18 Month Old Allergy Sufferer

Lots of holistic people will say that virtually ALL allergies are food allergies. If you remove the problem foods, the allergy symptoms will disappear, even if they are triggered by substances that are not food. I haven't been through this process, so I'm not speaking from experience. You might look at the discussion board at mothering.com. There is a huge online community there and a whole section on food allergies. They could point you in the right direction.

I've found that saline nasal spray is helpful to relieve symptoms and to flush out polen & other irritants. Since he is a toddler, you might have to use the bulb syringe to suck out the saline & the stuff you flush out. It is especially helpful in the winter when it is dry outside. But then again, he IS a toddler so nose drops might not work w/him if he really dislikes them! ;-)

HTH! J.

My family uses elderberry concentrate found in health food stores. I have not used my inhaler for 3 years, since using this. It also helps with colds and flu! Most of my neighbors, now use it ,too and have had great success with their children.

If your son hasn't been tested by an allergist I would recommend it. The tests these days are extremely easy. Although the scratch test is still the most reliable, they can, now do a blood test. This may help the Dr. better prescribe Rx for your son.

I also found that the allergy meds out there are vastly different. What works for one, doesn't for another. I saw very limited results on Zyrtek but better on Claritin..you might want to switch them out and see what happens.

Having been an allergy kid all my life: keep him inside during high mold/pollen counts. Don't be outside unneccarily during dawn & twilight hours when the counts are higher. Don't sleep with windows open (keep A/C or heat on all the time), regularly change your furnace filter, and DON'T feed him dairy products when he's had a lot of post nasal drip/stuffiness (this produces more mucus, making him feel aweful and increases your chance of him puking).

In regards to the gunky eyes, use a warm wash cloth to gently wipe away the gunk for him...talk calmly to him or sing so he feels more comforted. If the allergy meds don't remedy the eye problems you may want to look into getting some eye drops. Have you had his eyes checked? There is also a possiblity he has an eye infection that could be compounding the problem...may be worthy of checking out.

A.,
Sounds like you've gotten some good advice. My son went through a similar situation as well. We ended up placing him on Singulair as well as Zyrtec. This helped tremendously. I think you'll find varying opinions on whether or not to have your son tested, as well as what age he should be before doing so. It might be beneficial to see a pediatric allergist to make sure you're on the right track.
Good luck to you and your little guy - I know how hard it is to see them suffer like that.

I know this may sound hokey, but we buy honey from the most local source we can find and everyone takes one spoonful a day. It's worked really well and I don't have to take any allergy meds anymore. I read about it in a homeopathic medicine journal. The key is to get local honey and don't dilute it. It takes a couple of months to work, but no one minded giving it a try.

HI A., I'm so sorry to hear that your child suffers from allergies. My son, me and my husband all have allergies so I know how hard it can be. My son is on zyrtec also along with Singulair. It's 4 mg. They have chewable one's, and they have packets that you can place in apple sauce to give to your child. Both the zyrtec and singulair work great for my son! I hope this works for him too! God Bless you and your family!
p.s. I also use saline nose spray for him. You can buy it over the counter and it works great. It doesn't taste very good when it goes down the back of your throat but it does work! I also went out and purchased a hepa filter for my son's room and he has been a lot better since I have done that. They are a little expensive but well worth it. Also, the other people that told you to go to a ped. allergist are right. If you can find out more of what he is allgeric too you can try and keep him away from it. We had dogs and found out that my son was allergic to them!

We also use Zyrtek and our pediatrician recommened Zaditor allergy eye drops for our little one. They work pretty well if you can actually get them in the eye. lol. Also we use a saline mist in her nose to help with the congestion. Don't forget Vicks chestrub and soothing bodywash at bedtime.

As an allergy sufferer and mom of three allergy sufferers ... I know it's miserable. Just hang in there and love him.

Best wishes.
J.

