Child with Chronic Postnasal Drip

Hi S.,
It might be time for you to use another approach. There's a great book entitled Keeping your child Healthy with Chinese Medicine by Bob Flaws.

I'm betting that if you change some damp forming foods, his drip and "allergies" will dry right up! Western allopathic medicine works to treat symptoms but doesn't always consider the cause and the fact that each of us have different constitutions. Chinese medicine which has been around for thousands of years takes more of a preventive approach and is truly superior for chronic issues like this.

Check it out!

What a pain in the neck for you. If the situation really stresses you out, go get his blood drawn for an allergies breakdown check. Then you have somewhere to start. If you aren't satisfied-go see a different allergist. This is America-shop around.
On the other hand, if you don't want to, but want to see if it truely is "environmental", then try to minimize the environmental irritants; ie change pillows and get allergen-free pillowcases, change all furnace filters and have your ducts vacuumed, wash and air out all drapes, try to wash carpets and do as thorough house cleaning as possible, etc. Spring is coming so outdoor allergens are just beginning and there is little to be done about these. Try to keep his environment moist when he is indoors. These are the cheapest (but a bit of work) things to start with to prove/disprove the allergy thing.
But, here's the thing, if he is in a day-care chances are pretty high that he is simply getting any little bug that comes thru. This is normal and means, as annoying as it is, he is developing a good immune system. He'll never be sick later in life! If his nasal passages are smaller that usual, or there is another physiological reason,then he may be dealing with this for life. And also if he is drinking alot, GREAT. His food intake is only vaguely related, unless of coarse an allergist determines it is a food source. The drip contains mucus which could give him diahrea-it does to our family. Try to feed him more often, smaller meals to keep his stomach busy. Foods which keep the mucus from doing it's thing. There are too many to list here-but you can google these up.
The cough is strictly from the irritation of nasal fluids running down his throat as he sleeps. There is where the drinking alot helps him. Keep some low-sugar gum/candy handy for coating his throat. Just treat it as you would a mild sore throat, but not with more medicine.
I hate to give my kids medicine, esp with all the scares out there now. But here is how I handle that; I remember that when I was a kid, this stuff never bothered me like it does now that I am older and know what decongestants can do for me. I have less patience with cold sypmtoms now because I know I have to get up and function. Don't you remember just going to sleep with a stuffy nose and it only mildly bothered you? It just seemed like another event in your young life. But kids don't seem to care if they are a little snuffly. Unless there is a danger of choking in their sleep, I don't give my 2 kids anything. They snore and gurgle, but still get a good, long, night's sleep. I also get humidifyers going near their rooms and try to bathe them before hand to get the stuff flowing and clear. Now that she can talk and make decisions, I simply ask my daughter (3 and a half) if she wants some medicine before bed to help her sleep. She weights the "icky" taste vs how bad she feels and inevitably declines the meds. This then gives ME a good nights sleep knowing she knows she's not in misery and isn't afraid of feeling sick during the night.
Hope this helps
M. P

Have you had you house checked for mold? Children are especially susceptible to mold. It can make them very sick.

Hi S.,
Just another idea to explore... My daughter had all the same symptoms you mentioned. Mostly, she had chronic ear infections. She did however, test positive for a number of food allergies.
When I took her off of milk and soy - she improved dramatically.
Just worth a try. Go off dairy completely for 2 weeks - I bet you'll see some improvement.
-H.

I went through a similar experience years ago with my son and am very sorry at that time I didn't persue eliminating foods to check for allergies. I think if you do that you'll find your son does have food problems even though they don't show on tests. My son as an adult still has lasting effects from this and it doesn't have to be that way. You can email me @ ____@____.com I'm sure I can help.
C.

how about going dairy free? my nutritionist swears that dairy is awful for anyone. i tried it and stopped getting heachaches after several months. can't hurt if you try for six weeks. they can get the same calcium from rice milk and or soy milk. rice milk constipates so be careful and give pears and apples to balance out. good luck

Hi S.,
Your son may be reacting to toxins in his baby shampoo, his talc, and your cleaning products, especially bleach. Try removing these out of his environment and replacing them with safer products to see if that helps. You are welcome to contact me for more ideas: www.LiveTotalWellness.com/L.

It is correctable.
L.

