I normally get quite mild hayfever, and do not bother to take antihistamines. However a couple of weeks ago I got a quite bad atack so bought some Loratadine tablets and started taking them.

Now I feel great, it has made me realise that I have spent my entire adult (and probably childhood) life with my nostrils at least partially closed, I can’t ever remember being as able to breath through my nose as easily as I now can.

Now that leads me to believe that there must be something common in my environment or diet that is causing an allergic reaction, so what is the best scientifically backed method of finding out what it could be (no whoo bullshit or correspondence school of Mumbai trained nutritionists).

Are there any known problem with taking antihistamines long term.

I take them every day and have been for years. Reduces my general dust / pollen allergy and I sneeze a lot less. Buy them online, a whole year’s supply of generics for about £15.

Footflaps + 1

Top tip – take them last thing at night – clear airways whilst you sleep.

Yes, I’ve been taking Loratadine for donkey’s years. It’s effective and doesn’t make you drowsy like the old drugs used to.

The good news is that in the same way that you probably started getting hay fever in your early teens, you will eventually grow out of it as well. Mine began to die away from about 55.

Another piece of good news is that if you have a cold, taking Loratadine helps to dry up your runny eyes and nose and makes the symptoms more bearable.

Get a nose rinser (saline solution). Revolutionary. Gets rid of pollen from your nose, big difference Vs only taking anti histamines. 15:quid on Amazon.

For me there are some days when Loratadine (or Cetirizine) just aren’t enough. Unsurprisingly it might be just having got in from a ride… last year I was prescribed Fexofenadine (need prescription), they work amazingly well.

Anyway I ended up going to Spain on holiday over the summer, you can buy them there over the counter for a couple of €. Might be worth having a look at if you head over that way (or know someone who is going). I do the same with my inhalers for asthma too, much cheaper than paying for a prescription.

hammerite – Member
For me there are some days when Loratadine (or Cetirizine) just aren’t enough. Unsurprisingly it might be just having got in from a ride… last year I was prescribed Fexofenadine (need prescription), they work amazingly well.

Anyway I ended up going to Spain on holiday over the summer, you can buy them there over the counter for a couple of €. Might be worth having a look at if you head over that way (or know someone who is going). I do the same with my inhalers for asthma too, much cheaper than paying for a prescription.

I’ll second Fexofenadine, great stuff.

Buy them online, a whole year’s supply of generics for about £15.

do you google the brand or the ingredient? How do you know its safe?

How do you know its safe?

How do you know any pill you’re taking is safe?

You don’t, you trust trust the supply chain is legit.

Generic anti-histamines are so cheap, I’d be amazed if there’s any money in selling counterfeits…

Fancy posting a link? I’d like to try

I went through a period of getting a cold every 3 weeks, it taking 2 weeks to clear, one week feeling okay before repeating.

I paid to go for a full checkup with an independent Dr, and he told me to use Beconase, which was great, but not a long term, all the time thing, so now I’m just using Boots Loratadine everyday. I don’t think I’ll ever stop.

I’ve suffered since I was 5. Nearly 40 years on and it seems to be waning a little although I’ve developed mild asthma in the last two which hasn’t helped!

But FWIW:

– Fluticasone nose spray helps reduce running and itching nose and therefore sneezing
– Ceterizine tablets taken when I’m suffering
– I’ve stopped taking tablets daily as this seemed to lessen their efficacy when I needed them
– Wrap around glasses when my eyes are bad
– Optichrom eyedrops when my eyes are really bad
– Cheap online ceterizine works good
– A luke warm shower helps with bad attacks
– Riding and running kicks in my adrenaline which lessens the symptoms (until I stop!)
– Alcohol interferes with the anti-histamine (no fun in a pub garden)
– Fexofenadine sends me weird and I can’t sleep (just like Triludan did before they banned it!)
– Never stray far from a pack of tissues
– Afternoons are worse
– UofW pollen forecast is good:

http://www.worcester.ac.uk/discover/pollen-forecast.html

I use https://www.chemist-4-u.com/pharmacy/allergy-hayfever.html

Yep, taking cetrizine and loratadine every day for ten years now. I get sneezy, itchy eyes, irritable and generally blocked up without it.

Generic rhinitis is the diagnosis, just my body overreacting to dust and the airborne miasma of daily indoor life. I’m OK outside and don’t actually have hayfever so can ease up on them in the summer when I’m outside more. I tend to just tell people I have hayfever if they ask otherwise I bore myself with the answer.

Can buy them for pennies on line or if you’re stuck, a month’s supply is £1.50 in Wilkinson, next to the 7 day pack of benadryl for £4.50 for the exact same stuff.

I’m with Theboyneeds on this one.

Suffered from perennial rhinitis for years..basically allergies to everything. Options go and get an allergy test and find out what makes it worse.

