Desperate!! Allergies vs Cold. Delsym & Zyrtec for 2Yr Old Ok?

I think you really need to consult an MD or other medical practitioner on this one. Mixing meds--and your son's age--are significant issues.

I do not know if zyrtec is safe for a 2 year old, and I'm almost sure that delsym is not approved for use at age 2.

Benedryl is approved for use for babies though and it is a very good antihistamine for allergies. The down side of it is that you shouldn't give it all the time. You could try some benedryl before bed for a night or two though, to help the poor baby get some rest.

I would give as few meds as possible. Many OTC cold medicines are NOT for children that young. You can get children's claratin (or generic). We were told to use it for my DD but that was after we talked to the pediatrician. When my DD had croup, I kept a humidifier in her room, raised the head of her bed by putting a pillow under the mattress and took her into the bathroom where I ran the shower on HOT while we sat on the floor and read books. There's also a really nasty, long-duration cold going around and couple that with a lot of places having higher pollen, he could have both going on. You need to be VERY CAREFUL about what you give a small child. They can't tolerate the same things we can. Please discuss all medications with his doctor.

I would not mix all those medications.
You can overload his system/kidneys etc.
And he is 2.

If he had a fever, then he was/is sick.
Allergies do not cause fever.

My son had Croup once. It was diagnosed. And also, due to the Croup, he also got Conjunctivitis. So then he had to have prescription antibiotic eye drops for 10 days. Conjunctivitis is contagious.
The Conjunctivitis was basically, the Croup, but in his eyes as well.

Steroids, is used to help inflammation and thereby, opening up the airways. And it is used for Croup as well, because Croup is a constriction of the throat airways. Hence the "seal" like sound when coughing.

Allergies... can occur in tandem with a cold or illness. It is not necessarily, separate.

Zyrtec, speaking for myself, I do not like it because it makes me GRUMPY and TIRED.

Perhaps, take him to an Urgent Care and get a 2nd opinion.

Do you have an air purifier for his room? If not its a good idea to get one.

My son, is presently home sick.
He has runny nose/coughing/sneezing/and irritated throat.
His is not an allergy. His mucus is clear. I took him to the Doc.
He is sick.
And 2 days ago, he had a bout with fevers.

a pharmacy you trust should be able to help work out issues on combine meds. I would hold out til new dr. or get in to urgent care before then to get an opinion. he is so little

Here is the advice that my son's pediatric allergist recommended. 1/2 tsp of Zyrtec in the morning + 1/2 tsp Benadryl at night. You can give more Benadryl as needed every 4-6 hours. My son is 15 months old and about 19-1/2 lbs. The allergist said that Zyrtec is safe to give to infants starting at 6 months (as long as they are under the care of a doctor).

Your son's symptoms sound like allergies. That's too bad that you have to wait until May to see a new doctor. If it is indeed allergies, your son's symptoms should improve somewhat within a day or two. If they don't then you should discontinue the meds. Good luck to you. This has been a horrible allergy season for me and my kids.

it could be allergies and with asthma i would ask your dr to prescribe singulair for him. it helps with allergies and athsma my daughter was on it for about a year and started growing out of her allergy/asthma symtoms but she was always ending up with sinus infections and a night time cough that would not go away. The croupy cough could be from the drainage. We are dealing with seasonal allergies which zyrtec has been helping a little. I would seriously ask for singulair.

I did delsym at night so we could sleep at that age but not very much its pretty potent. and if the two medicines do not contain any of the same product it is usually fine to give to them. the OD would occur because there was the same ingrediant in two different meds.

Please consult your dr or another dr before medicating him yourself. I just read an article about a 5yo in CO that died from an accidental drug overdose....zyrtec and a common OTC cough med. Very scary!!

His eyes and nasal symptoms do sound like allergies, but the fever does not. Fever only comes with infection. Croup-like cough doesn't sound like allergies to me...but maybe if asthma is a concern.

2yo actually can have zyrtec. My boys DO have allergies and I can tell when its that vs a cold because symptoms will completely clear up w/in 20min of taking the meds. Meds have already been approved by dr, however, and they don't get anything else at the same time.

Please, please, talk to a dr first!

take him to a pediatric allergist or an ENT. I highly recommend this for your second opinion. They will be able to determine if it's allergies or something else. i read the same article with the girl dying from an OD on meds so i would not medicate at this point until you know what you're treating. Give lots of warm baths or sit in a humid room to help him drain. decongestants will hurt his asthma so DO NOT give anything thats a decongestent. most OTC cough medicines have decongestents in them and this is a big no no for kids with asthma (my youngest has asthma too). for the sore throat, use honey. give lots of fluids.

Just wanted to again mention about pertussis. I know I said it before, but my Mom was sure it was her allergies flaring up and then she thought it was a cold, but in a few weeks she realized it was something serious, but by then it was too late. The damage was done to her lungs and she has suffered horribly with it. My Mom was vaccinated for it but you can get it and get it bad even if vaccinated and that is why most docs don't think to test for it. They assured her 3 times at the ER that she was protected due to the vaccine, and they were wrong. Since then, we have done research to find that many people are now getting it even tho they were recently vaccinated for it. The health department did a full investigation and told us how important it was to let people know the vaccines are not working and they are reporting it to the vaccine companies. But I just wanted to make sure again that you had him tested for it. The symptoms start out seeming like allergies or a cold. That all being said, it could be allergies. And if it is, he needs to see an allergist, who will test him and find out exactly what his allergies are. They can medicated him based on that. I have lived with severe allergies and asthma all my life. It is not fun. But certain types of allergy meds are better depending on what you are allergic to. So medicating him with the wrong one will not help much if at all. He really needs to see an allergist asap. If you need a referral, you can call your insurance first find an allergist yourself, then call your pcp and say you need a referral, and will bring your son in every day until you get one. They will give the referral. If you don't need a referral, just make the appt. yourself and take him. Docs don't know everything! And often they get an idea in their head but they are wrong, and then they don't think further on it. It is human nature and not really their fault, just the way the human brain works. So push for what your child needs, do not wait until you can get a new doc in a few weeks. Take him now. If he does have asthma, it can be life threatening. His airway can close off completely. People with asthma occasionally need to be intubated. I don't want to scare you, because this all could be a terrible cold that will pass in few days, but if it isn't, well earlier treatment is always better, whether it is allergies or asthma or something else. And I would recommend not treating him with OTC meds, as some can make asthma worse. I know this from personal experience and being rushed to the ER. Please get him in to see a doc, don't wait for the change in May. As for the antibiotic, if it is just a cold or virus of any kind it won't help. Which one did they prescribe? I am curious, because certain ones treat certain things. And based on symptoms and what they prescribed we might be able to tell you why they thought it was a good fit, or why it isn't a good fit. Oh and yes, a cold can make your eyes pour out water, especially certain viruses. This is especially common in young children. And colds only ever run out clear nasal discharge until the near end of the cold when it will thicken and become a yellowish and/or greenish color, which does not mean infection. It usually means the virus is dying off. It is not a sign of a sinus issue as kids sinuses are not yet open at this age. So yes actually his symptoms are very common of certain types of cold viruses. They are also symptoms of a lot of other things, including allergies. The fact that he did have a fever, is more indicative that this is a viral or bacterial issue as opposed to allergies, but that does not and can not rule allergies or asthma out. It is hard to help over the internet, so the best thing is to keep at your doc, even if you were on the phone all week and no help from them. Make another appt. Take him back in, keep calling. Make them do something. It is terrible to watch kids suffer. I hope this all turns out to be a simple virus for you guys but if it isn't I hope you can get to see the right docs and get help soon.