Allergy Relief
Tablets and nasal sprays for hay fever, allergic rhinitis and hives, from non-drowsy antihistamines such as fexofenadine and bilastine to steroid sprays and older sedating antihistamines.
Azelastine
Azelastine
10ml
Azelastine is a 10ml nasal spray antihistamine for allergic rhinitis and seasonal allergies — sneezing, itching, a runny or blocked nose — sold singly or in packs of 2, 3 or 6.
Desloratadine
Desloratadine
5mg
Desloratadine 5mg tablets are a once-daily, non-sedating antihistamine for hay fever, allergic rhinitis and itchy hives, sold here in a range of pack sizes.
Flonase Nasal Spray
Fluticasone
50mcg
Flonase Nasal Spray is a 50mcg generic fluticasone spray for seasonal allergies and year-round rhinitis, sold in packs of 1, 3, 6 or 9.
Hydroxyzine
Hydroxyzine
10/25mg
Hydroxyzine 10mg and 25mg tablets are a sedating antihistamine used for allergic itching and hives, and for short-term anxiety. Packs hold 30 to 360 tablets.
Phenergan Syrup
Promethazine
100ml
Phenergan Syrup is generic promethazine in a 100ml bottle, a sedating antihistamine used for allergies, hives, nausea and travel sickness, and for short-term sleep problems.
Spring pollen, a friend's cat, dust in an old mattress: the trigger varies, but the sneezing and itchy eyes feel the same. Histamine is behind them, so antihistamine tablets make up most of this category. When the nose is the main problem a spray works better, and a few older antihistamines that cause drowsiness help with itching at night.
Tablets you take once a day
Fruit juice is the odd trap with fexofenadine: grapefruit, orange and apple all cut how much is absorbed, so take it with water. Fexofenadine comes as 120mg and 180mg tablets, also sold as Allegra, and treats hay fever and hives (itchy, raised welts on the skin).
Claritin is loratadine 10mg, and Desloratadine 5mg is its close relative. Allergic rhinitis and hives are what Levocetirizine and Xyzal are for, in 5mg and 10mg, although some people still feel drowsy on them. Ilaxten is bilastine (20mg and 40mg), taken on an empty stomach, away from food and fruit juice.
These five are second-generation antihistamines, so a working day is rarely lost to sleepiness. Start a week or two before the pollen peaks, and symptoms never get a head start.
Nasal sprays: steroid, antihistamine and decongestant
A nose blocked solid at night is where a spray comes in. Fluticasone 50mcg and Flonase Nasal Spray are steroid sprays for seasonal and year-round rhinitis. Use them daily: the full effect builds over several days, not minutes.
Azelastine (10ml) is the antihistamine alternative for anyone who would rather not use a steroid in the nose. Dymista combines the two in a 50/140mcg spray for seasonal allergic rhinitis. Then there is Afrin 0.05%, oxymetazoline, a decongestant that shrinks swollen nasal lining fast. Three days is its limit. Longer use can make congestion rebound.
Older, sedating antihistamines
Itching that keeps you awake is where the older antihistamines earn their place, because their drowsiness works in your favour at bedtime. Hydroxyzine (10mg and 25mg, also Atarax) calms allergic skin itch and is licensed for short-term anxiety too. Cyproheptadine 4mg and Periactin belong to the same sedating family. Phenergan and Phenergan Syrup (100ml, for anyone who finds tablets awkward) are promethazine, strongly sedating, and treat nausea as well as allergy. All three will make you drowsy, and alcohol makes it worse.
Sources
- Allergy Medicine Guide: Best Treatments for Allergies | AAFA.org — Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
- The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) — European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)
What allergy medicines does PockDose sell?
PockDose sells fexofenadine and generic Allegra tablets, levocetirizine and generic Xyzal tablets, plus fluticasone and generic Flonase Nasal Spray. For uses outside allergy relief, such as appetite stimulation with cyproheptadine or anxiety relief with hydroxyzine, the effect is not guaranteed and official references do not recommend that use.
Which tablet and nasal spray options are listed for allergies?
Fexofenadine tablets come in 120mg and 180mg, and generic Allegra holds the same ingredient. For the nose there is a 50mcg fluticasone spray (generic Flonase) and generic Dymista, which combines fluticasone and azelastine at 50/140mcg.
How are allergy sprays and tablets delivered to Hong Kong?
In a plain parcel with no branding. Tracked courier gets there in 5 to 9 business days; standard airmail takes 14 to 21 and has no tracking. The ordering FAQ has the details.
Which allergy tablet is least likely to make me sleepy?
Fexofenadine, loratadine, desloratadine and bilastine rarely cause drowsiness. Levocetirizine can make some people sleepy. Hydroxyzine, cyproheptadine and promethazine are sedating on purpose and are better taken in the evening.
Can I use Afrin every day?
No. Afrin (oxymetazoline) should be limited to about three days. Beyond that, the nose can swell back worse than before, known as rebound congestion. For ongoing blockage a steroid spray such as fluticasone is used daily.
How long does Flonase take to work?
Not instantly. Some people notice a difference after a day or two, but the full effect needs several days of daily use, which is why it is often started before hay fever season peaks.
Can I take an antihistamine tablet and a nasal spray together?
Yes, the combination is common in hay fever. A daily tablet such as fexofenadine or levocetirizine covers itching and sneezing, while a fluticasone spray covers congestion. Dymista puts azelastine and fluticasone in a single spray.