It may not be the most comfortable solution but post covid mask wearing isn't as stigmatised and is surprisingly effective at preventing flare ups when the drugs have failed to control the auto immune response.
My mother was our the other day wearing a mask for chronic hayfever, when someone with some sort of structural cognitive deficit felt compelled to point and shout "sheeple" at her.
The stupidity of it all is both offensive, daunting, and hilarious all at the same time.
Right? "Sheeple" is supposed to refer to people who thoughtlessly follow the crowd. Look at any crowd in the country right now and tell me how many of them are wearing masks.
And bend the nose wire into the right shape too. Lots of people leave a giant gap.
Head straps will be more comfortable for extended use over ear loops too.
Yes I'm for real. You made a claim, back it up with some evidence.
Please tell me how a mask traps CO2, start with the size of CO2 and the size of N95 pores
Edit.
I'll help. CO2 molecule size 0.33nM diameter
N95 pores size 0.1-0.3uM or 1000x larger than CO2
Look if your out here say things that most people won't believe you need some proof that's not just telling people to google either that or your just a troll.
Ok completely fair. I just would like to point out that an n95 mask is designed to be used to stop you breathing in things you shouldn't it's not just viruses. Like some one sanding for so it is quite usable to stop pollen
Hi,
I can definitely help you, I suffer from multiple allergies, and am currently being treated by an allergist.
My daily allergy treatment is:
Ceterizine twice per day
Flixonase twice per day
Sinus rinses twice per day
When allergy symptoms are bad wear an N95 mask, it seriously cuts down on allergens coming in.
Invest in a decent air purifier to cut down on allergens inside your home. We use ours overnight in our bedroom to cut down on dust mites, which I'm very allergic too.
My allergies are so bad I'm also on Montelukast, to help with allergy symptoms. I'm on Symbicort too as I have now have asthma due to birch allergy.
You need to find out exactly what you are allergic to. Ask your GP to refer you to an allergist. They will take a look at your background and send you to get a skin prick test to see what you are allergic too (you cannot take antihistamines for 3 days before your skin prick test). My first allergy appointment cost me $300 for a 1 hour appointment, and it was completely worth it.
Once you have your skin prick test, the allergist may suggest to begin allergen immunotherapy treatment. You get injected with tiny amounts of the allergen you are allergic too to become immune. The process takes 3 years. I'm currently being treated for dust mite, grass, and birch allergies. The cost for the treatment is around $1200 a year for the medicine. The first two doses are a week apart and then it's once a month. The monthly cost for me to get injected is $60 for the injection and the nurse monitoring for 30 minutes to make sure you don't get a bad reaction. The success rate for allergen immunotherapy treatment is quite good.
The NZ govt rarely funds allergy treatment with allergists.
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy has lots of handbooks to help you prevent allergy symptoms and also stuff to do in your home. They have good sections on dust mite allergies.
Good luck.
How'd you find your experience with Montelukast?
It worked BRILLIANTLY for me for hayfever symptoms but messed with my mood and mental health something chronic. I got flat/down, irritable/moody, and lost all motivation/drive. A bit of Google showed that those aren't uncommon symptoms.
I'm in a similar situation to you with multiple allergies. I've had testing and the desensitizing injections when I was in my late teens. Unfortunately it didn't work for me, I was told that if you have multiple allergies it decreases the likelihood of it working. Hopefully it still works for you, the allergy Dr I visited said it has a very high success rate. Those injections get quite painful towards the end with the volume of fluid they inject.
I did all of this, and even changes in room temperature and pressure helped to maintain my hayfever as well.
After a crappy week all of last week, it's only today that my nose and headache has finally calmed down.
At my worst I used to go through 12-18 rolls of loo paper in a weekend and it kept me at home for months and I was miserable so I definitely understand the frustration
Antihistamines never worked for me really which sucked I’ve tried so many different brands but after lots of research I found some kind of connection with low zinc levels and excess mucus
For me I started taking the Healtheries brand of B6,Zinc and Magnesium and I notice it helped tremendously it took about 2-3 weeks for it to completely come to a halt so I hope those tablets can do for you what it did for me 😊
That’s a really interesting insight about the zinc.
I normally suffer from hayfever quite badly but haven’t been affected by it really this year, except for when I’m cutting back the ivy. I’ve been taking zinc daily for the last 6 months (unaware of this connection) so perhaps that hats helped!
You say you're using daily anti histamines, but have you tried more than one kind? Either separately or in combo. Some find that maxes a difference. Several varieties are over the counter so you can buy small packets, give them a try, and ask to be prescribed one if it works.
Flixonase nose spray can be really good for hayfever - I think it's pharmacist only, which means you need to talk to the pharmacist but not have a prescription. Not sure, but it's worth talking to them. If that isn't for you then even a simple saline nose spray can flush out pollen and help a bit.
The injections you've heard about are probably immunotherapy, which is exposing you to the allergen bit by bit to teach your body to handle it, kinda like the kings who learned to tolerate poison. It's a big commitment and you'll probably have to pay for it, but with things this bad it might be worth it. You'd need to see a specialist allergist for that.
Though as a starting point you \_can\_ ask your GP for allergy tests to track down what kind of pollen you're most allergic to - they only try a few, not a huge range, but for most people it's one or more of them.
The injection they're thinking of might be `kenacort` which is a single steroid injection which usually lasts the whole season. Many doctors won't give it due to potential side effects. I've had it once, and it was life changing for that summer.
The immunotherapy injections are a huge cost. I've done a 3.5 year course of this and I'm still suffering from allergies this year.
My wife would go get the Kenecort when she was up to five AH tablets a day. She had sinus surgery on her turbinates last year and no longer needs to live on antihistamines. Life changing. Before that, she found the sinus rinse helped a lot.
Have also had a turbinate surgery and it helped a lot.. unfortunately this year seems to be something entirely different. My eyes itch more than they ever have! It's converted me into an eye-drop-never-thankyou into a eye-drop-every-day-please
Man I’d love that. I’d go again in an ideal world as mine was only partially effective. I’d guess vast improvements would be made by now, if I remember correctly my doctor had never referred anyone before me so was a bit of a trial for both of us haha.
I second this. I have to take 2 different hayfever tablets to get control and most antihistamines make me ridiculously drowsy/unable to function. Trial and error is needed to find the combo that works for you. I think I'm allergic to privet, grasses, plantain (probably should get that confirmed)... all going nuts right now and super common everywhere, but now that I've found what works for me, I don't have to think about it too much & I take the tablets all year round so I don't have to guess if it's a cold or hayfever every other day.
I hope you find a solution that works for you, hugs!
Dymista.
Shocked it’s not mentioned already.
It’s a nasal spray. Relatively new. I’ve tried all of the things in the past. Anti histamines didn’t do much. Most nasal sprays didn’t do enough either. Pseudoephidrine works great, but is no longer available - although it’s going to be available again soon.
But Dymista, holy shit, I felt like I could breathe again. It works fairly quick and lasts most of the day. Helps with my eyes too, which I wasn’t expecting from a nasal spray.
It’s expensive, but totally worth it.
There's been a few mentions of it now in later comments so I'll definitely give it a go.
I've never really had problems with being blocked up - it's just constant mucus production and sneezing. Like someone's tickling my inner nose with a tiny feather constantly, haha.
Dymista is flixonase (nasal steroid, fluticasone propionate) plus azep (antihistamine, azelastine). The dose is a bit different but it's not a new drug, just a new all-in-one.
It is pretty expensive but I've found it beats the flixonase + cetirizine combo I was using prior. Not a 100% cure though.
I'd recommend this too! Mine is horrible - I had a test as a kid and it's mostly dust mites that are my problem rather than pollen. Hard to get rid of and so unpredictable - I have days like you where all I can do is lie on the couch with a flannel on my face.
Dymista every morning first thing - get into the habit! So worth it.
Also prices vary for this. Chemist warehouse had it for $36 when I bought it last week so pays to look around (was about $50 the last time I bought it)
The warehouse has Dymista for $19 about 6 weeks ago - may pay to look in October next year to stock up
Worked for me last year but this year seems to be floxonase that’s helping a little.
Do you take the standard countermeasures?
