Hi mommas!
My four year old daughter has terrible seasonal allergies. I have been giving her children's zyrtec but it just doesn't seem to do the job. I only give her half a dose (2.5ML), which is the recommended dose on the bottle. The bottle also says you can give them a full dose (5ML) if needed so today I tried it. Still no luck, it just made her sleepy.
What do you give your little ones for seasonal allergies? I hate watching her suffer with an itchy nose and watery eyes, but don't want her to sleep through the spring!
Thank you all for your suggestions. I decided to try loratadine (sp) and he worked great. Her symptoms were held at bay and she did not fall asleep! Thanks again and I hope all your kiddos find some relief too!
My daughters allergist put her on xyzol, not spelled right sorry, it is the next generation zyrtec and on nasonex nose spray. I hate putting her on all this but she is a mess if not and even with this if she is around a dog we still have to give her benadryl. It is worse right now than normal. Yuck
Oh my gosh!
Quit giving your children drugs.
Go to a vitamin store and get something that will not cause side effects!
I am in the East Valley - on Alma School and Elliot is "Natures Health" Vitamin store. They have alternatives!!!!!
Email me if you need more info.............
My son suffered from seasonal allergies for years. We tried everything otc and nothing worked. then we tried an herb called Stinging Nettle. It takes a few days to build up and then NO MORE sneezing, rubbing eyes, coughing. It was for him a miracle! U can get it at most nay health food store. Good Luck.
If you want to get your young daughter off pharmaceuticals, I cannot recommend this class highly enough: Herbs for Kids at http://www.inspiredabq.com
They discuss allergies and safe herbs to treat them. Nettles is one definite possibility. Allergies are an overreaction of your immune system. You can also help with other herbs, as well as a diet rich in probiotic foods. Not just yogurt, but fermented veggies and more.
Our son was prescribed Singular (he's two) and has horrible pollen allergies already. It has helped. On terrible days he also takes Zyrtec. This keeps him from wheezing. I feel your pain! Also, try to have her wash her hands often when playing outside, bathe after being outside and change her clothes right after coming inside. At least that helps if it's pollen. Good luck!
Both of my girls suffer horribly from seasonal allergies, we found that local honey works, it helps their bodies become immune to local pollens, just make sure its local honey and not the stuff from the store, give it a try, they also have some healthy alternitaves at the health food store, but herbs and natural stuff is not always what it is cracked up to be, make sure you speak with your physician about any supplements you want to use as well! you may also want to talk to your physician about an allergy test done on her blood, we found that my youngest is allergic to eggs and that was the cause of most of her sniffling and sneezing and stomach problems! good luck!
A.
Try a different antihistimine. (with a different active ingredient) ie, lotradine is in several different allergy medications, and another drug with zyr... as part of its name is the basis for zyrtec, that particular med may not cut it for your daughter. I personally do well with lotradine (but NOT the walgreen brand as I am sadly finding out! I had the Costco's generic which does last a 24 hrs, but the Wal-itin HA, I am finding it only lasts maybe 16-20 hours before I'm in misery again. I plan to return it.) Anyway, lotradine doesnt help my husband much so he takes something else (not zyr.. not loratadine, but something else... I forgot...). I don't care for the one he takes as it makes me sleepy and dazed.
Just have to find which one works for her, by looking at the active ingredient and how it affects her. I'd stick with name brands for now until you know what is effective, then maybe switching to generic and seeing if they work the same or not. I liked one generic but NOT the other.
Also, allergy season is at a HIGH peak right now, I wonder if that "overwhelms" the medicine?
Just read some of the other answers. We moved here abt 5 yrs ago, and found a honey farm here in our town and bought a lot. My husband has honey just about everyday, and I do quite often. My son not as often (he is a BIG fan of the freezer strawberry jam I make.) It hasn't made a difference, that we can tell, with our allergies!
Sugar on the other hand... I have heard/read elsewhere that it does the opposite for your body what immunity boosters and such do - it can and does make you much more susceptible to getting sick (and yes, getting out of control too) Less sugar will NEVER hurt, ha.
Zyrtec does not work for everyone.
talk to your Pediatrician...
I would give her something that does NOT cause drowsiness.
Claritin is one of the other allergy over the counter things that is available.
It does not cause drowsiness. There is a "children's" version as well.
And go by the specific instructions on the packaging...
Myself, I have seasonal allergies. I do not like Zyrtec. For myself, but i am an adult, I use Claritin. That works for me. The other brands do not work for me.
All the best,
Susan
My son has been on singulair for about 5 years, he's 9. We only give it to him now, allergy time.
My daughter was prescribed a nose spray at 3 and Claritin but that didn't work, she now is on Maxifed and Allegra and a nose spray but we have been fighting these allergies for 12 years with her and she is finally able to take adult meds.
Ask your pediatrician. I dont' like the kids on so much medication either but they have to breathe.
Check with your Pediatrician. Sometimes they have free samples you can try before buying them. That way you won't waste money on something that may not work. Claritin didn't work for my daughter, but Zyrtec does. Not all allergy meds. work the same way, and that's why some work for one person and not another. And, if something doesn't work, then stop using it. However, I know some of the RX nasal sprays (maybe others) need to be used for a couple of weeks before you see any improvement. So, be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist. It's a bad year for allergies! Good luck!
A simple (sometimes challenging) fix is to try cutting out sugar during allergy season. It's night and day with my son--he has sugar and his allergies go out of control. Huge swollen eyes, runny nose, exhaustion...He avoids sugar and he's absolutely fine.
Sugar causes inflammatory responses, maybe overwhelms the body's ability to deal with foreign bodies. Just try it for a week and see what happens--you might be able to get him off OTC drugs entirely!
Hang in there! We're having the same problem at our house, too. I just took my 5 year old son to the doctor and she recommended the children's Zyrtec and also prescribed some eye drops that are like a miracle for him (they're expensive, but he's no longer scratching his eyes out...totally worth it for us!) Your doctor's office might have some samples for you to try with him. I know from personal experience (I've had allergies all my life) that sometime's it's just a matter of finding the right medicine. If the Zyrtec isn't working, ask your doctor to recommend something else to try (and have them give you their recomended dosage...it's often different than what the bottle or box suggests.) By the way, I'm not against homeopathic remedies...I just know what has worked for my family. :)
I split the full dose between morning and night, but yeah, it only does so much. You might see what your allergist might prescribe. Maybe a nasal spray?
I have my son on Childrens Claritin and that seems to work for my son. (He's turning 4 this week) I even have a kids nose spray for when it becomes too much for him. He hates it but it works as well. If that doesn't work then I agree with one mom who said to go talk to the doctor about it.
I would recommend that you rotate through the OTC (Over The Counter) seasonal allergy drugs. Try one for about 3 days to see which one she responds to. Other 'drugs' to try would be the homeopathic medicines available at Sprouts. Hyland's makes an allergy relief one and it truly does ease the symptoms.
Within our own family, my children and I use Claritin, my husband uses Allegra-D (this is Rx though). The prescription drugs are frequently a combination of allergy with a sudafed type ingredient. So trying your OTC allergy with a 1/2 dose of sudafed will also improve her symptoms.
My next recommendation is to purchase and consume local, raw, honey and fruits. Don't buy honey at the grocery store.It is not local. Go to a farmers market or local farm. It takes about 6 months for your immune system to build a tolerance to these types of pollens, if that is what she is allergic to. But she'll have the immunity for life which is better than treating her annually with drugs.
