Cheap Hayfever Tablets

Hayfever is not to be sneezed at; dust and pollen allergies can be hard on the pocket as well as the nose. Yet you can legally get exactly the same allergy treatments as normal for substantially less than half the price.

• Prevention works
• Get a prescription
• Cut remedy costs
• Step one: find the right tablets for you
• Step two: find the cheapest generic tablets
• Best Buys: cheapest tablets
  
• Treatments for under-12s
• Eye drops & nasal sprays
• Light/alternative therapy
• Size of the Saving
• Ask a question/discuss

A sight for sore eyes?

Anti-histamines can help reduce the symptoms of hayfever, but before taking the medicinal route there are a few practical measures to try when the pollen count is high (thanks to Asthma UK for some of these).

• Check the pollen forecast. It's worth being aware of when the pollen count is likely to be high. Every hayfever season (March - September), allergy drug company Zirtek offers a free pollen forecast, giving you time to prepare and a free downloadable pollen calendar.

• Vacuum and damp dust. Use a damp cloth to dust and remove any lingering pollen spores.

• Keep windows and doors closed. If possible keep windows and doors closed to keep the pollen out.

• Smear Vaseline inside your nose. This helps stop the pollen from settling on the lining of your nose.

• Bring the washing in early. Before the evening, as air cools and pollen descends, bring in any washing from outside to save it getting covered. If possible, try to dry bed linen indoors to save it irritating you at night.

How cost effective a prescription is depends on which country in the UK you live in, as costs and availability vary…

Live in Wales?

For those living in Wales, prescriptions are free, so simply visit your GP to get your hayfever or allergy relief. Try to get the longest appropriate supply that you can.

For the rest of the UK.

Here there's a delicate balance; for those people who don't pay for prescriptions or have pre-pay certificates (see the Cheaper Prescriptions & Medications article) getting a prescription obviously works out to be the cheapest. Yet if you do pay, where you live is likely to be the biggest factor. In England, prescriptions cost £7.20/item, so it's often far more cost effective to buy drugs over the counter instead.

However, it's a tougher call in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with prescriptions costing £4 and £3 respectively at the moment (though both are planning to scrap charges entirely in the near future). Then it'll depend on whether the cost of the prescription is lower than the cost of your usual medicine.

One rare exception is if your doctor is willing to prescribe three months' worth of drugs on one prescription. This will work out at only slightly more than the cheapest online deal.

When a company develops a drug it is given unique rights to sell it for a number of years. Once that term ends any company can make it providing they meet the regulations. Therefore, most over-the-counter drugs have identical medical properties regardless of brand, and avoiding big names means the cost is slashed.

The key thing is to find out what the 'active' ingredient of your usual remedy is. It's always listed on the back of the packet.

Once you've done that, simply buy the cheapest generic product, i.e. unbranded or own brand, that has the same active ingredient but costs much less. Protections and quality control apply equally to all branded and generic products.

For more on this read the Cheaper Prescriptions and Medications article.

First find the right tablets for you

Different hayfever drugs work in different ways and have different active ingredients. In theory, they all have similar results, but what works for some may not work for others, so when you've found success with one type it's best to stick with it. Most regular sufferers will know which type works best for them already.

Here are the four major brands and their active ingredients (the important bit), plus a little bit of info about each from the National Prescribing Centre (NPC). This is just a guide; always check the packet of the remedy you commonly use to find the active ingredient.

• Zirtek. Active ingredient: Cetirizine dihydrocholride (CD).

  NPC description: Cetirizine is a second-generation anti-histamine, which is usually taken in a one-a-day tablet. There is no known difference between hydrochloride and dihydrochloride types. Levocetirizine is a slightly rearranged third-generation version of the drug, which is known to be just as effective. However, studies have proved inconclusive regarding whether it is actually any better.

• Claritin. Active ingredient: Loratadine (LR).

  NPC description: Loratadine is usually offered as a non-drowsy alternative to Cetirizine. Again, it is usually taken in the form of one-a-day tablet. Desloratadine (Neo-Clarityn) is a newer version of the drug. Again, however, it hasn't proven any more efficient in studies, so most people won't notice a difference.

• Benadryl. Active ingredient: Acrivastine (A).

  NPC description: Acrivastine is a newer type anti-histamine, which has the benefit of being the fastest acting remedy available, usually taking effect within 15 minutes according to studies. This comes at a cost however, since it needs to be taken three times a day. Patent laws mean there is currently no generic equivalent of Benadryl, which makes it one of the most expensive treatments in the long-term. Be warned if buying Benadryl from the US; there the brand name is attached to products containing diphenhydramine (aka Nytol) which may work, but'll make you very drowsy.

• Piriton. Active ingredient: Chlorophenamine (CP).

  NPC description: Chlorophenamine is one of the older (first generation) remedies for hayfever, and hence it seems to be slowly disappearing from the shelves. It's no worse a treatment than the rest, but studies have shown that it takes the longest time to take effect, and is likely to cause more drowsiness than most. If buying it, don't confuse Piriton and Piriteze; the latter's active ingredient is Cetirizine Hydrochloride (like Zirtek). Also, it's the most likely to react with other medicines, so if you're planning to combine it with other tablets consult a doctor first.

Now find the cheapest generic

Now note down the correct active ingredient of the remedy that works well for you. The next section lists the current best buys for each of the different active ingredients (with the exception of Benadryl as there are no generic versions available).

