I'm new to the whole allergy thing as I've only been experiencing it the last couple of years.
Currently I just take antihistamine tablets when the symptoms get bad and they seem to mostly get rid of them, but I'll still have a bit of an itchy nose and eyes. I wonder if I took them twice a day at set times would that be more effective at getting rid of all my symptoms?
I'm thinking that by doing this I wouldn't be allowing histamine levels to build up at all or is this not how it works?
Dymista only recently became an over-the-counter drug, so no need for a prescription anymore.
Have a read about 'Mast Cell Stabilisers'.
Mast cells are what release histamine.
Yes they work better if you take daily.
Also for itchy eyes paracetamol works wonders, but prevention is better.
Anyone tried fluticasone nasal spray (e.g. Flixonase, Avamys, Nasofan)
How did it go?
Avamys changed my life.
My doctor told me it's preventative so he advised taking in the evening and it'll protect you during day. He also recommended using FESS or saline spray in the nose as well.
Personally I've found Claratyne no longer works for me and Telfast only seems to half work. I copped a bad case of hayfever recently and even taking Telfast it still took 3 days to get back to normal. I've started wearing a mask outside and found I'm not getting it anymore although mine is an extreme example. Hope no one else gets to this stage!
My mum used to give an an antihistamine everyday as a child (lived in a Mozzie hell hole). I am now ummune to them (mozzies).
Antihistamines are a common medication used to treat allergy symptoms such as itching, sneezing, and runny nose. According to Drugs.com, most people can take antihistamines every day if they have daily symptoms of their allergies¹. The number of times you take an antihistamine each day depends on the type of antihistamine. Some antihistamines are taken every 4 to 6 hours, and some are longer-lasting antihistamines that are taken every 12 to 24 hours¹.
Taking antihistamines regularly can help keep histamine levels low and prevent allergy symptoms from occurring in the first place. However, it's important to note that long-term use of first-generation antihistamines, like Benadryl, may increase the risk of dementia and cognitive decline, research suggests². Second-generation antihistamines can remain effective when you take them every day. They are less likely to cause side effects like sleepiness and fatigue compared to first-generation antihistamines².
It's best to consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medication regularly. They can help you determine the right dosage and frequency based on your specific needs.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 06/10/2023
(1) Is it OK to take antihistamines every day? - Drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/antihistamines-every-d….
(2) Is taking allergy medicine every day bad for you? - SingleCare. https://www.singlecare.com/blog/taking-antihistamines-daily/.
(3) Antihistamines: Uses, Types, and Side-Effects | Patient. https://patient.info/allergies-blood-immune/allergies/antihi….
(4) What to Do When Antihistamines Aren’t Working for Hives - Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/ciu/when-antihistamines-st….
(5) Antihistamines and allergy - Australian Prescriber. https://australianprescriber.tg.org.au/articles/antihistamin….
I think antihistamine tablets are best used "as required", which indeed might mean taking them regularly (one or twice a day) during allergy season. I don't however think taking them as a prophylactic is advisable, and in fact you might even find you need to switch between types of antihistamines (e.g. cetirizine and fexofenadine) during a single season, as they tend to lose their effectiveness when used regularly.
Most medications cause some degree of tolerance, so it is preferable to use them as needed rather than having high concentrations 24/7. The tolerance will rarely be as great and problematic as with narcotics.
With antihistamines you are clogging up the muscarinic histamine receptors, so they will upregulate. For instance people get some degree of tolerance to the sedating effects of antihistamine over time. However, the ones used for allergies nowdays only poorly penetrate the brain brain barrier, so there isn't much to worry about in terms of central effects. Psych medications are the most likely to cause issues with tolerance and up/down regulation. For instance, if you take crazy pills (antipsychotics) for years on end, you develop irreversible tardive dyskinesis. Basically years of inhibition cause your dopamine system to permanently upregulate. People whine about gender dysphoria, but it is a walk in the park compared to schizophrenia, the most crippling psych affliction.
I've taken antihistamines daily for probably the last 3 months with no problems
after years of trying different tablets, we've found fexo 180mg works well (might take about 20 minutes to take effect) - but only for a few hours - and as only one tablet per day is recommended, that's a limiting factor - https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fexofenadine/
at night time, when we want to sleep, we might take a drowsy type - polaramine - not recommended if driving or working during the day.
this season I'm told 'everyone' has allergies - due to nearly 4 years of rain since Feb 2020 drought broke, causing massive overgrowth, massive pollen and … atisshoo !! ('Where's a tissue !!!')
Ideally you’ll reduce your exposure to whatever the allergen is. Unfortunately that’s easier said than done as it could be pollen from a neighbours tree, or something near your workplace. Dust mites can be an issue too, so look into strategies for this too e.g. hanging washing in the sun, wet dusting and minimising soft furnishings (carpet). An air purifier at work and home could also help to reduce dust and pollen exposure. It could also be your laundry detergent, toiletries or something you eat. Unfortunately it would be hard to know if any of these changes make a difference if you are taking antihistamines at the time.
