2 Year Old with Allergies

Be careful of any OTC allergy medications. When we put my son on Claritin (he's nearly five), I read a lot of reveiws. There were some concerns about behavior (manic, screaming, nightmares) with some two year olds.

Probiotics may help. Pediatric chiro might help if it's not an allergy. There are a lot of bugs out there right now, so you might want to consult with your pediatrician first. They should be able to inspect the ears, nose and throat with a scope and figure out what's going on.

We do natural honey, the most local you can find. Also berries out of our garden. They now sell Hylands Alergy Tablets and I actually think they've been helping my five-year-old.

I'm obviously not big on medicine, think she's had medicine twice in her life. The biggest success I've had w/ combating allergies or my sinus problems is when we're eating straight out of the garden. I don't know the science behind it, but its working for us.

I use the netty pot and my daughter watches, fascinated while I use it. When she's old enough, that will be another option.

You could try Claritin.
Do you have your air conditioner on yet? It seems to help. Also, make sure she gets a bath and hair wash at night before bed so she doesn't get pollen in her bed.
You could stay in from outside until everything has bloomed. I know thats almost impossible. when the pollen and mold counts are high is when allergies are bad so you could try to stay in on those days.
I am allergic to the earth in the spring when everything blooms and when my husband first cuts the grass. I look old and look like I've been crying for days.

Use the nasal saline and suction her nose.

We've been using Zyrtec for my son who has lots of allergies (like me) since he was almost two. Our pediatrician was the one who recommended it. We also use it on occasion for my daughter. Her allergies are less severe. We have had no problems and it works great for both our kids.

That being said, for a child who is just two, I would recommend checking with your pediatrician first before starting any medication.
B.

We use Zytrec on both my kids when they get like this, they are 2.5 and 4.5 now but we've been doing it since they were about 18 months as necessary. My husband is a pharmacist so I know this is safe and we have the right dosage. Our pediatrician also approves of it, so I'd try it. Of course cool mist humidifiers do help a little, and I agree with the air conditioner, but if you can avoid turning it on for a while longer I sure would! You can also do a pure saline rinse (just a little squeezy bottle you can buy at the store) if she'd let you to get out any dirt, dust or pollen that might be lurking around up there!

Hi, M.:

Using probiotics for the 2 y.o. might help.
check out the web for digestive aides for a 2 year old
at: www.enzymedica.com

Good luck.
D.

Try also getting all of the chemicals out of your home, i.e. cleaning, laundry, dishwashing, & personal care products.

The pediatrician will not suggest Tylenol. Tylenol is a pain reliever. She's not in pain. She has a runny nose.

I suggest that you call the pediatrician's office and ask them this question. I urge you to not give her OTC unless the directions say it's safe for that age or unless the doctor says it's safe.

There are side affects with OTC meds. You don't want to make her hyper in an effort to reduce the mucous. It's all a balancing act and one that's best done with the help of a doctor.

My 3 year old has the same problem. Her allergies got so bad all the drainage was giving her a cough that was keeping her up all hours of the night. Took her to the pediatrician to see what we could do - they agreed it was allergies and recommended Claritin for kids. I believe the box says it is approved for children ages 2+. Call and ask your peditrician. We just started her on it this weekend and then it rained all weekend. We will see if it helps her this week.
good luck!