Antihistamines

[Andy in Germany]

I keep getting an alternately bunged up and runny nose to the point I can barely breathe through it. It's not a cold, and seems to be a reaction to something pollinating locally.

I really hope it isn't grapes, or I'm stuffed.

I've been using nose spray antihistamines far too much just so I can breathe and eat, and not sneeze on customers. Does anyone know of another effective remedy? I tried salt spray and it didn't touch the bunged-up-ness one bit. but my sinuses caught fire.

 

[Time Waster]

Loratidine tablets work best for me. Safe, nondrowsy and works.

 

[MontyVeda]

Have you tried Sudafed tablets?

They've always cleared bunged up sinuses in the past for me... but didn't touch last weeks' cold.

Failing that, Tiger balm if you're brave enough to ram some up your nose

 

[Andy in Germany]

Have you tried Sudafed tablets?

They've always cleared bunged up sinuses' in the past for me... but didn't touch last weeks' cold.

Failing that, Tiger balm if you're brave enough to ran some up your nose

Tiger balm is potentially smelly and I have clients who are incredibly smell sensitive. Tablets would seem better.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Loratidine tablets work best for me. Safe, nondrowsy and works.

Thanks, I forgot to mention "non drowsy" is important.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Thanks, I forgot to mention "non drowsy" is important.

I get seasonal allergic rhinitis - ie runny nose/bunged up/catarrh type thing from February to June/July - ish; the worst is usually Feb/March from tree pollens. Loratadine is my usual go-to.
I'd used a new-to-me pharmacy for the first time in October for my flu jab and liked them very much, so I went in to ask the pharmacist there about what might be new and useful for seasonal allergic rhinitis.
He sold me a once-a-day nasal spray - brand name Pirinase; 0.05% fluticasone propionate - I used it as directed for two days at the beginning of the month when my nose was running like a tap, and it's been so much better that I've not needed it since! A good thing too as it goes out of date very soon which is why he sold it to me for £1.99 instead of its usual OTC price of about £14! However now I know it works like the proverbial charm I'll be looking for the generic form, or maybe even visiting my GP to get a prescription for it ...

 

[midlife]

Mometasone nasal spray is pretty effective too, need to read the instructions carefully...

 

[Reynard]

It won't be grapes @Andy in Germany - they don't even come into leaf till around mid May. At this time of year, the culprit is most likely to be hazel and blackthorn if it's a pollen-based issue. My stand of hazel is covered in male catkins right now, and the sloes and cherry plums are also starting to bloom.

I can't use the non-drowsy tablets as they make me feel sick. But half a Cetirizine Hydrochloride tablet (the basic OTC antihistamine) works for me. Gives just enough relief without any side effects.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Alder, birch, elm and yew (and probably some others) can produce pollen very early in the year, depending on the weather and the temperatures as early as January. The wind-borne pollens - ie many tree and grass pollens - are the worst for many people. As a teenager I had horrible reactions to grass pollens in particular, but over the years these became less severe and now I only have a seasonal allergic rhinitis.

 

[Reynard]

The one that gets me every time is elderflower pollen... And out this way, it's very difficult to avoid it, the damn things grow like weeds.

 

[KnittyNorah]

The one that gets me every time is elderflower pollen... And out this way, it's very difficult to avoid it, the damn things grow like weeds.

Elderflower pollen - and pollen which is intended for animal-mediated pollination, produced by other plants - bothers me little, if at all, compared to the pollens produced for wind-borne pollination. Doesn't matter where I am - the wind borne stuff will find me!

 

[Andy in Germany]

My stand of hazel is covered in male catkins right now, and the sloes and cherry plums are also starting to bloom.

I can't use the non-drowsy tablets as they make me feel sick. But half a Cetirizine Hydrochloride tablet (the basic OTC antihistamine) works for me. Gives just enough relief without any side effects.

After you wrote that I realised how many catkins I pass on the way to work...

I'm trying the Cetirizin tablets and things have certainly improved in the areas of breathing (more) and sneezing (less) and runny nose (dry), which is a massive improvement. They may be making me drowsy but that's just as likely because I'm undisciplined about going to bed at a decent hour.

 

[Tom B]

Another with allergic rhinitis.

I go with citirizine hydrochloride (zirtek) or loratadine.

I'm not sure if you can get tolerance to them but I usually end up on about 50mg a day (five times the standard dose) at peak times. I mentioned it to a GP once and he said it's fine. I seem immune to the drowsy effects. But I do suffer more at night and quite often dose up again.

My little lad also takes half a tab.

They're cheap as chips at about £2-3 per 30.

I've never had much joy with nose squirters.

I did get one of the third generation antihistamines that was a pill every 6hours worked well but was more of a faff. I think I was given it at hospital by a sympathetic doc when in with my lad. I bought some more OTC but I couldn't tell you the name now.

 

[Time Waster]

I get seasonal allergic rhinitis - ie runny nose/bunged up/catarrh type thing from February to June/July - ish; the worst is usually Feb/March from tree pollens. Loratadine is my usual go-to.
I'd used a new-to-me pharmacy for the first time in October for my flu jab and liked them very much, so I went in to ask the pharmacist there about what might be new and useful for seasonal allergic rhinitis.
He sold me a once-a-day nasal spray - brand name Pirinase; 0.05% fluticasone propionate - I used it as directed for two days at the beginning of the month when my nose was running like a tap, and it's been so much better that I've not needed it since! A good thing too as it goes out of date very soon which is why he sold it to me for £1.99 instead of its usual OTC price of about £14! However now I know it works like the proverbial charm I'll be looking for the generic form, or maybe even visiting my GP to get a prescription for it ...

That stuff had been around for a long time. I got prescribed it as a kid with antihistamine tablets. Stopped them after they gave me nosebleeds. Seriously bad for that. Most of the nasal sprays for allergies do that for me.

 

[JB052]

When

I keep getting an alternately bunged up and runny nose to the point I can barely breathe through it.

Might be worth looking at the Buteyko breathing exercise to unblock your nose, I find it very effective.