5Yo Son Acts Crazy on Allergy/cold Medicine

What type of allergy meds are youg giving him? My seven year old doesn't do well on singulair, her behavior changes. Her pediatrician told me to keep her off of that, and just stick with zyrtec. She hasn't had any problems with zyrtec. She takes it at night. My 4 year old takes claritin, and he hasn't had any problems.

We had my stepson on the liquid zyrtec which doesn't have the dye in it. It was great. Also, you might try flonase. That stopped the great green rivers of snot when nothing else would.

Zyrtec works great for my boys. We give it bedtime since it lasts for 24hrs and have not had the same issues we had on other meds. Good luck.

There was a post a few days ago about someone who's daughter was having behavioral problems whenever she ate something with red dye #40 in it. Does your medicine contain that ingredient? I've read it's in a lot of food items but since your child is taking this allergy medicine which I assume he is getting on regular schedule this time of year, maybe he is getting too much of this red dye #40. Just a suggestion, I really don't know much about it, I just read the other lady's post and thought maybe it could help.

Lots of OTC are inappropriate for children.

Further, I, as an adult, have had varied adverse reactions to allergy/cold medicine. I hit my step-father's car in the driveway and was in a horrible daze from clortrimeton (sp?)and I remember being giddy and feeling drunk on Nyquil when I was in college.

If they can do that to an adult, I have no doubt they can do it to a child. I would try something with fewer components and take a less is more approach to treating allergies. I favor saline spray, warm baths and vaporizers for my child.

A., antishistamines can cause children to become more excited, the opposite of their side effect in adults. Please do NOT use OTC allergy medications for a child unless approved of by his pediatrician. There is a movement in medicine to ban the use of cold medications in children, because of some very serious safety concerns.

It is totally out of line for any school to even suggest a diagnosis of ADD in a child. If they are saying that, they are acting inappropriately and should be called down on that. As your son's mother, you are an EXPERT in his needs and the reason for his behaviors if they are due to the medications you are giving him.

If your son's allergies are at the level that they require medication, then please have him evaluated by a pediatric allergist. There are many options available, and knowing what he's allergic to is a first step in controlling his allergies. Only a specialist is competent to treat allergies, a pediatrician does not have that specialized training that is required.

You are very worried about how he is treated in elementary school if he has allergies, but pretty much all children at that age have a lot of colds. He won't be the only boy with the runny nose issue. And if his allergies are seasonal, then they will only be for a short period of time. I'd be more concerned that the teachers will label him as a troublemaker, then blame every classroom uproar on him, whether he's the cause or not. Once labeled, that will follow him from teacher to teacher, and maybe from school to school.

Are you buying OTC on your own or are you giving these medications on a doctor's recommendation? I'd get your son to the pediatrician right away and discuss this in detail -- write down all the ways this seems to affect your son and be specific (he can't sit still, he's jumpy, his skin or nose seem very dry if that's the case, he's itchy, etc.) Be sure to emphasize to the doctor that this is not just mild side effects but a real change to his behavior that clearly occurs only when he is on allergy meds--don't let the doctor dismiss it as "oh well, that happens to some kids." Also, consider whether your son really still needs allergy meds at this time. With late fall and winter coming, can your son be taken off allergy meds, period? If he doesn't have severe allergy symptoms, it's possible that "the cure is worse than the disease" in this case and it might be better for him to sneeze and drip a bit than to act up. Please don't just go on what we propose here on Mamasource because this is a case for the doctor. Clearly you are very good at reading your son's signals so put that to use by preparing details for the pediatrician. Good luck and please let us know what happens.

Hello,

I can understand what your son is going thru because I am a grown up and when i take allergy meds I also can't keep still. Maybe it would be best and safer if you would get his meds from the doctor. Let me know how you make out.

A.,
My 6 yr old is when Zyrtec and is does a great job, we have not had any negative reaction of behavior when she takes it.

My daughter took Zyrtec and Singulair together. She had awful behavioral changes--tantrums, crying, hitting, screaming. With my pediatrician's guidance we took her off of both. I believe it was the Singulair causing it. The Zyrtec made her very thirsty.

