immune to anti-histamines or they are just not working for me.  I have pinned my allergy down to mainly tree pollen - a real problem as my job will mean I'm outside surrounded by trees and grass!  Help!  Does anybody PLEASE have any cures that really work?

[elleroo]

i too get really bad hayfever so i sympathise. i know what its like to dread summer, going out in the day is just painful for the throat, eyes nose etc. not exactly what summer should be!! i spent years trying to find remedies that would help but medication just didnt work on me, then my doctor told me about an injection. it is a slow release thing that is injected into your bum (not actually that painful!) and the first year i had it it was fantastic, hayfever didnt bother me. unfortunately you cant have it every year cos you become immune to it, but its worth it for every other summer. ask about it.

[kaktus]

One of my friends had some kind of injections too. It 's quite a long proces where you get an injection once a week at first, then every two weeks, then one every month. the monthly injections continues for a year or so and then you have to get one every year. I not sure htats exactly how it works, but it's the same as if you were allergic to bee stings. Hope you find a solution

[Woodstock]

Years ago I had a course of desensitising injections - over about 10 weeks - which were brilliant and reduced my severe hayfever to virtually nil for many years.  I have begun to suffer again slightly - and I also suffer allergies to other things such as house dust mites, cats, etc. so I have periodic flares ups of hayfever type symptoms all year round.  However, I have since heard that the course of injections I had years ago have since been taken off the market due to them causing sudden death in one or two patients!!  However, a nurse friend of mine who works in a doctors surgery told me that there is another variety available (apparently a safer product) you just need to ask for it at your surgery.  Other than that I find Benadryl the most effective for me at present - but I expect you've tried most things available.  Best of luck for the coming summer.

Oh, just throught, another friend swears by honey (made from the pollen you are allergic to, so it would be necessary to find an amateur beekeeper local to you I suppose) about 3 teaspoons per day.

[mainswiggans]

I have bad hayefever too. I read something recently about the same sort of thing Woodstock was saying about honey from pollen that causes the allergies, but that seems too much like hard work. on my girlfriend's dad's recommendation i started to take this stuff called Hayfever Reliever which he orders off the net at http://www.healthydirect.co.uk/HDSite/product/Immune+Support/0426.htm.

he swaers by it, i've only been taking it a week, and you're supposed to take it for a month before your symptoms start...so fingers crossed.

[hopalong]

Try puting a little vaseline on the nostrals. Any pollon may then stick to it before it goes up your nose

[nicola_red]

I am another chronic sufferer and a couple of summers ago all antihistamines except piriton - which makes most people, me included, very sleepy - stopped working for me.  I now use piriton and sudafed tablets together - sudafed contain an ingredient called pseudoephedrine which counteracts the drowsiness - in the off-season and as soon as it gets to april I start using a steroid nasal spray (flixonase) which seems to keep the worst pf the symptoms at bay.  However, I just started using it again last week and I'm feeling a bit nauseous and headachey at the moment, which may or may not be connected.  So I don't think anything is foolproof!  My mum has also always suffered badly with hers peaking at the age I am now and she has finally stopped getting it as badly - so only another 25 years til I grow out of it!