Environmental Allergies here too - need your thoughts!

[goingnatural2]

I just read the post below about allergies and I can very much relate. I came here specifically because I know this community is natural thinking and I need help!

DS is 6, going into first grade in a couple of weeks. I can't remember when his symptoms started.....2-3 yrs. of age probably. His allergies are pretty much year round. Maybe some breaks there in the winter but then he'll usually have a cold or something!


Anyway, last week I took him to an allergist. He did a skin test and turns out he's a 4+ on about 99% of trees, grass and weeds. And cats. He is most always congested, clear runny nose and a very hard cough (that prompted me to take him to the allergist. The cough started just this summer). The allergist believes he also has asthma because of the cough.

So he sent us home with Singulair, Advair and a rescue inhaler. I hate meds. I was going to give him the Singulair but after reading horror stories about mood changes in these young kids taking it I just can't do it.

And btw Claritin and Zyrtec do *nothing* for him.

So what is there naturally that we can do? We have some local honey that I've tried giving him and he hates it. We're also trying to do sinus washes but again, that's not going over too well. Thanks for any help you all can give!

[rhesp1212]

High doses of vitamin C are supposed to help with allergies. There is also an herb alot of people use for allergies, but I can't think of the name right now. Have you tried something like Sinupret? It's all herbal and is supposed to help with allergies.

Also, there is an allergy blocker made by little noses. It's an ointment that you rub on the outside of the nostrils. It creates a charge that repels allergens from entering the nose. I've used it before and it does seem to help.

i have heard about problems on Singular in children as well. My DS took it for a short time and it gave him nightmares, I think. My son takes Allegra twice a day and it does a great job for his allergies. It's stronger than zyrtec and claritin and doesn't seem to have any side effects, although it does say that it can cause dizziness in some people.

I know this would probably be miserable, but did they talk to you at all about doing allergy shots with him? I'm allergic to everything airborne like your son and the shots helped me TREMEDOUSLY!!

[emilysmama]

Originally Posted by goingnatural2

DS is 6, going into first grade in a couple of weeks. I can't remember when his symptoms started.....2-3 yrs. of age probably. His allergies are pretty much year round. Maybe some breaks there in the winter but then he'll usually have a cold or something!


Anyway, last week I took him to an allergist. He did a skin test and turns out he's a 4+ on about 99% of trees, grass and weeds. And cats. He is most always congested, clear runny nose and a very hard cough (that prompted me to take him to the allergist. The cough started just this summer). The allergist believes he also has asthma because of the cough.

So he sent us home with Singulair, Advair and a rescue inhaler. I hate meds. I was going to give him the Singulair but after reading horror stories about mood changes in these young kids taking it I just can't do it.

And btw Claritin and Zyrtec do *nothing* for him.

So what is there naturally that we can do? We have some local honey that I've tried giving him and he hates it. We're also trying to do sinus washes but again, that's not going over too well. Thanks for any help you all can give!

The only natural remedy that helps us here is the NeilMed Sinus Rinse bottle. It is a huge help. It's just water, non-iodized salt, and baking soda. You can buy it in the OTC section of any pharmacy or healthy & beauty aid section. My dd refused to do it at 4 y.o. We kept asking her to try every month or so, and one day at about 5 y.o., she did it. She's been doing it ever since. So I suggest that you continue to offer to your son every once in a while.

Oh yes, one other natural remedy. We bought an IQAir Cleaner. That helped us a ton as well.

We use singulair. I suggest you talk to your allergist about your concern and ask the allergist to tell you the specific details of the study about the potential problems associated with Singulair. (I don't remember all the details, but I seem to remember my allergist said that only adolescent males that were affected, and it was a very small percentage.) My allergist took my concerns seriously, and explained my options. In the end, I decided to have my 6 y.o. dd continue to use the singulair, and carefully monitor my dd's moods to see if she showed any sign of depression. She does not. If she had, I would have discontinued use.

For my family, with the exception of the saline nasal sinus rinse and the heavy duty air cleaner, natural has not been helpful for us. As a result, we have our dd use medications more often than not, but the above two natural measures have helped us cut down on medications by a lot.

[mama1803]

Quercetin works great for us. You can buy liquid or capsules--we use this for the kids

http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals...8-ml/1368?at=0

Quercetin dosage varies from person to person, but in general one needs several times the recommended dosage to get allergy relief. You have to play around with the dosage to find what is right for you.

Stinging nettles and vitamin B12 can also be helpful for respitory allergies.

Vitamin C is a natural histamine destroyer. We use alma for everyday supplementation and sodium ascorbate at first sign of illness.

We have also gotten lots of relief from using a HEPA air filter in the bedrooms and using HEPA filters for the central air/furnace unit.

Allergies can stem from sluggish methylation--methylation is responsible for breaking down and eliminating histamine, (histamine is produced by the body and found in certain foods) some hormones, chemicals, metals. You can google histadelia to learn more specifically about having too much histamine. This can get you started--

http://www.drkaslow.com/html/histadelia.html


I also recommend this book for anyone dealing with allergies--

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-New-Ch.../dp/0345494504


HTH

[mamefati28]

mama1803- I see the answer to my question from the previous thread...thanks!
Also, what filters for the central a/c unit do you recommend?
Thanks so much!

[mama1803]

Originally Posted by mamefati28

mama1803- I see the answer to my question from the previous thread...thanks!
Also, what filters for the central a/c unit do you recommend?
Thanks so much!

We use Filtrete. They can be found at Wal-mart, Home Depot, etc.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...rmanceFilters/

[mamefati28]

Thanks!
Looks like you can buy 6 packs on Amazon and save a little.

[mama1803]

Originally Posted by mamefati28

Thanks!
Looks like you can buy 6 packs on Amazon and save a little.

Yes, they are pricey but worth it!

I also wanted to mention that we use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter also. It eliminates allergens escaping from the bag.

[spedteacher30]

If you can get your hands on raw local honey, it is supposed to help with plant allergies.

We ended up getting our insurance company to authorize Xyzal--which is second generation Zyrtec--for our son. Claritin and Zyrtec didn't do much for him except make his behavior deteriorate. Xyzal helps, but does not eliminate his allergies.