Secondly DO NOT take daily antihistamines as it will lesser the affect. Only take them when needed and in serious cases you can up the dosage. For a 3 month period ( this was prescribeD) I took 20ml a day of Cetirizine for random facial swellings.

I take Loratadine almost daily through the summer months last thing at night. Less so in the winter but I’m thinking of trying this year as I suffer from dust allergy.

I get mine from https://www.chemistdirect.co.uk

Secondly DO NOT take daily antihistamines as it will lesser the affect. Only take them when needed and in serious cases you can up the dosage. For a 3 month period ( this was prescribeD) I took 20ml a day of Cetirizine for random facial swellings.

This isn’t what my GP told me. He said it’s fine to take the likes of loratadine permanently.

You all NEED to get a nose rinser. This is no joke. It’s the equivalent of not having any hayfever as soon as you’ve done it. Your nose is full of pollen, this gets rid of them.

Try it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/a50/Squip-NasaKleen-Squeezie-Nasal-Irrigation-System-Sachets/B00AFR3N0C/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1496330849&sr=8-6&keywords=nose+rinse

My teenage summers were blighted by my parents, both Drs, not realising I had hay fever. Later I was in one of the drug trials for terfenadine and it changed my life

Secondly DO NOT take daily antihistamines as it will lesser the affect. Only take them when needed and in serious cases you can up the dosage. For a 3 month period ( this was prescribeD) I took 20ml a day of Cetirizine for random facial swelling

not sure this is true – I prescribe them and haven’t seen it happen yet.

Fexofenadine may be best kept in reserve – side-effects more of an issue.
I find loratadine better with my HF than cetirizine, but YMMV

Lastly – as I get older it has become less of an issue. 🙂

With me, it seemed like they only had any effect if I took them before actually getting any symptoms. But the moment symptoms happened, they had no effect whatsoever.
Forget what it was, but it was most likely Boots own brand hayfever tabs.
So now I don’t bother.
Maybe I should wangle another trip to South America, since that European spring was the only year in the last 30 that I had no hayfever symptoms at all. Trees don’t have seasons there in quite the same way as here. Nor do they have grass or birch.

Tried camomile tea once, cos I was advised that’s sposed to help. Not only does it taste rank, it only works for the length of time it takes to drink a revolting infusion. And that “working” was probably only the interaction between hot drink and facial nerve, and nothing to do with any herbal or botanical content.

I was put on Fexofenadine last year (the full fat version at that), after getting really, really bad hayfever for the first time! Always had it fairly mild, but I think the combination of camping on a freshly cut football field on a hot and sunny weekend pushed me over the edge!

Took it for 2 1/2 months then came off until Spring and started again with what was left of my supply before getting a repeat prescription – which will probably be renewed late next month to see me into September.

Just wondering if I should try a permanent Loratadine or similar instead and keep away from the heavy stuff?

Only Benadryl – Acrivistine – works for me – nothing cheap on those sites, and sometimes I need three a day.

I get mine via prescription – 5 months worth and 2 x nasal inhalers for £9 or whatever it is.

Switched to Loratadine last year which is much more effective for me, and much less drowsy. Beconase up the hooter and as mentioned above, a neti pot. Walking home tonight I could feel all the gunk on my throat, gross.

Also bought an air purifier for the bedroom, jury is out, but I think it has helped ease the early morning grogginess a bit.

neti pot

😯

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wa9DeNqiOLc[/video]

I work in forestry/ outdoors (or I did before I became more office bound) and avoiding pollen wasn’t an option.

I used antihistamines but generally couldn’t shake the blocked/ runny nose. very rarely got eye watering/ itch issues with hay fever.

Ive been using nasonex pre-emptive nasal spray for a few weeks through the worst of the season and it pretty much clears up my symptoms for the rest of the yr.

my father in law and brother in law who also have bad hay fever got me on to it, they both use it and it deals with their symptoms entirely.

you can buy it in small bottles but the larger ones are prescription only.

I think it depends..

I used to get really bad hayfeaver, I literally had to stay inside some days, swolen eyes, snot the lot, and tried antihistamines and herbal tablets etc, nothing made any difference really.

For some reason I just don’t suffer anymore, it’s really weird.
I get the odd sneezing fit, itchy eyes etc, but as long as I don’t rub my eyes I’m generally OK.

Tonight was a fexofenadine night when I got in from my ride. I was a snotty, sneezy, runny eyed mess.

I have to be careful with nasal sprays as I get nose bleeds too!

swedishmatt – Member
You all NEED to get a nose rinser. This is no joke. It’s the equivalent of not having any hayfever as soon as you’ve done it. Your nose is full of pollen, this gets rid of them.

I just did a nose rinser using mineral water and sea salt earlier. It’s okay but not much change. I shall give it another go tomorrow to see if there is improvement.

😛