PLEASE HELP! Adverse Side Effects of Claritin

My son took Zyrtec for some seasonal allergies a few years back and he started having night frights. We didn't know what was happening until we took him to the doctor. As soon as he started taking the medication, he would wake up, but not be totally awake and come into our room and tell us all about his nightmare or tell us something. He wasn't really awake or asleep, but he was afraid of what he was telling us. It was so scary to see him in that kind of state of mind. As soon as we took him off of Zyrtec, he was back to normal. Well, good luck with the MRI with your son. I hope all is well with him.

There are things you can do to help it leave his system faster, but I would be afraid to advise on that since he has been vomiting. Keep him very hydrated, that will at least help. One tea that I think would be safe and good for electrolytes is raspberry leaf tea. It is very mild and you can mix it with honey or juice.

If it were me I think I would take him to an experienced acupuncturist, especially one who studied in China. Not everyone is into or thinks of that sort of thing but I have found it to be helpful.

Good luck.

L.,
I am very sorry to hear this about your son. This is exactly what I was afraid of when my doctor proscribed Singulair for my son and his allergies. I am always a bit afraid of the side effects of these simple drugs. I took my son to the doctor and did a blood test for allergies. It turns out he is allergic to wheat products. This can be a bit difficult, however, my son's allergies have all but gone away. I would consider asking the doctor about changing your son's diet. It may seem silly at first, but it is truly amazing how diets will effect the immune system in the most obscure ways. I think this could really help you in the long run. You never know it may help you discover other helpful things to know about your son.

My son is very allergic and we give him a natural remedy---quercetin and nettles. Got is at vitamin cottage--works amazing!! My husband also takes it--it got him off of prescriptions. And no side effects :-)

I'm very surprised your dr started w/ claritin. My son has eczema and the dermatologist put him on Zyrtec - and he said it was because zyrtec is the only antihistamine that has been safety tested in kids under 6. My peditricain echoed that when she knew he was on antihimstamines. So, if allergies are still an issue, you might discuss using Zyrtec w/your dr. also, be sure you've gone to the basics....washing sheets weekly in hot water w/detergent that has no dye or perfume, clothes are NOT hung outside to dry (if you want to be ecofriendly, use somewhere in the house), cleaning w/baking soda and vinegar - avoiding cleaners w/perfumes, bath every night to make sure no pollen is on him through the night, etc. Also, even though your personal care products didn't seem to have an effect on him before this allergy season, limit those too - particularly anything w/ a strong scent. No cologne or perfume for mom and dad, etc.

If he is old enough to have honey, try giving him a little raw local honey every day for about a month before allergy season starts. It may help to try it now even if he is already sneezing, although I wouldn't give up if it doesn't work. It is like getting a bit of the "hair of the dog that bit you."

K. Loidolt
Author, Shopper's Guide to Healthy Living

Hi L.!
My oldest son was the same way, we tried several different medications for his allergies, zyrtec is the only one that worked for him. I am NOT saying it will work for your son, but we had very similar balance and vomiting issues with both allegra and claritin, I am sorry to see someone else going through this. We have minimized the risk to any exposure to the stuff outside except this time of year. we have taken all the chemicals out of the house and use more natural products which has helped throughout most of the year, but this time of year is the kicker because he also has asthma so as soon as we have an allergy it is immediately a breathing problem. (did I mention I hate grass now? and trees? but he is much worse in California at grandma's and in new york at great grandmas) and I also will not let him go anywhere that has lysol or Tide as products they use consistantly in the home, he is highly allergic to those (and many others, but these have caused hospitalizations)
This child is almost 9, my other three are 6,4, 8months

My boys just got off Claritin also. We didn't have such awful side-effects but we switched to zyrtec and everything seems a lot better!! My 7yr old was having headaches and nose bleeds and not to mention the allergies didn't go away. Both my 3yr old and my 7yr old had runny noses nonstop with claritin. If you do choose to go with zyrtec though, have him take it before bed...it is amazing compared to claritin. Sorry about the trouble you are having! I hope everything goes well. God bless!

Hi L.
I use to be a horrible sufferer of allergies every spring. I have been allergy free for 4 years because of a organic whole food product that has been around for 24 years. Children love it! If you are interested let me know.
best of luck
J.

My mom has horrible allergies and took Claritin and she used to lose her balance and vomit and it turned out that she had a massive fluid build-up in her eardrum which was causing both symptoms. She was fine after the doctors got rid of the fluid. I hope your son's problem is something simply fixed also!

I've had balance problems with Claritin myself. Only taking half a dose per day has helped me. Once my body got used to it (about 3 months), I went back up to the full dose and did fine. It also helps to take it at night so the dizziness doesn't get in the way of life. Doing a full MRI seems like too much to me. But the comments about fluid in the inner ear make sense. Many 2 year olds need tubes in their ears. Getting his ears checked would be my best advice. It's more of a common problem and the MRI sounds very intimidating to me.

i don't have experience with claratin, but my 2 1/2 yr old uses singulair and hasn't had any adverse reactions. i noticed a change in his behavior within a couple days (sleeping better, less blinking, much fewer complaints about his nose hurting, happier). as far as hydrating, i try to keep the sugar level low for my kids, but when they feel sick and aren't drinking water much, i allow more juice, gatorade, and milk, because they are less likely to turn those down and i believe the benefits of the hydration and vitamins are worth a little more sugar. but i'm no expert! good luck!

It sounds crazy but I am allergic to Anti-hystamines and many other drugs including Benedryl. The best thing you can do is push a lot of fuilds. I find that Accupuncture works too. I have a really good one down on Hampden and I25. It is a drive but she is really good. Let me know if you are interested. Claritin might not be the only drug he reacts to.
Good Luck,
C. B

It sounds like it could be inner ear. I used to vomit and pass out and loose my balance due to inner ear problems. Allergies could affect that. Our son is on Allegra for his allergies after Zyrtec gave him problems. Maybe a change of meds is all he needs. When he's a bit older he'll be able to help you, too. All we ever knew was that our son liked the taste of Zyrtec but it made him "feel funny". Hang in there. Hopefully the roller coaster ride is almost over.

This is not a fun. I am sorry to hear. I think an MRI is a little drastic, if things do not improve. I would put off the MRI for another week.
My son used to vomit at least once a day. He always had swollen tonsils, stuffy nose, and a cough. Our first pediatritions kept perscribing cough syrups. We switched doctors and he perscribed my son with singulair. We love it. He stopped vomiting and his cough went away. If I forget to give him his singulair for a day or to his cough comes back. I love singulair. We are going to take him to a ent and hopefully get rid of the tonsills.
good luck and I feal for you. My son learned to hit a toilet or garbage can at about 2.5 years of age