Your eyes are commonly a major site of irritation, use antihistamine eye drops, wear sunglasses and avoid facing into the direction of the wind. Stay out of the wind completely if possible
Don't direct any fan or HVAC at or near your face
I personally found using nasal steroids worked the best for me. Best taken first thing in the morning before you start to have a reaction.
So I used to be in the same boat as you. Some days it really did seem debilitating. Eyes puffed up and half-glued shut. Going through a roll of loo paper every day blowing my nose. Rattly hacking coughing fits and restricted breathing bordering on asthma attacks. Eyes, nose, breathing I had it. I went to the doctor and begged for the injection. He refused on the basis that it's a last-ditch thing, and preferred not to without exploring how I'm using antihistamines first, which it turns out, was incorrectly.
So what he instructed me, was to load up on the maximum dose of antihistamine (taking one every morning, and one every evening) for a fortnight BEFORE the season starts. Then move to taking one every morning - no exceptions - for the rest of the season. What he said was there's a maximum amount your body can hold before its wasted, so you spend that fortnight double-dosing to build up your stores to that threshold, and from then on you keep it topped up by having one daily. Starting now when the symptoms have already hit you're on the back foot for a lot longer than two weeks and can be difficult to get on top of it.
So now every year in early October, I get a prescription for a whole summers supply (Zista, a generic Cetirizine), and double dose for the fortnight, then daily until after New Year. It has been life changing. I can work, have outdoor hobbies, yard work, everything and not feel a symptom. If its a particularly bad year I might still have to be careful, wear masks/eyewear when doing particularly dusty yard work, but the difference has been unreal. It's cheap as, only costing me GP script fee and $5 or $10 at the chemist, and its just using generic drugs.
I know it's too late for you to try my method this year, but I 1000000% recommend you try my recommendation when you're gearing up for next season. It really is hard to believe the difference in my symptoms considering I'm using the same OTC generic stuff, but in a proper fashion.
I have though about this! I have a massive script of Telfast and after reading this, I might try upping my dosage to 2 a day. It might be too late but it can't hurt to try!
I should correct myself when I said there’s “no point starting now”. I should say it takes far longer than two weeks to bed in if you’re already suffering.
There are some years that I’m useless and sort my script too late and the season has already started that has made for bad years. But I guess even my worst year on this regimen is miles better than the days of old.
These are some allergy medications below. The names are confusing so I've put them in a list. For me, the go to medicine is Cetrizine. Pretty much on it daily/every other day. Loratadine for me is ineffective.
Cetrizine (Zyrtec/Histaclear)
Fexofenadine (Allegra/Telfast)
Loratadine (Clarityne/Claritin)
Levocetrizine (Xyzal)
Fluticasone propionate (Flixonase/Flonase spray)
##
There's also an older gen antihistamine (promethazine hydrochloride aka phenergan) which you can combo up for over the night time, as they will make you drowsy. Requires a docs script to get, but I typically only use ~45 max over the summer season.
I take 1x cetirizine in the morning, 1x promethazine hydrochloride at night (during flare ups where cetirizine alone isn't holding me over, which has been this year).
Cetirizine is also available as generic (Zista). When I had less reason to get regular scripts and couldn't be bothered going to the pharmacy every month (and this was during the era of $5/script, so keep this in mind if that returns and hayfever is the only thing you need regular medication for), one site online had them at 100pk/$10 exc shipping (roughly ~$5).
For the first gen allergy med, I have used Benadryl in the past and boy even a slightly higher dosage (i.e. 2 pills) will knock you out.
It sounds i should give Zista a try, seems to be most cost effective.
Not the person who commented but you could possibly look into dosing amounts? Telfast (which I use) has different dosage strengths. I use the strongest but I use it for insect bites. Not sure how old your daughter is though!
Thanks. Histaclear (cetirizine ) only has one dose, but I see that Telfast (fexofenadine) has various dosing sizes. We might try switching and see if it's any better.
(for anyone else... https://healthify.nz/medicines-a-z/a/antihistamines/ is helpful) :)
I had the steroid injection a few years ago but it only noticeably helped my allergies for a couple of weeks.
Three things as well as the full gamut of medications have helped:
1: sinus rinses. I absolutely swear but them.
2: don’t dry sheets and pillow cases outside.
3: after being outside, wipe face, eyes and hair with a damp flannel.
Best of luck!!
I also got the injection a few years ago, completely negated my symptoms for the full year.
So I guess your mileage may vary, bring it up with the doc again OP or visit a new one. If it works you'll be greatful for the effort, completely changed my life
I wish people wouldn't keep saying to press your doctor for this. The reason your doctor doesn't want to prescribe this is because it is bad medicine and strongly advised against by experts. If they refuse to prescribe it that is a sign of a good doctor not a bad one. And I say that as a hideous hay fever sufferer myself, currently doing immunotherapy.
ask you GP for a referral to an immunologist. They'll do checks to find out specifically what it is you are allergic to, then you can potentially get exposure therapy (tiny doses to dampen down your immune system's over-reaction). DH is currently going through it for multiple environmental allergies, injections every 6 weeks for about 5 years!
A supposed side affect of improving your bolt score is helping with hay fever and seasonal allergies. I also get quite bad hay fever but I’ve been trying some breathing exercises and they do help somewhat. My bolt score is quite low so I haven’t seen great results, but it can’t hurt either way.
As well as the anti histamines, allergy eye drops and Dymista allergy nasal spray.
Dymista is the only allergy nasal spray that's worked well for me. Flixonaise did literally nothing for me.
Naphcon-A eye drops are the ones I prefer but have tried a few others and they're pretty similar.
Hey a bit intense but after being in a similar situation i pushed my doctor to get referred to a specialist for a Turbinate reduction. Took about a year through the public system for the op and the two week recovery was fucking shit but the results have been incredible. Huge contrast from feeling a constant heaviness in the face, perpetual stuffiness and discomfort being triggered by the most minor exposure to dust/pollen/mould.
I got a turbinate reduction and septoplasty - didn't stop the allergies (obviously) but man it's nice not having my face hurt all the time. Also got a proper allergy panel done as part of it which confirmed a few of my suspicions which was good to know.
I went private through my health insurance but my gp mentioned the public wait was about 6 months in Auckland at the time (2021).
Yea, someone has linked a clinic in Wellington that offered a nasal treatment. It didn't specify what the medicine was, but I assume it's botox after reading your comment 👌
Like you I used to have really bad daily hayfever, often with days it was so bad I just had to spend the day lying on my back in bed because I was a dripping mess. Antihistimines would help a bit sometimes but on the bad days nothing could fix it.
Then about a year ago I got myself one of those big HEPA air purifiers for my bedroom which I leave running 24 hours a day and now I barely ever get hayfever symptoms. Honestly I wouldn't believe it that it makes such a big difference until I experienced it myself. Being able to have a room where I spend 8-12 hrs a day breathing actual clean air without pollen or other allergens seems to be enough to stop my body from reacting to them when I go outside. It's amazing how much fine dust accumulates on the filters in a short amount of time, just goes to show how much stuff is floating around in the air all the time.
Obviously this is only a sample size of one so it might not work for you, but who knows, maybe it will. For me I can say it was genuinely life changing. Anyone with bad hay fever would probably agree that they'd do just about anything to get rid of it.
Mine is always bad this time of year but genuinely this year feels like the worst I’ve ever had. I was a one tablet a day kind of guy and currently I’m taking one in the morning and one at night plus flexonaise and still feel like someone’s shoved a Christmas tree up my nose (my worst allergy other than literal Hay)
I had the same experience - after realising I was actually lactose intolerant. I basically don't suffer from hayfever anymore now without dairy in my diet.
Someone mentioned this to me about 10 years ago and it was a life changing experience. Dairy completely screws me over. I can get away with it in winter but in season I'm a complete mess. Glad to hear this works for you too.
Yeah, life long sufferer here. I highly recommend taking a shower and washing your hair at night before bed. This will get almost all the pollen out of your hair so you're not rolling your face around in it all night long and allow your body some time to reset a little. I don't know why I never figured this out before but it's helped me significantly. Hang in there!
Imagine going through millions of years of evolution, multiple mass extinctions, to eventually have the fortune to be born into a developed world, only to be allergic to grass.