We use non-toxic and enviro friendly products in our house. The thing it changed for me is no more sinus infections, and some of our friends switched out their homes to the same type and definitely noticed a difference in their health with no toxins/chemicals in the home. I know it is a big step/alternative, but can be worth a try when suffering from allergies/asthma/colds/sinus, etc.

we put a vicks air thingy in one of our girl's outlets while she's sleeping which helps her sleep when she's all congested with allergies. They also make some non-medicated ones that help with that. Good luck.

Hello. I feel his pain, poor little guy. Anyway, you may try some immunity builders like Echinacea, Liquid Vitamin C and LOCAL honey. I use natural medicines with my children and they kick butt. The best thing about them is it makes their own immune systems stronger and able to fight off things themselves rather than antibiotics or other things doing it for them and then later them not having a very strong immune system. Good Luck! -A.

My son has horrible allergies and has since he was around 9 months old. Some things I have found that help are using a free and clear detergent, no air freshners in the house (I do use Febreeze every once in a while but none of those glade type sprays. Washing all his bedding weekly in hot water. Taking a warm bath nightly or if he will tolerate it a shower is best. The allergist told us to do this to wash the pollens and toxins off of his body, which will keep them out of his bed where he sleeps at night. I also have 2 of the hepa air filters in our house which has helped alot. Vacuum the carpets daily as well, especially if you have any pets. Put an allergy filter in your furnace instead of a regular one, change it every 3 months. We get them at Lowe's and they are not too expensive.
Also if his eyes are that gunky in the morning, the do make prescription eye drops for allergies, while they are not fun to administer they do work.We also have to use a saline rinse for his nasal passages. My son is 4 now and with the help of his allergist and doing these simple things at home we have gotten them under control.
If you need a good reccomendation for an allergist we see Dr Miller at Childrens Mercy Hospital - He is wonderful!
Good luck to you and I hope your little guy feels better

My son also suffered from horrible allergies. He couldn't even keep his milk down because of all the drainage. We took him to the allergist at a really young age and he was given Zyrtec, Singulair and Nasonex. Since he has been on the medicines he is much better. He can drink milk without problems and doesn't have bad eczema anymore. I would recommend taking your son to see an allergist.

I didn't read all of the responses, but I didn't see anyone telling you to leave your windows closed at all times. We go from heater to airconditioner, back to heater etc. and never have our windows open -- it makes a huge difference in allergies -- it sucks in the sense that you no longer ever have the windows open (which I use to love), but it just isn't worth it when it comes to allergies. We also do the other things such as changing the furnace filter and using aire cleaners/purifiers.

My kids are drinking MonaVie and are off of all their asthma and allergy meds. My babysitter has terrible allergies and is drinking MonaVie too and having great results. Not to mention that it is power-packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants and it is all-natural.

If you want more information call me, ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com luck!

I know how you feel. I went thru this with my son and ended
up having to take him to an allergist where he was diagnosed
with allergies and asthma. But there are some things that
helped him a lot. I know that everyone is making a big deal
about OTC cold/allergy meds for kids, but I've always used
them and never had problems. You just have to watch the
dosage. My son also takes Zyrtec. You could try giving him
1/2 tsp. of Claritin in the mornings and you can also try
Benadryl. The dosage for a two-year-old is 1 tsp. of the
childrens Benadryl every 4-6 hours. It will knock him out a
little at first, but it really helps. I would recommend
using the dye-free medicine because they've found that certain
food dyes aggravate allergies and asthma in kids.
There is an eye drop called Patanol for itching, runny eyes
that works great, however you will need to ask your doc about
that as you will need a prescription.
Lastly, the medicine brand Little Remedies just came out with
an allergy gel that you put around your kids nostrils and it
is really supposed to work. I haven't tried it yet, because
my son is on Singulair now and thank God is doing much better.
Hope this helps. I know how frustrating it is when your
little one is suffering and you don't know how to help him.
You may end up having to take him to an allergist anyway, but
the good news is that he will likely grow out of this.
That's what my son's doctor told me.
Good luck!

