Anyone else suffering from the tree pollen?

I'm in the U.S. and was miserable this year. I got prescription eye drops from my doctor. My eyes burned and would get sealed shut during the night.

Wow! It is amazing how services vary across regions.
I don't know how they can stop prescribing meds?
It seems NPs are always writing out scripts at the drop of a hat because that is what there training has prepared them to do, and there isn't much else to their job as far as my experience goes.
At my surgery you can usually get a NP appt if you hang on the phone long enough, or are prepared to wait more than a week.
Compared to some my GP doesn't seem so bad- but getting a Doctor is like getting an audience with the Pope these days.

Many years ago used to get some really strong meds for hay fever season from the GP but now the surgery say they don't prescribe for hay fever just buy something over the counter.

You would be very lucky to get a GP appt in this area. We now have to fill in a form on line for an urgent appt but no info re non urgent appts. I needed to see GP so rang surgery and was told to use urgent form otherwise the first appt available would be beginning of June. This is at a surgery which has just been rated as outstanding!

Went to see the nurse practitioner today- I wrote a list of all my symptoms and just read it out slowly as speaking makes me cough.
She said it sounded like sinusitis. I said not, because I also suffer with sinus problems and these symptoms are very different.
I said I thought it was the constant post-nasal drip making me swallow and cough all the time.
She listened to my chest, which was clear. I said yes, my chest is clear because it is all in my upper airway due to the high pollen and my allergies.
We both agreed an anti-histamine was what was needed so she prescribed Fexofenidine 180 mgs once a day. I said I would take it at night in case it made me drowsy- although I am constantly drowsy!
She asked if I wanted some Beconase and I said not, because I shouldn't have used it in the first place, as when I stopped using it my symptoms got worse.
She said yes it can have a 'rebound' effect when you stop.
I thought, so what's the point?

She said to 'pop' back if the Fexofenidine didn't work- I said do you know how difficult it was for me to get this appointment?
That was it, no advice no discussion of symptoms or managing of my allergies that you would get with a doctor, just a slight patronising puppy-dog look as I left.
I really hope that I feel some relief soon, but the pollen count will eventually go down anyway.
The good thing is she has put it on repeat- so I can continue taking it depending on the changes in the pollen. I suppose it will be trial and error.
Thanks for the comments fellow sufferers! I guess we'll have to see...

I went to Reading yesterday and I couldn't believe the amount of seeds and fluff on the ground from the many London Plane trees. It was unbelievable! The entrance to John Lewis had masses in there. I do often get very sneezy and my nose runs and my eyes feel like they've got grit in them, but I don't think I was allergic to what I saw yesterday. I think I've got perennial rhinitis and a bit of hay fever. I was telling my daughter about it and she said it's a good job she wasn't there or it would've killed her! She suffers badly and her face and eyes swell up. She also has asthma. She's the only one in the family that has asthma.

It’s weird some years I am affected by tree pollen but thankfully not this year. We have all the major offenders close by. Oak, ash, sycamore, lime, plum and other fruit trees It’s been windy too with the cars being covered. Same when it grass pollen season some years yes other years clear. 🤞it continues

I have COPD and the effects of tree pollen this year have been bad. I take 180mg Fexafenadine twice a day ( Allevia) the specialist said I can take 4 a day if needs be but it makes me unsafe to drive and they also make my mouth very dry. I also use Hycosan eye drops which also help.

I got fed up recently with a continually runny nose.
And the amount of tissues I have been getting through is ridiculous.
Not sure what I’m allergic to.

However, I started taking some cheap over the counter antihistamines.
They seem to have helped and hardly blew my nose today at all.
But a side effect is they make my mouth quite dry.

What a relief though to stop blowing my nose.

You might have a virus. Thats how this winters flu starts ......

I'm another one with bad hayfever this year. I't's the worst I've been for years.
My usual Loratadine antihistamine and Beconase nasal spray aren't helping at all.
I've wasted money on buying different tablets and have now given up and continuing with my usual and as I've read, smear some vaseline just inside the nose to stop the pollen entering.
I've tried Allevia and that made me feel woosey stop stopped taking them.
As in the case of others here I've had a headache at times. Itchy inside my ears and feel blocked also blocked sinuses although a squirt of Sudafed nasal spray helps to clear my nose.
My eyes are the most affected. Absolutely streaming! I have bought a couple of different eye drop which do nothing. I found on an online pharmacy some eye drops called Ketofall which are fantastic for drying my eyes up. I filled in an assessment and the doctor posts them out. Private prescription. 14.99 and postage cost but worth it. I don't think i'mm allowed to give out the pharmacy name but if you message me I'll give the info. A 100% genuine trusted. pharmacy.
We have very large trees lined outside our houses from top to bottom of our road so it doesn't help. I have to keep our bedroom windows closed at the moment.