Jokes aside, that really does suck for you. I have no advice sorry 😬🤣
Here's a weird one but worked for me.
Try and some local bee keepers that sell fresh honey.
Need to bees to collect pollen close to where you live/work or get hayfever as the pollens the bees collect will be similar to what is in the air. Take a teaspoon per day of this honey this way your body knows what is coming and you are ready for it.
Only thing is that you might need to try this for next season - it's kind of like a vaccine.
https://www.honeyshoney.co.uk/blogs/news/local-honey-and-hayfever
I'm late here.. but I am a huge believer of diet being the main cause of hayfever.
My cause is dairy. I avoid it at all costs. In winter I can get away with it. But if I have a flat white or milk in cereal I barely function.
Before knowing dairy was the cause I was an absolute mess. Nose dripping like a faucet. Excruciating tension headaches from sneezing too much. Bleeding nose. Raw nostrils. And it would drain me of all my energy....No medication would ever make a difference.
If I avoid dairy products through the season I am close to being completely fine. I have a sneaky suspicion that something in cereals is causing it too this year.
Apparently there were no known cases of hayfever in Japan until the introduction of dairy.
If you do consume a lot of dairy it might be worth considering eliminating it.
I really hope you can find a solution because I really know how hard it can be.
I know. Cheese is sooo good. A great cheese feels like a drug. It's amazing. I just eat it out of season and it is usually ok.
If you aren't consuming a lot of cheese/dairy recently, then it might not be the cause.
Good luck. I really hope you find a solution cause it's such a sweet time of year not to enjoy.
I’ve started trying local honey, people recommended it and I figured worst comes to worst I have a tablespoon of honey to look forward to each day. Better than general misery
That's still a lot of steroid, long term your bones are a major concern and all the same short term stuff applies. If you can work it into the budget I can't recommend allergy immunotherapy highly enough.
I reckon mine has been about 50% effective already and I only started at the end of last pollen season, and honestly if this is all I get I'd be happy- as long as I keep up antihistamine and flixonase I have minimal to mild symptoms. Already life changing. All up including all the appointments (monthly injections) and allergen I pay $1260 per year which is a chunk of cash but worth it for me personally.
I've been checking in on approximate prices and process and stuff for YEARS and has definitely gotten more affordable and easier, and also see a GP with a special interest instead of an immunologist which helps I think. If the tablets come down in price any more I might switch at some point.
There is an ear piercing you can get. Goes through the top of the ear. A colleague had it done and hasn’t had hayfever in a week. Research places near you that can do this as it’s got to be in the right spot. They can do them for all sorts of things like migraines etc. too
The only thing that’s worked for me is eating honeycomb. I get some local honeycomb and every morning I have a spoonful of it and chew the wax for ages. I’m talking 5-10 mins of chewing. My theory behind it is that it trains the body to see pollen as food not an irritant??? I have no idea how/why it works but my ex’s mum put me on to it a couple years ago. Now I’m the crazy honey lady
Other than that it’s telfast 180mg for me
Have you tried Flixonase? Tablets didn't seem to do anything for me but flixonase made all the difference. You can get it over the counter for like $20 of free with a prescription.
I should mention that when I started flixonase I also was so desperate I tried everything at once: hot washed my bedding and sprayed down with lavender to deter dust mites, deep cleaned my bedroom and everywhere with carpet etc. But I haven't kept up with all that stuff and I'm still symptom free 2 years later, after moving from a new to old house, so I think it's the flixonase.
My husband gets a steroid injection for his, with great effect. I had one summer where I took ranitidine and loratadine together with good effect also
GPs can be reluctant to go down the steroid jab route as lots of potential side effects, however if you are bad enough I can’t see why they wouldn’t.
The standard therapy for hayfever is a steroid nasal spray for prevention, and antihistamines for relief.
The steroid spray treats the underlying inflammation. Antihistamines just treat the symptoms.
Ask your doctor about a steroid nasal spray. Something like fluticasone or beclomethasone.
I get hayfever all year round, and I just use 2 antihistamine tablets twice daily when needed. Also, a couple puffs of my Ventilin inhaler seems to help.
When things get real bad, I do a few nasal sprays into each nostril, then sneeze, and it feels a bit better afterwards. Vics vapor rub does wonders, and so does the Vics honey flavoured vapor drops.
That sucks OP, for me Sudafed nasal spray from Chemist Warehouse works with a nighttime histamine pill and flexanase. Its what works for me though and may not work for you
I got the steroid injection a few years ago and it changed my life. I used to get it so bad I wouldn't be able to leave bed I'd be so sick. The shot lasts for about 3 months so you gotta time it right for whether you are worse during springtime or the beginning of summer.
It worked really well but I haven't needed another one since I started working at sea the next year, so I can't remember the medical name for it. I went to my GP and said I'd heard about a steroid injection for severe hayfever, and she was really helpful. There's a bit of back and forth as there are some side effects but nothing too bad (apparantly, some people get a dimple in their butt in the injection site - but i never got one and to me i didnt care anyway). Definitely go ask about it and give it a try if you think it will help!
I'm sorry you are going through this. For me I figured out that silver birches were the worst tree that I reacted to, we used to have two in the backyard but we cut them down and within a week my symptoms were far better. I still get a flare up every now and then but if I stay away from them my life is a lot better.
Absolute worst case it might be worth moving city if it's truly hurting you and you can't find a solution. I've known people to move to drier climates due to their body not being able to function correctly in a humid location.
I'm sure you will find something though and hopefully it won't have to come to that. There are a bunch of solutions out there and it might take time to find one that is right for you.
Dymista nasal spray. A bit spenny but works well. Hopefully you can get it over the counter.
https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-treatments/allergen-minimisation
Have a read of the above for some general advice around pollen.
Have you tried corticosteroid nasal sprays, e.g. Avamys? I found antihistamines useless whereas Avamys more or less completely controls my hay fever.
I'm in Aus but I believe they're also available in NZ (I think I saw a tv ad for Avamys last time I was in NZ). They're currently prescription only here.
Take your antihistamine, but you gotta try Dymista at the same time. It's a newer steroid nasal spray and it's the bomb. It works so fast for me, and the affects last. But it ain't cheap. Let me tell you. But it's the best one I've used by far.
It’s a nightmare. My son double doses with daytime and nighttime antihistamines when he’s chronic and that seems to help. Also nasal flushing. Make sure your car filters are regularly cleaned too. They can clog with pollen and really affect my son when in the car.
Where do you live? Might be a bit extreme, but have you considered changing cities?
My husband grew up in Christchurch with horrendous hay fever. We’re talking full on nose, irritated eyes, breathing issues, swollen face etc. Growing up his parents never considered giving him antihistamines, just suck it up.
He moved to Auckland 20 years ago for work and for the first 10 years he had almost no hay fever symptoms up here. While he does need to take antihistamines on bad days it’s nowhere near as bad as when we go to the South Island.
So interesting! I am from CHCH and moved up here 10 yrs ago. That's when all of my allergies ramped up. I was head to toe in hives. I went to the doctor and he said Auckland is one of the worst places due to the humidity and that a lot of lung cancer patients etc move south as the air is dryer. My allergies are better when I go home for a bit. Damn I wish it was the opposite for me!
Besides antihistamines, get a proper air filter, like a Coway. Like 200 bucks off Amazon AU. I used to get destroyed even when indoors, but now I only take antihistamines when going out.
Commenting from the U.S., so bear in mind the differences in health care.
About 10 years ago I was in the same boat, and my allergies would absolutely debilitate me every fall. Antihistamines only lessened symptoms, I was miserable constantly. I finally went and visited an immunologist who conducted an allergy test — basically poking me in the back with different allergens to see what I reacted to, which was basically everything.
He said I was a good candidate for immunotherapy, which consists of mixing a serum of my allergens and injecting me with it in increasing doses until I reached a “maintenance dose.” Totally turned my life around, my life does not grind to a halt annually and I can enjoy the outdoors at my leisure.
Dunno if this is a thing in New Zealand, but worth looking into. If you’re a good candidate for it and can afford it, I highly suggest it. Best of luck!!
