Hay fever sufferers may have had their prayers answered with a “life-changing” pill that can now be bought over the counter.
Fexofenadine hydrochloride was previously only available through a prescription from your GP.
But the once-a-day hay fever relievers have now been labelled safe for general sale.
With recent high pollen counts, many on social media are singing its praises and describing it as a “life-changing” treatment.
But Cameron Bell, a pharmacist at Bridge of Don’s Braehead Pharmacy, has warned the tablets are not a “cure-all”.
How does it help my allergies?
Sold under the brand names Allevia or Treathay, they can only be bought if they are 120mg or less.
Anything higher, like the 180mg tablets used for treating hives, can only be obtained through a prescription.
Mr Bell said: “It’s more potent of an antihistamine than cetirizine or loratadine, which are the two more commonly bought ones.”
If you experience allergic reactions to pollen, animal hair, house dust or insect bites, your body produces a chemical called histamine.
Histamine is usually a useful substance, but in an allergic reaction, it causes unpleasant symptoms like itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose and rashes.
Why does it work so well?
That’s where drugs like fexofenadine come in, blocking the effects of histamine to reduce these symptoms.
“(Fexofenadine) is definitely more potent. It’s more selective,” Mr Bell said.
“Because the way antihistamines works, they can actually cause a load of side effects.
“So fexofenadine goes for the types of histamine that causes allergies and hay fever, more so than some of the other ones.
“It’s good for targeting the problem, which is hay fever.”
Treating allergies is a ‘trial and error’ process
And although it’s been around since the 1980s, being ready for purchase over the counter means many will get to “trial” the treatment for themselves.
Mr Bell said there might be a lot of talk among hay fever suffers because of its relatively new availability.
Fellow #hayfever sufferers: I found out today that fexofenadine hydrochloride, one of the most powerful hayfever drugs, is now available over the counter in the UK! Life changing stuff
— Kit Harrison 🎙🏳️🌈 (@VoiceOfKit) June 10, 2022
And he emphasised that although people might be labelling their experience with fexofenadine as a “cure-all”, it won’t be the same for everyone.
“With any sort of allergy treatment, whether it be for skin reactions or hay fever, it’s a matter of trial and error.
“And some people will find success in ones that are already established, like cetirizine.
“I would say fexofenadine goes out on prescription a fair amount as well for allergy symptoms. So, it’s a commonly used one and highly effective.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the cure-all though. That’s not a term I would use. I would say it’s a cure… several.”
Even though popping a tablet and walking out the door can seem like the go-to option, Mr Bell said symptoms can also be tackled by using eye drops, and nasal and throat sprays.
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