Hayfever relief (nose and eyes)

[-<M4v3r1ck>-]

Hello,

After running a search I read a few threads which offered advice on good hayfever medications but I've not had time to visit the pharmacy today and am quite busy tomorrow so wanted to quickly ask in the hope there'll be some replies tonight :O

My symtoms are fairly mild and in the past I've used beconase nasal spray and aqueous eye drops largely as a preventative measure. The problem is I've recently started wearing contacts and the eye drops can't be used with them.

I'm starting my PPL this summer and am after something in tablet form (preferably but not exclusively) that is good with treating the nose AND eyes. Oh, also, I'm a lowly student type so the cheaper the better :ugh:

Thanks,

Mav :ok:

Moderators: not sure of the policy on posting in more than one forum - this is also in Medical & Health...just thought private flyers might have some good ideas seen as I'm hoping to work on the coveted PPL this summer...! Please delete if a problem.

[BeauMan]

Beconase spray seems to work for me this year. I do occasionally have bad days where the eyes itch a lot and the nose runs, but common sense tends to prevail and I make the decision not to drive or fly if I'm suffering badly. Thankfully such instances are rare for me.

In previous (non flying) years I've taken Zirtek, Clarityn and Piriton, but I'm not sure whether these are 'approved' meds as far as the CAA are concerned, and as my hayfever has eased considerably over the years, I choose not to take them now. Your situation may well be different, but it's best to consult your AME on that. There was another one some years ago, Triludan, which I found was very effective, but was a bit of a knock out drop. Needless to say, you don't want to be going flying straight after taking anything that makes you drowsy!

[smallpilot]

My AME has given me the OK to use Clarytin (active ingredient = Loratadine) but told me thats the only hay-fever drug approved by CAA. Of course best to double-check with your own AME though.
Dont know about the others but I tried Piriton recently and I fell asleep at work! Wont be using that again!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

When I last looked at this the CAA advice was not to use any hayfever drug invented in the last 75 years or so, and to use stuff that one's GP would laugh at and which chemists would struggle to supply. This being simply because nobody had got round to testing any of the more modern drugs for their specific effects on pilots.

I'm not, of course, going to suggest than anybody use non-CAA-approved modern drugs that work fine and don't happen to cause drowsiness in a particular individual.

There's always vitamin C, which is a "food" not a "drug" ... but really one shouldn't be taking massive overdoses of that (1g at a time, say, works for some people) and then flying without medical advice.

Personally I get the impression that you don't have to get up that high before you're above the pollen ... probably not helpful to a student in the circuit though.

Maybe I've just become less sensitive, as long as I don't do anything really daft like mowing the lawn before flying it doesn't seem to bother me much any more.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm one of the people for whom Vitamin C works - I take 2000mg per day, becoming 3000mg per day in "high season". My GP and AME are both aware of it and neither have expressed any concern, although it's a monstrous dose. Without it, I'm a moderate hayfever sufferer (eyes AND nose).

It does, once you start, take 2-3 days to start working, but so long as you keep the dose up, continues to work very well.

But, I do know other people who tried it, and for whom it had no effect whatsoever. Also, it would be best to have a word with your GP before trying it, since presumably there may be people adversely affected by the high vitamin C doses. (What do I know, I'm an engineer, not a doctor.)

G

[locksmith]

Have a look at this (http://www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=512197)

New Hayfever Vaccine Has Lasting Effect,

Six injections of a new allergy vaccine over six weeks seems to fight hayfever for more than one allergy season, according to a Johns Hopkins study.

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions researchers reported last year that this experimental vaccine for severe ragweed allergy dramatically reduced allergic symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion. It also almost eliminated the need for decongestants and antihistamines.

In a new follow-up of people who continued in the study for a second year, the researchers have found that the initial six injections seem to be effective and safe for longer than a single allergy season.

It is US stuff but I wonder is it available here?

Ken

[Keef]

Summat wrong there. I take NeoClarityn (desloratadine), it works perfectly, and my AME assured me the CAA is OK about it. It's certainly declared on my medical form and I've had no comeback from the CAA.

It doesn't make me drowsy, either.

