Hayfever Anyone ?

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#731153 12-Dec-2012 09:53

sbiddle: Around 10 years ago there used to be a tablet on the market with 250mg of pseudoephedrine in it. It was the ultimate immediate fix for bad hayfever, and obviously a dream come true for P makers as well which is why it disappeared from the market.

That's a lot of the stuff. The current standard is 60mg and that's pretty effective. 250mg would probably start to get you going.

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#731155 12-Dec-2012 09:55

joker97:

where do you get an $800 hrv-like system installed?

Just ask your local electrician. From memory the kit itself was $650, including the controller, four outlets and ducting. We bought a little more ducting, and I had the electrician install it because I don't like crawling around in ceilings. It only took him about three hours.

Obviously it doesn't have all the HRV bells and whistles, but it has an inlet filter that it reminds you to change annually (costs about $70 and takes 2 minutes to replace), has variable fan speed, and there's an optional heater module which we didn't buy.

We had had it scheduled for install for a few weeks. At that point in the season I had hay fever VERY badly, more so than any other time since moving to NZ. I had been to an allergy specialist and was on the point of going back to start the desensitisation therapy when the kit got installed. The next day the allergies largely subsided. It also happened that my mother was visiting from Sydney that week; the previous several nights she had been using an inhaler - that night, she stopped needing it too.

So, the fact that it hadn't occurred to me beforehand that the ventilation would help (we bought it to fight condensation) and that my mum got better overnight as well leads me to believe it wasn't just placebo effect.

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#731164 12-Dec-2012 10:01

Zetop for me, one pill and last whole day... also another good one is using eyedrops with antihistamine which helped with controlling allergy.

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#731176 12-Dec-2012 10:08

SaltyNZ:
joker97:

where do you get an $800 hrv-like system installed?

Just ask your local electrician. From memory the kit itself was $650, including the controller, four outlets and ducting. We bought a little more ducting, and I had the electrician install it because I don't like crawling around in ceilings. It only took him about three hours.

Obviously it doesn't have all the HRV bells and whistles, but it has an inlet filter that it reminds you to change annually (costs about $70 and takes 2 minutes to replace), has variable fan speed, and there's an optional heater module which we didn't buy.

We had had it scheduled for install for a few weeks. At that point in the season I had hay fever VERY badly, more so than any other time since moving to NZ. I had been to an allergy specialist and was on the point of going back to start the desensitisation therapy when the kit got installed. The next day the allergies largely subsided. It also happened that my mother was visiting from Sydney that week; the previous several nights she had been using an inhaler - that night, she stopped needing it too.

So, the fact that it hadn't occurred to me beforehand that the ventilation would help (we bought it to fight condensation) and that my mum got better overnight as well leads me to believe it wasn't just placebo effect.

what's the name of the kit?

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#731178 12-Dec-2012 10:09

keewee01:
timmmay: Nasal spray takes a week or two to become effective.

Hey timmmay, If this was in reference to my Alanaise not working this year - I actually take it all year long, so in my case there was no lead in for me taking it when the hayfever hit - as I already was taking.

flixonase meant to be stronger (acc to an ent friend) so maybe try that

no it doesn't take 2 weeks to work ... more like 4-6 hrs

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#731180 12-Dec-2012 10:11

We're both wrong - from here

The nasal spray will not relieve the symptoms of nasal allergies immediately, and it can take two to three days to have its full effect. It is therefore most effective to start using the nasal spray two to three days before you expect to get symptoms, for example before the start of the pollen season, or if you know you are going to be in contact with pets that give you the allergy. For maximum benefit, the spray should be used regularly to keep the nasal inflammation under control.

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#731184 12-Dec-2012 10:15

joker97:
keewee01:
timmmay: Nasal spray takes a week or two to become effective.

Hey timmmay, If this was in reference to my Alanaise not working this year - I actually take it all year long, so in my case there was no lead in for me taking it when the hayfever hit - as I already was taking.

flixonase meant to be stronger (acc to an ent friend) so maybe try that

no it doesn't take 2 weeks to work ... more like 4-6 hrs

Yeah, my doctor did move me to Flixonase once the Alanaise was found to not be working this year. His advice was to have a 2 to 3 day cross over using both (with Alanaise just in the evening) as it would take that long for the Flixonase to become fully effective.

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#731195 12-Dec-2012 10:29

joker97:

what's the name of the kit?

Can't remember off hand - I will find out if you like.

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#731197 12-Dec-2012 10:30

it can take 2 - 3 days to get full suppression of swelling (and thus weeping) of the nasal tissue but it will start to see cellular benefit from 4 - 6 hours due to the nature of corticosteroid pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics

edit: mind you i believe you can get tolerance (dwindling effect over time) but not sure on that ... but definitely don't touch the vasoconstrictors if i were you

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#731198 12-Dec-2012 10:31

SaltyNZ:
joker97:

what's the name of the kit?

