Early Allergies

Allergy test are really accurate until about 4 to 5 years old. Some doctors do it as early as 3, but most I've had my son to see prefer to hold off. There is a general blood test they can do, to see if there is anything that she is significantly allergic to, but even that was pretty vague results for us. My son has been fighting allergy and respiratory problems ever since he got bronciolitis. This year we made it all the way through until March before things started up (which is awesome b/c previous years it was Oct. thur May!!!) He has had his adnoids out and tubs in his years. That surgery was in Feb. of '05. It was wonderful. But I have yet to find a medication that stops his congestion. And once he gets congested he still ends up with a sinus infection or ear infection. We currently have him on Claritin every single night year round. Good luck and bes wishes. I hope your road is not as hard as ours has been but I wanted to let you know your not the only one out there that has a nose that doesn't stop running!

Hi A.,
I'm responding because I so much dislike for babies to be subjected to prescriptions. Allergies can be a sign of a weak immune system. If you would get her immune system strengthened, there's a good chance her allergy issues would go away.
S.

If this continues take her to another doctor. My adult cousin was also having continues clear fluids draining from her nose. Her doctor was treating her for a common cold but she had no other symptoms. She is a nurse and a differnt doctor that she works with ask about her condition. She told him everything and he ended up sending a sample of the fluid off to be tested. It turned out to be caused by a tear in the membrane around her brain. She had to have surgery and recovered fine with no side effects. The surgeon told her it was probably from a previous injury that had caused the lining to have a weak spot that eventually had ruptured. I don't have much other details but I do know she had a continues runny nose with clear fluid and no other symptoms.

my daughter was a month or two older than yours and had the testing done. We had the same problem with the zyrtec last summer and after the testing found she was an allergic child and now she is on zyrtec in the afternoon and singular every night. She is amazingly better! we used to be at the dr.s 2x a month, now she hasn't had to go since the appointment with the allergist! Dr. Kishore at children's is fantastic!

hello. my son has had allergies it seems from birth. he was on zyrtec for a long time until our insurance didn't cover it anymore. if his medication doesn't seem to work talk to his pediatrician. if you don't get the answers you want from him ask him to send you to an allergist. my son sees dr. kishore at akron children's and we love him. sometimes as with all conditions it is trial and error with the medication. as for the allergy testing. it cannot be done until they are 5 and sometimes the allergies won't show up until 8. my son had it done last summer and nothing showed up so we will have to do it again this summer. he took the testing surprisingly well. it is not as horrible as when i had it done when i was a child. have faith and keep going until you find a med that works. good luck, jocey

A.,

My little girl (turned 3 in March) was hospitalized a few times last summer for breathing troubles. One of the medications she was given was Zertek, she has been taking it for almost a year now. In the beginning of Dec the doctor scheduled an allergy test for her - so on Thanksgiving we stopped giving her the Zertek (they have to be off of Zertek for 10 day before the test). Before we were able to give her the test she had a runny nose, watery eyes and troubles breathing again. We had to start her on Albutrol every 3 hours to keep her blood O2 levels up and start her on steroids again. The doctor did do a blood allergy test instead of the skin test. He said they prefer the skin test because the results are more conclusive, but with he already having allergy reactions the skin test would put her back in the hospital (which there is always a chance of happening with a skin test). Her blood test cam back that she is allergic to grass pollens and tree pollens, but borderline on about 15 other thing. You are able to give a little one the test, but the results will change till they are about 5-7 yrs… as they grow the allergies can became more apparent and strong. If I was to take my little girl back for another test in December… some of her 15 borderline allergies would most likely have become actual allergies.

Most doctors say that kids can be tested from age 2 yr and up, but keep in mind that the results may not be truly accurate.

As for the Zertek, the doctor had to increase her dosage one time (from the hospitals dose of ½ tsp to ¾ - 1 tsp one time a day) in the last year. And after her 10 days off Zertek it took almost a month to get her allergies and breathing back under control. Zertek doesn’t seem to work with in a few days… if it takes a min of 10 days to get out of their system, it will take a min of 10 days to start showing results and maybe longer to get the job done.

I hope this helps a little! Take care and good luck!
J.

Hi A.,
I have 3 kids and all 3 have terrible allergies. I ,as a child, also suffered from allergies. Since I have gotten older they are much less severe. With that being said, my Ped says its likely that most children grow out of allergies to some degree. I just give mine Benedryl Allergy. Its over the counter, it really helps them, and it comes in liquid or the chewable tablets, which my kids prefer. YOu can also cut the tablets in half so they only get a small amount, enough to give them some relief without making them loopy.
Its worth a shot!
Good luck!

