Pollen allergies - suggestions? | ADHD Information

Hi all,

The Benadryl has definitely turned him into a total zombie. We've gone from him previously not being able to get to sleep until 11pm or midnight, to now where he's falling asleep after school, getting up for dinner, then going back to bed.

So we started with Reactine this morning... it is the Canadian name for Zyrtec, apparently.

I've already had him tested for other, non-pollen allergens, with dairy and corn topping the list. So we already have looked at those things, and yes it does make a huge difference to find those things out. Trees seem to be our problem at this time of year...

PB

My 12-yr-old son is on 15mg Adderall XR in the mornings. He has only been dx'd and on this med for about 7 months (what a godsend!)

My new concern is in regards to his pollen allergies, which he's only ever taken Benadryl or Claritin for in the past, as needed. We are just at the start of our pollen flurry here, and it looks like it's going to be a tough and long season for him (my symptoms occur simultaneously, so I know what he's going through).

I met with his pediatrician today, and she feels that using Benadryl daily in conjunction with the Adderall will be fine. She doesn't like the idea of the weekly shots. I'm thinking the Benadryl before bed might help with his getting-to-sleep issues caused by the Adderall, but I don't know how long it lasts. Or should he take it at the same time?

Does anyone have any wisdom to share on combining antihistimines or other allergy remedies with ADD meds? I'm just feeling kinda guilty about medicating so much every day ... although I know I personally can't function at this time of year without my Claritin/Allegra/Aerius/whatever.

And yes, we have a HEPA filter in his room, and we keep his window closed at night to keep as much pollen out as possible.

my son has allergies really bad.. they get worse in the spring..we have tried all the allergy meds and nothing was working so dillon is getting shots every week.. why doesn't the doctor want your son to get the shots? it has really help my son out alot.. since we have started the shots dillon hasn't been sick as often as he was before the shots.. sorry i really don't have an answer for you..good luck...

My personal opinion is that the antihistamines, which do make kids sleepy, should be taken at bedtime. I also think if a kid is suffering, you should treat every day until the season is over because it's more effective than on an as-needed basis. My 11-year-old daughter, who was diagnosed with seasonal allergies and asthma at age 3, takes Zyrtec every evening. Before Zyrtec she took Claritin, but our ped felt Zyrtec was more effective. It works!

Dylan took Zyrtec too for a time, it worked really well.

Be careful as some of these medications stimulate (especially Claritin). Dylan took the Benadryl fast tabs that melt on your tongue and went haywire.

Not trying to scare ya, just be careful and keep your eyes open.

Bedtime, as SmallMom said, is best. That's when I gave Dylan the Zyrtec (an hour before bed, actually). Knocked him out.

Too bad I couldn't have him live on that stuff

The doctor has advised us that we need to be careful about what allergy meds we use with our daughter's Adderall XR. We occasionally give her Benadryl at night for allergies and to help with her sleep. He also recently prescribed Nasacort, two sprays in each nostril before bed for the allergies. She may need to continue with using this through the allergy season.

[QUOTE=sheri.m]...dillon is getting shots every week.. why doesn't the doctor want your son to get the shots?[/QUOTE]

I get the impression that she feels the allergy symptoms need to be completely debilitating before she recommends it, cuz you have to get shots weekly for a year, and that it's a big hassle.

I hadn't heard of the Zyrtec - I think I'll look for that. The Benadryl is supposed to be taken every 4-6 hours, so I guess it will have to be before bed AS WELL AS in the morning. If he stays on that, I'll have to look for it in BULK!

Thanks for your replies...

Try a prescription med called singulair. DS has asthma and used to be on it full time. It takes about two weeks to kick in, but it helps. We give it to him every pollen season. I hope this helps.

The nice thing about Zyrtec is that it's once a day! But it's by prescription so you'll have to ask your doctor about it.

My understanding is that Singulair tends to help more if asthma is involved.

We talked with our allergist about shots, and it's not only weekly for a year, but then twice a month for a year and then monthly for a year for a total of three years!!! So it is a long process and commitment. Well worth it if allergies are debilitating, but if you're on the fence, I'd think twice.

SmallMom38805.6372916667

susieb: Was your son taking it simultaneously with ADHD meds? And if so, was it Adderall XR?

I guess I should mention his symptoms are: really sore eyes and inconsistent vision, headaches and a feeling that his spine is ice-cold (? ok, that one seems a little wierd to me!), and just generally feeling crappy. No difficulties breathing or anything resembling asthma (thank goodness). And of course the usual fuzzy-brain/focus issues are creeping back, even with the Adderall.

I'm going to take him back to the dr. and mention the Singulair and the Zyrtec.

PB, sounds like he might be suffering from migraines. Do these symptoms only occur during the spring allergy season? Has he ever been evaluated by a neurologist?

I don't think it's migraines - the headaches are not a large part of it - it's the sore eyes more than anything. I know that if I don't get a handle on my symptoms at the beginning of the season, it feels like I have a few pounds of sand in my eyes.

And I'm pretty sure it's pollen-related, because we were just away for a few days of skiing with NO symptoms (nothing is blooming yet there, under all that snow) ... and the second we stepped out of the car when we got home, he and I both felt our eyes start to get itchy, started sneezing, head full of cotton, etc.

If we can't get a handle on this I will definitely get a referral to a neurologist - but I'm pretty confident we just need to find the right antihistimine for him. I just wish he could swallow pills, there would be so many more options to try! I personally have to alternate what I take every year or 2, cuz it's not as effective. Of all the blasted things to inherit - ADD from Dad and allergies from me, I guess!

The problem with allergies is that you don't know what your kid is allergic to, unless you have your child tested. I was shocked when I found out my son was allergic to eighteen different things and that these things could make him feel crummy almost all year

. I just noticed when his allergies were really acting up. He took allergy shots once a week for six months, and he now is taking them once every two weeks. They have made a huge difference, and I swear that when his allergies are acting up, he has more ADHD symptoms--he's more hyper, for certain. His doctor, also, did not see a reason to have him tested or to give him shots. He tried to treat him with Claritan and Singulair, but they were not very effective. Benadryl, which he took along with ADHD meds, was the most effective, and it was the best sleep remedy we have ever used

My daughter is actually on three meds -- Patanol eye drops, Flonase nasal spray and Zyrtec tablets. All are prescription. If you are concerned about ingesting a med like Benadryl or Zyrtec in addition to Adderall, then you could try the nose and eye stuff first and see how your son does.

What is the concern about taking allergy stuff with Adderall? Have you asked a pharmacist to run a drug-interaction check for you?

SmallMom38805.6561805556Zyrtec comes in liquid if pill swallowing is an issue.