My son had the same issues. He is 4 and a half now and pretty much ok. He is off his allergy meds (he was on Claritn and Singulair). The only changes we made were getting an air purifier, switching to non-toxic cleaning products (which we now sell) and changing his diet to include more protein and less sugar. OH, and he goes to a chiropractor too. The first visit she saw him she checked in out and knew right away that he had allergies and breathing trouble. She knew based on feeling his spine and checking him out. She said that his spine was pressing on the nerves that control the lungs and allergies. Pretty amazing.
I'm sure you got a lot of info about the non-toxic cleaners out there but if you are interested in a free sample, feel free to ask me.

Hi S. -

My daughter had the same problems when she was younger. Running and playing was very difficult on her breathing and coughing and gaging at night. We started the whole gambit of tests when she was 2. After 6 months, we stopped, I couldnt have them continually poke her w/ needles trying to figure out something they couldnt. The last thing they told us was post nasal drip. We used Zyrtec for a while at night and that worked (now its over the counter). The biggest thing we did was go green. We switched our house to natural cleaners and products. What a change!!

I believe all the chemicals and toxins in the products were the culprit. I agree with the doctors! All the pollutants and chemicals in our environment can do some strange things to you.

Since we went green, my daughter has not had any breathing treatments or used Zyrtec in over 6 years. When she goes away to camp, I send the Zyrtec because of sleeping in damp cabins and they clean a lot obviously to sanitize the buildings, but at home we are clear.

If it starts to act up with coughing at night, put pillows under the upper body so they are not laying flat. I started with one at mid-back and then under the head so the angle was more sloping. When she was smaller, we had a pillow under the mattress between the boxsprings and mattress. This gave the slight angle to help keep her from being flat and stopped the dripping down her throat.

If your interested in getting more information on how to "go green" send me an email (____@____.com). I purchase them at a wholesale club online and save money, on top of getting a better product without all those harsh chemicals.

Sounds similar to our experiences with my daughter who is now almost 10. We finally figured out that her adnoids needed to come out after every other test was negative, and it made a huge difference for her. She also takes singulair and recently was given children's zyrtec which also helps. I don't know if you've tried either of those due to age. Nothing's cleared her 100%, but those have certainly helped a lot.

Have you tried any diet changes? I had a lot of problems with bronchitis, colds, even asthma as a child, and all were completely solved when my doctors took me off all sugars, corn syrup, white flour, white rice, etc, and restricted my fruits to one piece a day. I was very hypoglycemic, so when I ate sugar (or simple starches like processed flour), my body made too much insulin, and my sugar levels plummeted to way below normal. As a result, I had virtually no resisitance to infection. Normalizing my sugar levels solved all my problems. Think about what your son is eating. Cereal? Crackers? Fruit or fruit snacks? White pasta? Sugary treats? Go for protein, vegetables, nuts, low-glycemic fruit like berries. Adding probiotics like plain whole-milk yogurt (mixed with fruit) can also really boost your son's immune system. Try it for two weeks and see if it can make a difference for your son (it's a really good diet for moms and dads, too!). Good luck!

i have had bad allergies since my twenties and now i am almost 48. you will notice that it is probably worse some weeks and not others. it is probably seasonal as well. try to avoid milk products as they produce mucus and will make the drip worse. vacuum any rugs everyday to get rid of anything that gets caught on the bottom of shoes and brought into the house. dust when you can because dust is a terrible irritant(sp) to allergies. the cat is an issue because while the dander may not be the cause it could be the hair. if you live in jersey it is an issue as we have a terrible state wide problem with allergies.

try a few basic rememedies(sp) before going to meds. cover mattresses and pillows, no feather pillows or blankets, or wool for that matter. wash jackets or sweaters that are put on for outside play regularly as they can get pollen residue on them. in the spring, make sure air conditioner filters are washed or replaced. hope this helps, and be glad it is not asthma. sue

My daughter always had problems like that with sinus problems, post nasal drip etc. since she was young. We were to an allergist as well. I started shopping from a company that has products that do not use harsh chemicals or preservatives. I have to say that she has not had an episode since I switched over! The great thing about the products is that they are not any more expensive than grocery store brands! In fact they save me money!

If your interested, I'd love to share the information with you!

S.,

Sorry for the delay, I just read the request. I am not sure if things are getting better for your son, but I truly think you need to see a Naturopath. There is a reason why your son is having so much fluid - it's his body reacting to a food sensitivty. Maybe it's not ''allergies'' but it really sounds like there are some food(s) that are causing the fluid build up.