Turned out she had asthma so inhalers helped, and allergy testing proved she wasn't allergic to anything (so no need for allergy meds). I encourage allergy testing to rule out what is causing his problems. Nothing wrong with giving him the tissues until this can be sorted out for you. Explain all to his teachers so they know your're not sending a sick kid to school. good luck!

A.: WOW - can't believe that people at school want to put a spirited kid on Ritalin when the problem is allergies. YIKES. I don't know how well this new stuff works but I've been hearing ads about Little Remedies or Little Allergies - Allergy Block product. It's OTC at any drug store and it's an ointment that is rubbed around the nostrils and above the upper lip. It is SUPPOSED to block airborne allergens. Maybe it could abate things enough during school hours to keep the sneezing boogies problem at bay. Also - there is SO MUCH stuff in processed foods that trigger allergy responses. I don't know if you guys do processed snack foods. But the best plan until you know what the allergens are is to "eat clean" Just the basics - Protein, Dairy, Fruit, Veggies, Whole grain and healthy fat (what's in organic whole milk and avocado, fish)Nuts may need to be addressed in your allergen search. If it IS food related - by doing the basics it can give his little body the opportunity to function better and decrease mucous production. You may eventually find that Wheat or Dairy ARE a problem. Good luck - I hope that helps - S.

My son is crazy hyper when he has Benadryl. He doesn't have allergies, but when he takes it we have a good 6 hours of hyperness. I do have allergies though, and the only med that I can take without any adverse side effects is Allegra. According to my dr. it's the only one that doesn't cross the blood brain barrier. I do so much better on it that anything else.
It is prescription I think, but well worth the $.
Goo luck.

is your son on any prescription allergy meds? for ex., singulair...can affect behavior on somewhat rare basis.
also, decongestants can sometimes "hype up" kids and some kids have been know to have paradoxical reactions to benadryl...meaning instead of sedating them it can "hype" them up.
talk to your pediatrician. zyrtec, may be something to try...without decongestant in it in case the decongestant is the thing that is bothering him.
but please talk to your child's pediatrician for their professional advice.
good luck!

hi A. try giving it to him an hour before he goes to bed instead of before he goes to school thats what i do

A.,
You can stop this; and the school can't make you put him on Ritalin. I'd suggest using a homeopath or a naturpath. That way you can treat both the symptoms of his allergies and eliminate the root cause. Thre are many children that have allergies eliminated using a holitic approach. This way there are no behavioral issues.
Please feel free to contact me if you'd like a referral to any practitioner in your area.
L. M.

Been there. I found claritin to be somewhat okay. My son is now taking prescription Singular and Nasonex (at bedtime) and is behaving well and having less sypmtoms. Also be sure to stay away from nature somewhat. My son plays soccer but on a team that has turf fields. We choose playgrounds with the cement and soft padding ground and the gym, indoors. And swimming pools. Also, give a shower or bath every night so he goes to bed without pollen, etc in his hair or clothes. Wear new clothes daily and pj's daily - change. It really helps. Keep windows closed in the car and at home, especially at night. Good luck.

I have a daughter on Zyrtec for allergies. The only side effect we have noticed is that it makes her a little sleepy. It is a 24hour med so we give it to her at bedtime and then she is good to go in the am. If for some reason it had the opposite effect on your son you could still benefit from giving it to him in the late afternoon where you have some time for the hyperness to wear off before bed and then have him in good shape for the school day

Definately a course of action for your pediatrician- let him do his job. Even the news reports tell us that the OTC stuff is BAD for our kids-seriously take heed it is a dangerous solution for your child. Boogie boy is better than drugged out psycho problem boy.
On a personal note- the school IS NOT a pediatrician. It is outrageous to imply that a FIVE year old should be medicated with Ritalin. I don't know who his teacher is or where he goes to school- but make them do their job too, OR change schools before he actually does get labeled as a problem when he simply only being 5.

My son also gets crazy when given cold cough medicine. The pediatrician told me that there are two groups, kids that get sleepy and kids that get wild. I guess our children are the latter. I don't know how to prevent this behavior, however I keep seeing these commercials for this medicine stuff that you rub on your nostrils it dries quickly (its for kids) and it blocks allergens before they can get to you. Therefore no allergies because they cant get in. I would try this definitely! I am not sure of the name but I believe it is made by chloraseptic (don't quote me on this). Good luck to you and your son!

