Hayfever

[jridgeback]

What is the best prescription hayfever medication ? Have tried clarityn, loratdine without any luck also, please do not suggest antihistimines as they do not work for me. Thanks

[hinge1967]

If only it were that simple!!!

Its a matter of perservering with all the options until you find one that works ok? I've never found one that is a hundred percent. At the moment I'm using citrizine and eyedrops, and while its reasonably effective, my head still feels like cotton wool.

I think the only alternatives to antihistamines are nasel steroids (like Rhinolast) and homeopathic remedies, both of which take a long time to become effective.

[nicola_red]

I find Flixonase steroid spray the most effective but it's cheaper to buy over the counter (unless you get free prescriptions of course).  Don't dismiss antihistamines out of hand til you have tried every type - Piriton still work for me but they're the only ones.

[londondave]

Find out where you can get local honey that helps

[BigDogsWang]

Try Beconase

[caza72]

piriton is good, it comes also in liquid form so its good for the kids or big kids in the family who also suffer

[barender]

On BBC Breakfast TV last week they were talking about Immunotherapy in the treatment of hay fever. It's a series of injections (I know some of you will say oh no, but if you really suffer . . . ) which apparently is extremely effective. They start with a v small dose which contains pollen (just to make sure you don't get an allergic reaction) then increase it over a period of weeks. It's been tried and tested, but I don't know how much it costs or if you can get it on the NH. (Failing that the good old fashioned partaking of the local honey can't do any harm.)

[Hermia]

I find Boots own-brand anti-histamines and Beconase nasal spray work reasonably well. I don't know anyone who has managed to totally get rid of the symptoms. I know a few people who tried homeopathy and found it useless. Eating local honey is supposed to work, but I am allergic to honey!

[sddsddean]

I only get hayfever from rape and luckily for me, thats all finished flowering, so I'm OK until next year! I find Benadryl works for me. If you have a blocked/runny nose, use the Benadryl plus (which has a decongestant).

[graceful]

if your eyes get swollen and itchy because of hay fever boil a kettle put 2 tea bags in a dish pour the boiling water over the tea bags let them cool then squeeze the tea bags out and place them on your eyes my daughter has really bad hayfever and  her eyes get really sore when she uses tea bags it really does soothe her eyes iv edone it with my dog too when shes had hayfever works a treat good luck

[joles66]

Hi there, my son suffers terrible with this condition and is on benydral at the moment which he is getting too used to, i also tumble dry all his clothes because the pollen sticks to it if put on the washing line, he has a heppa filter in his bedroom which you can get from argos, and i put vaseline on his eye brows/lashes and nostrils which helps. I have been advised for next year to start giving him the medication 1month before pollen season starts and this will help reduce the syptoms.

[doc_steve]

If you are sure that all antihistamines are failing, you could ask your GP to try Hyposensitisation drugs.

You must have a very severe case in order to get this treatment, as they usually involve an injetion, and you will have to be monitored for at least an hour after the medication due to a significant risk of anaphylaxis (allergic reaction), particularly in patients with asthma.

Pollinex has found to be the most successful, and is used for treatment of seasonal allergic hayfever due to grass or tree pollen in patients who have failed to respond to anti-allergy drugs.

net price initial treatment set (3 vials) = �170.00; extension course treatment (1 vial) = �150.00 

its also quite costly!