My hay fever is also particularly bad this year, with uncomfortably sore sinuses. I had been taking cetirizin, but that wasn’t helping much. The pharmacist said that it can stop being effective if you have been using it for a while and suggested Fexofenadine, which I took for the first time this morning and it seems to be helping. Apparently, you shouldn’t have fruit juice when you are having this because it reduces its effectiveness, but l’ll live with that.
Interestingly, I accompanied my husband to the hospital on Tuesday and several people we chatted to there, including a nurse, were complaining about how bad their hay fever was at present. The prelude to stormy weather can also stir up a lot of pollen/dust from the ground, so not good for asthmatics, but the rain should hopefully then wash some of the pollen out of the air.

I suffer dreadfully this time of year, I have recently started Fenofexadine, it's great has helped a lot, you can even buy it from Amazon now, where I get mine from. I also use a nasal spray before bed. Hope this helps

As if tree pollen allergy isn’t enough this week I’m also suffering the after effects of the Covid jab which is worse than ever this year. 😩

Apparently there is no lime seed this time of year

Was a little confused as the seeds fall in autumn

I agree about fexofenadine and its cheaper to buy it like that than as Allevia.You should take 120mgs once a day.
And if possible take it before your symptoms get really bad.

I am having a bad year with pollen too. I'm a golfer (of sorts) and our course has an abundance of beautiful flowering trees and many other non flowering. I dripped my way through the game yesterday feeling really tired the whole way round. I have the drugs and the sprays and would be much worth without. I love to be outside so its juts getting on with it and enjoying th Spring for me.

I am highly allergic to pollens and every irritant you can imagine from house dust to pet hair.
Pollen though and particularly rapeseed can send me asthmatic.
Clarity is useless it increases your appetite and does little for the symptoms.
You need Fexofenadine also known as Allegra or Allevia.
Go to a pharmacy and get some of the above and continue with the nasal spray, why on earth did you stop?
Remember to use the tablets consistently you need a build up.

Esmay

As I've got older my body has really changed ;
I didn't have hay fever before -now I have to take antihistamines or else feel miserable.
It developed about five years ago .
My head and ears ache ,my throat can be sore my eyes stream and my nose is blocked .
I guess that we are lucky to have anti histamines !

Yes, this is me! I wish I had got to see someone as soon as my symptoms started instead of using that Becanase spray from last year. I thought I was doing the right thing- yes it does affect all my head and throat but I don't much of a headache.

Good news is I slept like a log (although it was 1 am before I went to bed following those very late calls!) and have now managed an appointment today with yet another nurse practitioner- not sure we even have doctors any more at my surgery.

If she can prescribe me some stronger anti-histamines than the useless Clarityn I may begin to feel better.

Thanks for your messages, it really does help to know you're not struggling on your own when everyone else is out enjoying the fabulous weather!

valdali

I've been taking anti-histamines & using my steroid nasal spray (prescription) religiously and the antihistamines make a world of difference to me when pollen's high. I take them daily, starting before the pollen count actually gets really high.

My daughter's GP told her to start taking daily antihistamines in January each year.

As I've got older my body has really changed ;
I didn't have hay fever before -now I have to take antihistamines or else feel miserable.
It developed about five years ago .
My head and ears ache ,my throat can be sore my eyes stream and my nose is blocked .
I guess that we are lucky to have anti histamines !

Whitewavemark2

Hope you are OK keepingquiet

Thankyou- popped by at this late hour to say I had a 111 call and then just had a local out of hours service call from a GP.
Unfortunately it was all rather a waste of time because I now have to go to bed and try to get through to the GP surgery again tomorrow.
I do feel I need some medical advice for the hay fever (seems to be dismissed as nothing serious) but also my bronchiectasis flare-up. The woman at 111 seemed surprised that this isn't monitored at all by my GP and I am just left to fend for myself. Most of the time I'm fine but I think this makes it worse because when you're not you're tended not to be believed ot taken seriousl, especially when you have no other health conditions.
So again my plan is to: ring the GP from 8:00 to see if someone will see me the same day or go to get more over the counter treatment from the chemist.
What worries me most is that we have a bank holiday coming up and I really want to get seen by Friday if I can.
So I'm off to bed! Thanks for your helpful comments.
Apparently there is no lime seed this time of your- I was told it is either poplar or willow pollen that is makig the mess in the air- I dare say mixed with dandelion seeds although I know what they look like.
I'll let you know how my night went in the morning.

Hope you are OK keepingquiet

I find Fexofenadine to be the most effective antihistamine. I get it on prescription but you can get it from Superdrug now.
I also use a nasal spray which acts as a barrier in your nose so helps reduce the amount of pollen. This is BHM NoriZite nasal spray which was developed by the University of Birmingham & you can order online from Birmingham Biotech

and for beech too, we have two that have been upwind of us in this persistent easterly, & the mast's got everywhere - in the house if windows / doors open, even all over the dog if he goes to sleep in the garden!

It must be a ‘mast’ year for the lime tree - really horrible but next year will not be as bad.