Allergy & Hayfever Treatments

How long do hayfever tablets take to work?

Waiting for a hayfever remedy to kick in can seem to take ages. In reality, it usually takes around 30 minutes, but this may differ from person to person and also product to product. Some products, like nasal sprays and eye drops, can get to work in minutes, but tablets generally take longer. Deciding which one to use is very much a personal choice, but if you’re stuck, you can ask a pharmacist for some advice. We stock a wide range of fast-acting allergy medicine, including tablets, sprays and capsules to give you the relief you need as soon as allergies strike.

When should I take my hayfever medicine?

There’s no hard and fast answer to this. You could take a hayfever remedy to prevent or treat symptoms. This will determine when you take it. If you want to prevent seasonal allergies, you could take medication before symptoms start. If you’re looking to treat symptoms, you should take allergy medicine when they begin. That being said, we recommend always reading the packaging insert for guidance, or you could chat with our pharmacist for expert advice.

Can you take allergy medicine when pregnant?

There’s some good and bad news. Yes, you can take allergy medicine while you’re pregnant, but you can’t take just anything. Some medication is safe, but some may cause harm to your baby’s normal development. Choosing the right one can be a minefield, so you should always chat with your GP or pharmacist before taking any medication while you’re expecting. They might first suggest a nasal spray or eye drops because they enter your bloodstream in very small amounts with hardly any crossing your placenta. We have a pharmacist on hand to give you expert advice when you need it, and articles about hayfever to help in our Advice section.

What is the best non-drowsy allergy medicine?

If you need to get on with your day without drowsiness from allergy medicine, we have a range of non-drowsy solutions you could try. Benadryl Allergy One a Day Tabs offer non-drowsy relief from hayfever and pet, skin & dust allergies. They can help with symptoms such as an itchy & runny nose, sneezing, itchy & watery eyes or hives and an itchy skin rash. You could also try Clarityn Allergy Tablets, which you’ll also take only once a day for relief from a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing.

What is the best allergy medicine for kids?

There’s nothing worse than watching your little ones suffer. Luckily, you don’t have to with our range of hayfever allergy solutions for kids. Piriton Syrup has been developed for children 1 year and over and gives them fast hayfever relief and also relief from symptoms of skin, food, pet and nasal allergies. Becodefence Kids Nasal Spray works in just 3 minutes and should be used at the first signs of hayfever symptoms.