Its that time of year for me again, itchy streaming eyes, sneezing, nose like a tap.
I haven’t had injections or sprays from the docs for years, it never used to help. All I take now is a ceterizine hydrochloride tablet, which doesn’t really help either.
So, what are you using? Anything new I can try? Old wives tales or witches potions?
Someone please cure me.

Blimey, early doors and all that!

Mine kicks in late May and ends early July.

Seems to be getting milder reactions as the years tick by, don’t bother with any meds these days.

Desloratadine used to be the best for me.

I use a nasal spray, and the ceterizine tabs. Works a treat!

allthepies, I’ve had it for the last two weeks now, its always early for me and gone by about June.
a-a, I’ll have a look at those, thanks.
Sligo, nasal sprays drive me dippy.

Flixonase nasal spray. Probably prescription only or online chemist.
It’s a steroid based one, with upto two weeks use will reduce your nasal sensitivity to the pollen.
Plus one one the loratadine tablets, non drowsy and lots of home brands do them cheap.

I used to really suffer with hayfever, until taking part in a desensitisation trial. This is what the consultant advised:

1 Flixonase nasal spray, used for a couple of months BEFORE the symptoms usually start, can reduce your sensitivity to pollen, so you don’t get such severe symptoms in the first place.

2 Desloratidine (or the latest prescription-only antihistamine) will damp down the symptoms once they’ve actually started.

3 A VERY LOW DOSE of steroid (prednisolone) can be very effective in stopping the symptoms, but most GPs don’t seem to be aware of this.

4 Contact lenses will prevent the pollen getting in your eyes.

5 Frequent showers (twice a day) will remove the pollen from your hair and skin.

Hope this helps! It sounds like you’re allergic to tree pollen, btw.

Purely anecdotal but cetirizine works for me whereas loratadine doesn’t, so it could work the other way round too.

I use whatever Wilco’s have on the shelf.

Haemorrhoid cream ?

Beconase for me from now until about mid May. + Cetirizene if it gets really bad.

Further to deft, above – it does work the other way round. Cetirizine does nothing for me, but Loratadine helps significantly.

Here’s advice i was given a few years ago:
So for tree pollen [spring] we are really talking starting in early april and and for grass pollen we are talking starting in late may
Once the allergic cascade has started then most treatments are less effective
Best combination can be obtained over the counter without Px -ie nasal steroid [budesonide 200ug daily] +/- antihistamine [cetirzine 10mg daily ] depending on severity and also whether eye or throat symptoms are present .the dose may need to be doubled up during periods of peak pollen exposure .Also for more severe persistent cases an antileukotriene can be added as montelukast 10mg daily [needs Px from a doc ] .For refractory sneezing and eye itching then use of on demand cromoglycate eye drops and nose spray is usefull -also available without Px .
Finally if despite all this ,there is still breakthru symptoms during peak pollen levels ,then a short burst of oral steroid tablets -eg prednisolone 15-25mg daily for up to 2 weeks is effective and safe

Thanks everyone, there’s a few different options there for me to try.
Perhaps I’ll give the sprays another go.

I get hay fever early in the year (tree pollen), but take Loratadine all year round as otherwise I sneeze a lot anyway as I’m mildly allergic to cat dander and we have two cats.

Yes, the sprays can be very good, but only if you start using them a couple of months before the symptoms start (prevention rather than cure).

Numbnut, that’s a really interesting post. May I ask where the advice came from? I was treated by Dr Pavaladurai Vijayadurai, the Consultant Immunologist at Preston. The poor bloke suffers from hayfever, but is unable to administer the desensitisation treatment on himself (dangerous, and probably unethical).

Purely anecdotal but cetirizine works for me whereas loratadine doesn’t,

Vice versa here.

Also suffering already.

Timely post. I think it’s started. Maybe a night in London + alcohol last night hasn’t helped me.
My GP says I’m unfortunatly his most allergic patient. He mentioned a steroid(?) Injection last year. Might book it up!

Can’t be doing with this nastiness as soon as the winter gloom disappears you get a kick in the nuts from hayfever!!

Esme – Member
I used to really suffer with hayfever, until taking part in a desensitisation trial. This is what the consultant advised:

4 Contact lenses will prevent the pollen getting in your eyes.

Hope this helps! It sounds like you’re allergic to tree pollen, btw.

Total BS its the pollen that gets under the eye lid thats causes the irritation. Wearing contacts makes it worse, as the eye lid rubs across the lens.

Anything new I can try?

I used to get hayfever really bad until i had a triple figure speed car accident a few years ago. Not sure why but I’ve never got it again since 😕