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Sainsbury's Non-drowsy Hayfever & Allergy Relief
by Helrobs
I'm someone who gets effected by hay fever differently every year, and as such I don't tend to have any strong loyalty to a particular brand. I tend to just pick up what I can find when it's on offer as I don't want to spend full price for the named brands. When I do suffer from hay fever it tends to be my nose and eyes that are mainly ... effected, and I don't mind what I take as long as it sorts these out and doesn't make me drowsy.
The Product:
I picked these up a couple of weeks ago with my weekly shop. I was mainly attracted to them because they are only £1 for a pack of 14, far more reasonable than the £4 odd it would be for a more well know product. The active ingredient in these is Cetirizine Hydrochloride (the antihistamine found in Zirtek) and comes in a simple tablet which should be taken once a day with water. I find the best thing to do with antihistamine is to make sure you take them every day rather than on an adhoc basis. It seems to slightly build up in your system if you take it daily.
The product is true to its word in that it doesn't make me at all drowsy. I do think on the most part they are a good alternative to other more expensive allergy tablets, however, they don't seem to stop my eyes itching. I need to use eye drops as well but saying that, my hayfever does fluctuate and so it could just be a really bad year for it.
In summary, its a good product at a great price for slight hayfever symptoms.
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Galpharm Loratadine Hayfever Relief
by KChips1984
PRICE AND WHERE TO BUY
These tablets are prices at around £0.80-£1 for a pack of seven tablets, and can be purchased from major retailers such as Asda, Sainsbury's etc., or can be purchased from chemists such as Boots.
WHY I NEEDED THEM
I have always suffered from Hay fever since I was a child, as well as ... allergies to wheat and dust, so I am no stranger to using allergy relief tablets shall was say! I used to use a nasal spray during the summer season when the allergies where at the peak, but as I grew older I found that either my immune system had become used to the spray or that the allergy had become worse and therefore a different approach was required. I was recommended these tablets by my friend who also suffers similar symptoms (runny or blocked nose and itchy eyes) and thought I would give them a try as I had nothing to lose.
Once I begun taking these tablets I was pretty much kicking myself as to why I hadn't used these earlier instead of the nasal spray, as the relief was apparently within a couple of hours of taking the tablets - with the added bonus of not having the awful taste of the spray at the back of your throat/nose. The trick with these tablets I find is to begin taking them during early/mid-April, well ahead of the traditional peak of the Hay fever season during June. This way it seems to help build up your resistance to the allergy, and I rarely even notice it is affecting me except on days when the pollen count is exceptionally high - which is very rare up north.
THE PRODUCT
As mentioned above, the pack contains seven tablets, each of which of 10mg and contain both Loratadine and Lactose - so Lactose intolerant people beware this isn't the product for you. The tablets themselves are very small in size which makes them very easy to swallow (recommended to take down with a drink of water still) and do not really taste of anything so no bitter tastes or smells are left in your mouth after consumption. The dosage is one per day, and I tend to take mine first thing in the morning which allows for relief from the symptoms for the full day ahead.
WARNINGS
The packaging states that children under the age of two should not be given the product, nor should anyone who is lactose intolerant (as mentioned above), or women who are pregnant or currently breastfeeding.
MY VERDICT
Around one pound per a full week of allergy relief is certainly a god-send for me, so I always ensure I have a plentiful stock of them in and around the house/workplace. I have been using this product for two or three years now, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
One further point worthy of mention is that while it doesn't state non-drowsy on the packaging, I have never showed any signs of additional drowsiness while taking the tablets.
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Sainsbury's Non-drowsy Hayfever & Allergy Relief
by Northern
** Why do I use these? **
Every spring I view the arrival of good weather with mixed feelings. It's lovely to walk in the sun, visit the countryside for a picnic or sit in the garden. Unfortunately I am pretty much guaranteed to start to feel lousy. Exhausted, sniffly and itchy - nice! I have hayfever and it's not ... fun.
Over the years, dealing with my allergy, I've tried pills and potions and even local honey (no idea why this is supposed to work but it didn't for me) and nasal sprays (I just couldn't handle squirting this up my nose).
I've now settled on these pills from Sainsbury's as my main treatment. The packet states that they provide relief from the symptoms of hayfever and allergies such as pet, feather or dust mite allergies. With hayfever I get the unpleasant symptoms of a runny nose, itchy eyes, dry skin and a dry throat. At other times I get occasional itchy eyes and a runny nose symptoms from feathers if we travel somewhere and the hotel has feather pillows.
** Do they work? **
Pretty well for most of the time. My symptoms are kept under control with the tablets for most of the hayfever season and they easily help with the feather pillow problems. However I find that in the peak of the hayfever season these aren't quite enough to keep my allergy under control. I have to then switch to the other main type of tablet (primary ingredient of cetirizine hydrochloride) which is the one more likely to cause drowsiness. As I have to try another type of tablet when my hayfever is particularly bad, I've rated these as 4.
Fulfilling the claims of "non-drowsy" on the packet, these don't make me feel sleepy so I'm happy to drive as normal when I take these.
However it is worth remembering that these, like all allergy treatments, only provide temporary relief. Sadly for me, taking these won't ultimately actually cure my allergy problem.
** What is in this product? **
The main ingredient of these pills is 10mg of Loratidine. Loratadine is one of a type of medications called anti-histamines. The substance in the body which gives me allergic symptoms (such as my runny nose) is histamine. So an anti-histamine works by blocking the effects of histamine.
The pills also contain lactose monohydrate, maize starch, pregelatinised starch and magnesium stearate.
They are now sold in a blue and green cardboard box. A few years ago they were sold in packaging which was green and white but I noticed that the packets changed last year. Inside the box is a white blister pack of pills and an instruction leaflet.
** How to take these? **
Each tablet is in a separate blister pocket in the pack. I pop one out each day and take it with some water. It doesn't seem to matter if I have food with them or not. The tablet itself is about the size of a small sunflower seed so it's really easy to swallow.
One tablet is supposed to be taken around the same time each day but if I miss one, it can be taken as soon as I remember.
** Are they OK for everyone? **
If you have liver problems, are pregnant or are breastfeeding then the instructions say not to take these. If you have any other medical issues, I'd check whether these are OK to use with the Sainsbury's pharmacist.
For children it depends on the child's age and weight whether these can be used. A child must be over 2 years old and with a body weight of more than 30 kilos.
Otherwise it looks like everyone else is able to use these (but please check the box or ask the pharmacist for information as well if you are unsure as I'm not a medical expert).
As usual there are possible side effects listed in the instruction leaflet. I've not had any side effects but, as with all medicines, I'd suggest that if anything out of the ordinary occurs when you start taking these, consult a pharmacist or a doctor.
** Are there other similar options? **
This Sainsbury's product is produced by Galpharm. Galpharm appear to make similar allergy tablets for Waitrose and I suspect for other supermarkets too. A branded Loratidine product is one called Clarityn but this is much more expensive that the Sainsbury's option. I've found that these all Loratidine tablets appear to work in a similar way.
** How much is it? **
A pack of 14 is found on the supermarket shelf in Sainsbury's and costs £1. A pack of 30 is only from a Sainsbury's pharmacy counter and it costs £2.
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