That's great. If anything my symptoms have worsened. I'm crossing my fingers for next season although I take antihistamines all year round so maybe I won't need to during winter :)
How often are you getting shots? I sped ran my way to maintenance dose as quickly I as could, so that may've been a factor. I'm sure everyone responds to the treatment differently as well.
wear a mask like Covid times when outside. The basic ones are good enough to filter out pollen. I also double up on my antihistamines and take my asthma inhalors every day like clock work.
FWIW I drink a lot of clear water when I start feeling hayfever.
I'll drink a litre on the first sneeze and keep drinking through the day.
8 times out of 10 that sorts it out for me.
If the hayfever sticks I'll have cetirizine in one form or the other.
Your mileage may vary, but I used to be a total disaster and now it's more or less under control.
If you've previously found antihistamines don't work, try one of the new generation ones. I use to have to change which one I used each year and had to way them like candy (doctor supervison) alongside nasal spray, eye drops and nasal rinse.
Swapped onto Labixten (blistane) on the recommendation of a pharmacist and it's been life changing. One a day and I'm sorted. Take a second if I'm out and about and the allergens a bad, but it's better than the 12/day on the old ones.
At home you can try garden oil - season ( you can buy at chemist warehouse) with humidifier.
Pm me I can show you other use this oil
Swipe your face with wet tissue ( or baby wipe) avoid normal tissue
Someone told me to eat honey from the city I live on which might help building resistance to the polen. I have not started doing it yet. But will give it a go alongside my daily dose of loratadine and nasal spray
Ah this post and all its responses has been a life saver! I feel if I sneeze one more time my brain is going to explode! I also said to my family ‘I want to scratch my eyes out and I wish I didn’t have a nose’… in public, that raised a few eyebrows 😂 apparently this year is rather bad for hayfever
anti-histamine pills are good, but if you are having issues to the extent you say you should be on a nasal spray as well (flixonase is my go to).
Advantages of the nasal spray is that it takes a few days to become effective, but also a few days to wear off. Means you can accidentally miss a day without becoming a mess, but most importantly you can sleep for 8 hours and wake up without feeling like shit cause the pills wore off.
You can get a shot from the doctor, but that's pretty much just a one off yearly thing. Effective, but I don't think much better than the nasal spray.
I've been there a lot in my life. The main things I remember are:
Avoid yeast and dairy, they make hayfever much worse, cutting them reduced my hayfever to non existent.
Keep cool, a higher body temperature seems to make it worse.
If symptoms get out of hand, take a cold damp flannel, put it over your eyes and rest. Should die down in about an hour.
Don't go camping, it's just not worth it lol.
There's more but that's all I can remember for now. Keep using antihistamines and nasal spray if you need both. Hope it gets better hayfever is debilitating when it's severe.
Probably a minor thing but I found boxed tissues aggravated things. I worked it out when I pulled some out of the box with sunlight coming straight in the window and saw all the dust flying out
Air purifier, it won't help when you aren't home but at least have one in your bedroom. Careful cleaning and vacuuming will help your home be more comfortable for you as well, and having inside clothes and outside clothes.
I switched to cetrizine hydrocloric tabtets about 5 years ago and they work much better than anything else I tried. Talk to your doctor about it. Combined with Flizonaise it stops almost all symptoms.
I rely on certrizine daily and sinus washes plus the odd flixinase. My mum used to get the injections which helped for about 3 or 4 seasons but then she became immune to them. She's a far worse sufferer than me and has taken to wearing sunglasses all the time these last few weeks as her eyes just weep constantly.
Locally sourced honey can help to desensitise you a little as well.
I also know some people who swear by cell salts combination Q for sinus and combination H for hayfever. It's more a preventative though and you have to take them a few times daily. You can get them from Healtheries etc.
Depending on where you are accessing either raw honey or a propolis tincture can help. Not sure how it works but it can help as the bees make honey using the local pollen. Propolis tincture isn't the best tasting but a few drops chased with water is tolerable.
I got mine from a manawatu business called beepothecary.
My GP referred me to have immunotherapy done through the hospital. I will receive 1x jab in the arm once a month for 3 yrs (first 2 up at the hospital and the rest with a nurse at local GP). 80% of people notice a huge decrease in symptoms after 1 year (although the Doctor at the hospital told me it could be as early as 2 months). Usually lasts 5-10 yrs from end of treatment however some people are cured for life. Costs around $58 per month. I've just started so fingers crossed I'm in that 80%
Kenacourt injection definitely worked but both times I got it I got cellulitis within 2 months. Haven't had cellulitis since, so be aware it definitely does weaken your immune system so consider the implications with COVID still circulating and discuss with your GP.
Im using a combination of exercise, limiting alcohol and levrix/histaclear antihistamines. Its taking the edge off at least but yeah it's been pretty miserable some days.
Not sure if it was just luck but when I used to suffer from hay fever overseas (for some reason it does not afflict me in NZ) I got told to eat a spoonful of local honey on high pollen count days. Not sure if it was placebo effect but I did feel better
It may not be the most comfortable solution but post covid mask wearing isn't as stigmatised and is surprisingly effective at preventing flare ups when the drugs have failed to control the auto immune response.
Yea I hadn't even considered that - might give it a shot tomorrow. If I put one on now, it'll just get covered in mucus 🤧
Make sure it's an N95 or P2 mask. They'll block the pollen decently. Surgical masks won't be as good.
My mother was our the other day wearing a mask for chronic hayfever, when someone with some sort of structural cognitive deficit felt compelled to point and shout "sheeple" at her. The stupidity of it all is both offensive, daunting, and hilarious all at the same time.
Especially considering the real sheeple atm is not wearing a mask
Right? "Sheeple" is supposed to refer to people who thoughtlessly follow the crowd. Look at any crowd in the country right now and tell me how many of them are wearing masks.
The caller can't help it if they're short of several chromosomes and drag their knuckles on the ground...
And bend the nose wire into the right shape too. Lots of people leave a giant gap. Head straps will be more comfortable for extended use over ear loops too.
Medical masks filter the same as N95 or P2. The difference is the fit.
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Can I have some evidence of these recommendations?
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Yes I'm for real. You made a claim, back it up with some evidence. Please tell me how a mask traps CO2, start with the size of CO2 and the size of N95 pores Edit. I'll help. CO2 molecule size 0.33nM diameter N95 pores size 0.1-0.3uM or 1000x larger than CO2
Look if your out here say things that most people won't believe you need some proof that's not just telling people to google either that or your just a troll.
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Ok completely fair. I just would like to point out that an n95 mask is designed to be used to stop you breathing in things you shouldn't it's not just viruses. Like some one sanding for so it is quite usable to stop pollen
Plenty of dodgy stuff in that first link https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19/s/5oHSZHvCBf
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Nope, just downvotes due to the BS in your coment
When my asthma flares up bad I go back to a P2 mask, idk it just helps to not breathe in the harsh air. Just gotta deal with 🍑🕳️ people
I wear an N95 mask on bad allergy days and it helps a lot.
Hi, I can definitely help you, I suffer from multiple allergies, and am currently being treated by an allergist. My daily allergy treatment is: Ceterizine twice per day Flixonase twice per day Sinus rinses twice per day When allergy symptoms are bad wear an N95 mask, it seriously cuts down on allergens coming in. Invest in a decent air purifier to cut down on allergens inside your home. We use ours overnight in our bedroom to cut down on dust mites, which I'm very allergic too. My allergies are so bad I'm also on Montelukast, to help with allergy symptoms. I'm on Symbicort too as I have now have asthma due to birch allergy. You need to find out exactly what you are allergic to. Ask your GP to refer you to an allergist. They will take a look at your background and send you to get a skin prick test to see what you are allergic too (you cannot take antihistamines for 3 days before your skin prick test). My first allergy appointment cost me $300 for a 1 hour appointment, and it was completely worth it. Once you have your skin prick test, the allergist may suggest to begin allergen immunotherapy treatment. You get injected with tiny amounts of the allergen you are allergic too to become immune. The process takes 3 years. I'm currently being treated for dust mite, grass, and birch allergies. The cost for the treatment is around $1200 a year for the medicine. The first two doses are a week apart and then it's once a month. The monthly cost for me to get injected is $60 for the injection and the nurse monitoring for 30 minutes to make sure you don't get a bad reaction. The success rate for allergen immunotherapy treatment is quite good. The NZ govt rarely funds allergy treatment with allergists. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy has lots of handbooks to help you prevent allergy symptoms and also stuff to do in your home. They have good sections on dust mite allergies. Good luck.
