Anyone know any hayfever remedies which actually, like, WORK?!?

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I'm dyin' here...

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Friday, 21 May 2004 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Antihistamines?

― Be sure to Loop! Loop, Loop, Loop. (ex machina), Friday, 21 May 2004 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

clarityn works for me. take one a day, and be sure not to miss any days. after a few days you won't notice your hayfever much/at all - but keep taking them.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 21 May 2004 13:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Take a teaspoon of locally produced honey a day (as fresh as you can get).

The idea is that the pollen collected by the bees is the same as that to which you are allergic, and it apparently works very well.

― ___ (___), Friday, 21 May 2004 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

You can also buy natural honey in the form of little pellets, which seems to help.

― MATHEW FEY (matfey), Friday, 21 May 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Clarityn tablets combined with Becconaise nasal spray (or similar). Drink lots of water and stay cool but avoid drafts.

I might try the honey thing, but is it okay if you just bought it in Sainsbury's?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 21 May 2004 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Jack Daniels.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Friday, 21 May 2004 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The Boots own brand one works better for me than Clarityn and is, like, a fiver cheaper.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 21 May 2004 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

nasonex nasal spray >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> beconase

also superdrug's own brand zirtec works quite well.

― mr scratch, Friday, 21 May 2004 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

You can take Benedryl (or one of its many clones - the generic is diphenhydramine). It will zap your symptoms for a while and, for a treat, it will also extract half of your brain, which you might miss or might not. Do not operate heavy machinery. A can opener may become something of a puzzler, too, but mishandling it is unlikely to cause lasting harm.

Or you could take Claritin (or one of its many clones - the generic is loratadine). It will zap your symptoms, too, although less rapidly than Benedryl. Alas, it will only suck out about a tenth of your brain, leaving you a bit vague perhaps for mental trigonometry, but right up to the mark for can openers and the like.

Home remedies, such as the honey heretofore mentioned, are comforting in a 'grandma's quilt' kind of way, but will not lay a finger (or so much as a fingernail paring) on near-fatal hay fever symptoms. Jack Daniels, although tempting in its own right, will only make you a drunken snot-factory. If this sounds attractive, do not let me disuade you.

― Aimless (Aimless), Friday, 21 May 2004 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Zirtek.

Zirtek Zirtek Zirtek.

Trust me on this.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 21 May 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Apple cider vinegar.

Or get your nasal passages cut out like I did.

― You're the Wish You Are I Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 22 May 2004 03:44 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

This is unbearable.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 10 June 2006 22:15 (twenty years ago)

My pharmacist friend informs me that claritin works for an amazing 25% of allergy sufferers at recommended dose -- virtually worthless, hence why it's over the counter. I've done a hell of a lot better since I got a prescription for Allegra and another for a nasal corticosteroid to keep my sinuses open. Still occasional itchy eyes, but it's a world better than the insane allergy madness I used to have.

― mike h. (mike h.), Sunday, 11 June 2006 00:46 (twenty years ago)

I've just been informed via blood test that I am in 100% good health but am insanely allergic to Dust Mites. (I've had what feels like a severe cold for the past 8 months, and somewhat lesser symptoms for years.) I've started to use a nasal spray called Nasonex which is supposed to prevent the allergens from bonding to the mucous membrane inside my nose. I should know in about 3 days time whether it'll work.

― Andrew (enneff), Sunday, 11 June 2006 00:56 (twenty years ago)

if you need to agressively knock it down: wear ice in the back of wrists, knees, elbows. *_*

― schanden (ritual), Sunday, 11 June 2006 01:58 (twenty years ago)

Simply plug up your nostrils and mouth with modelling clay. Symptoms will subside completely within 15 minutes.

― 100% CHAMPS with a Yes! Attitude. (Austin, Still), Sunday, 11 June 2006 02:16 (twenty years ago)

I go the cheap antihistamine route, personally, as in brand-x. I cut em in half or thirds sometimes using scissors depending on the severity of symptoms. As much as I hate to take any type of pill, these seem justifiable. Also a great sleep inducer. None today!