Three important things to check before taking generic tablets

There are a couple of crucial things to check before taking any replacement tablets:

• Ensure it's the right active ingredient. Manufacturers can change the active ingredient, so ensure you always check the packet before taking a pill to ensure you've got the correct type.

• Be careful if you've food or drug allergies. While the active ingredient will be the same, if you have other allergies always check the other non-active ingredients too. Don't automatically assume they're the same in a generic product as a branded one.

• Lastability. As with most things that you eat, be sure check the use-by date on the packet before you buy. Normally the tablets have a life span of a few years, so this is rarely a problem; yet if you’re buying in bulk it's worth considering whether you’ll use them in time.

Having surveyed the major high st. chains and online chemists, the following are the cheapest suppliers. However, do also check your local pharmacist; often they'll compete on price.

One thing to note though is that sometimes these deals are so cheap becasue the products are headed towards the end of their shelf life; phone up and check if you need them to last a long time.

• 60p for 30, Chemist 4 U, Cetirizine Dihydrochloride.

  By offering free postage on a range of generic hayfever products, Chemist 4 U wrested back the cheap hayfever crown, charging 60p for a box of 30 Cetirizine all-in.
  
  In second place is Chemist Direct which also sells a box of 30 cetirizine tablets for 60p, but charges £2.95 for postage on orders under £40.
  
  Pack Price: 60p/30 tablets Delivery Price: N/A Min order: N/A Price inc. delivery: 60p
  

• 99p for 30, Chemist 4 U, Loratadine.
  
  Loratadine is also currently cheapest at Chemist 4 U, with 30 generic tablets priced at 99p with no postage charge. Again in second place is Chemist Direct, which also sells 30 tablets for 99p, but charges £2.95 postage on orders under £40.
  
  Pack Price: 99p/30 tablets Delivery Price: N/A Min order: N/A Price inc. delivery: 99p
  

How do online chemists work?

Bear in mind that when ordering from online chemists you'll need to fill in a questionnaire detailing your condition, and they reserve the right to refuse your order if you don't provide adequate information. All orders should be checked by a qualified pharmacist prior to despatch.

We only include chemists registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, though it doesn’t automatically vouch for its members, saying “Although pharmacies do have to be registered with the RPSGB we cannot guarantee their safety/trustworthiness.” Sadly as a money site, we’re not medical experts, and while we’ve had no issues, of course you need make your own decision when buying pharmaceuticals online.

If you know of any other reliable online pharmacies which under cut these, please report them here and we'll add them to this article.

Cheapest in-store. Summer '09

If you're already sniffling and need some fast relief, here are the current top deals on the high st:

If you spot any cheaper deals, please report them in the
Hayfever 2009 discussion

Remedies for under-12s

Children under 12 and pregnant women should take special care when choosing hayfever medications. For children, anti-histamine syrups are the best bet although even here the large pharmaceutical firms make extra money through clever marketing. Childrens' versions of products often cost more than the adult versions, although their contents are identical.

Similarly, the branded syrups below share the same active ingredient, Cetirizine Hydrochloride; only the flavourings differ. Thus, the hard and fast rule here again is to simply go by the ingredients listed, rather than the spiel and fancy packaging.

• Benadryl Syrup (70ml) £4.35 at ASDA. Boots own-brand version £3.91
• Zirtek Syrup (75ml) £2.88 at Superdrug.
• Piriteze Syrup (70ml) £3.84 at Morrisons.

Eye drops and nasal sprays

While anti-histamines should be enough to reduce hayfever symptoms for most, they're unlikely to totally relieve nasal congestion or streaming eyes. Thus, it may be worth investing in a separate nasal spray, and/or eye drops. Again there are various types to watch out for, and again look for generic equivalents. If you're unsure what to try first, consult your pharmacist.

• Beconase (100 Sprays) Generic equivalent £2.49 + postage (with 200 sprays!) at Chemist Direct. Branded £3.98 each at Morrisons. Large version

• Flixonase (60 Sprays) Branded £5.49 (+ postage) at Chemist Direct, £6.49 in-store at Boots.

• Sodium Cromoglicate Eye Drops Generic 'Cromulux' £1.29 (+ postage) at Chemist 4 U, Opticrom £4.99 (+ postage) at Chemist 4 U.

Complementary/Alternative therapies

For some sufferers, a couple of pieces of technology have been claimed to alleviate hayfever symptoms without using any drugs. Anecdotal feedback has generally been positive, though as ever with alternative therapies, usefulness is in the eye of the beholder:

• Light therapy. Light therapy is based on the idea of using red light to desensitise nasal passages in a bid to defend you from allergic reactions and reduce inflammation. The branded version of this treatment, 'Medinose', comes at a cost of around £50 (Amazon), but the big Lloyd's Pharmacy chain offers its own version, simply called an 'Allergy Reliever' for £14.99 in stores nationwide. It's based on the same technology, and seems to garner similar feedback to the original.
  
  It's important to note though that, as with any non-medical treatment, the results of this are mixed; if you've tried it, do please report feedback in the discussion below.
  
  
• Air purifiers. If you struggle to sleep at night because of the pollen swirling around your bedroom, air purifiers also promise to be helpful. These often mildly noisy devices work to clean the air in any room, either by filtering (HEPA-type) or ionising air molecules. Lloyd's Pharmacy offers a cheap own-brand ionising purifier, this time for £9.99, or bundled with the allergy reliever above for £21.99. If you want the full lowdown on air purifiers (and let's be honest here, you probably don't) check out this wikipedia air filtering article.

For extra feedback on these devices, read MoneySaver Harryharp's useful forum thread.