H*y F*v*r season

[rosemary johnson]

Is it my imagination, or has it just suddenly gone WHOOOMPHH!!! this year?
Two red sore eyes, lens tolerance plummeting, bose all bunged up, lungs complaining....
Cortisol (? - cortisone?) levels probably going up, as baan having those "waking-nightmares" again.
This time last year the anti-rejection drops were keeping the grafted eye less red than it might have been; this year - not.
ANyone else finding the dreaded h** f**** suddenly hit them?
ANyone got any suggestions for (not-steroid) anti-hay fever eye drops?? - I guess I should ask next hospital appointment, too, being post-graft.
Or tablets, or anything else?
Never tried anti-histamines tablet before last year - didn't want to be either dried up or half asleep. Last year practice nurse gave me prescriptions for two sorts.
Neither seemed to do much good; first lot were "non-drowsy" but left me witht he feeling of being out on my feet and trying to keep going on black coffee - dropping with tiredness but couldn't sleep. Other sort had no noticeable effect on the hay fever and left me just run down.
But then, the "non-drowsy" cough medecines leaving me more tired and sleepy than the old traditional recipes!
Only ever had limited success with anti-histamine creams - if I slap the Anthisan on a bite as soon as the mozzie has bit, it works. Once it has started to swell, tubefuls no nothing.
ANyone else ever have this?
Anyone got any suggestions?
Apart from emigrating.....
Rosemary

[Andrew MacLean]

I think it's that time of year! Cherry blossom, Oilseed rape in a week or two (probably already shedding pollen in the south), all the early year nasties in one go.

Andrew

[Lizb]

I suffer badly with hayfever and allergies in general. Both my husband and I user the boots own version of the Zirtex brand (I cant remember the active ingrediant but i just ask for that when in boots). Neither of us suffer with drowsiness (and we dont get the non-drowsy version either), and currently have found this one to be the best for us (lasts 24-36hrs a time). Previously we have both used Clarityn and/or Benadryl hayfever tablets but have found that we need to take more than the recommended dose to get full 24hr effects.
It is more a case of try and see which ones suit you best I am afraid. Talk to a pharmacist about which ones you have tried and see which other are out there. My dad and one sister swears by Piriton but it sends me, my mum and other sister sleep.

[Loopy-Lou]

I take the one-a-day non drowsy antihistamines but if nasal symptoms are really bad I'll use an antihistamine [not steroid] nasal spray from Boots [Aller-eze I think]. Opticrom for eyes but I'd check with Moorfields post-graft, otherwise I keep the windows shut and allegedly it helps to put some vaseline up your nose to stop the pollen travelling up. My top tip is to put some Hypromellose in the fridge and to flood the eyes with it when itchy, preferably before rubbing them as cool fluids seem to calm the itchiness.

[Graeme Stevenson]

Most certainly hayfever has been around even here in Glasgow for some weeks now. The symptoms are horrible for all sufferers and KC into the bargain makes for a real troublesome time.Many of the oral medications are excellent but you must be careful of the side efffects of some.
Remember all the old fashioned remedies like cold compress etc.

[rosemary johnson]

Believe it or not..... I can be out in the field with the horses (trundling round with a wheelbarrow and shovel......!) in themiddle of the day and not be too bad. It is when it rains hard, then the sun comes out again that it is worst..

I think it's cos the pollen gets wafted up to the upper atmosphere in the midday sun, and the rain washes it down again, then when the rain stops, the pavements dryout and the pollen starts to rise right up the nose again.
If anything, I'm more sensitive to air pollution and photochemical smog than to pollen itself - unfortunately, air pollution tends to hang around east London. (Getting out to Essex into a field with the horses gets away from some of the worst of the exhaust fumes).
Biggest issue for me is not the steaming nose or red eyes, but the wheezing lungs - it mainly sets off my asthma. And the asthma is controlled on a knife-edge these days anyway. SIgh.
Must remember to try looking up "anti-histamines" in the online British National Formulary. Then go and have a chat with the pharmacist, printout in hand.
Rosemary

[red-eye]

I also suffer from hayfever, though I rarely get itchy eyes, its mainly a runny nose, repeatedly sneezing and feeling cr*p.

I'm going to give these Cetirizine tabs a try from Chemist Direct. Only 28p for 30 days supply, they are suppose to be similar to Zirtek which I got on well with.

[Lizb]

I also suffer from hayfever, though I rarely get itchy eyes, its mainly a runny nose, repeatedly sneezing and feeling cr*p.

I'm going to give these Cetirizine tabs a try from Chemist Direct. Only 28p for 30 days supply, they are suppose to be similar to Zirtek which I got on well with.

Cetirizine is the active ingrediant in the Zirtek brand of tablets, that i can never remember the name.

[red-eye]

Yes, they also do the Loratadine tabs which is the active ingredient in Clarityn, suppose to be non-drowsy. 69p for 30 days.

[rosemary johnson]

The asthma clinic nurse prescribed me cetirizine tablets last year.
It felt like they had something in them making me tired, and also a stimulant supposed to counteract that.
I ended up spending nearly a month (30 tablet pack) feeling like I was out on my feet with exhaustion an dtrying to keep going with strong black coffee - and couldn't sleep a wink because of all the coffee!
GOt that whatever time of day I tried taking them.
COuldn't detect any particular benefit for the (hay fever induced) asthma - certainly didn't get any worse again when I got to the end of the pack and stopped (with great relief).
ANyone else had anything like that on ""non-drowsy"" medications????
Next appointmnet, the nurse understood what I meant by "knackered and trying to survive on black coffee" and prescribed something called Telfast. Not quite the caffeine effect, child dose, no effect on hay fever, just felt run down. Gave up mid way through the pack.
Telfast - fexofenidine????
Will ask hospital (got appointment in fortnight's time) about anti-h.f. eye drops and see what they suggest. If anything.
Of course, what I really need is that endocrinologist appointment, and to ask whether the red (combo long-acting beta with small amount steroid) inhalers might be making my steroid hypersensitivity worse - because they were better for the asthma last h.f. season than just the long-acting beta on its own. Hypersensitivity so bad now I just daren't touch the thing again.
Maybe I should jsut go round all the itme in one of my cyclist smog masks! - I have them for working inthe stables as I'm allergic to horses - but dread to think of the comments I'd get about swine flu!!!
Rosemary