The sneezin seasin. Hayfever.

[dwardo]

So its that time of the year again.

Until recent weeks I have managed to get by with "over the counter" Loretazine, Certazine etc. They take the edge off a little.

Now its only proper prescription Fexofenadine. Fexofenadine is a life saver when it comes to the evil pollen. Each year I undertake a Quest riddled with riddles to obtain the said medication. Yearly conversion goes like this.

Hi, I am calling to get a repeat prescription for my hay-fever medication.
I am sorry we cannot take repeat prescriptions over the phone (they did the year before and the year after that I had to make an appointment??).

OK, Can I have an appointment to see the doctor to get said medication?
I am sorry but the doctor wont see you just for hay-fever medication.

OK..., so how do I get the medicine I require?
Well you will have to come down a fill out a form in person.

Pfft!.. OK cool. Will be down this afternoon as I will be passing in between jobs, thanks.

I get to the Surgery and ask about the "form" that needs filling in. I am handed a rough torn 1/3 of a sheet of A4. On this sheet is Name, Doctor, medication required. No other information required, no signature, no proof of ID, no phone contact details etc. So no reason it could not have been done over the phone? especially given the type of medication.?

I then ask "Would you like to take my number? maybe let me know if there is a problem or when i can pick it up?" (not asked for on the form)
"It all depends" she says.. "Its been nearly a year since you last had the same prescription so the doctor might not let you have it",,, (defensive tone)

Trying desperately to be nice as I haven't the time to argue between jobs and picking up the kids,
I say
"I understand its been a year",, trying even more desperately not to point out the obvious! "So lets say the doctor is not willing to repeat my prescription will he call or ?"
"No she says. you just have to turn up here in three days time, probably late afternoon and it might be ready..."

I manage to miss getting the prescription on the Friday due to work getting in the way. Same Monday, they were closed Tuesday and Wednesday I finally got my prescription!! . 30 Days worth

I know we don't get much ""Summer"" these days but the trees n plants don't care and it will be going on for a dam site longer than 30 days regardless !!!!

So rinse and repeat next month.

Please don't take the above as a slant on the NHS as they have saved my life on more than one occasion. Its just a daft local bureaucracy thing but you must laugh or go insane!

Rant over!

So who else out there suffers?
What are your best tips? Staying indoors never an option!


--- Changing your clothes in the evening after washing your arms, face and hair, helps no end.

--- Decent antihistamines providing you are worthy of the challenge

?

 

[snappingturtle]

I get it but take nothing for it I just let it run its course.

 

[Toddy]

Ah, there's a way round the surgery hassle Dwardo; you ask for them to send the prescription straight to the Chemist's.
Our surgery has the Chemist that I choose on their computer and it's now done automatically. I have to ask for the repeat prescription but it's sent to the Chemist and I can either just phone them and ask if it's in, or knowing that it is, just pick it up.
I don't suffer from hayfever, but I get a new epi-pen annually, just in case I get bitten and it goes nuclear

I feel sorry every year for the hayfever sufferers; it looks like a never ending Summer cold and they're utterly miserable with it.

M

 

[dwardo]

Ah, there's a way round the surgery hassle Dwardo; you ask for them to send the prescription straight to the Chemist's.
Our surgery has the Chemist that I choose on their computer and it's now done automatically. I have to ask for the repeat prescription but it's sent to the Chemist and I can either just phone them and ask if it's in, or knowing that it is, just pick it up.
I don't suffer from hayfever, but I get a new epi-pen annually, just in case I get bitten and it goes nuclear

I feel sorry every year for the hayfever sufferers; it looks like a never ending Summer cold and they're utterly miserable with it.

M

Now that sounds much more civilized but it was not offered. I will ask next time. Whole thing seems like a colossal waste of everyone`s time but alas.

Whilst its certainly not a major condition it is a major pain in the rear for lots of us. Some days hiding indoors is the only way to be able to see a few feet in front of you without wanting to rub your own eyes out. The constant dripping nose to chest is a bore when trying to sleep. As you say for some its a cold for four months of the year or so, every year!

Completely unsubstantiated but I find the local increase of crop such as rape seed to be a real trigger. I am much better in the woods than I am in a town or village or even home.

 

[bopdude]

I've suffered the dreaded hayfever for more years than I care to remember, 40+, mine started February this year and will probably go through to September / October, I'm at the Doctors on the 4th to plead to be given Kenalog again, it's steroid based which is why they stopped giving me it as they were worried about side effects, as a sufferer you will know, the side effects at times would be worth it ?

