Cheapest Hayfever Remedies discussion

KxMx

That is the one downside with buying cheap generic meds online, you can't see the expiry dates.

dalef

flyingirl wrote: »

Bah just some feedback for the £2.79 for 120 citirizine tablets deal on the MSE Hayfever page. It is a short dated one even worse than Chemist4u. Just received my 120 tablets dated till 02/2017. I only needed 1 box this year and wanted to save the rest for next hayfever (grass pollen) season so that will learn me to change my mind at the last minute to save a couple of pennies!

I got the same expiry from Pharmacy First, expiry 02/2017. Delivered in 3days which is good.

I agree with others about the date, I have been using 2 year out of date tablets from Clear Chemist (Groupon deal in 2013... exactly same brand tablets, 'Bristol') and they have still been working fine for me.....

energiser

Hayfever season starting again! Here's my two cents worth on Benadryl.

None of the usual remedies worked for me any more, so last year I tried these from Boots. They were very effective but you need 2 or 3 a day and therefore get expensive. On the other hand, when you get it as badly as I do, you don't mind paying for something that works, if you can afford it, of course. I was assured they were non drowsy and Acrivastine was mentioned as the active ingredient on the outside of the box.

Later in the summer there was a 2 for 1 offer from Ocado, so I bought them from there, with my groceries. The box still said Acrivastine. By the end of the summer I was wondering what was wrong with me, I could hardly stay awake. I didn't think of these tablets as the pharmacist had assured me they were non drowsy and they were also advertised as such on line. Eventually I pulled the leaflet out of the box and read it. Surprisingly, drowsiness was mentioned as a side effect. I did not have Benadryl Plus, as far as I remember. It's possible they were out of the basic version and I ordered a different version by mistake - the packs can look similar.

It is interesting that on the MSE website drowsiness is mentioned in connection with the USA version of these pills and diphenhydramine. I wonder whether it would still have Acrivastine printed on the outside of the pack.

Oh, and the real gem was that these tablets are not suitable for people over the age of 65. I wasn't then but I will be this year!

The moral is "Read the Leaflet". Better still, get the pharmacist to read it for you before you buy.

I've no idea what I'm going to try this year, but I definitely haven't got long to make up my mind.

energiser

Update: I just found the last box I was using last year. It wasn't the Plus version, It actually says it might cause drowsiness on the back. My fault for not reading it, but the pharmacist could have spotted that as well.

sheramber

Despite claims to be non drowsy the only anti histamine that doesn't make me drowsy is loratadine.

Sold as Claritin but cheaper to buy as loratadine.

MrsShazbat

I'm currently managing on the general Benadryl One-A-Day tablets but I swear by all of them - they're the only tablets that have worked for me in years, since the herbal remedy I took which worked fantastically well was taken off the market for containing a similar ingredient to Ecstasy :rotfl:

I work my way up with Benadryl, and only go up to the Plus (containing decongestant) when I hit the point of not being able to stop sneezing which, fortunately, isn't often these days *touch wood* I only ever take 1 tablet to get me through the day, and I can tell the moment they wear off. I've never had an issue with drowsiness.

jhnry

redglass wrote: »

I haven't read all the thread, so someone may have posted this already, but use of Cetirizine has been associated with dementia in later life. Loratadine doesn't involve this risk and I've got my GP to switch me from one to the other. I find Loratadine slightly less effective, but having seen a family member suffer dementia there's no way I'd risk that to save an itchy nose, even though I go through hell when there's lots of pollen.

There was a lot of scaremongering on this topic and some very inaccurate reporting, but there is genuine cause for concern. The article below gives a good, detailed account.

So I was just browsing this thread to get some info on where to order some more antihistamines and came across this post.

The article you link to on NHS choices - it DOES NOT mention a link between cetirizine and dementia, it is talking about anticholinergics such as CHLORPHENAMINE / CHLORPHERINAMINE i.e. Piriton.

Cetirizine is not an anticholinergic.

Please don't add to the scaremongering and the inaccurate reporting that you yourself mention - read and disseminate accurately.

ANNIEHAHA

I always find the hay fever tablet discussion frustrating, they are always sold in small tablets.

I have to take 120mg tablets and it doesn't work out cheaper to buy online!

IAmWales

ANNIEHAHA wrote: »

I always find the hay fever tablet discussion frustrating, they are always sold in small tablets.

I have to take 120mg tablets and it doesn't work out cheaper to buy online!

Fexofenadine?

For others reading, if you take 120mg of loratadine or cetirizine please go straight to hospital!

ANNIEHAHA

Sorry, I take 120mg fexofenadine hydrochloride.

I get them from the doctors as over the counter ones do not touch the sides.

I can't the equivalent cheaper online, it seems only small doses I.e. 10mg are available