Also, you could try zyrtec or claritin both work great, but give it to him before bedtime that way he wont be so antsy in school and he wont have allergies!

There are a bunch of people here who know more about this and are suggesting that you be very very careful, and I concurr that you should talk to your doctor. Just a little tool (piece of info) for you is that my son acts out horribly on Benadryl, but does well on Zyrtec. My neighbors daughter acts out on Zyrtec, so every child is different. With your doctors approval I would say keep trying different things. (It's DEFINITELY not ADD if you can draw such a strong correlation to the medicine! )

Our middle daughter has horrible allergies, too. It is so hard to watch our kids struggle. I do believe, too, that allergens are at their peak right now, as the rest of us are also experiencing symptoms. We use Zyrtec for our daughter with no side effects. Please give it a try. This has helped her out a lot. Also, for sneezing and congestion, we use saline solutions to clean her out. As for school time, I do believe that your son's teacher should help him and remind him where the tissues are, and even when busy, if she sees him uncomfortable and "snotty", she should assist him. Afterall, he is only a child. Good Luck.

A.,
Many cough/cold meds can cause 'excitement in children'. Claritin has worked for my daughter in the past, even tho it is an Allergy med, it did help clear her nose for the time she was in school. It did not seem to make her hyper.
If you are being told your son needs ADD, or ADHD meds try vitamin supplements first!!!!! That's what we did!!!
Biometics has vitamin supplements, that you mix in juice and I have done this with my son...it was great!!! He was less 'bouncing off the wall' and more even keeled. Here is the website of the lady that I do business with, just in case you're interested. They have a group of supplements that are for education enhancement concentration etc. Just go to www.crewsline.net (her last name is Crews, hence the crewsline reference in her webpage.) give her my name, and she'll know who referred you to her. It's worth hearing about. Good luck and I hope your little man is feeling better soon. (at first I thought RED DYE, but you had addressed that already--GOOD GIRL!!!!)

S.

My 4-year-old son takes Zyrtec and uses a plug in in his room at night when he's got symptoms (I think it's called sudacare). Try that.

Try Hylands Hayfever Tablets. It's natural and works well for me, and I have terrible allergies; had allergic reactions to allergy shots (go figure). You just put it under the tongue and it dissolves. I highly recomend it. Also, get him off milk or other dairy products. I stopped drinking/eating it, and my allergies have subsided a great deal. Rarely do I have to take the hayfever tabs.

http://site.maggiescottage.com/catalog/hyland-hayfever-ta...

I have also had good luck with my son and Zyrtec. It is nice b/c it lasts 24 hours and is supposed to make them drowsy (and actually works compared to others). It has worked well for our son because he is a bad sleeper too. I just give it to him at bedtime and he is good until the next evening. Are you needing to use it all the time?? If so you might want to think about having him allergy tested (food & airborne), so you can eliminate the allergens. Be careful often schools will jump to the Ritalin solution. Stand firm and look for other ways to help the situation. If there are a lot of things that he is allergic to there are other ways to solve the issue. There is a good book about the 4 A's (Autism, ADHD, Allergies & Asthma) and dealing with them without drugs. It is by a man named Dr. Bock. It is a pretty good book. It talks about how kids with lots of allergies might also look ADHD because their bodies are fighting the bugs off constantly. Hopefully this helps.

Take your son to an allergist!!!!!!! See what is causing the sniffles and get rid of the allergen. Then he won't have to be on allergy meds. If he still acts crazy, try behavior modification, praise for good behavior, stick with a schedule and follow through with what you expect from him as far as his behavior is concerned. You may be able to avoid ritalin then!

A couple of suggestions come to mind. First, my son has been on Allegra since he was about 4 1/2 and has shown no strange side effects. That might be worth a try (if you haven't already).

Second, have you tried reducing the dosage? My son reacted similarly to a full dose of sudafed but was fine with 3/4 of a dose.

Third, the AAP released a study saying Claritin was not effective in children under 6. We tried it on our son, and I have to agree. It didn't cause any bad reactions, but it didn't fix the allergy problem either.

Fourth, it's no fun, but saline sprays can really help. At least he'll start the day with a clear nose :)

Good luck!