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 11 June 2006 02:26 (twenty years ago)

I had the worst case doctors had ever seen around here, tried absolutely every medicine they threw at me for years and years, nothing worked, until someone told me to try acupuncture. I didn't want to and in the end only went there to prove that it's all a bunch of eastern hippie suggestion numbo jumbo crap that only appears to work if you believe in it enough, which I didn't, so it couldn't actually do shit for me, but I got pwnd big time, it's gone and I've been completely hayfever free - apart from some extremely minor sneezing for about two days when the season starts - for almost 15 years now (had it from when I was about 8 until I was 19, am now 33). I couldn't get out for that one summer (big red marks on my back from the cupping procedure that was done every session to see where the blood flow was good or bad), but that wasn't too much of a problem since I never went outside from april to october because of my hayfever anyway. YMMV, obv, just saying that it worked for me.

― StanM (StanM), Sunday, 11 June 2006 02:28 (twenty years ago)

I started using Astelin (an antihistamine spray) earlier this year and it's been very helpful. I expect to get two or three years of reduced symptoms, and then it will stop working as well. That's the way it was with Claratin. Claratin was great for me initially. I hate to say it because it's such a cliche at this point.

If you are allergic to dust mites, you should definitely try encasing your mattress (why DOES mattress have two tts?) and pillow in one of those allergy cover things.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 11 June 2006 02:29 (twenty years ago)

(numbo!? That's mumbo, obviously...) (xpost to myself)

― StanM (StanM), Sunday, 11 June 2006 02:31 (twenty years ago)

Oh lord. I've had bad hayfever since I was young, and had nasal sprays (Beconaise!) and eye drops as a teenager. Lots of Dimetapp and Seldane too. It was better from about 16-20, but the past several years(i am 23) have been bad. This is the third year I've been using Benedryl. Claritin and Allegra did very little for me, but two Benedryl(or generic analogues) clears me up w/in 20 min for about 5 hours. It also knocks me out, though, to the extent that i've used as a recreational drug on several occasions (yes, i know this is a bad idea, as i will inevitably build a tolerance to the one drugstore medication that works). I am acutely aware of everything, but my ability/desire to react is severely dulled. This is the first year that I think that the side effects are having an effect on my quality of life; I am generally exhausted and often tuned out, but will take the side effects over itchy eyes any day.

― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 11 June 2006 05:56 (twenty years ago)

Zirtec and Beconase (and I used to use eye drops before I started wearing contact lenses). Doesn't completey get rid of it, but it's a lot better than not taking them, although it does leave you feeling just a little bit spaced out and sleepy for a couple of months.

― Teh HoBBercraft (the pirate king), Sunday, 11 June 2006 07:34 (twenty years ago)

Of course I say ask your doctor for tha real medical advice! Still i have an idea! Take:
apsirin
ibuprofin
OMEGA 3 fishoil
claritin
vitamin C
caffeine

all at once!
see it work!

― Mr Jones (Mr Jones), Sunday, 11 June 2006 07:38 (twenty years ago)

i'm allergic to one type of tree pollen, benedryl is what works for me.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Sunday, 11 June 2006 09:09 (twenty years ago)

keep meaning to try the local honey thing. apparently it really does work.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Sunday, 11 June 2006 09:12 (twenty years ago)

I have perennial rhinitis so I have to take anti-histamines all year round, but it gets particularly bad during hayfever season. What works for me is a prescription-only nasal spray called Nasonex. It's 1000x better than Beconase - you only need to spray once a day and it works almost straight away, instead of having to wait a couple of days to take effect.

On top of that I take Telfast tablets (also prescription, although you may be able to get them over the counter, I don't know) if it's a high pollen day or if I get hives or something.

Benadryl (US version) does work, but is only worth taking if I don't mind passing out for an hour or 2. The UK Benadryl I think is the same as Zirtec or Clarityn or something, it's a non-drowsy one and isn't as effective.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Sunday, 11 June 2006 10:32 (twenty years ago)

The US Benadryl is marketed in the UK as Nytol, a sleeping aid!

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Sunday, 11 June 2006 10:33 (twenty years ago)

Most of the OTC sleep aids are antihistamines. And the no-drowsiness formula stuff makes my heart race.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Sunday, 11 June 2006 12:30 (twenty years ago)

Nasal irrigation is supposed to help allergies: http://dwp.bigplanet.com/allergies/nasalirrigation/

― Safety First (pullapartgirl), Sunday, 11 June 2006 13:53 (twenty years ago)

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