best meds for seasonal allergies?

Everyone in my house seems to have a lot of seasonal allergies that cause all types of skin irritations. We use hydrocortisone a few times a day when they are really itching.

I would not have a problem useing the topical benadyrl though.

Thanks for the tip about the hydrocortisone cream. I picked some up today and will try it out (crossing my fingers that it helps as it was about 1/4 the cost of the benadryl cream).

my oldest--who ironically has [i]no[/i] food allergies--had a really hard time this year with his seasonal allergies.

we tried a lot of things, it was his eyes that were bugging him.

finally, we tried Zyrtec, which is now otc. overnight he was a different kid. his swelling went down, nasal congestion dissapated and he started sleeping better. we will stop the Zyrtec once the season has passed.

hope this helps.

btw, we were trying things specifically for his eyes, and his allergist said he needed a oral med to really help.

My doctor told me to prepare for seasonal allergies by taking an over-the-counter tablet a couple of weeks before spring, so that it can build up in my system before the pollen gets into the air. She also said that the peak allergy times of the day are from 4am to 10am and from 2pm to 8pm, and to try and limit my time and outdoor exposure, during those times as much as possible.
As it turned out, mine got so bad, that none of the ones I could get at the store helped. She finally had to write me a prescription, which is working great, and also helps me fall asleep, and sleep well through the night, without that "hung over" or "groggy" feeling the next morning.
My advise is to talk to your doctor. They can order a blood test and find out how badly you might be allergic to things. ou might need a prescriptions to help you get through the spring.