Allergies?

[Sophia]

My poor dd gets hit hard by pollen every spring, but this year's it's worse.

It's not even that thick yet and she's already downing Claritin twice a day and bathing herself in hydrocortisone cream...and she's still miserable.

I'm going to have to take her to the doc, but I'm ignorant on what remedy's are out there.

No doubt he'll have his own rec's, but I'd like to be a little informed.

Is there anything that has worked well for your dc? A specific medicine I should ask for?

tia

[gandpsmommy]

The only thing that has worked for my dc is Zyrtec. We have tried Benadryl, Claritin, and Allegra, but none of these completely alleviated dd's symptoms. Zyrtec is actually over-the-counter now, so you don't even need a prescription. Children's zyrtec is available in syrup and tablets, I believe. Good luck.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Actually, Zyrtec nor Claritan or the like did not work for us at all. There are different types of response to allergens apparently. I don't know enough of the lingo to give a dissertation on this, but my allergist, after testing me, said those wouldn't work for me. I, having tried them in the past, told him that they did not and I was taking Singulair. He backed up that choice with the results shown from my tests.

 

Anyway, my kids are both on Singulair as am I. We never go off of it. I do Astelin nasal seasonally to help keep things in check during the high count seasons. My kids do Nasonex during the necessary seasons.

 

My kids tried the other stuff without luck. It just depends on what your body does to react? Sorry, I don't know how to say that very well.

 

But anyway, you can ask the DR about which route to take based on what your dc needs. And you may need to go another route if the first way does not help. We had to do that as well when the other things didn't work. Singulair became the miracle drug for us! But for others, they need the zyrtec route.

 

 

good luck. Allergies STINK! THey can be so annoying and mood altering. I hope you find something that works well.

[gandpsmommy]

Actually, Zyrtec nor Claritan or the like did not work for us at all. There are different types of response to allergens apparently. I don't know enough of the lingo to give a dissertation on this, but my allergist, after testing me, said those wouldn't work for me. I, having tried them in the past, told him that they did not and I was taking Singulair. He backed up that choice with the results shown from my tests.

 

Anyway, my kids are both on Singulair as am I. We never go off of it. I do Astelin nasal seasonally to help keep things in check during the high count seasons. My kids do Nasonex during the necessary seasons.

 

My kids tried the other stuff without luck. It just depends on what your body does to react? Sorry, I don't know how to say that very well.

 

But anyway, you can ask the DR about which route to take based on what your dc needs. And you may need to go another route if the first way does not help. We had to do that as well when the other things didn't work. Singulair became the miracle drug for us! But for others, they need the zyrtec route.

 

 

good luck. Allergies STINK! THey can be so annoying and mood altering. I hope you find something that works well.

 

:iagree: My dh has severe allergies and the only thing that helped him is Allegra-D. So, when we were trying different allergy medications for dd and our physician recommended allegra, we both thought that it would work well for her, assuming that she had probably inherited his allergic reactions. It really didn't help her, though. Unfortunately, the only reason we tried different remedies was that our insurance company put it on their non-formulary list and wanted her to try other options. After a few months of suffering, we proved that the only thing that works for her is Zyrtec. And, ironically, it was during this period that it switched to an over-the-counter medication, so our insurance won't pay for it anyway.

[Sophia]

It sounds like we're going to have to experiment and see what works.

I hate to see dd miserable from these stinking allergies.

She actually keeps her spirits up pretty well-I'm the one who gets crabby because I feel so helpless.

Off to make an appt.

Thanks for your input, ladies!

[Mom2legomaniacs]

It sounds like we're going to have to experiment and see what works.

I hate to see dd miserable from these stinking allergies.

She actually keeps her spirits up pretty well-I'm the one who gets crabby because I feel so helpless.

Off to make an appt.

Thanks for your input, ladies!

 

I understand. It is kind of frustrating. Let's hope the first try is the one that works!

[gandpsmommy]

It sounds like we're going to have to experiment and see what works.

I hate to see dd miserable from these stinking allergies.

She actually keeps her spirits up pretty well-I'm the one who gets crabby because I feel so helpless.

Off to make an appt.

Thanks for your input, ladies!

 

One encouraging thing is that Zyrtec was the first prescription dd's physician wrote for her. We did try two over-the-counter medications first. The main reason dd had to try different medications and suffer for a few weeks was that our insurance company didn't want to pay for Zyrtec because it was on their non-formulary list. They wanted us to try a medication that would be cheaper for them. It's very likely that your daughter's physician will be able to listen to her symptoms, take down her family history, and prescribe something effective right away. Good luck!

[buddhabelly]

He is being treated now with acupressure (the system is called NAET, if you want to Google it). We went to the naturopath because his eczema was worsening and spreading all over his body. But she is treating it this way (by eliminating his body's attack on various things). He tested allergic to B complex vitamins, so eliminating that allergy helped tremendously. He eats whole grains, which are rich in B complex. He also tested allergic to his braces and the fluoride rinse he was taking each day, so treating the braces and eliminating the fluoride rinse helped. Usually if one treats the nutrient allergies, the others (dust, mold, dander, pollen, laundry detergent) disappear. But if not, those can be treated individually.

 

You can probably find a naturopath that uses this system somewhere in your area by looking at http://www.naet.com and clicking on "Find a Practitioner." Some people think it's really bizarre, but if you think of it as acupuncture without needles it's not so strange. I have a thorough education in Oriental medicine and meridian theory, so it was not too hard to accept.

 

My son will probably have some scarring (his skin was that bad), but it is healed now and he can live a more normal life.

 

I don't really want to debate the merits of this system, but I just wanted to share what has worked for us. Besides, I don't check the boards very often!

 

Best of luck. Julie

[abbeyej]

Zyrtec makes a *huge* difference in ds' life for a few weeks each spring and fall. We don't do it year round, just when I see those tell-tale circles under his eyes and sniffling start. Zyrtec keeps him from being miserable and (combined with Flovent during that same time period) prevents him from needed to take Albuterol every day then as well.

 

I've never taken it myself, but I think it's very worth giving a try...