What allergy meds have you given your children?

[mom2boys]

And with what results? My 9 yr old has terrible seasonal allergies. I plan to take him to an allergiest but can't get in right away. Ped recommended Children's Claritin which I gave him. It does seem to be helping with his allergy symptoms. However, since he has been on the Claritin he has become physically agrressive. (This is normally a very passive child.) I am attributing it to the Claritin because I find that it makes me very short tempered. The pharmacist says she has heard this from others. I need something that will alleviate his symptoms without putting him to sleep or turning him into a monster.

 

[binny]

we Claritin fro Karissa and it seems to help, she doesnt seem to have any adverse reactions other than belive them when they say it is NON drowsy!!

She isn't violent or aggresive but I have heard that happnes sometimes.

we do Benadryl at night for her sometimes and that relaly helps but makes her really sleepy.

I wish I could be more help to you.

 

[jel0511]

I've been giving DS 2 Singulair. His allergies also cause him to wheeze and this helps him best.

 

[Christine]

I've tried them all (DS has terrible allergies). Claritin, Allegra, etc... and Zyrtec seems to be the only one that works really well. This kid had constant snot running out his nose for a year. His asthma doc gave me some Zyrtec and he is like a new child! The first 2 weeks it made him very drowsy at night, but he has since gotten over that. We tried Claritin for a very long time and, as far as I'm concerned, it was like taking a placebo. I took it once myself when I was having problems out on the soccer field. It did nothing for my allergies but made me feel strange.

Also, my son has been taking Singulair for a few months for his asthma. They just approved it for seasonal allergies so you might give it a try. DS did take Singulair before he took the Zyrtec and it did not help him with allergies, but you could give it a try.

 

[TLHB70]

My two daughters, now ages 4 and 7, have been on Claritin for at least 3 years. They have seasonal allergies like me (in spring and fall). The Claritin had always worked great for them and me. Well, we moved from Louisiana to Oklahoma a little over a month ago and the Claritin stopped working for them!!!! It is the strangest thing!!!!!!!!!!!! The Claritin is still working for me but not for them. I brought them to the doctor here. After talking to her we decided to try Singulair. That didn't work. (However, I will say that the girls LOVED the taste of the chewable tablets. That was a big plus. I hated that it didn't work for them!) The doctor then switched them to Zyrtec. It is working. Thank the Lord!!!!!! Like I said, the Claritin never gave them (or me) any problems or side affects. I had never heard of that before now either. I will tell you that before my girls got on the Zyrtec I had read many places that this medicine causes drowsiness. I was relunctant to try it, but I decided it was better to try it than go straight to the allergy shots. I am glad that I did try it since it is working! The doctor suggested that I give it at night. I had always given the allergy medicine in the morning with breakfast and vitamins. However, giving this at night has been fine. I also think if there is any drowsiness side affect that we aren't seeing it since they are taking it at bedtime.

 

[pajamommy]

Both of my kids have been on Zyrtec for their allergies for a few years now. DD has quite bad allergies, as did my DH throughout his childhood. The Zyrtec has always worked great for both of the kids. I do give it to them at bedtime, for the drowsiness reason, but it does not make them sleepy throughout the day, etc. Good luck!

 

[mom2boys]

UUUGGGHHHH! I just spoke with peds office. Apparently my insurance requires patients to try over the counter meds for 30 days prior to authorizing perscription allergy meds since claritin went OTC. Nurse was very understanding & I trust that my ped will do what needs to be done to get DS a perscription - but it takes 72 hours for insurance to authorize. It just burns me up that insurance companies can dictate the care my child receives when they have never even laid eyes on him.

 

[FINFAN]

Mom2boys, ask if doctors office can give you a few samples. It can't hurt. DS has been on them all, like Christine, and Zyrtec did not help him at 3, but now it is at age 8. It is the strongest of the meds out there, claritin the weakest. DS takes Zyrtec in A.M., Naselcrom nosespray twice a day and D'Allergy jr. at night. He is on way too much drugs for the level of improvement he experiencesIMHO. We have been waiting for him to get a wee bit older and will then begin shots I guess. I sympathize w/your ins. dilemma, but it is a necessary evil. I hope your DS feels some relief soon.

 

[Rajah]

Well, I've got no kids, but I can say that Zyrtec also works the best for me but leaves me groggy. Never thought of taking it at night, thanks for the suggestions! Claritin works moderately well for me, but the Zyrtec works much better!

Good luck getting something for your son. I'm sorry the insurance is being such a pain.

 

[jsmith]

try an inhaled steriod such as Rhynocort or Flonase. We had a horrid experience with Claritan D. The D part is pseudoepidrin, which is what is in most OTC cold pills and is a major ingredient in meth (and may be the source of the aggressiveness someone complained about) prolonged use gave my older DS irregular heartbeat-scarriest thing I have ever experienced! He can never take anything with that drug in it again and so we had to find an alternate. The inhaled steriods have been great.

 

[Rajah]

That's a good point JSmith -- I know I can't take any of the D's because they all (except Sudafed) make me sick and I have heard of the aggression with D's before.

mom2boys-- which claritin were you using? If it was the D, maybe try the non-D?

 

[mom2boys]

It was the children's Claritin - no D. Started him on samples of Zyrtec (thanks to another poster's suggestion). It is making him very hard to wake in the a.m. but I am having to break the pills while we wait for the perscription at the appropriate dosage. Hopefully that will be today.

 

[accomp]

My six-year old DS has just started taking medicine for allergies. He used Zyrtec for two weeks and it did nothing for him. He was then switched to Nasonex and Singulair last week and they seem to be working for him.