S.
p.s. Be careful if you use a humidifier. Our son turned out to have mold issues and the humidifier only made it all worse.

Even though the medicine is dye-free it still probably has artificial flavoring in it. He could be reacting to that. Check out www.feingold.org. They have a lot of great information that could help. You need to be aware that certain preservatives, artifical coloring and artificial flavoring can effect behavior. ALSO: it turned out that my son has a sensitivity to naturally occurring salycilates which the Feingold Association helped me to discover. A number of kids have this. Aspirin is a salicylate. He was acting like a wild and crazy, barely loveable, ADHD kid from the good and healthy food I was feeding him (tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, apples, oranges, strawberries and other berries just to name a few). Do your research and kudos to you for not just putting him on drugs. Good luck!

Dear A.,

You might consider learning a little about the beauty of Chinese medicine to help your son. It is often more effective and safer. I am a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and also a Registered Nurse. I have been in practice for over 20 years. When I work with Moms and children, I teach Moms how to treat their children with natural remedies. Your son is acting up because the medication that are out there for kids is sometimes too harsh. It does make them restless. Most of the time allergies, or chronic mucous problems can be remedied by making a few dietary changes. I have an article on our Center's website called "Oriental Medicine for Your Little Ones". The website is www.mcim.org My name is S. Martin. I would welcome any questions you might have.

We USE to go through something similar when my oldest was in K. When the school started talking ADHD and medication, I started researching what could be the cause of all of this. What I found was amazing and it turns out that our son did NOT have ADD or ADHD and certainly did NOT need to be medicated.

Allergy symptoms, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, etc., they all can be caused by food allergies too. What we found was cow's milk, red dye #40 and msg (so many foods have this in them) were BIG behavior changers for our son. I mean HUGE! We changed his diet and put him on a good vitamin & mineral supplement and found such an improvement that even his teacher sent home a note saying so.

My husband suffered for years with allergies and had to take RX meds just to get through the day. He was miserable to say the least. Now days, he is symptom FREE and medication FREE. The more research I did the more I found and made changes in our home and diet. And the better things became over time.

Now I clean my home, our clothes and our bodies with premium quality non-toxic products. You won't find those chemical ones in my house any more. LOL! Little did I know that all of the cleaners I use to use were actually causing a TON of our problems.

Obviously you are a mom who is working hard to take care and protect your kids. Call me anytime after 8am ###-###-####. I would love to share with you what I use and all I have done to rid us of allergy symptoms.

Take Care,
N. :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 12, 8 & 2yrs old and married to my Mr. Wonderful for almost 15yrs. I love to help other moms, who want to become SAHMs, reach that goal.

There are many allergy meds out there that will make your child hyper. My girls can't do any of the Triaminic's at all - never have been able to - they are now 7 and 12. We use Claritin and Sudafed here at my house and I grew up with allergies and my girls have had them since birth as well. BTDT in this house basically. I haven't tried Zyrtec OTC with them seeing as how Claritin/Loraditine works very well for us. Have you gone to see a pediatric allergist? Flonase does well too but this has to be done every day and is more maintenance than anything else. I have an amazing Allergist that is in the Woodbridge/Fredericksburg area of Virginia - e-mail if you are interested in his info. I'd be happy to pass on. My first Allergist I had over 30 years - he passed away about 2 years ago and I found this new one that is wonderful.

A.,
I thank you for trying to take care of your sons problem and not just giving it over to the teachers to deal with. I substitute teach so I see a lot of things. One question that comes to mind when I read this is has your son ever been tested for allergies. You mention a cold but it sounds like it is allergies and I think you know part of it is. The reason I ask is that my middle son had a similar situation although he did not have a reaction to the medicine but meds did not help him. A lot of children who have outdoor allergies or who continue to suffer with the nasty nose also have food allergies. My son had the prick test on his back when he was 7 years old and they did 65 pricks and he came back with 42 allergies. He is allergic to about 15 different food items including peanuts and soy and friuts that we were not aware of. Obviously not life threatening but once we had him off of peanuts and soy, his nose cleared up drasticly. We could understand him! He is on Zyrtec every morning to help with outdoor allergies and his qulaity of life is so much better, he is not rebellious like he was (food allergies can really change a personality) and he is a lot more calm and respectful. I highly recommend an allergist. We did not see a pediatric allergist but if you have one nearby, that may be best. I hope this helps. A.

