Not hayfever but related to it. Over the last few years, I have realised I am allergic to privet flowers. At first, I just hated the smell. A lot of people don't know privet even has flowers, but living in the inner city decay as I do, I get awful whiffs of it every time I go out of the house at this time of year. Last year, the emll made me feel sick. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to Owen that privet time was coming and he groaned and said I would be even more scatty than usual then. I had not even known it had that effect. This year, the last week has been a nightmare, (literally, with regard to last night). I got runny nose and eye prickles like hayfever, but with added sinus pain and stomach upset. Monday, I took a day off work sick and started on Benadryl, but only once a day, not every 8 hours (luckily, as it tuned out). Tuesday, my brain had turned to mush and I felt a bit giddy. Yesterday, I had to go home early from work as I had both those symptoms and also felt very faint. Last night, I realised that brain mush (i.e. incoherent thought proceses) was actually quite extreme, and instead of the Benadryl, I took Galpharm's 24 hour pills. I did not choose these, they happened to be in the house for Owen's hayfever. Today, my thought processes are working again, but my vision is a little strange and I have a bit of a headache. I can live with that, but would rather not. OK, oh fount of ukrm wisdom, as seen recently in the hayfever thread, what can I do? I really cannot afford to have all this time off - too much to do, but I can't work properly either unmedicated or with the medication so far. Benadryl is based on Acrivastine. Anyone else suffered similar symptoms to mine? Galpharm is based on cetrizine dihydrochloride. Anyone else suffered the vision thing? What are the other types like? Symptoms, even slight ones, please. I already know that I am supersensitive to antihistamines - if I want to sleep well, a half of the weaker Nytols does the trick, which is a quarter dose. Advice welcomed. -- Marina Mayes - Reading, UK. To email me remove XX from my address XV535 (sold), GPZ500S (promised), SR250 (in bits). BOTAFOT12, BOD#2, BOTAFOS#2. KotLBOD#s, KotLBOTAFOS#s,IMC#2, Tart#10-19, SR#3 Original Sinergy - wicked T-shirts for a wicked world: www.originalsinergy.com I never give in to fear or blackmail; I always give in to temptation. www.pericles.demon.co.uk "You're a national treasure" - porl, 18.1.03
marina wrote in snip I've found that the best way to defeat hayfever is to get on the drugs well before you expect the symptoms. This would not work for everyone as few people actually identify the allergen. However, in your case you can monitor the species. The object is to prevent a histamine reaction occuring in the first place. Once your body goes into an allergic reaction you may stop it getting worse by taking the anti-histamine but you still have all of the symptoms to contend with. Your immune system may be suppressed too which makes you more susceptible to picking up a cold. The 2 drugs I've used which do not make me drowsy are Zirtek (same as galpharm i.e. ceterizine) and Clarityn (loratidine, available as a generic). As I've said in other hayfever posts. I get less trouble now that my blood pressure is regulated by beta blockers. Between the ages of 25-35 I had very bad hayfever, caused by flowering trees like cherry, almond and philadelphus. For the last 6 years, since being on beta blockers I rarely have to resort to anti-histamines. I'm not sure whether the lowered blood pressure or a side effect of the beta blockers is responsible, or just coincidence.
No, and I've taken it (the cetri-thing, not Galpharm) for about 2 months in the spring for the last few years.
Thanks for all the advice peeps, the vision seems to have normalized now, so I'll stick with the cetrizine; I'll just look for the cheapest brand. -- Marina Mayes - Reading, UK. To email me remove XX from my address XV535 (sold), GPZ500S (promised), SR250 (in bits). BOTAFOT12, BOD#2, BOTAFOS#2. KotLBOD#s, KotLBOTAFOS#s,IMC#2, Tart#10-19, SR#3 Original Sinergy - wicked T-shirts for a wicked world: www.originalsinergy.com I never give in to fear or blackmail; I always give in to temptation. www.pericles.demon.co.uk "You're a national treasure" - porl, 18.1.03