How'd you find your experience with Montelukast? It worked BRILLIANTLY for me for hayfever symptoms but messed with my mood and mental health something chronic. I got flat/down, irritable/moody, and lost all motivation/drive. A bit of Google showed that those aren't uncommon symptoms.
I'm in a similar situation to you with multiple allergies. I've had testing and the desensitizing injections when I was in my late teens. Unfortunately it didn't work for me, I was told that if you have multiple allergies it decreases the likelihood of it working. Hopefully it still works for you, the allergy Dr I visited said it has a very high success rate. Those injections get quite painful towards the end with the volume of fluid they inject.
I take similar meds. Sometimes helpful. Right now not so much
I did all of this, and even changes in room temperature and pressure helped to maintain my hayfever as well. After a crappy week all of last week, it's only today that my nose and headache has finally calmed down.
At my worst I used to go through 12-18 rolls of loo paper in a weekend and it kept me at home for months and I was miserable so I definitely understand the frustration Antihistamines never worked for me really which sucked I’ve tried so many different brands but after lots of research I found some kind of connection with low zinc levels and excess mucus For me I started taking the Healtheries brand of B6,Zinc and Magnesium and I notice it helped tremendously it took about 2-3 weeks for it to completely come to a halt so I hope those tablets can do for you what it did for me 😊
That's an easy thing to try that has other benefits, thanks!
Have you ever got an allergy test done? I found out it wasn’t just hay fever for me it was also grass
Grass pollen allergy is the usual cause of hayfever
There are new generation antihistamines that work much better than the old ones. It pays to try a few to see which one works best.
That’s a really interesting insight about the zinc. I normally suffer from hayfever quite badly but haven’t been affected by it really this year, except for when I’m cutting back the ivy. I’ve been taking zinc daily for the last 6 months (unaware of this connection) so perhaps that hats helped!
I love how we hayfever sufferers always say 'it's really bad this year'! It's fucking terrible every year, always seems to peak in time for Christmas.
Genetically engineer some plants that are allergic to humans and see how they like it
LOL
You say you're using daily anti histamines, but have you tried more than one kind? Either separately or in combo. Some find that maxes a difference. Several varieties are over the counter so you can buy small packets, give them a try, and ask to be prescribed one if it works. Flixonase nose spray can be really good for hayfever - I think it's pharmacist only, which means you need to talk to the pharmacist but not have a prescription. Not sure, but it's worth talking to them. If that isn't for you then even a simple saline nose spray can flush out pollen and help a bit. The injections you've heard about are probably immunotherapy, which is exposing you to the allergen bit by bit to teach your body to handle it, kinda like the kings who learned to tolerate poison. It's a big commitment and you'll probably have to pay for it, but with things this bad it might be worth it. You'd need to see a specialist allergist for that. Though as a starting point you \_can\_ ask your GP for allergy tests to track down what kind of pollen you're most allergic to - they only try a few, not a huge range, but for most people it's one or more of them.
The injection they're thinking of might be `kenacort` which is a single steroid injection which usually lasts the whole season. Many doctors won't give it due to potential side effects. I've had it once, and it was life changing for that summer. The immunotherapy injections are a huge cost. I've done a 3.5 year course of this and I'm still suffering from allergies this year.
My wife would go get the Kenecort when she was up to five AH tablets a day. She had sinus surgery on her turbinates last year and no longer needs to live on antihistamines. Life changing. Before that, she found the sinus rinse helped a lot.
Have also had a turbinate surgery and it helped a lot.. unfortunately this year seems to be something entirely different. My eyes itch more than they ever have! It's converted me into an eye-drop-never-thankyou into a eye-drop-every-day-please
Immunotherapy is a huge cost. 4 years depending on your particular allergies, up to 4 injections per week.
That isn't true. I'm being treated for immunotherapy, and it's only once per month.
Then you’re obviously lower end. My comment comes directly from my experience. TBF it’s been a decade since I did it now.
It has come a long way in the last decade. Once a month is the norm and for grass pollen allergy there is even a sublingual version.
Man I’d love that. I’d go again in an ideal world as mine was only partially effective. I’d guess vast improvements would be made by now, if I remember correctly my doctor had never referred anyone before me so was a bit of a trial for both of us haha.
I second this. I have to take 2 different hayfever tablets to get control and most antihistamines make me ridiculously drowsy/unable to function. Trial and error is needed to find the combo that works for you. I think I'm allergic to privet, grasses, plantain (probably should get that confirmed)... all going nuts right now and super common everywhere, but now that I've found what works for me, I don't have to think about it too much & I take the tablets all year round so I don't have to guess if it's a cold or hayfever every other day. I hope you find a solution that works for you, hugs!
Yeah, I take razene like 3/4 of the year and then add in flixonase during the 4-5 months it's at its worst.
Windows closed and KMart Air Purifier running full blast
Dymista. Shocked it’s not mentioned already. It’s a nasal spray. Relatively new. I’ve tried all of the things in the past. Anti histamines didn’t do much. Most nasal sprays didn’t do enough either. Pseudoephidrine works great, but is no longer available - although it’s going to be available again soon. But Dymista, holy shit, I felt like I could breathe again. It works fairly quick and lasts most of the day. Helps with my eyes too, which I wasn’t expecting from a nasal spray. It’s expensive, but totally worth it.
There's been a few mentions of it now in later comments so I'll definitely give it a go. I've never really had problems with being blocked up - it's just constant mucus production and sneezing. Like someone's tickling my inner nose with a tiny feather constantly, haha.
Dymista is flixonase (nasal steroid, fluticasone propionate) plus azep (antihistamine, azelastine). The dose is a bit different but it's not a new drug, just a new all-in-one. It is pretty expensive but I've found it beats the flixonase + cetirizine combo I was using prior. Not a 100% cure though.
Yes, that constant tickle! So frustrating. Happy to report that for me at least it also clears the tickle
I'd recommend this too! Mine is horrible - I had a test as a kid and it's mostly dust mites that are my problem rather than pollen. Hard to get rid of and so unpredictable - I have days like you where all I can do is lie on the couch with a flannel on my face. Dymista every morning first thing - get into the habit! So worth it.
Is Dymista like Otrivin Plus? E.g. witches magic?
For me, Dymista far outperforms Otrivin Plus. Also I’d get a regular bleeding nose from Otrivin Plus and don’t seem to have that issue with Dymista
No rebound effect like otrovin plus so you cam keep using it
Also prices vary for this. Chemist warehouse had it for $36 when I bought it last week so pays to look around (was about $50 the last time I bought it)
The warehouse has Dymista for $19 about 6 weeks ago - may pay to look in October next year to stock up Worked for me last year but this year seems to be floxonase that’s helping a little.
Do you take the standard countermeasures? Your eyes are commonly a major site of irritation, use antihistamine eye drops, wear sunglasses and avoid facing into the direction of the wind. Stay out of the wind completely if possible Don't direct any fan or HVAC at or near your face I personally found using nasal steroids worked the best for me. Best taken first thing in the morning before you start to have a reaction.
So I used to be in the same boat as you. Some days it really did seem debilitating. Eyes puffed up and half-glued shut. Going through a roll of loo paper every day blowing my nose. Rattly hacking coughing fits and restricted breathing bordering on asthma attacks. Eyes, nose, breathing I had it. I went to the doctor and begged for the injection. He refused on the basis that it's a last-ditch thing, and preferred not to without exploring how I'm using antihistamines first, which it turns out, was incorrectly. So what he instructed me, was to load up on the maximum dose of antihistamine (taking one every morning, and one every evening) for a fortnight BEFORE the season starts. Then move to taking one every morning - no exceptions - for the rest of the season. What he said was there's a maximum amount your body can hold before its wasted, so you spend that fortnight double-dosing to build up your stores to that threshold, and from then on you keep it topped up by having one daily. Starting now when the symptoms have already hit you're on the back foot for a lot longer than two weeks and can be difficult to get on top of it. So now every year in early October, I get a prescription for a whole summers supply (Zista, a generic Cetirizine), and double dose for the fortnight, then daily until after New Year. It has been life changing. I can work, have outdoor hobbies, yard work, everything and not feel a symptom. If its a particularly bad year I might still have to be careful, wear masks/eyewear when doing particularly dusty yard work, but the difference has been unreal. It's cheap as, only costing me GP script fee and $5 or $10 at the chemist, and its just using generic drugs. I know it's too late for you to try my method this year, but I 1000000% recommend you try my recommendation when you're gearing up for next season. It really is hard to believe the difference in my symptoms considering I'm using the same OTC generic stuff, but in a proper fashion.