I did not read the responses since I am in a hurry, but I wanted to let you know what worked for me. I have severe allergies and tried nearly everything including allergy shots, over the counter meds, and prescription drugs like patanol. Finally, my doctor and my optometrist separately solved my problems. This year, I have had virtually NO problems. I take Nasonex and Lotemax/Elestat eye drops. It is best to start two weeks before allergy season erupts. I did this year and it has been a success. I do not know if this will work for your little guy, but I hope so. Good luck! K.

I am not sure if he is old enough.....but try raw honey. I think children under the age of one can not have honey but just check with your pediatrician. I am including a link that talks about it. My son has asthma and is its brought by allergies & colds. There was a study a few years ago that said that pure honey is the best for coughs and that all the over the counter cough meds really dont work. I started buying real honey and have noticed it quiets his cough immediately and you don't have to work about all the chemicals or side effects. Just recently they came out with a study saying that raw honey helps with allergies. The link is below and if you can't open it...just google raw honey & allergies.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/to_honey.html

Hope it helps!!!

C.

Hi A.,

Try taking him to a Chiropractor. I work for Dr. Kris McClusky in Collinsville, IL. I've seen amazing results, especially in children! We have a teen that comes in specifically for her allergies because they are so bad. She has made remarkable progress. If you have any questions you can call our office at ###-###-####. I'm not sure where you are, but we can always refer you to someone in your area!

Good luck, H.

My son is 22 months and has suffered with allergies on and off for the last year or so. We tried Zyrtec but it never helped him at all. We give him a chewable cingulair and it works wonderfully! It also comes in granuals you and sprinkle on applesause or something like that. Anyway... we really think it works great and it's safe for children over 6 mo so I am sure it's okay for your 18 month old. Good luck! :)

we use claritin for children and we give it to them daily and it seems to be doin great

Hi A.,

I have an 18 month old daughter who is also an allergy sufferer. Our doctor told us to try Children's Zyrtec and it has worked wonders. I would recommend you talk to your doctor before trying it since it is for 2 year olds and older, but my daughter met the weight requirements and that is why she can take it. I also have a humidifier in her room when she sleeps, I use Johnson & Johnson's vapor wash in her bath, and I put baby vapor rub on her chest when she goes to sleep. So far this allergy season has been going well with those combinations. Hope this helps.
S.

My little boy and I both have problems with allergies. He has been on zyrtec in the past, but I've found that taking him to the chiropractor with me for adjustments has made a huge difference! We go to Dr. Vince Siraguso in Liberty ###-###-####) if you're interested. He's seen my son since he was just 3 or 4 weeks old - he's also a dad himself and has been trained how to safely treat babies/toddlers and children.

My 16 month old has it too! Poor kid, she's snotty and boogery and has "allergy black eyes" (dar circles under her eyes are a side effect of allergies sometimes) I recently had the doctor put her on Xyzal...its a very new medication but its worked wonderfully. She takes it at night because it can, like most if not all allergy meds, make her drowsy. Also, I figured it wouldn't hurt to buy an air purifier/cleaner and though it $250, it has done WONDERS for our entire home. I dust less, my husband and I sleep better, and not that the house was bad before but the air smells a little better now.
I also am sure to replace the air filter in our furnace more frequently-I check it every few weeks, especially in the summer since we leave the windows open when we can. That has made a tremendous difference, also now that we have the air cleaner, I've had to replace it less often. The filters are a few dollars and its definately worth it. Also, try to keep the humidity down in your house (use exhaust fans when boiling things and showering) as that can lead to mold. I had our carpets cleaned (thank goodness we mainly have hardwood) and I removed the covers to our furniture cushions and washed them. I think Febreze has an allergen reducer spray too.
Hmmm.. what else.... I wash her bedding frequently and basically took away most of her stuffed animals bc where there's fabric, there are allergens. You can buy hypo-allergenic stuffed animals, bedding, etc. (easy to find online) Also, if he'll let you.... try using a netty pot (I think I spelled that right) it looks like a small tea pot that you irrigate the nasal cavaties with. It helps me tremendously! You can find those online, at natural food stores, homeopathic stores, and I think even Walgreens. Hope this helps! Good luck!