Hi A.,
My son is 14months old and his doctors did an allergy test on his 1 year appointment cause he has severe eczema and nothing seemed to be helping.They took blood out of his arm cause hes too little to lay still on his stomach for the back test.It takes longer to get the results back when they test the blood.I'm still waiting on the food and dust mite results but we did find out that he is allergic to cats and dogs his doctor said he wasn't allergic enough to need meds just keep him away from animals.His doctor said they rate allergies on a scale of 0-6 0 being nothing,6 being severe my son was at a 2 for both cats and dogs.If i were you i would get her an allergy test so you know what is causing it and hopefully eliminate the problem rather than masking it with medication!Oh and my son did scream when they did it but forgot soon after and still likes going to his doctor so i don't think it traumatized him lol! Hope your little girl starts feeling better soon. good luck!

Hi A.,

I have heard that it is hard to determine allergies at this age. My son is 18 months old and also has a runny nose and congested cough that comes and goes every couple of days. Sometimes the mucus is clear, sometimes green. The doctor just put him on Zyrtec and like you I don't see much of a difference. His coughing has decreased but when he does cough it is congested sounding. He still has a runny nose and the dark circles under his eyes. The doctor basically said it would be better for him to try it and see if it helps then test him at this time. He is also pushing through his last 8 teeth (4 eye teeth and 4 molars) all at the same time, so I think it could all be caused by that. I'm hoping it clears up once we are through with these teeth.

On a side note, We had a daughter 3 months ago so our kids are really close together. This is it for us and I'm glad we did them this close. My son is fine when he sees that I have to feed our daughter. He sits on the floor at my feet most times and reads a book or plays with a toy. He is in that stage where he is very clingy so it is amazing that he settles down at this time. When I'm done I usually sit on the floor and hold my daughter while playing with him. It really isn't that hard. Maybe I'm being naive but I think it will get easier each month as my daughter gets older.

MY DAUGHTER IS FOUR, AND LIKE HER MOTHER AND OLDER SISTER, SHE ALSO SUFFERS FROM ALLERGIES. AS A FAMILY WE SUFFER MORE IN THE WINTER MONTHS. OUR DR. ASSUMES ITS FROM BEING COOPED UP IN THE HOUSE FOR THOSE MONTHS WITH PETS, MOLD, DUST, ETC. SHE AND I BOTH USE NASONEX (NOSE SPRAY) ANNUALLY. HOWEVER, IN THE WINTER MONTHS, SHE USES AN ADDITIONAL ALLERGY MEDICINE TO HELP DRY HER UP. BECAUSE LIKE YOUR DAUGHTER, SHE HAS THE CONSTANT CLEAR MUCAS AS WELL. ITS IMPERITIVE THAT WE USE THE SECOND DRUG TO DRY HER NOSE UP OR THAT MUCAS RUNS INTO HER EARS AT NIGHT AND CAUSES EAR INFECTIONS. THEN YOU'VE GOT BIG TROUBLE! SO, TALK TO HER PEDIATRICIAN ABOUT OTHER MEDICATIONS SHE CAN TAKE WHILE HER ALLERGIES ARE AT THEIR WORST. LOVE AND BLESSINGS, H. B.

Two of my four kids have allergies both take singulair which seems to work wonders they had their allergy testing done at about 12 months of age. We see Dr. Dawn Zacharias she is amazing and has several local offices.

My family has a long history of auto-immune disorders with allergies being the frontrunner. My youngest sister (now 26) was tested for her allergies at 18 months because they were so severe. She has been taking allergy shots for most of her life and that seems to be the only thing that really keeps them under control. Believe me, we all know when she has missed one or needs one because her whole demeaner changes. Even as a toddler, her personality was affected by her allergies. In her opinion, the zyrtecs and claritons of the world only mask the problems and while they clear her head she really doesn't feel any better. She and I were tested at the same time when she was around 3 or 4. I had my arm done (PCN allergy) and she had her whole back done. While it looked horrible, she took it very well. As for me I don't recall it being all that painful.
I was recently poo-pooed by my ped over my son. He said give him Clariton. It is sad and unfortunate for patients but, docs are too influenced by drug companies and their kick backs. My Mom was able to find a doc out there over 20 yrs ago that would listen to her concerns and do testing on a baby when it was NEVER done before age three. I'm sure you could find one a lot easier today that would be willing to do the same. If you want to get away from the drug store, there are plenty of resources on the web. Just search folk medicine or natural home remedies. A simple cup of apple cider vinegar in my daughter's bath water has done more to ease her eczema in the last week than 3 months of prescribed creams.
You are on the right track with the testing. Eliminating the allergens will go very far in helping your child. Best wishes to you and your little one.

Hi,
I have a lot of allergies myself and I did the alcat test....
www.alcat.com I am not sure about the test for a 23 year old but it is worth checking out! Take care

My son has had food and environmental allergies since he was about one (now almost 3). We now only have to go once a year to the allergist. Allergy testing is not so bad but you might want to take your child to an ear, nose and throat Dr. It could be something other than allergies such as her adenoids/tonsils.
If you decide to do allergy testing bring toys or other things to keep your little girl occupied. Good luck
N.