2 Year Old with Allergies Waking up Coughing

Honey is GREAT for coughs. Drs. are recommending it more now because of wanting to limit cold med. usage. You could look up dosage online, I think it's like half a teaspoon of honey at bedtime - stops coughs all night for lots of kids, inexpensive, and no dangerous drugs!
M.

Oh poor baby boy. My son has allergies but when he gets a cold he wakes up all night coughing so much till he throws up. We have been giving him like a teaspoon of honey and that helps. Or we also sit him in the bathroom in the hot steamy shower and it helps too. Good luck, I hope he feels better.

Have you taken him to see an allergist? I would suggest going to see a specialist and they may prescribe him something. My daughter has asthma and sesonal allergies and she was put on Singulair for this exact reason. She was diagnosed at about 2 1/2 years (she is now almost 8) and just recently went on the singulair. Since starting it she has only woken up a couple of times rather than the nightly routine that she was doing.

Hi D.,
I would be concerned with that amount of medicine in a 2 yr old. Prescription meds are are way over prescribed. My son ( we call him the mucus man) has severe coughing from mucus drainage. He had some episodes so severe that even broke blood vessels in his eyes! We tried all the drugs both prescription and otc, from allergy, decongestants, antihistamines, cough suppressants, and asthma- and nothing really brought the releif he needed and I had to sit him up with many pillows at night. What I ended up doing for the past 7 yrs that gets him through the night without coughing fits is this: air purifier, humidifier, and sprinkles of Olbas oil all around him. I get it at Vitamin Shoppes and health food stores. Vicks wasn't strong enough but it is also worth a try.

I know the vicks on the feet seems a bit strange to me, BUT, I have been putting it on my own feet for about 2 months (desperate attempt to get rid of fungus...) and I haven't gotten sick at all, yet 4 of my family members have all been sick, coughing and hacking around me. After reading the other post about rubbing it on the feet, I have to start thinking there may be something very special about camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus! Anyway, it can't hurt and is drug free. Please read up on the possible side effects of the drugs. Recently they put my son on Singulair, then we found out it is linked with suicidal tendancies--no thanks!
Good luck, I know how exhausting all that coughing can be.
-L.

Poor you! Being two and not feeling so well can be such a drag for both of you! The only thing that I have found helpful for my four year old's chronic coughing with post nasal drip at night is Sudafed (the old fashioned kind for kids) and a humidifier.... but your child is so young I am not sure what his pediatrician would say about Sudafed. It can make some kids hyper, but it's still the best decongestant I know of and I think you can take it with Claritin (but check with the doctor first). Good-luck..... things will get better.

I would recommend trying something all natural. My son and I supplment with OPC-3 antioxidants. I have been able to eliminate any allergies in him and his father. I have been using OPC for 6 years and haven't gotten sick even one time- and I used to be sick constantly. It is amazing how all natural extracts from plants and grapes from the earth can help, and its so much safer than using medication or constant things like Benedryl. You can read more about it, see the science behind it, why its unique, and watch a video about it online. Here is a link: https://www.marketamerica.com/aay/index.cfm?action=shoppi... Use the tabs to read about it, or the "view product demo" to watch the video.

It has changed my life and heath, I'd love to see other be helped by this too!!
Good Luck!

Hello, I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter who has severe food allergies as well as seasonal allergies. She had that night coughing too and it turned out to be ashtma. Asthma is very hard to diagnose in the beginning b/c they need alot of data to confirm it. But I did bring her to the Doctors and they thought it was a post nasal drip too. I don't want to alarm you but I thought you might want to consider it.

Hi D.,

Has he been tested to know what he is allergic too. Or it could be as simple as changing out some of you household cleaning and maybe even some of your personal care products. Personally I have always tried to keep pharmaceuticals away from my kids because at some point you build an immunity to them and they will not work and also, every time you see those advertised on television, there is also a warning about probable side effects.

