In the UK, I’m finding hayfever season lasts for me from March to October, using Zirtek and Flixonase to make things bearable.

I’m looking towards moving to Melbourne next year pending a house sale, so I’m keen to hear folks’ experiences.

Now I realise we’re talking different allergies for different folks here, plus differences if you used to live in the city and now live more rurally etc. but if you were a hayfever sufferer in the UK how has it changed since moving to Australia?

Have the different pollens made it better or worse (or the same) for you?

If it’s worse/same, are Zirtek and Flixonase available OTC at a reasonable(!) price?

Cheers,

>A.

I found my hayfever much better in Melbourne (city), but my australian OH finds his hayfever much worse in Melbourne !!! So yes, it does vary.

Zirtek (and cheaper own brands as far as I remember) are available over the counter.

We brought over loads of anti hay fever stuff with us. But as very few plants where we live haven't used it. Is lots of peeps with dust allergies around here, but not affected us so far.

PS I like your timelines lolcat ... visa granted 6 months before you lodged it .. good work

"176 (Vic) Lodged: 30/12/09
176 (Vic) Granted: 1/7/09
Validated: 6/3/10 "

Wattle, Blue Gums and Pine Pollens all give some people a lot of jip. I never had hay fever in the UK, had a bit here my first year, nothing since.

Canola is similar to rape seed oil and can cause trouble. Most of these are spring - early summer time problems here.

My dad suffered like a bastard in the UK, went to the United States and didn't suffer at all and didn't when he got back to the UK. Go figure.

I knew there was a good reason I'd decided to use a migration agent!

Thanks to all for the replies.

>A.

Our daughter suffered the same in the UK - March to September. So far here in Brisbane she's been fine with no symptoms whatsoever.

Rarely suffered in the UK, usually only when near fields of rape seed. In Aus I start sneezing in September and have to take antihistamines pretty much non-stop through to about February. The sheer relief of being in the UK now and not sneezing after the last three solid weeks of constant sniffing - pure bliss.

This year is a particularly bad year for pollen in Melbourne and Victoria thanks to the high rainfall that has led to a lot of grass growth in paddocks, this grass has just started to flower like mad and this will continue through early summer.

This is usually only a problem in northerly winds which blows the pollen down over the city. When it is raining or the wind is a southerly the pollen count will be generally low.

I've been getting some symptoms in Melbourne during the day and I wouldn't normally consider myself a hay fever sufferer. I think the plane trees have a lot to do with it as well, the fruits of that tree contain an abundance of irritating hairs that get blown around by the wind. Melbourne is full of these trees, particularly the inner city area.

I suffered quite badly in the UK, same months as you and used the same meds too. Been in Sydney for 2 years and NOTHING, not a sniffle. Must have left, whatever it was that used to set me off, back in the UK.

Never 'Knowingly" had it in the UK, here it almost killed me once... had a massive Asthma attack, didnt have my ventalin, and an approaching Thunderstorm which must have blew a heap of Pollen in front of it, left me coughing until I almost ran out of breath... saw stars as I hurriedly drove home for my Ventalin.

I use Telfast and it works fine.

There's a pollentracker which forecasts 4 days in advance.

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/pollentracker/

Hi, my son and husband suffered in the UK. My son has been really struggling for a couple of weeks now and ended up with oral steroids this week. Oddly enough though my husband has nothing at all Obviously they get affected by different pollens!!

Common theme here:- (Polly excluded)

Melbourne.

We've done the hayfever thing in the past on here though and it does seem to be that a lot who didn't suffer back home do suffer in Aus - and vice versa - regardless of which State......