 

[Bionic]

I’ve suffered from fairly bad hayfever for years which isn’t ideal in my profession (farmer) and never really found a solution that works particularly well. In the last couple of years I’ve been on immunosuppressants and have noticed that one of the side effects (the only good one ) seems to be that my hayfever has all but disappeared and on the odd occasion it does bother me its easily controllable with over the counter remedies. In a way I guess it makes sense as hayfever is an immune response but I must say it’s not a remedy I’d entirely reccomend

 

[Toddy]

Listenclear, who is missed on the forum, is an acupuncturist. Science degree type acupuncturist, etc., and he's pretty certain that it works to aid the body reset against things like hayfever.
I sew, and that's about as happy as I get with needles, but if I suffered hay fever year in year out, I think I'd find someone like Paul and see if it would help me.

M

 

[bopdude]

Listenclear, who is missed on the forum, is an acupuncturist. Science degree type acupuncturist, etc., and he's pretty certain that it works to aid the body reset against things like hayfever.
I sew, and that's about as happy as I get with needles, but if I suffered hay fever year in year out, I think I'd find someone like Paul and see if it would help me.

M

It worked for me when I tried it a few years ago, I just couldn't justify the £25 a week so a month in that was me back to the 'norm' of course, you could always go extreme and emigrate, the change of pollen worked wonders for me

 

[dwardo]

It worked for me when I tried it a few years ago, I just couldn't justify the £25 a week so a month in that was me back to the 'norm' of course, you could always go extreme and emigrate, the change of pollen worked wonders for me

Lived in Oz for a year and 0 symptoms. Trip to the coast with an off shore breeze is also a welcome break.

 

[woodstock]

I believe that eating local honey to your area prevents hay fever.

 

[dwardo]

I believe that eating local honey to your area prevents hay fever.

Urban legend unfortunately. Likely put about by the local apiarists.

 

[bopdude]

Yeah tried it to no avail

 

[Billy-o]

I hate getting all clogged up and the worst part is that I never really know if the cause is pollen, or the dog or some weird house dust or something drifting off a construction site .. could be anything.

I found recently that craft-brewed kolsch helps to dampen the effects. Which is a lucky discovery, I think.

There's a friend of mine is an aboriginal scholar. Turns out he's become allergic to birch pollen. I don't know but there seems to be something hugely allegorical about that.

 

[Faz]

I made the mistake of calling the surgery last week to ask for Telfast which is the normal name for fexofenadine. The lady on the deception desk promptly told me that they don’t offer prescription meds for hay fever any more. Tried to explain but she wouldn’t have it.

Visited in person, ensured I spoke to the pharmacy first who confirmed it’s still available and went to the surgery and made sure I spoke to the same one.

One phone call later with the GP and it’s issued.

I’ve struggled for years with over the counter stuff and today I’ve started to use the fexofenadine, it’s amazing.

I looked at the Kenalog injections but nhs won’t do them, however I’ve found them locally at private surgeries and a hospital that will do it for £200 so I’ll go get that next February.


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[Nice65]

I don’t get it bad enough to pop anything other than a genuine Piriton when the grass pollens get bad, but I found a packet of Telfast in the cupboard the other day. Given to me by a pharmacy in Portugal a couple of years ago when I reacted badly to multiple mozzie bites. I remember it being very effective, so handy stuff to keep around.

 

[bopdude]

I made the mistake of calling the surgery last week to ask for Telfast which is the normal name for fexofenadine. The lady on the deception desk promptly told me that they don’t offer prescription meds for hay fever any more. Tried to explain but she wouldn’t have it.

Visited in person, ensured I spoke to the pharmacy first who confirmed it’s still available and went to the surgery and made sure I spoke to the same one.

One phone call later with the GP and it’s issued.

I’ve struggled for years with over the counter stuff and today I’ve started to use the fexofenadine, it’s amazing.

I looked at the Kenalog injections but nhs won’t do them, however I’ve found them locally at private surgeries and a hospital that will do it for £200 so I’ll go get that next February.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have an appointment Monday, I'll see what they say about the Kenalog, also I'll ask for the Fexofenadine

 

[Faz]

I have an appointment Monday, I'll see what they say about the Kenalog, also I'll ask for the Fexofenadine

If they’re anything like our local NHS they won’t do the Kenalog, only available through private surgeries by looks of it.


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[bopdude]

If they’re anything like our local NHS they won’t do the Kenalog, only available through private surgeries by looks of it.


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Well if he won't prescribe it I'll ask him questions, seen the tablet form online from the States.