I know this isn’t what you were asking so Re antihistamines, whenever I’ve discussed it with drs they say it’s not a big deal. I give them to my kid around once a fortnight when he has an exposure and reaction to a known food allergen. The allergy clinic said this should help with reducing reactions not only immediately but also for future exposures. In the past I developed a thing where every time I started getting sick with a virus like a cold etc I’d break out in hives, apparently this is a thing that can happen after having hand, foot and mouth. I saw an allergist and he recommended going pretty hard on the antihistamines every time it happened and that this would help reduce the reaction the future. This seemed to work. The other thing to consider is that if you’re taking them every day for a period of time and then stop, you might get some re-bound itching. Hence like everyone said it’s worth discussing with a doctor. Now that you’ve followed the docs original advice, go back for a follow and see what they say about continued use.
I'm a bit late to posting here but here goes :)
Yes, they do work better when you take them consistently. But as others have mentioned your body starts to build up resistance to their effectiveness, which can be countered by changing out the type you take every 2-3 months.
I have a weird condition where sometimes when I get hot, my skin starts getting itchy. Doctor has me taking two a day (I take both in the morning), and changing out the type as mentioned above. It's absolute key to change out as soon as you start noticing the decreasing effectiveness otherwise your body will build up a longer resistance to the drug. The timeframe my doctor gave me at the time was 2-3 months as mentioned above.
My doctor asked me to take a blood test for RAST (allergy specific) to test out (pollens, house dustmite, Alternaria, Animal Furs) etc
I find that once I'm experiencing hayfever symptoms it's already too late and antihistamines do nothing… So yes best taken daily as a preventative.. Also cycle between different brands seem to be more effective I.e I'll use claratyne then switch to zyrtec and then to telfast.
I had rebally bad heyfever and grass alergies for 25 years and taking those were a short term fix… i will never take them ever again.
It take around a month for you to clear them out of your system.. once you do you will start getting less alergies.. your body takea back control and does a better job.
Also cut out sugar as much as you can.. refined sugar in solf drinks are the worst for allergies… Honey is fine.. fruit sugar with the fiber pulp is also fine… reduce things that cause inflamation in the body and you will live an alergy free life like i am now.
I am allergic to grass seeds, pollen, dust mites, cat hair and particularly wattle. I’ve spent half my life a mess going through tissue box after tissue box. I have tried everything including naturopathy and homeopathy and every antihistamine on the market. Polaramine is the only short term treatment that helps the chronic onset of symptoms for me, but it does make one drowsy.
The “cure” for me was Avamys spray a few times a week during allergy season. It completely cured my symptoms. I can now mow the lawn without the rest of the day being a write off. I’ve been using it this way for about a decade now and it’s transformed my quality of life.
Great to hear Avamys has worked so well for you.
I tried it after many years battling hayfever - totally stopped the hayfever, even the itchy eyes.
Also check if this is suitable for you
https://www.alfredhealth.org.au/news/new-tablet-treats-hayfe…
Pharmacist here!
Severity of hayfever symptoms can vary greatly between individuals, so what might work for others might not work for you and that means there needs to be some trial and error (especially in Melbourne where our pollen count is just insane).
Some people will get enough relief from taking an antihistamine tablet only when symptoms flare up.
Some people take an antihistamine daily. I take one daily because I don't want to risk feeling the symptoms and I know based on my history that I will always get symptoms if I don't take the antihistamine.
New generation antihistamines like loratadine (Claratyne), fexofenadine (Telfast), cetirizine (Zyrtec), bilastine (Allertine) have a good safety profile even when taken long term and consistently. The only "side effect" I would consider is the cost lol.
Now addressing your specific symptoms:
Sometimes using a local antihistamine can provide more effective relief. For example,
- Antihistamine eye drops for itchy eyes. I recommend (and use myself) ketotifen (Zaditen) eye drops.
- Nasal sprays: These can contain antihistamine agents such as azelastine (in Dymista) or levocabastine (Zyrtec spray). They can also contain anti-inflammatory steroids such as mometasone (Nasonex/Azonaire) or fluticasone (Avamys). There are sprays that have a combination of actives too such as Dymista which has both azelastine and fluticasone. As these sprays can be costly, I recommend starting with a single active formulation first such as Azonaire (use this myself daily) which is $12.50 from CW. If you need more relief, then you can consider stepping up to a combined formulation (Dymista) which is $35 from CW.
NB: Nasal sprays containing steroids (Nasonex/Azonaire, Avamys) may provide greater relief if you use them daily. For example, for a windy and sunny week where known pollen count is high or if you know you'll be in a dusty environment, consider using the spray daily even when you don't feel symptoms. You can stop using it daily after about 2 weeks then go back to using it daily when another flare up is expected.
*Nasonex/Azonaire: These are 2 brands of the same active ingredient - mometasone. Azonaire is significantly cheaper than Nasonex. Priceline and other pharmacies likely have their own generic equivalent.
I see a common theme in the comments about rotating between antihistamines. As far as I know as a pharmacist, there is no strong evidence supporting this technique, but anecdotally it's definitely not unheard of as an effective strategy. For example, I have taken loratadine for my whole life and it always works. Some people report that loratadine might work for them one season, but the next season they change to cetirizine and report greater relief. Like I said at the start, it can come down to trial and error.
Hope this helps! Feel free to DM.
Yeah, I sort of managed to get around that by only spraying a small amount (still effective) and not sniffing it too hard. Price is worth it for me because it lasts a while with my usage. It’s only $35, Chemist Warehouse doesn’t actually mention a prescription online so maybe that changed?