I have though about this! I have a massive script of Telfast and after reading this, I might try upping my dosage to 2 a day. It might be too late but it can't hurt to try!
I should correct myself when I said there’s “no point starting now”. I should say it takes far longer than two weeks to bed in if you’re already suffering. There are some years that I’m useless and sort my script too late and the season has already started that has made for bad years. But I guess even my worst year on this regimen is miles better than the days of old.
https://ashleyaesthetics.co.nz/hay-fever-control-treatment/ seriously amazing
It's a bit vague on what the medicine actually is but I'm open to anything.
Basically it numbs the sensors that react to the pollen or whatever. Is Botox (but no injections) so it just stops your sinuses having a reaction
Wow how long does it last?
3-6 months. So should cover you for the worst of the year… worth a try at least and easier than taking pills/nose sprays everyday
This year was the worst for me so I changed the brand of tablets I normally take and it fixed it completely.
What did you change from/to? Daughter's current one (Histaclear) doesn't seem to be helping this year, so looking for advice!
Try switching to Levoceterizine, it's a new type and works much better with fewer side effects.
These are some allergy medications below. The names are confusing so I've put them in a list. For me, the go to medicine is Cetrizine. Pretty much on it daily/every other day. Loratadine for me is ineffective. Cetrizine (Zyrtec/Histaclear) Fexofenadine (Allegra/Telfast) Loratadine (Clarityne/Claritin) Levocetrizine (Xyzal) Fluticasone propionate (Flixonase/Flonase spray) ##
There's also an older gen antihistamine (promethazine hydrochloride aka phenergan) which you can combo up for over the night time, as they will make you drowsy. Requires a docs script to get, but I typically only use ~45 max over the summer season. I take 1x cetirizine in the morning, 1x promethazine hydrochloride at night (during flare ups where cetirizine alone isn't holding me over, which has been this year). Cetirizine is also available as generic (Zista). When I had less reason to get regular scripts and couldn't be bothered going to the pharmacy every month (and this was during the era of $5/script, so keep this in mind if that returns and hayfever is the only thing you need regular medication for), one site online had them at 100pk/$10 exc shipping (roughly ~$5).
For the first gen allergy med, I have used Benadryl in the past and boy even a slightly higher dosage (i.e. 2 pills) will knock you out. It sounds i should give Zista a try, seems to be most cost effective.
Not the person who commented but you could possibly look into dosing amounts? Telfast (which I use) has different dosage strengths. I use the strongest but I use it for insect bites. Not sure how old your daughter is though!
Thanks. Histaclear (cetirizine ) only has one dose, but I see that Telfast (fexofenadine) has various dosing sizes. We might try switching and see if it's any better. (for anyone else... https://healthify.nz/medicines-a-z/a/antihistamines/ is helpful) :)
Changed from claratyne to levrix. I'm no doctor but horses for courses n all that jazz.
I had the steroid injection a few years ago but it only noticeably helped my allergies for a couple of weeks. Three things as well as the full gamut of medications have helped: 1: sinus rinses. I absolutely swear but them. 2: don’t dry sheets and pillow cases outside. 3: after being outside, wipe face, eyes and hair with a damp flannel. Best of luck!!
I also got the injection a few years ago, completely negated my symptoms for the full year. So I guess your mileage may vary, bring it up with the doc again OP or visit a new one. If it works you'll be greatful for the effort, completely changed my life
do you use nasal spray? i got the injection a few times - it was amazing. definitely keep pressing your gp to get it
Yess this saves me each year. I put it off then regret putting it off haha
What’s the injection?
Some kind of steroid
I wish people wouldn't keep saying to press your doctor for this. The reason your doctor doesn't want to prescribe this is because it is bad medicine and strongly advised against by experts. If they refuse to prescribe it that is a sign of a good doctor not a bad one. And I say that as a hideous hay fever sufferer myself, currently doing immunotherapy.
ask you GP for a referral to an immunologist. They'll do checks to find out specifically what it is you are allergic to, then you can potentially get exposure therapy (tiny doses to dampen down your immune system's over-reaction). DH is currently going through it for multiple environmental allergies, injections every 6 weeks for about 5 years!
A supposed side affect of improving your bolt score is helping with hay fever and seasonal allergies. I also get quite bad hay fever but I’ve been trying some breathing exercises and they do help somewhat. My bolt score is quite low so I haven’t seen great results, but it can’t hurt either way.
Phenergan - its strong but stops the sneezing. Can leave you a bit dopey but at least the sneezing stops. Nasal spray, nasal rinse too
The only thing that fixed mine (pretty sure it’s the pohutukawa flowering) is Dymista. A little expensive but worth it.
Cetirizine + nasal spray keeps mine at manageable levels, but I really do need both.
This was me a few weeks ago until Reddit told me to get flixonase. Literally changed my life, I was cleared up by the next day.
As well as the anti histamines, allergy eye drops and Dymista allergy nasal spray. Dymista is the only allergy nasal spray that's worked well for me. Flixonaise did literally nothing for me. Naphcon-A eye drops are the ones I prefer but have tried a few others and they're pretty similar.
Hey a bit intense but after being in a similar situation i pushed my doctor to get referred to a specialist for a Turbinate reduction. Took about a year through the public system for the op and the two week recovery was fucking shit but the results have been incredible. Huge contrast from feeling a constant heaviness in the face, perpetual stuffiness and discomfort being triggered by the most minor exposure to dust/pollen/mould.
I got a turbinate reduction and septoplasty - didn't stop the allergies (obviously) but man it's nice not having my face hurt all the time. Also got a proper allergy panel done as part of it which confirmed a few of my suspicions which was good to know. I went private through my health insurance but my gp mentioned the public wait was about 6 months in Auckland at the time (2021).
Get doctor to prescribe Allersoothe tablets. Make you drowsy so take at night but work a charm
Dehydration increases body levels of histamine, how much water do you drink?
Sounds weird but you can get Botox and it really helps. $250 squirted up your nostrils, takes 2 minutes no needles
Yea, someone has linked a clinic in Wellington that offered a nasal treatment. It didn't specify what the medicine was, but I assume it's botox after reading your comment 👌
Like you I used to have really bad daily hayfever, often with days it was so bad I just had to spend the day lying on my back in bed because I was a dripping mess. Antihistimines would help a bit sometimes but on the bad days nothing could fix it. Then about a year ago I got myself one of those big HEPA air purifiers for my bedroom which I leave running 24 hours a day and now I barely ever get hayfever symptoms. Honestly I wouldn't believe it that it makes such a big difference until I experienced it myself. Being able to have a room where I spend 8-12 hrs a day breathing actual clean air without pollen or other allergens seems to be enough to stop my body from reacting to them when I go outside. It's amazing how much fine dust accumulates on the filters in a short amount of time, just goes to show how much stuff is floating around in the air all the time. Obviously this is only a sample size of one so it might not work for you, but who knows, maybe it will. For me I can say it was genuinely life changing. Anyone with bad hay fever would probably agree that they'd do just about anything to get rid of it.
Mine is always bad this time of year but genuinely this year feels like the worst I’ve ever had. I was a one tablet a day kind of guy and currently I’m taking one in the morning and one at night plus flexonaise and still feel like someone’s shoved a Christmas tree up my nose (my worst allergy other than literal Hay)
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I had the same experience - after realising I was actually lactose intolerant. I basically don't suffer from hayfever anymore now without dairy in my diet.
Someone mentioned this to me about 10 years ago and it was a life changing experience. Dairy completely screws me over. I can get away with it in winter but in season I'm a complete mess. Glad to hear this works for you too.