stop giving it to him!
and it's awful that despite the obvious fact that meds are causing him to be out of control, the school's only solution is 'medicate him more!'
allergies are awful. my younger has been getting shots from an allergist for 3 years, and they've made a huge difference. i see that zyrtec has also been suggested. that has worked well for him, but all allergies are different. and while i totally agree that boogers are not a big social boon and the sneezing must be helped, if the allergy meds are reacting this badly in his system, they're a cure that's far worse than the initial problem. his body is doing its best to get rid of the allergens, but it can't cope with harsh drugs.
i'd certainly go natural and gentle before attempting ANYTHING else drug-related. local honey, neti pot (if you can get him to do it), steambaths, teas made from local flowers and herbs, eucalyptus under the nose and yes, lots of tissues. you can always go see a pediatric allergist, but i wouldn't give him any more of the medicine that's causing him to react so badly, and stick to your guns on the school and ritalin!
what are they thinking? putting a kid on speed to deal with allergies is like putting oil in your car when you're low on gas!
khairete
S.

antihistamines can act as a stimulant for some people, even adults although children are more often affected. the same is true for decongestants. it's probably not the dye or other additives, it's the drug itself, the ingredient that makes it work. that is why the AAP no longer recommends giving children under 6 cold medicine. have you had him skin tested for allergies? perhaps if you can narrow it down you can avoid them!

Oh my... a friend's son had that problem too... creating a Wellness Home has resolved the behaviors AND the allergy issues! NATURALLY!! Please contact me... I am an Independent Wellness Consultant with Nikken, the leading comprehensive wellness company worldwide... a nurse instructor... in nursing for over 30 yrs. My website is: www.mynikken.net/candysay Be sure to complete the Contact Me!
Please, please contact me... I KNOW I can help! Candy S.

My son gets very hyper on Benadryl (go figure, its supposed to make most people sleepy) but is fine on Zyrtec. He was fine on Claritin too but it just wasn't helping his allergies all that well. My friends son gets really hyper on Claritin but does great on Zyrtec. I would probably check with the pediatrician first but try Claritin or Zyrtec. GOod luck.

A., sorry to hear about your son's reaction to allergy medication. You might need to start by changing the cleaning products that you are using in your home first. Check out my website www.livetotalwellness.com/P., and see where most of our sickness and illnesses come from. Also take a look at this website, www.melaleuca.com. Take the guided tour and see how these products can change you life. Also view my member perk on Mammasource. I have the answer to your needs. I look forward to hearing from you.

I changed my household products and my family and I haven't had any allergy problems since. We've been using these products for the past 7 months. They are awesome.

We did well on prescription allegra. Have you taken him to an actual allergist to find out what exactly are his allergies? knowing what it could be could be half the battle. He seems to show signs of a reaction to something in the allergy meds so maybe he has an allergy to something IN the meds.
A pediatric allergist can do a blood and a scratch test to give you definitive answers and help you. Nothing over the counter worked for us.

A.,

As someone who stuggles with allergies daily, here are things that work for me. I get chiropractic adjustments. They help make sure that my sinuses are able to drain properly. I take my 13 mo. old daughter to see him, too, and she loves her adjustments and has very few childhood illnesses that the other kids get.

If boogies are the issue, then try saline solution. It helps break up the boogies and thins the mucous membranes. Use a vaporizer at night. Try a neti pot (variation of a saline rinse). It takes a little while to get used to, but you will be surprised at the nasty stuff you get up your nose.

Make sure you have your son evaluated for allergies, by an allergist.

Do not succumb to the pressure of the school to put him on meds for ADHD. If you child had ADHD, you would know. You would be tearing your hair out. Schools have been having less tolerance for childish behavior (after all, they are children) over the years since wages have decreased, and class sizes have increased. Teachers just want a classroom full of kids that sit in their seats and follow all directions. This is problematic, because children don't know how to do that, they NEED to explore and play. (I will get off my soap box now.)

Be sure to keep the line of communication open with your pediatrician, too.

Hope this has been helpful. Good luck!!

J.