Annual Hay Fever Thread

[shep]

It's that time of year again. Long evenings, beautiful light and abundant life to marvel at.
It's also when I reach for the drug cupboard for every known hay fever potion so I can actually leave the house.

Today I forgot, went for a run through waist high grass and ended up with anaphylaxis: whole body rash, wheeze and stomach cramps. It's my best attack ever and now I've got even more tablets thanks to the nice GP.

Grass is the only thing I'm allergic to - why couldn't it have been computers?

 

[Zeph]

Have you tried worms ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sciencea...arasitic-worms-reduce-hay-fever-symptoms.html

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

I think he was just running nakid in wast hi nettles.... ducking for cover....

 

[shep]

Frankly, given the rash went everywhere that was exposed, I'm glad I'm not that kind of nature-lover!

 

[shep]

Have you tried worms ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sciencea...arasitic-worms-reduce-hay-fever-symptoms.html

I'd try anything. Anyone know where I can find some?

 

[Zeph]

Some interesting reading here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy

 

[Ricky369]

It is strange how we are so adapted to nature but alergic to grass. Would be cool to know how it came about

 

[Shewie]

It's that time of year again. Long evenings, beautiful light and abundant life to marvel at.
It's also when I reach for the drug cupboard for every known hay fever potion so I can actually leave the house.

Today I forgot, went for a run through waist high grass and ended up with anaphylaxis: whole body rash, wheeze and stomach cramps. It's my best attack ever and now I've got even more tablets thanks to the nice GP.

Grass is the only thing I'm allergic to - why couldn't it have been computers?

That sounds a bit harsh Shep. I only get the occasional itchy eyes and sneezing myself.

In fact one of those Puritan tablets does me for a whole day if I need it.

Interestingly I had a lot of exposure to cut grass for three consecutive summers and this year I've not had any symptoms in general everyday stuff yet.

 

[Melonfish]

cut grass doesn't bother me too much, its elderflower that does me in. actual grass pollen does irritate me but elderflower makes me sneeze and wheeze with eyes watering and itchy inner ear!
also lumps in the roof of the mouth etc.
also due to the way i sneeze i tend to shred the back of my throat and get throat infections (you really have to hear me sneeze. tbh if your within half a mile you'd understand)

still makes me laugh that as kids me and a m8 used to rub our eyes and roll in the cut grass etc to trigger our heyfever to get out of school.

 

[calibanzwei]

As soon as you see that floaty, cotton wool like pollen - what's that, Ash pollen? - then that's me knocked sideways. I use Beconase nasal spray - hate the thing, but then again its the only thing that's worked for me over the years.

 

[shep]

TBH I'm usually fine - almost no syptoms at all - if I remember to start the beconase on the 31st May and then take the odd Zirtek.

This reaction really impressed me...in a bad way.

 

[Purdy Bear]

You have my sympathies Shep.

I also have a grass allergy which causes Hives, Breathing problems etc. On top of this I have Dust Mite allergy, so I get reactions in the Summer then in the Winter, almost a whole year of it!

I use a mask while out, and cover up pretty much. Im on Neoclarytn from the Drs.

I cant eat Wheat but Im ok most of the time with Rye and Oats.

The thing I hate is people cuttng grass, they dont do it all the same time, but have competitions on how often they can do it appart. LOL!

Look into adding more vitamin C to your diet, and also Nettles, although the later can cause a reaction in some.

The sad thing is when I was a kid (I got the allergy at 25), I was forever in the fields and woods around where I live.

 

[Womble_Lancs]

I have just purchased a little machine which claims to give allergy relief. Basically, it's two little glass probes with red LEDs on the end. You shove one up each nostril, turn on the machine and wait for 3 minutes, when the machine turns itself off. My friend has one and says it really works for him, and the pharmacist who sold it to me said the same. She said that you have to use it 4 times a day, and it really starts to take effect after about 3 days. I got mine today and, as soon as I put the probes up my nose, I sneezed and made a bit of a mess

The box part of the machine is 2"x1"x3", and it houses a 9v battery.

I'll let you know how I get on with it.

I'm also taking 180mg Fexofendine three times a day and drinking elderflower tea, which is said to be good at relieving hayfever symptoms (unless you're Melonfish!).

 

[Globetrotter.uk]

I heard honey was good for hayfever, is that true

 

[gregorach]

I've tried all sorts of things for hayfever... The thing is, it's a highly variable condition at the best of times, so it's really hard to tell what really works and what doesn't just from your own experience. It's far too easy to associate the good days with product X and forget about the bad days...

 

[phaserrifle]

I just sneezed all the way through a law exam.
why there was that much pollen in a school gym I don't know, as I was fine when I got out.

course I've got an itchy back of the nose now......

 

[Womble_Lancs]

I heard honey was good for hayfever, is that true

Yes, but it has to be honey local to where you live, and you have to start taking it round about February for the homeopathic effect to work in time for the hayfever season.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

the simplest solution to hayfever is wrok nights and i know that might sound mad but i just dont suffer any more either when i am off or at work and i dont take anything except claryton regulars that you by in tescos.
but last year when i worked days i had prescibed stuff with two spays one for the nose and 0ne for eyes and tablets. So working nights seems to work or i am growing out of it

 

[Womble_Lancs]

Well, it's now day two of using the battery-operated 'shove it up the nose' thingy, and I'm not sure if it's working or not. Every time I put it up my nose, my eyes stream and then I have a sneezing fit. I've just had to give my desk & keyboard a good clean after the last effort

I can't use eye drops because I wear contact lenses, and I don't use beconase or flixonase because they never seemed to make any difference, so I didn't see the point in paying for them. If my nose gets really blocked, I use sudafed nasal spray which works for an hour or two.

 

[gregorach]

I never used to find beconase very effective, but I find flixonase works wonders. Or, at least, it seems to... Mind you, I used to swear by those homoeopathic tablets for a while too.

I also find I have to change my antihistame every so often - I switch between loratadine and cetirizine whenever the one I'm using seems to stop working.