DawnM Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 He has been on it for over 2 weeks. I am giving the recommended dosage and even upping it in my 12 year old but his allergies are HORRIBLE. He isn't sleeping well at night and last night woke up at 1am and couldn't get back to sleep until 3am and then woke up at 8am because he couldn't breath. I am going to get some Allegra, but I don't know what to do for him. We tried Zyrtec in the day and Benadryl at night. That didn't help. I feel horrible for him. Suggestions? Benadryl doesn't seem to help and we have tried Claratin with no relief. Natural products did absolutely nothing. He is supposed to go camping in 2 weeks with scouts and I just don't see how he can manage it. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 If you can, prescription steroid nasal spray. If you can't, saline spray or neti pot midday and evening. I've had to switch my allergy/asthma kid over to Claritin-D for the spring. The allergens seem to be much worse this year than previous years. Any of the D formulations will be more powerful than the regular over the counters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I do think you need to just keep trying other things. We just started using Zyrtec because Claritin, which worked LAST year, was not working. Zyrtec appears to be the charm THIS YEAR for us. It's crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Steroid nasal spray. Or antihist nasal spray maybe. Definitely prescription. Zyrtec is useless for most of us here too and I think it can contribute to the sleep issues.:( :iagree: A nasal spray may be his best bet. I have horrible allergies with allergy-induced asthma and when they are at their peak, I have to use multiple scripts. Claritan, Allegra and Zyrtec did nothing for me. The doctor finally put my on Singulair all the time and a nasal spray during the worst times. I take the Singulair at night and if I have additional stuffiness I take a Benedryl during the day. That combination has been amazing and I've had very little trouble with my allergies since I started on that about 5 years ago, even when we go camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsouthern Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 i agree on the nasal spray :) dd also had to do 20mg a day of zytec for a while to keep it at bay. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermom1 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Right now tree pollen is very high in most part of country and as a mother of allergic child I have figure out prescription nasal spray would definitely help . Also, put petroleum jelly on very front part of nostril before you go outdoors. That may help with trapping pollen before it enters into nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 nasal spray----for us Zyrtec only takes care of the itchies and some of the fluid we get in our ear. We have to use it in conjunction with a Rx nasal spray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 DS6 is on allegra, flovent (he also has mild asthma, but word is this helps with allergies, too), and we do a nasal rinse as needed. This seems to keep things pretty well under control for him. He was on flonase for awhile, too, but it was really irritating his nose, so we cut it after a bit. It did help a lot with the nighttime congestion, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlisonK Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 My son has terrible seasonal allergies and it finally got so bad he developed asthma. We switched to a doctor at a major teaching hospital and he has been doing so well ever since. You have been given great advice. Here is the combination that has finally worked for him: Veramyst Nasal Spray Allegra Patanol Eye Drops I know it's different for each person so you are going to have to try different things. The Veramyst was amazing! He does need to take it everyday no matter what all through the season but it works. Also, taking a shower every night before bed is really important. Pollen collects in the hair and then transfers to the pillow. Sometimes when my son was that bad in the middle of the night I would even give him another shower. Unfortunately, it really helps to keep all the windows in the house shut. It's so frustrating during the wonderful spring weather to keep the house closed up but it makes a big difference. You could even try an air cleaner in the bedroom. HTH :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 It seems like everyone is different! DD does better on Zyrtec than Allegra. Another kid does better on Claritin. There are prescription formulas too like Xyzal (I have no idea if I spelled that right). In addition to the drugs (including nasal sprays) look into nightly showers including shampooing (someone mentioned that), changing clothes when coming in from outside, running the A/C instead of opening windows (I know...), nasal rinses, and even nasal masks if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 The only thing that helps my sneezing and runny nose is chlortrimeton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 A couple of my friends (and my DAD, of all people--the ultimate skeptic!) swear by megadoses of vitamin C. They all say to take vitamin C crystals to bowel tolerance (ew, I know). When it start to give you...er, issues...back up about 500 mg or so. One friend gives her 9-year-old 1,000 mg before and after she takes horseback riding lessons, and she hasn't had any symptoms since they started doing it. For whatever that's worth to you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 DD takes Allegra and that helps a lot. She also has a prescription for Patanase nasal spray. She uses that daily. Between the two, she's done pretty well this spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Zyrtec works for me, but I double up with singulair and add a nasal steroid in during my bad seasons. Are you using a generic Zyrtec? The generics are allowed to have a few % less of the active ingredient than the name brand stuff. It can make a difference for a few people. Also, in Canada, Zyrtec is Rxed up to 20mg but is more sedating at that dose. Still you might ask your doc about giving h a higher dose at bedtime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Vitamin C and zinc, along w/ mucinex, should help. And lots and lots of water. Also, have him wash his face several times a day, especially after coming inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Sorry. :( IME, Zyrtec is crap. Singulair? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Son with mild asthma takes zyrtec, singulair and steroid nasal spray. Our pediatricians always start with the nasal spray as first line of defense, when any of my three kids have grown into a time of having allergy problems. Then it seems like trying allegra (may have a broader range of things it defends from), xyrtec, claritin, chlortrimeton, one at a time to see improvement, is the norm. I can feel which one will work within 3-4 days, but have to make sure its a good test (similar pollen days.) Adding the D for Decongestent, to any of these is a whole different med. Adding the decongestant makes daughter feel dizzy, obviously, like cold meds. I don't like claritin, use xyrtec for mild allergies, and allegra for more severe. I don't track the pollens, nor do I note when I start and stop. My daughter is having more severe allergies, so is starting in warmer March this year, and will likely take meds till late May. Chlortrimeton was a miracle drug when it first came out: my mother was so glad she could stop the dripping and itching and not have to take something that made her fall asleep! Good luck testing. I noticed at a drug store the other day, that you can get most of these (not steroid sprays, or Singulair) in small amounts, just a few to try out. Good luck! One kid loves to sniff the Vicks, lotion infused tissues. Soothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I know it's different for each person so you are going to have to try different things. The Veramyst was amazing! He does need to take it everyday no matter what all through the season but it works. Veramyst is what works best for me too, especially with my itchy eyes, while my ds does just fine with otc Alavert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 My son does nasal spray, zyrtec, and singulair in his bad seasons. The zyrtec and singulair alone are not enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Both kids and I live on zyrtec. However, our allergies do flair up on occasion. One thing that helps a lot is to take Flonase (nasal spray). It's a RX and takes 3-4 days for full effect, but it greatly cuts down on symptoms. It would probably be worth a doctor visit to see if that or something else would help him feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I take singulair, zyrtec and hydroxyzine. If zyrtec isn't working I would take them to an allergist and discuss it with them. This is a bad allergy year due to the very mild winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Occasionally I have weird dreams but usually that is if I forgot to take my zyrtec and take it before bed instead of the AM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 OK, now my interest is peaked. My worst symptom is itchy eyes. I haven't heard of Veramyst. Off too google it... Just wanted to point out that it is a nasal spray, not something you put in your eyes - apparently some people can't read directions and have tried to put it in their eyes. :confused: It makes a huge difference for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 (edited) Are you sure it is environmental allergies? My doctor diagnosed me with allergies and gave me prescriptions for a steroid nasal spray (never tried it because I couldn't afford it), eye drops, and told me to use Claritin/Zyrtec. I had almost year round sinus congestion, though it was much worse during the fall and winter. I sneezed a lot and had itchy, water eyes that sometimes swelled (the conjunctiva). Allergy meds did very little to improve how I felt. But all of my allergies went away once we cut dairy from our diet and come back if I eat too much dairy. Edited April 2, 2012 by joannqn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 First, has he been checked to make sure he doesn't have a sinus infection? He may need antibiotics. Second, I agree that a steroid nose spray may be needed. Also try different antihistamines, different ones work better for different people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I haven't read all the replies, but medications like zyrtec and claritin do not do anything for my kids. They are using Astepro and Nasonex nasal sprays and those have really helped. If it is a really tough time of the year, my son will use both sprays. At other times, he just needs the Astepro. My daughter gets allergy shots and only needs the Astepro during her worst times of the year. One of the benefits of the nasal sprays is that there seem to be very few, if any, side effects for them. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 OK, now my interest is peaked. My worst symptom is itchy eyes. I haven't heard of Veramyst. Off too google it... You know, I just started suffering from allergies for the first time last year and the major symptom I have is itchy eyes. Fortunately for me, it has only been for short periods during the year so far. I found that antihistimines actually made the itchy eye problem MUCH worse. Like, to the point where I could not leave the house worse. I bought a bottle of Nasalcrom nasal spray (OTC) and got a prescription for Patanol eye drops and it completely takes care of the problem for me. What a relief! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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