Allergy Medicine - Child's Reaction

We use Zyrtec too! for my 4 year old with no sideeffects. FYI Costco came out with a generic and it is approx 16.00 for 2 bottles. The exact same ingredents as Zyrtec for a fraction of the price. Good Luck

neither of my kids reacted to it.

Since you are having issues with him going to sleep at night, may I suggest that he is probably overtired and you are missing his window of opportunity. Try putting him to bed at 7 pm and I bet you will find he is out like a light in no time.
Also remove all things from his room except the bed and a device to create music. All lightbulbs should be removed as well. If there is nothing to do, they will go to sleep.

Hoo Boy! My youngest son was allergic to wheat, rice, potatoes, egg whites, all Southwestern Texas Trees, rag weed, and well sometimes it seemed he was allergic to air - and my oldest grandson has followed in his uncle's footsteps. I agree with Nicole - give your son the meds during the day to see how he reacts. If he goes crazy; don't give it to him at night (or at all - call your peditrician and let him know you won't be using it - that is a form of allergic reaction - trust me - been there, done that!). If he gets drowsy and sleepy; then give it to him. If it doesn't seem to help don't hesitate to call your peditrician and ask him to recommend something else. You may consider allergy testing; my son (and now my grandson) was tested using the RAST method - a simple blood test. While the old fashioned testing is best - you can ask for the RAST method. It's not as accurate as the ol' tried and true method, but for kids it's a lot more humane for the kids. You may end up with allergy shots - fortunately my oldest grandson doesn't have to have them - my late son did.

My daughter had "off-label" side effects. The biggest being a major change in her personality--extreme anger, night terrors, inability to get to sleep and stay asleep. Given that she isn't the easiest child, I agreed with the doctor to try different medications (Zyrtec, Claritin, Singulair) at different times to ensure that it wasn't normal development tantrums.

Some people react differently than the "norm" to medications. I would notice a change within 24 hours of getting her first dose. I had to change ENTs at one point because they refused to believe they were side effect of the medication.

if its mild then why bother medicating him? i would just let it be. saline his nose every night, neti pot when hes old enough and ready

if you look online, about Zyrtec, or any other med, you can read the side effects.
There are side effects with Zyrtec, adult or child versions.

Zyrtec is real popularly prescribed nowadays, I notice. Even for us adults.
Some allergy meds will work well for some but not for others, and there are other allergy meds out there like Claritin for example.

So, ask your Pediatrician as well as what you research.

My Mom, has allergies, as do I. Her Doc does not like Zyrtec. She takes Claritin. For example.

It really depends on the individual... as meds react differently in each individual.

all the best,
Susan

All kids react differently to medications. When we tried Zyrtec with my daughter, at night per the pediatrician, it made her very hyper. She did not want to sleep. We even tried giving it to her at dinner instead of bedtime. She was up until 11:00PM. I guess you could try it on a night when you won't need to be up early the next morning & see what happens. We use Claritin now each morning with a half dose of Benadryl at night if she is really having a hard time and that seems to work well. I think the Zyrtec actually says it may cause drowsiness so I really think it will depend on how your son responds to the medicine. Benadryl makes my daughter sleepy but my neighbor's kids hyper. Good Luck finding the right medicine for your son - I know those allergies can make him miserable.

Zyrtec did make my daughter hyper. Her dr recently gave her Allegra and she is doing great on it. The only exception is that it works quickly but seems to wear off quickly as well. I really like Claritin. No side effects and lasts from morning until bedtime. We use Benadryl at night if it's a bad allergy day. It allows her to sleep thru the night without waking up from coughing from post nasal drip.

I had to give my 18 month old children's Zyrtec last fall. He's allergic to ragweed like me. I was given the ok by my dr since he was under 2. He was sleepier rather than hyper. Every child can react differently though. Maybe give him the medicine during the day to see if there is a difference in his behavior.

I am giving my 4 year old son children's Zyrtec. I buy the tablet so he can just chew it up - which he prefers. He has had no bad side effects and I give it to him around supper time. It has really helped w/ the congestion and itchy nose. I take the adults Zyrtec and have had good results as well. Maybe give your little one half the dose and see if it's okay. That's what I usually do w/ mine. And, maybe half the dose will be enough to help so you don't need full strength.

I give my 4 yo daughter zyrtec. I have noticed that it tends to rev her up if she gets it before bed. Also, it kind of worries me to give her any OTC medication before she falls asleep; if she gets it in the am, at least any adverse effects could be detected while she's suppose to be active.

I tried giving a 1/2 teaspoon in the am and another 1/2 teaspoon in the evening, but found it was more effective (to stop the congestion) if I gave her the 1 teaspoon dosage only in the morning.

My son has pretty bad allergies in the spring as well. We took him to see an allergist and had him tested at 3yrs old...We use zyrtec (now the generic since it's all been recalled in my area) and it works well to control his symptoms. No hyper side effects and we give it to him at night. I agree with another poster, though, that you should try it out during the day this allergy season just to make sure you are getting a true gage of how the zyrtec is helping and affecting your son. I also use zaditor eye drops for my son when his eyes get really bad after a long day outside in high pollen counts.

No probs in my 3 year old daughter. She has been taking it for a year. She has allergies to dust. She sleeps well after taking it. The prob now is that the shelves are empty. Make sure your bottle is not on recall.

My daughter takes zyrtec. She's five and doesn't have any reaction. I'm sure it varies from child to child, but when she takes it before bed - she falls asleep on time.

I give my son the 24 hour Zyrtec at night, he is two and I never have a problem getting him to go to sleep. I also like b/c I don't have to worry about anyone else giving him medicine. It cleared up his runny nose and he has had no side effects. I was also recommnded by doctor to use it for the allergy season.
I would agree with the other mother that you should try to up the bed time and make sure you have good schedule you follow each night to get him to calm down and lay down. (I now it's hard but once he has the hang of it, everyone is happy!!)

My son has been on Zyrtec for over 3 years. We also give it to him at night. We used to give it to him in the morning, but it makes him to sleepy thoughout the day. That is why we switched to nights. This may actually help your bedtime battles. Give it to him about 1/2 before bedtime. If for some odd reason you find it gets him hyper, give it to him in the morning instead.

Zyrtec has a sedative effect generally. It's only the Zyrtec-D (D for decongestant which us pseudoephedrine, a stimulant) that really causes issues with excessive energy.

I'm not sure what Amanda is referring to with "off-label" side effects. Off-label refers to the product being prescribed or used in a way not approved by the FDA. Zyrtec was an Rx product until an Over the Counter version was FDA approved a few years ago - a lower dose than the Rx version.

The FDA requires that any product is has approved disclose all the side effects that occur in more than 2% of patients in clinical trials or after it's been approved. That's why on commercials you hear the announcer say, "Side effects may include......". It's legally required by the FDA to provide "fair balance" and disclosure of risks as well as what the product is for and how it may benefit the patient.

At the end of the day, though, each person has a different body chemistry and may react differently. Sometimes side effects are unrelated to the product, but because they occur with its use, they have to be reported.

So, I'd recommend trying it, assessing how he does, and making the decision to continue from there. Just remember that there are lots of different products on the market, some antihistamines (Claritin, Clarinex, Zyrtec, Benadryl), some block leukotrines (Singulair), some are nasal steroids (Rhinocort AQ, Nasonex, etc). So, there are many different ways to approach allergies should Zyrtec not be the best option.