Usually it's dairy products, but it could be corn, yeast, wheat, soy.......... Please, don't go to an allergist, go to a naturopath. She will do a sensitivity test and see what foods are triggering your poor son's symptoms.

~J.

Hi S., I would stop the dairy and see a holistic doctor. I am a holistic health counselor and have seen amazing results from avoiding certain foods. It sounds like you child has a dairy allergy.

Hello, my name is C. and i have a 3 year old daughter that use to get chronic ear infections and was on antibiotics for about 9 months in a row. I decided to go the natural route and it has a been a true success. They wanted to put tubes but I took her to a ENT who practices alternative medicine in manhattan. He put her on a bunch of safe immune building supplements and gave her a few craniosteopathy treatments. She has only had two over the past year and I did not treat them with prescription medicine. She got over them quickly. The supplements are called artic cod liver oil (flavored), host defense liquid by New CHapter, she takes a multi vitamin and calcium because I limited her dairy significantly ( to mucus building in ears and sinuses). I put garlic mullen oil drops in her ears if she is beginning with an infection. Really try to stay away from RX meds because it is not solving the underlying problem. SHe now goes to see a chiropractor that helps the body heal itself significantly. She had the beginnings of an ear infection and the doctor wanted to put her on nasonex and I chose not to. At the time she just started with chiropractor and that allowed her to get over it by herself along with the supplements. I also took her to an allergist and nothing came up as well. I hope all of this helps lead you to a natural regime for your child. If you need more info contact me
good luck!

My daughter is 18 months and has had chronic congestion, croup 3 times, 4 ear infections this year UNTIL just a few weeks ago.

I removed all dairy and I have had a Pediatric Chiropractor working on her to get fluid moving. It's been an amazing experience. I was very hesitant at first when someone recommeded a pediatric chiropractor. I went with one highly recommeded through people I trust and knew well.

My daughter for the first time in a long time is happy, laughing, screaming from laughter, and talking more.

It may not be for everyone but I would look into it.

Hi S.,

The situation that causes me concern is the coughing after running. I went through a lot with my daughter (now 8) - she started coughing after sleigh riding - and had croup problems etc. She has tested positive for allergies and she has something called cough variant asthma - with her 'triggers' being exertion and the cold. Many people think that asthma just exhibits itself with a wheeze - but so not true. That coughing is also a sign that she is starting or is actually having difficulty breathing.
If you are in New york --Long Island/Queens - I have a great allergy/asthma center to recommend to you.
I wish you and your little one well.
C.

try taking him to a pediatric pulmonologist. sounds like asthma to me.

There is a wonderful, all-natural product that I recommend to patients (children and adults) in my dental practice for allergies and sinus problems, called Xlear. The nasal spray is fantastic for clearing the nasal passages and sinuses. There are no side effects, the ingredients are natural, and you do not need a prescription. You can find it at health food stores, or go to xlear.com for more information. Good luck!

Hi S.. Have you ever taken him to the ENT? Has anyone suggested that it may be refulx? Very often, if a person has acid reflux, the acid from the stomach can come up through the esophagus into the mouth and sinuses. The only way the sinuses can protect themselves is to produce excessive mucous, thus the post nasal drip. I, personally, suffered from this for a year and a half and didn't know what was going on. I had no stomach or throat pain at all. It was eventually totally healed with meds (nexium) and now I am fine with no medication at all. It wasn't until the ENT though!

have you thought about maybe your child is allergic to something that he is eating? maybe milk, glutein? the post nasal drip may be a symptom of something else... what did the allergist test him for?
just some thoughts
J.

My son suffered from "hidden" allergies since birth. Since going to a chiropractor, he's much better and no medications are needed. Just an option

Hi S.:

I wasn't able to read through all of the responses so I am not sure if someone already said this. Get rid of all or most stuffed animals in your child's room. My neice had the same problem and that is one of the things her doctor had my brother do. Everything else was already mentioned.

Hope this helps!!

Hi,

I would definitely remove all dairy from your son's diet for a month, and then see if his condition clears up. I have seen countless similar conditions clear up when dairy is removed from the diet. Dairy is notorious for causing chronic ear/sinus infections, colds, and mucus build-up. If you're concerned about his calcium intake, try calcium fortified juices and milk/yogurt substitutes.

I hope this helps!!