N.C. asks from Albuquerque, NM on July 13, 2008
Alternative Treatment for Hives
Hello fellow mommies. My 11 month hold daughter has the hives. Her doctor said it's from something she ate, but we are not 100% sure of exactly what caused her to break out. The treatment recommended by her pediatrician is liquid Children's Benedryl. I gave her this for five days, which after the third day I noticed a decrease in the hives. I'm on day number five of drugging her up and she is still not completely rid of the hives. Now he's suggesting I switch her to liquid Zyrtec. Has any other mommy out there had positive results with any other remedies? Her breathing is fine and she is not scratching so I am open to some alternative suggestions. Thank you in advance for your ideas.
So What Happened?™
Thank you so much mommies, you are all so informed and helpful. So far so good, she has not broken out in hives again. I took her off everything and the hives seemed to clear up quickly. I'm not sure if they just had to run their course or if they had just worked themselves out of her system, but they are gone. I gave her lots of water and was just extra patient with her, she wanted to nurse twice as much and twice as long. But it all worked!
Featured Answers
B.C. answers from Phoenix on July 28, 2008
E.D. answers from Tucson on July 15, 2008
If it is an allergic reaction to a food, and she's still eating the food, nothing in the world is going to stop it from coming back. you need to isolate what food is causing it. the best way to do this is an elimination diet, i can email it to you if you'd like. has she also been having loose bowels, spitting up a lot, or having stomach aches or a hard time finishing eating? if so, that completely confirms it's a food. if not, depending on the location of the hives, it could be a different kind of allergic reaction. i would get a second opinion from a different doc, it seems weird they want to treat without finding a cause.
More Answers
N.S. answers from Albuquerque on July 14, 2008
Personally, I'm leary of giving medications to such little kids. If the hives don't itch I would just let them be and not use anything. If they are itchy after you stop using medication Aveno makes an oatmeal bath that is soothing to itchy skin.
R.L. answers from Albuquerque on July 14, 2008
hi, Nicole. I am a naturopathic physician and a new mom. The most common food allergies causing hives are milk, fish, meat, eggs, beans, and nuts (all protein foods). You can do a blood test to check for IgE mediated allergies. Another method is the elimination/challenge diet. Eliminate the above mentioned foods for a week and then reintroduce them one at a time to look for a reaction. Then you will know the cause and can eliminate the problem. Over time, it is possible your daughter's digestive system will mature and can handle the problem food again. Other problematic things are food additives including colorings, flavorings, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers and stabilizers. Just be aware of those things found mostly in processed foods.
Therapeutic nutrients are Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, quercitin, fish oil, betaine HCl, and UV light therapy. The best thing is to get an individualized consult to get the best treatment for your daughter. Homeopathy is very effective, for example. Good luck, and hope this info helps.
R. Lila, ND www.rasaliland.com
G.H. answers from Phoenix on July 15, 2008
Zyrtec worked for us... Until we finally figured out it was the bubble bath!! Good Luck!
J.J. answers from Phoenix on July 14, 2008
if it has taken that much time to get rid of the hives she is porbably still being exposed to whatever made her get them. it is common for patients to be given and antihistamine and the zyrtec has antihistamine too so he is probably telling you to give it to her so that she wont be drugged up but the benadryl works better. if they are not gone soon i would also probably ask about a dose of tapered steriods to help her heal faster. and you need to start eliminating offds she ate. wash all her items that she is in close contact with , with baking soda things such as clothing ad bedding limit her meals to one thing for a day and see what happens, add one thing a day and monitor until you find what is causeing it. also change the filters in your air conditioning, have the carpet sanitized if you have it. go through a fire restoration company that uses all natural products and make sure you get a list of products they use and the ingredients.oatmeal baths also help her not be so miserable. one or tow baths a day will help. take about 2 cups of oatmeal and put it in a cheese cloth bag then into pan of hot water and let it sit for about 30 minutes, then add the whole thing to a warm bath and put her in there to soak for as long as you can. allergies are hard to pinpoint so it is going to take a lot of effort and commitment on your part
K.R. answers from Phoenix on July 15, 2008
Zyrtec works very well and doesn't make my son sleepy the way Benadryl does. If she has hives, you have to figure out what she is allergic to. Try the elimination diet. Have you changed soaps, detergents, etc recently? Exposure to a new pet? If they don't clear up from switching to Zyrtec and trying to eliminate the source you should have her tested. We just recently had our son scratch tested last week, it wasn't that bad. He was most upset about being restrained, the scratches really don't hurt (they did it to my hand to show me) but they itch. Hives can be a precursor to a much more serious reaction (swelling of lips, eyes, tongue, throat and even anaphalaxic shock) so it is important to solve them quickly!
K.H. answers from Phoenix on July 15, 2008
My daughter gets hives and we still don't know why she gets them. She has sensitive skin and it could have been the dryer sheets I used at one point. The Benedryl did not help her. The only thing that helped was a perscription for Hydroxyzine. Unfortunately, it makes her very drowsy, but it works. The hives lasted about 2 weeks and from what I have read on the internet it is normal to have them last 2-3 weeks. If you can, try to keep a journal of what goes in her body (foods, etc.) and what laundry detergent, soap in the bathtub, etc. goes on her body to see if you can locate the culprit!
E.D. answers from Tucson on July 15, 2008
If it is an allergic reaction to a food, and she's still eating the food, nothing in the world is going to stop it from coming back. you need to isolate what food is causing it. the best way to do this is an elimination diet, i can email it to you if you'd like. has she also been having loose bowels, spitting up a lot, or having stomach aches or a hard time finishing eating? if so, that completely confirms it's a food. if not, depending on the location of the hives, it could be a different kind of allergic reaction. i would get a second opinion from a different doc, it seems weird they want to treat without finding a cause.
L.M. answers from Phoenix on July 15, 2008
I had hives once in my life about 10 years ago, and high doses of Vit. C helped. I wouldn't know the proper dosage for a kid though. I took it throughout the day... to the point of just barely making my stools loose. I think I took a gram every few hours, but I'm a big person. Vit. C is water soluble, so if you give her too much it will just be excreted. I think diarrhea is the worst that can happen if you give too much.
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