I would suggest going green. There are many green products out there now, some are actually safer, some have had a green sprig added, but not necessarily safer. Our company has been GREEN for 23 years and most folk find after a few days to a couple weeks of using our detergents, cleaning and personal care products, their allergies, asthma are lessen or non-existent. So I would suggest converting your household to safer green products. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a private email.

Hi D.,

Have you considered getting a humidifier in his room? It will not eliminate the post nasal drip, but it will loosen it so that it doesn't clog up his passages and make him cough so much. That is, in part, what we use. Our 4 year old has bad spring allergies, so we use the humidifier and then add Benadryl when they are at their worst. However, she is such a sound sleeper that she is somehow able to sleep through the coughing once the meds wear off.

Hi D.

My son also has bad seasonal allergies. He is 8 now however they were very bad when he was younger also. So your son might get better as he grows. A couple of things we did was, he had a cough that would not stop and when he ran it was worse so my doctor gave me an enhaler to help. He also had a cold and has indoor allergies. I found what works the best was Damatapp 24 hour allergy. However most of the stores around here no longer have it. At Stop and Shop they have a Careone 24 hour allergy relief. It works just as good as the Damatapp. We use the melt it also comes in a liquid. I would say to try this.

How about trying the claritin D?

poor little guy! my 2yr old and I had the same issue and although he does respond to the benadryl--I had to take something else--maybe you could ask the doctor for a tylenol-infused cough/decon. syrup? I cannot remember the name or if they would give it to the little ones but it is the only thing that worked for the post nasal drip problem-and helped with sleeping tremendously and we only needed it for a few nights and then it subsided.
hope this helps.

Has he been tested for allery-induced asthma? That could change the treatment. Claritin plus Benadryl is a lot for a 2yo, especially when it's not even completely solving the problem. See if your doctor can refer you to an allergist (make sure it's someone who works with young children).

Is it possible that there is something in the laundry detergent that is bothering him? Sometimes kids with environmental allergies also have allergies to cleansers. You might try some of the alternative detergents.

My son is turning 3 next month and he went through the same thing. Coughing and waking right around the time the meds would wear off, I as well tried every over the counter drug and felt that I had him on to many meds. I brought him to the allergist and they put him on Singulair and he is so much better. It is a once a day dose and he really is better. It might be something to ask your pedi about. Hope you can find a solution, I know exactly how you are feeling! Good luck!

I think he needs to be on something full time -- Allegra which is a script is 2x a day and it does help but he would have to take it during peak times. My son is 2 1/2 and struggles so much with it but I feel after too long on the Claritin it just doesn't work.

P.S. Keep his windows closed, and get that A/C ready -- tree season is almost over.

Hi D.,

I would consider trying homeopathic medicine and flower essences. And if your pediatrician says it's ok, try LOCAL honey. I have no idea where you live, but this is a common homeopathic treatment for allergies. My dad had a massive ragweed allergy and he got so sick of it, he went out, picked a huge bouquet of ragweed and sniffed it in for five minutes. Never had that allergy again. I don't recommend it, but it demonstrates the hair-of-the-dog principle pretty effectively. Seek out a good herbalist who is very familiar with flower essences and homeopathy and give it a whirl.
Best of luck,
S.

I assumed my 3 year old just had a recurring cold this past fall. He would be stuffy during the day and then as soon as we laid down to sleep the coughing would start and then escalate to a fit and then vomiting. We eventually diagnosed him with a sinus infection (not severe - just persistent). We did do antibiotics for that. As a result of the constant post nasal dripping his airway was chronically irritated and he was then diagnosed with cold induced asthma. We did a five day course of oral steroids and then did the steroid inhaler for a month. After the first day of oral steroids the cough was literally gone. After the entire treatment he has had subsequent colds with a stuffy nose but have not had the cough with it. So perhaps he has seasonal allergies but the non stop coughing sounds slightly asthmatic. We do not have any family history of asthma and we have a newer house and I wash his sheets and keep his room as dust free as possible. So - I would say we do not have a chronic asthma problem but we have run into the runny nose causing athma symptoms and asthma remedies have cured the problem. Good Luck!