Can't remember off hand - I will find out if you like.

thanks! and where you bought would be great ... hopefully mitre 10 or something coz i don't live in the big city of wind and rain

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#731199 12-Dec-2012 10:32

joker97:
thanks! and where you bought would be great ... hopefully mitre 10 or something coz i don't live in the big city of wind and rain

Well I got the replacement filter from J R Russell, but only because Mitre 10 were out of stock.

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#731212 12-Dec-2012 10:46

Fexofenadine (Telfast) is the only pill which seems to help me. The off-brand ArrowCare seems just as effective and is half the price. I also use eyedrops as my eyes seem worst affected, but I'm trying to find drop which don't contain vasoconstrictors. These artificially constrict the blood vessels in the eye (making them whiter), and they're not healthy to use long-term. I've considered doing the course of injections but they're a serious money and time sink, and I can get by for a couple of months of the year with a few pills for now.

One thing which has dramatically improved my symptoms is exercise. Not sure why, but a healthier lifestyle in general seems to improve things. Might have something to do with a better calibrated immune system.

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#731214 12-Dec-2012 10:48

Injections aren't recommended as much these days, it's done with a syrup over the course of a few years. The downside is you have to take this stuff every day, as compared with much less often for the injections, but there's a much lower risk of a severe allergic reaction.

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#731228 12-Dec-2012 11:03

HRV is a brand name and some smarts controller wise. Basically you can get a fan in your ceiling with a bag filter on the inlet, which just pumps air into your home. That way when you open windows/doors the air is fundamentally trying to get out of the house and not into it. Means your home air should be filtered air, so it should be nicer on your sensitivity condition.

Obviously there's no reheats or smarts about when and how long it runs etc with a basic setup, but that simply means you need to take control of it. ie - turning the fan on and off when it suits you just like you currently do with a light switch. e.g. If the roof cavity is too hot you may want to turn it off etc, so you don't super heat your house etc. Long term you can add an outside inlet, so you draw air from outside instead of the roof cavity, which should be cooler over summer etc, but colder over winter.

Pros and cons to doing it cheaply, but the base mechanics should not be too expensive. (ie under $1,000 to get you up and running with something.)

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#731229 12-Dec-2012 11:05

timmmay: We're both wrong - from here

The nasal spray will not relieve the symptoms of nasal allergies immediately, and it can take two to three days to have its full effect. It is therefore most effective to start using the nasal spray two to three days before you expect to get symptoms, for example before the start of the pollen season, or if you know you are going to be in contact with pets that give you the allergy. For maximum benefit, the spray should be used regularly to keep the nasal inflammation under control.

Usually it takes longer than 2-3 days, more like the 1-2 weeks that you mentioned earlier.

For mild symptoms (like the ones I get) I tend to prescribe a non-sedating antihistamine once or twice daily, all the ones mentioned in the thread so far are fine but one persons response to any one of them can be variable, so it can be worth trying another if the one you strike first isn't at all effective. I tend to presribe them in lots of 90+ (ie a 3 month supply) for sufferers of seasonal allergic rhinitis to try and cover them through the entire symptomatic period. That cuts expense for the patient, but also the healthcare system since it means saving on multiple pharmacy dispensing fees. I see too many GPs prescribing only 30 at a time without repeats for people whose symptoms can be readily predicted to last until at least March.

If symptoms are worse then I tend to commence an intranasal steroid like flixonse - make sure you're taking it properly though, since most people don't (and it is the doctors fault since we're poor at explaining how to use them correctly). Your nasal passages are actually horizontally oriented once you go a little way in, to properly use a nasal spray bend forward at the waist and tuck your chin into your chest, that orients the nasal passages vertically. Cover the other nostril and gentle inhale through the nostril as you spray. Most patients sit upright when they use them, a lot of dose runs straight out, anda lot of the rest of it hits the top of the nasal passage and runs in channel down the throat giving a bad taste. Used properly you'll get less of the bad taste (still some), and better effect.

If symptoms are even worse than that then I usually give 5 days of otrivine (unsubsidised, about $13 over the counter) to try and bridge the period between starting the intranasal steroids and them starting to take effect. This is often very effective at reducing symptoms and patients are tempted to continue treatment beyond the five days - DON'T! As mentioned earlier this is likely to make the problem worse than ever when you do try to stop the otrivine as you'll get a rebound phenomenon and your nasal passages will stream like they never have before.

Can always add lomide eye drops to the above for associated allergic eye symptoms. These can be purchased over the counter also, run at a cost around $20.

Steam inhalation can be helpful for some to ease the burden of nasal congestion.

For people who still have intractable symptoms then you start getting into oral steroids, nasal lavage (or rinse, one person mentioned it earlier, can be very effective but tends to be so unpleasant that only those with the worst symptoms are motivated enough to try it), pseudoephedrine, and antibiotics if sinusitis seems to overlaid.

Despite all of that there are a group of people that conventional medicine seems to be able to do very little for.

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