A.S. asks from Hockessin, DE on April 08, 2009
Seeking Other Moms' Experience Giving Zyrtec to a Child
Hi, my daughter is 1 and has been experiencing alot of congestion and a post nasal drip/constant cough for about 3 weeks now. It almost seemed like it was getting better but then started to come back. We went to the doctor and she said it is most likely seasonal allergies and that I could give her 1/2 tsp. of Zyrtec. I was wondering what other's have experienced with the Zyrtec. Has it helped? Are there any other suggestions? I have tried the steamy showers, a vaporizer with some liquid vicks in it, elevated her mattress, and Benedryl (with little help). It's just getting frustrating because the constant cough is very disrupting to her especially at night. She is a great sleeper and desparately tries to go back to sleep but then gets so frustrated she starts crying. I hope the Zyrtec will give some relief.
So What Happened?™
Well, this was the first time I had posted a question on here and was so pleased with the kind responses I received. I am happy to report that after the 1st night of using the Zyrtec I notice a huge improvement and after about 48 hours the cough was totally gone. I couldn't believe it. I am going to use it for a few more days and then stop. I guess I will keep an eye out for the signs of the allergies returning but I didn't want to continuously give something if I didn't have to . I also stopped the vaporizer thanks to one post and noticed that that helped as well. I think it was making the air too humid. I am also going to look into alternative things as well. Thank you all for your responses. It made me feel much better about giving it to her.
Featured Answers
J.G. answers from York on April 09, 2009
My 31/2 old son uses it, the bubble gum flavored kind. He likes it and it stopped his constantly runny nose. I haven't noticed any side effects.
More Answers
M.R. answers from Philadelphia on April 08, 2009
When my boys were little, they experienced similar symptoms. I used a saline spray up their nose, and the "sucked " the excess snot out. It seemed to help all of that post nasal dripping which caused the coughing. I don't recommend using the saline more than 2x's per day.
I never used the Zyrtec, but I don't think it would harm your daughter.
Good luck.
T.Z. answers from Philadelphia on April 08, 2009
My daughter who is now 6 used Zyrtec for a while. It worked for her. She ended up needing to take singular along with the Zyrtec. My daughter has indoor and outdoor allergies all year around. Zyrtec should help your child. Good luck
T.
J.G. answers from York on April 09, 2009
My 31/2 old son uses it, the bubble gum flavored kind. He likes it and it stopped his constantly runny nose. I haven't noticed any side effects.
H.L. answers from Pittsburgh on April 09, 2009
Hi A., If you are open to alternative therapies, chakra alignment is supposed to eliminate alergies altogether. My son is 9 and we have a kids book with chakra excersizes that he enjoys lots of benifits from . With a small child you would be doing it differently. If you can't find anything about it for baby's on the web, I suggest You focus healing love toward the areas in her chakra system anytime you can think of it. You should see a significant change soon with a lot of intentional focusing.
S.K. answers from Pittsburgh on April 09, 2009
Hi A. -
My son has been on Zyrtec since he was 1 & is now 4.5. It works great for him & he has had no problems with allergies. I would also get your daughter checked by an allergist for asthma, which could be causing her cough. My son was diagnosed with slight asthma & has been taking Singulair since about the same time. He has never had any problems with his asthma since then.
S.
F.H. answers from Sharon on April 09, 2009
I had childhood asthma with allergies and it really is a pain. I didnt have a very good doctor and so he said I was too young to be treated more vigorously for either. I had to just live with them. As I got older I just used the antihistamine stuff that made you drowsy and it was terrible but in England that's all I could get apart from this nasal spray the doctor gave me for allergies.
Now I take Clarityn whenever I need it and it is wonderful. My son who is 9 gets allergies if we go somewhere with animal hair or if we clean something off that has a lot of dust on. It works for him too. Zyrtec is similar in some ways to Clarityn and is soo much better than Benydrl. If this truly is allergies you will see a huge improvement. My friends children where on it and they were so much better.
L.S. answers from Lancaster on April 09, 2009
Eventually zyrtec stopped working for my son, and he still developed other allergies and they just addd more meds. He's been off of all meds, and no more allergies with NAET treatments, and elimination of scented household products - especially laundry products (they inhale those chemicals all night long from bedding, pj's etc.). Also we eliminated scented candles/air fresheners.
N.W. answers from Harrisburg on April 08, 2009
My daughter is 2-1/2 and I have been giving it to her since she was about 6 months old. It really does seem to help her allergies. We cut the dose back when the outdoor allergies are not at their peak and give her a little extra when colds strike - we've been very pleased.
We also saline her nose regularly, in the morning and in the evenings, just to get the daily debris out - my mom's doctor had suggested this to my mom for her allergies and it also has seemed to aid my daughter over the years.
I have read a few studies about the Zyrtec possibly being related to things like ADD, ADHD, and behavior issues... so you'll have to make your own decisions on that topic, just be aware and read.
Best of luck!!!
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