I agree that is way too much medicine especially if you are using it every day! I would suggest trying something homeopathic (check w/ a local health food store, they will know what is best and safest for your 2 yr old). I also agree with trying honey at bedtime (safe for children over 1 yr of age).
Good luck and if that doesn't work I would suggest calling a homeopathic type Ph.d. like Dr. Mark Mincolla from Cohasset, MA
try his website: www.maxhealing.com

Hi, just a little about us. My daughter who was two at thwe time, was exactly like your son , I too wasn't keen on medications all the time. Claritin works for me but we finally had enough when she woke up every night from 12 - 2 coughing so hard she couldn't stop. Singulair was the only thing that helped her, it took about a week to work fully, but it worked. Finally at age seven we have weened her off, and now she occasionally takes a Benedryl on a bad day.

Hi D.,

Take Joshua to a chiropractor. The adjustments will get rid of his allergies and he won't need any more medication. The adjustment will strengthen his immune system and allergies are just a sign of a weak, or in Joshua's case, developing immune system. You are right to feel the medication is too much. That much medication could be really dangerous. Just call chiropractors in your area to find someone who treats kids.

Good Luck,
Allie

Hi,
Both of my daughters have seasonal allergies. My 8 year old is far more extreme than my 4 year olds. I treat my 4 year old as needed with zyrtec instead of daily where hers is mild. On the other hand my 8 year old is on a high dose of allegra. In the past she has been on two allergy meds at the same time The allergist and I decided to increase the allegra so that she would be on just one med. A bit safer in my opinion.

I definatly recommend seeing an allergist. But until you get an apppoinment..... If the Claritan is a liquid try splitting the dose in half and give it every 12 hours. It has worked in the past for us. Also at bedtime try propping the pillow with a small pillow under it allowing post nasal drip to pass. That way there is less coughing. Vicks and a humidifier on high pollen count days. Good luck. Also keep the windows closed. I know that stinks but it keeps the pollen out. I try to keep my daughters' rooms as pollen free as I can so that they can sleep better.

vicks vapor rub. Rub it on his feet, and put socks on. Believe it or not IT WORKS, he will be able to breath thru the night and wont cough. works wonders for colds, ive done it myself for my son so i know

There is a wonderful company that makes a children's nutritional product that all but eliminates allergies for many - there are adult products too. Your child would get optimum nutrition, have much less illness, and get rid of that drip! Patented, approved by the FDA with top quality ingredients, formulated by the guy that developed ProSoBee and Enfamil formulas, but he's been with this other company for 20 years. And you are right, zyrtec and claritin don't work, or don't work well enough. Benadryl just adds exhaution to the mix even if it clears symptoms temporarily. These meds are treating the symptom and not the cause. A lot of us have had such great results that we actually can sell the products to others, getting them at a discount and generating a nice side business in our spare time, putting as much or as little into it as we want. I'd love to talk to you about it and we can go through the website together - there's a lot of info so it's easiest if someone helps you navigate it and answer your specific questions. I found out about it from the Health and Phys Ed director at our school system, and from another person who was the tennis director at a major tennis club for 15 years. I've since talked to others - moms (including one good friend with severe allergies for herself and her little boy), teachers, biochemists, nurses, health educators, and many others. I can't say enough about what it's done for my family including my son. Let me know if you are interested.

I friend of mine's 20mo was recently prescribed the same thing by an allergist so I do not think that it will be too much medicine for him.

My daughter takes claritin once each day which works, but I also know that she is allergic to pollen so I avoid taking her outside too much. When she is outside too much she then spends the night up coughing. My guess is that your son is still being exposed to what he is allergic to so the claritin is not working as well as it should. I would request to see a pediatric allergist. I don't know one in your area. They can do some basic allergy testing at this age using blood work rather than the skin test which should help you avoid what is keeping him up all night.

My son is 7 y.o. and the same was happening with coughing so severe it would keep him up or wake him after he was finally sleeping.
my pediatrician suggested Sudafed or Delsym for the cough.
This seemed to help him.
They can be given with Zyrtec or Calritin, but I would check with your pediatrician, since your little on is only 2.