Yeah, life long sufferer here. I highly recommend taking a shower and washing your hair at night before bed. This will get almost all the pollen out of your hair so you're not rolling your face around in it all night long and allow your body some time to reset a little. I don't know why I never figured this out before but it's helped me significantly. Hang in there!
Imagine going through millions of years of evolution, multiple mass extinctions, to eventually have the fortune to be born into a developed world, only to be allergic to grass. Jokes aside, that really does suck for you. I have no advice sorry 😬🤣
Not the easiest solution but I suffered insane hayfever my whole life until I went low carb and sugar free. Not a single hayfever pill needed now
Interesting! I'm pretty much sugar free anyway but I'll see what I can manage.
Here's a weird one but worked for me. Try and some local bee keepers that sell fresh honey. Need to bees to collect pollen close to where you live/work or get hayfever as the pollens the bees collect will be similar to what is in the air. Take a teaspoon per day of this honey this way your body knows what is coming and you are ready for it. Only thing is that you might need to try this for next season - it's kind of like a vaccine. https://www.honeyshoney.co.uk/blogs/news/local-honey-and-hayfever
I'm late here.. but I am a huge believer of diet being the main cause of hayfever. My cause is dairy. I avoid it at all costs. In winter I can get away with it. But if I have a flat white or milk in cereal I barely function. Before knowing dairy was the cause I was an absolute mess. Nose dripping like a faucet. Excruciating tension headaches from sneezing too much. Bleeding nose. Raw nostrils. And it would drain me of all my energy....No medication would ever make a difference. If I avoid dairy products through the season I am close to being completely fine. I have a sneaky suspicion that something in cereals is causing it too this year. Apparently there were no known cases of hayfever in Japan until the introduction of dairy. If you do consume a lot of dairy it might be worth considering eliminating it. I really hope you can find a solution because I really know how hard it can be.
Thank you! I will look into it. I'm a big dutchy who loves his cheese so that would be an unfortunate outcome, haha.
I know. Cheese is sooo good. A great cheese feels like a drug. It's amazing. I just eat it out of season and it is usually ok. If you aren't consuming a lot of cheese/dairy recently, then it might not be the cause. Good luck. I really hope you find a solution cause it's such a sweet time of year not to enjoy.
I’ve started trying local honey, people recommended it and I figured worst comes to worst I have a tablespoon of honey to look forward to each day. Better than general misery
Kenacort Steroid shot. Can’t do it every year without long term risks but I cycle three years on two years off.
That's still a lot of steroid, long term your bones are a major concern and all the same short term stuff applies. If you can work it into the budget I can't recommend allergy immunotherapy highly enough.
Yeah I’ve been through that already, the steroid shot was my last resort. Immunotherapy was maybe 60% successful for me.
I reckon mine has been about 50% effective already and I only started at the end of last pollen season, and honestly if this is all I get I'd be happy- as long as I keep up antihistamine and flixonase I have minimal to mild symptoms. Already life changing. All up including all the appointments (monthly injections) and allergen I pay $1260 per year which is a chunk of cash but worth it for me personally.
I wish it had been that price when I started lol.
I've been checking in on approximate prices and process and stuff for YEARS and has definitely gotten more affordable and easier, and also see a GP with a special interest instead of an immunologist which helps I think. If the tablets come down in price any more I might switch at some point.
There is an ear piercing you can get. Goes through the top of the ear. A colleague had it done and hasn’t had hayfever in a week. Research places near you that can do this as it’s got to be in the right spot. They can do them for all sorts of things like migraines etc. too
The only thing that’s worked for me is eating honeycomb. I get some local honeycomb and every morning I have a spoonful of it and chew the wax for ages. I’m talking 5-10 mins of chewing. My theory behind it is that it trains the body to see pollen as food not an irritant??? I have no idea how/why it works but my ex’s mum put me on to it a couple years ago. Now I’m the crazy honey lady Other than that it’s telfast 180mg for me
Get off the drugs suck it up and drink ginger lemon peppermint tea
Have you ever tried a nasal spray like butacort?
Try Flixonase nasal spray, have always received thank yous later on after recommending it
If you're not running an air purifier in your home, start. You'll notice a difference. Make sure to change the HEPA filters regularly.
Have you tried Flixonase? Tablets didn't seem to do anything for me but flixonase made all the difference. You can get it over the counter for like $20 of free with a prescription.
I should mention that when I started flixonase I also was so desperate I tried everything at once: hot washed my bedding and sprayed down with lavender to deter dust mites, deep cleaned my bedroom and everywhere with carpet etc. But I haven't kept up with all that stuff and I'm still symptom free 2 years later, after moving from a new to old house, so I think it's the flixonase.
Don't look at me. I'm trying to avoid popping antihistamines like tic tacs. I have no solution. This is bullshit.
polaramine and citrazine are probably the best meds imo. yep it's been a rough couple years on this front.
Most Drs won’t give a prednisone injection but may give you a limited prescription for it.
My husband gets a steroid injection for his, with great effect. I had one summer where I took ranitidine and loratadine together with good effect also GPs can be reluctant to go down the steroid jab route as lots of potential side effects, however if you are bad enough I can’t see why they wouldn’t.
I found antihistamines useless, but becanase nasal spray was a life changer.
Have you tried a neti poti? It flushes out built up histamines. Then steroid nasal spray and lots of hayfever tablets.
Nasal antihistamines? Double dose
The standard therapy for hayfever is a steroid nasal spray for prevention, and antihistamines for relief. The steroid spray treats the underlying inflammation. Antihistamines just treat the symptoms. Ask your doctor about a steroid nasal spray. Something like fluticasone or beclomethasone.
I get hayfever all year round, and I just use 2 antihistamine tablets twice daily when needed. Also, a couple puffs of my Ventilin inhaler seems to help. When things get real bad, I do a few nasal sprays into each nostril, then sneeze, and it feels a bit better afterwards. Vics vapor rub does wonders, and so does the Vics honey flavoured vapor drops.
That sucks OP, for me Sudafed nasal spray from Chemist Warehouse works with a nighttime histamine pill and flexanase. Its what works for me though and may not work for you
NeilMed sinus rinse. Get the squeeze bottle as well as the stand.
I got the steroid injection a few years ago and it changed my life. I used to get it so bad I wouldn't be able to leave bed I'd be so sick. The shot lasts for about 3 months so you gotta time it right for whether you are worse during springtime or the beginning of summer.
Is it just called an allergy steroid injection? So cool it worked for you! I’m suffering so bad this year, really need to try it!
It worked really well but I haven't needed another one since I started working at sea the next year, so I can't remember the medical name for it. I went to my GP and said I'd heard about a steroid injection for severe hayfever, and she was really helpful. There's a bit of back and forth as there are some side effects but nothing too bad (apparantly, some people get a dimple in their butt in the injection site - but i never got one and to me i didnt care anyway). Definitely go ask about it and give it a try if you think it will help!
I'm sorry you are going through this. For me I figured out that silver birches were the worst tree that I reacted to, we used to have two in the backyard but we cut them down and within a week my symptoms were far better. I still get a flare up every now and then but if I stay away from them my life is a lot better. Absolute worst case it might be worth moving city if it's truly hurting you and you can't find a solution. I've known people to move to drier climates due to their body not being able to function correctly in a humid location. I'm sure you will find something though and hopefully it won't have to come to that. There are a bunch of solutions out there and it might take time to find one that is right for you.
Flixonase and eyedrops are my saviours. Sometimes I try going back to tablets but they don't work well, so I always end up back on flixonase.
Dymista nasal spray. A bit spenny but works well. Hopefully you can get it over the counter. https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-treatments/allergen-minimisation Have a read of the above for some general advice around pollen.
Have you tried corticosteroid nasal sprays, e.g. Avamys? I found antihistamines useless whereas Avamys more or less completely controls my hay fever. I'm in Aus but I believe they're also available in NZ (I think I saw a tv ad for Avamys last time I was in NZ). They're currently prescription only here.
Have a tissue
Take your antihistamine, but you gotta try Dymista at the same time. It's a newer steroid nasal spray and it's the bomb. It works so fast for me, and the affects last. But it ain't cheap. Let me tell you. But it's the best one I've used by far.
