meercat

OH used to use Triludan - but this has now been banned. Over the counter stuff doesn't work - now uses Nasacort sprey and 10mg cetirizine can these be bought in NZ?

sky

Have heard of cetirizine I think, Flixinase is about $16 a little bottle.

sirplug

What about asthma? I have very mild asthma and my daughter suffers, also. Does any body have any experience of asthma in NZ, has it got worse in NZ or improved??

soulflour

No, children under 6 don't have to pay, and if your income is under a certain level you can get a 'community services card' which gives you cheaper visits and prescriptions.

I wasn't working for a brief time about 7 months ago, so we have these cards - and they last a full year, so we can still use them although i'm now working again. They're worth applying for if your income is ever below the limit!

Costs vary around the country, we pay $40 for a full price appointment.

My dp's asthma is much much better, mainly because the doctor here has put him on a new inhaler that he only uses once every few days (he was on the old brown one and blue one twice each per day before, sorry - i don't know all the names etc!).

His last couple of inhalers have been free - we're not sure why! I think he pays for the prescription (something like $9) and that covers the next few inhalers.... on a repeat prescription.

SF

Zak and Sandie

I use Telfast 180mg( the strongest one) as I get hayfever quite badly too. IT's about $40 - $50 for 30 tablets. The doctors' fees depends on where you live . We pay for under 6 $10 and then $25 as they get older. For adults (don't know if that's 16 or 18) we pay $65.
I'm another bearer of bad news as my hayfever lasts longer (number of weeks) here than it did in England.

RobClubley

I get hayfever here and it's not much different to what it was in the UK.

The cheapest antihistamines I've found are Razene - $20 for 30 one-a-day tablets.

I also use Beconase if I'm particularly suffering. That's about $20 for a 200 spray bottle.

Off2NZ

My OH suffered from hayfever quite badly in the UK and it went on for a couple of months but during the year that we've been here he hasn't suffered once. Annoying thing is that we stocked up on medication in the UK before coming here!!!

mickey_d

Didn't suffer at all in the Spring/ Summer, but did get it back in August/September last year, one of the problems with the gardens growing all year round I suppose. We did notice quite a few UK type plants flowering throughout the winter in our garden.

KiwiKate

I suffered moderately in the UK, but it is terrible here (mind you it is pretty rural where I live and I'm surrounded by long grass on all sides) - and it lasted from November through to end of March. I used Apo-Cetrizine - which costs about $8.50 for 15 tablets iirc. They were really effective.
Our health centre fees are 0-6 free, 7-16 $10 adults $15 - but maybe that's reduced rate as I still have my community service card that gets you a pretty decent discount on healthcare and prescriptions.

Rustie

I think it depends on what pollen variety you are allergic to. I suffered mildly in the UK and now suffer quite badly and for longer and my daughter uses her inhaler alot more in NZ.

Doctors fees are well worth shopping around for as I currently pay $62 and my daughter's are $35 which is pretty expensive.