[Deano777]

I also take NeoClarityn, they seem to work the best for me, I have taken a multitude of tablets and none really work as well as the Neos, the other thing I have done in the past is have the hayfever jab which is Cortizone? (spelling <--- ? ) but learnt from my AME that you can't fly after having this injection for up to 8 weeks after the jab so I stopped having it.
Im sure NeoClarityn is only available on perscription too, its well worth obtaining a dose.

Dean.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Posted this on another forum but someone may find it useful here:

Hi Folks,

This is just general advice and can not replace individual advice for you as
you can obtain from your GP/AME so check with them first! It is also based
on my experience as a GP and FAA AME, things may be diffirent if you hold a
CAA licence.

If your hayfever is really bad and not well controlled you need to foresake
flying. Quite often it is not the medication for particular conditions but
the underlying condition which makes someone unfit to fly.

When treating hayfever the best thing is avoidance but if that in itself
does not do the job you can treat either the problems topically (at the
place where they occur), systemically or a combination. Sometimes even that
will not do the job.

There used to be a time when an annual injection with a long acting steroid
was advocated but this not only was not very effective (despite anecdotal
evidence from patients) but also could lead to unpleasant side effects. This
is now not a licensed indication for the use of this medication anymore
(Kenalog) and those that still use it for this leave themselves open to
medico-legal criticism.

For eyes you can use:

Sunglasses
Sodium cromoglicate eyedrops or
Rapitil

Nose:

Nasacort (triamcinolone)
Rhinocort (budesonide)

(and although not on the FAA List I know that Beconase is OK too for the
CAA)

Systemic:

Clarityn (Loratadine)

There are some others out there that may be used but some require a status
report (as in a letter from your treating doc/ame that you dont have any
adveerse reactions to the stuff) or that you wait for 12 hours (Actifed) or
48 hours before you can fly again.

HTH

F

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Flyin'Dutch'
Registered Poster


Joined: 22 Sep 2003
Posts: 699
Location: UK
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 23:04 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Further to that:

Desloratadine or Neo Clarityn is supposed to be more refined and therefore more effective and less prone to causing side effects.

Neither is proven and a lot of these further developments have more to do with the original drug coming off patent rather than drug efficacy.

Eating honey to reduce hayfever is unlikely to be clinically effective, despite common held beliefs regular medicine is not against things which work because they stem from folklore, more likely because it doesn't work. Would much rather eating honey did work as it would save me a lot of consultations and the NHS a lot of dosh.

Some asked me about desensitation and I wrote the following:

'De-sensitisation was very much en vogue in the 80s and early 90s, the reason
that it is not anymore is simple. It did not work. Some people claimed to
have had great benefit but if you look at the natural evolution of these
allergies there are folks that 'get better' from them without any remedy,
they were probably the 'responders' in the desensitation trials'

F

[AerBabe]

A more natural remedy, which I've had some success with, is to eat lots of local honey. Presumably it's an exposure-building-your-immune-response thingummy. But even if it doesn't work for you, it's good to have an excuse to eat honey. :)

[Kolibear]

That was Pooh Bear doing his Aerbabe impersonation.

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

If your hayfever is really bad and not well controlled you need to foresake
flying. Quite often it is not the medication for particular conditions but
the underlying condition which makes someone unfit to fly.

Wise words. I barely flew in May, despite the good weather, due to the effect Rape Seed pollen has on me. Drugged-up or not, I simply did not feel "with it" enough to be in command of an aircraft.

TG.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Tututut, AB, how can someone as wise as you advocate something which is completely not evidence based!

;)

FD

[-<M4v3r1ck>-]

Thanks for the input.

I'm now the proud owner of a generic with loratadine as the active ingredient (like Claratyn). Will see how it goes - if it's not brilliant I might look into NeoClarityn on prescription but I'm sure it will be fine.

Not long before my first foray into flying... :cool:

Thanks again,

Mav

[AerBabe]

Tut tut, Mr Dutch, the evidence points to me not being at all wise. :p I'm a babe of very little brain. :(

[chopperwidow]

Would be interested to find how you get on. I've also heard Vitamin C is good (we swear by those fizzy orange tablets - 1000mg). Also, much lower tech (and very silly) - it really helps to smear vaseline in your nostrils. Apparently it traps the pollen before it travels into your pipes;)

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Vitamin C is good (we swear by those fizzy orange tablets Anyone know whether you can still buy the fizzy white ones anywhere, without the revolting orange "flavouring"?