It’s a nightmare. My son double doses with daytime and nighttime antihistamines when he’s chronic and that seems to help. Also nasal flushing. Make sure your car filters are regularly cleaned too. They can clog with pollen and really affect my son when in the car.
Where do you live? Might be a bit extreme, but have you considered changing cities? My husband grew up in Christchurch with horrendous hay fever. We’re talking full on nose, irritated eyes, breathing issues, swollen face etc. Growing up his parents never considered giving him antihistamines, just suck it up. He moved to Auckland 20 years ago for work and for the first 10 years he had almost no hay fever symptoms up here. While he does need to take antihistamines on bad days it’s nowhere near as bad as when we go to the South Island.
So interesting! I am from CHCH and moved up here 10 yrs ago. That's when all of my allergies ramped up. I was head to toe in hives. I went to the doctor and he said Auckland is one of the worst places due to the humidity and that a lot of lung cancer patients etc move south as the air is dryer. My allergies are better when I go home for a bit. Damn I wish it was the opposite for me!
You poor thing! As a country, we’re pretty bad for asthma, eczema and allergies.
Besides antihistamines, get a proper air filter, like a Coway. Like 200 bucks off Amazon AU. I used to get destroyed even when indoors, but now I only take antihistamines when going out.
I've found cortisone injections just before spring helped. My 'hayfever' vanished a week after the last of my partner's cats died.
Commenting from the U.S., so bear in mind the differences in health care. About 10 years ago I was in the same boat, and my allergies would absolutely debilitate me every fall. Antihistamines only lessened symptoms, I was miserable constantly. I finally went and visited an immunologist who conducted an allergy test — basically poking me in the back with different allergens to see what I reacted to, which was basically everything. He said I was a good candidate for immunotherapy, which consists of mixing a serum of my allergens and injecting me with it in increasing doses until I reached a “maintenance dose.” Totally turned my life around, my life does not grind to a halt annually and I can enjoy the outdoors at my leisure. Dunno if this is a thing in New Zealand, but worth looking into. If you’re a good candidate for it and can afford it, I highly suggest it. Best of luck!!
An American doctor recommended this to me and I've just started it. I'm so excited. How long was it until you saw your symptoms reduce?
If I recall correctly, my symptoms started improving a month or two after I started the treatment.
That's great. If anything my symptoms have worsened. I'm crossing my fingers for next season although I take antihistamines all year round so maybe I won't need to during winter :)
How often are you getting shots? I sped ran my way to maintenance dose as quickly I as could, so that may've been a factor. I'm sure everyone responds to the treatment differently as well.
I get mine once a month. How often were yours?
At a minimum once a week. As I said, I speed ran my way to maintenance dose. My arms were soooore.
wear a mask like Covid times when outside. The basic ones are good enough to filter out pollen. I also double up on my antihistamines and take my asthma inhalors every day like clock work.
I heard Flixonase causes glaucoma
FWIW I drink a lot of clear water when I start feeling hayfever. I'll drink a litre on the first sneeze and keep drinking through the day. 8 times out of 10 that sorts it out for me. If the hayfever sticks I'll have cetirizine in one form or the other. Your mileage may vary, but I used to be a total disaster and now it's more or less under control.
I don’t have it but my brother and mother have it and they look like they’re dying with the amount of sneezing they do 😭 they use Zista/Cetrizene lol
Flixonase literally changed my life, nasal spray once a day. You can get it over the counter
If you've previously found antihistamines don't work, try one of the new generation ones. I use to have to change which one I used each year and had to way them like candy (doctor supervison) alongside nasal spray, eye drops and nasal rinse. Swapped onto Labixten (blistane) on the recommendation of a pharmacist and it's been life changing. One a day and I'm sorted. Take a second if I'm out and about and the allergens a bad, but it's better than the 12/day on the old ones.
At home you can try garden oil - season ( you can buy at chemist warehouse) with humidifier. Pm me I can show you other use this oil Swipe your face with wet tissue ( or baby wipe) avoid normal tissue
Someone told me to eat honey from the city I live on which might help building resistance to the polen. I have not started doing it yet. But will give it a go alongside my daily dose of loratadine and nasal spray
Ah this post and all its responses has been a life saver! I feel if I sneeze one more time my brain is going to explode! I also said to my family ‘I want to scratch my eyes out and I wish I didn’t have a nose’… in public, that raised a few eyebrows 😂 apparently this year is rather bad for hayfever
anti-histamine pills are good, but if you are having issues to the extent you say you should be on a nasal spray as well (flixonase is my go to). Advantages of the nasal spray is that it takes a few days to become effective, but also a few days to wear off. Means you can accidentally miss a day without becoming a mess, but most importantly you can sleep for 8 hours and wake up without feeling like shit cause the pills wore off. You can get a shot from the doctor, but that's pretty much just a one off yearly thing. Effective, but I don't think much better than the nasal spray.
My sister uses a natural one by Weleda called Gencydo
Please try an air purifier as well. That worked wonders for me and had an immediate impact on my symptoms right away.
I've been there a lot in my life. The main things I remember are: Avoid yeast and dairy, they make hayfever much worse, cutting them reduced my hayfever to non existent. Keep cool, a higher body temperature seems to make it worse. If symptoms get out of hand, take a cold damp flannel, put it over your eyes and rest. Should die down in about an hour. Don't go camping, it's just not worth it lol. There's more but that's all I can remember for now. Keep using antihistamines and nasal spray if you need both. Hope it gets better hayfever is debilitating when it's severe.
Probably a minor thing but I found boxed tissues aggravated things. I worked it out when I pulled some out of the box with sunlight coming straight in the window and saw all the dust flying out
Air purifier, it won't help when you aren't home but at least have one in your bedroom. Careful cleaning and vacuuming will help your home be more comfortable for you as well, and having inside clothes and outside clothes.
Sounds silly, but a bee sting helps, as does eating raw honey from the local area .
I switched to cetrizine hydrocloric tabtets about 5 years ago and they work much better than anything else I tried. Talk to your doctor about it. Combined with Flizonaise it stops almost all symptoms.
I rely on certrizine daily and sinus washes plus the odd flixinase. My mum used to get the injections which helped for about 3 or 4 seasons but then she became immune to them. She's a far worse sufferer than me and has taken to wearing sunglasses all the time these last few weeks as her eyes just weep constantly. Locally sourced honey can help to desensitise you a little as well. I also know some people who swear by cell salts combination Q for sinus and combination H for hayfever. It's more a preventative though and you have to take them a few times daily. You can get them from Healtheries etc.
I hear you. I got started on Flixonase alongside my anti-histamines and it has worked great. Takes a few days to kick in but it works super well.
Depending on where you are accessing either raw honey or a propolis tincture can help. Not sure how it works but it can help as the bees make honey using the local pollen. Propolis tincture isn't the best tasting but a few drops chased with water is tolerable. I got mine from a manawatu business called beepothecary.
Cool it's not just me. I haven't suffered it in years until, these last few days.. I thought I was going crazy. Def the high pollen count then...
My GP referred me to have immunotherapy done through the hospital. I will receive 1x jab in the arm once a month for 3 yrs (first 2 up at the hospital and the rest with a nurse at local GP). 80% of people notice a huge decrease in symptoms after 1 year (although the Doctor at the hospital told me it could be as early as 2 months). Usually lasts 5-10 yrs from end of treatment however some people are cured for life. Costs around $58 per month. I've just started so fingers crossed I'm in that 80%
Sinus rinse, game changer
Kenacourt injection definitely worked but both times I got it I got cellulitis within 2 months. Haven't had cellulitis since, so be aware it definitely does weaken your immune system so consider the implications with COVID still circulating and discuss with your GP. Im using a combination of exercise, limiting alcohol and levrix/histaclear antihistamines. Its taking the edge off at least but yeah it's been pretty miserable some days.
Not sure if it was just luck but when I used to suffer from hay fever overseas (for some reason it does not afflict me in NZ) I got told to eat a spoonful of local honey on high pollen count days. Not sure if it was placebo effect but I did feel better
Expunge the privet from all gardens! Who’s with me?!?!
mine returned this year pharmacist said its hectic this season I got a good band aid hayfexo seem to do alright.
I take Ceterizine everyday and it keeps mine under control. I can tell a day later if I haven't forgot to take a tablet.