what can a person do if their doctor does not take allergies seriously when the child is under 2?

Mylene - posted on 05/26/2010

see a chiropractor or naturopath to get allergies treated without medication. There is a technique called ASERT that works great.

Susie - posted on 05/20/2010

my daughter is the same way... shes had a "cold" almost all her life... the doctor says its because of allergies and we cannot allergy test til shes 2... my friends son isnt even 1 yet and her doctor did an allergy test on him. I went to the ER recently and the doctor there said its just doctors preference but allergy tests arent accurate until theyre 2yrs old. They can prescribe allergy meds... my daughters been prescribed allegra, singulair, and another generic loratadine. I hate giving it to her because they cause drowsiness. Its kinda a lose-lose situation. If youre not happy with waiting til shes 2 I would suggest getting another doctors opinion or asking for a referral to an allergist. Good luck!

Leah - posted on 05/17/2010

I agree with Laura take your child to an allergist, I have been to one and didn't need a Dr's referal (this way you can see what she is allergic too and make the neccessary changes needed). Also unfortunately keep changing Dr's until you find one that listens to you, your the parent you know whats best for your child. I have used Children's Zyrtec and found that beneficial for my daughter, you don't need a prescription for this (however getting a Dr's ok would give you peace of mind). My daughter had such a bad reaction to just one measly ant (of all things) that she even had to go on a small dose of steroids for 2 days, however I have been blessed with a great Dr....they do exist!

I hope you and your daughter get some relief soon.

All the best.

Laura - posted on 05/06/2010

and also im not a big fan of benydryll.. i've used it only a couple of times if hes had a worse reaction to a specific dog really..but benydryll really makes them sleepy, lethargic.. claritin and zyrtec are very helpful , def ask allergist about it

Laura - posted on 05/06/2010

take them to an allergist.. we did that and ours was very good, my son has excema and we knew he had pretty bad seasonal allergies, hes 2 1/2 now.. we started taking him aobut year ago.. they did prick test which sucked but worth it.. now he uses claritin, and inhaler if he gets real wheezy which works awesome

Helen - posted on 05/06/2010

I would have to agree with the moms. If that doctor is not going to listen to you and take your child's problems seriously, there is no purpose in having him in your life or your child's life. You want someone taking your child's problem just as seriously, if not more, than you do... especially when it comes to allergies.

Angie - posted on 04/05/2010

Honestly I'd be very careful about giving your child any Zyrtec or Claritin. Try looking for an alternative medicine Dr. (or a Western Dr. that understands alternative medicine) We had to switch Dr.s twice before we found one that would work with us.

Sheena - posted on 04/05/2010

You can get a lot of false positives and negatives in kids under 2 with traditional testing, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems. The testing usually just confirms what you already think to be true. So follow your instinct and find a doc that will listen. As far as meds, toddlers and even infants can have antihistamines benadryl or zyrtec. Albuterol may be helpful if the allergies are causing asthma symptoms. Talk to a doc for the proper dosing. My son is 18 months, ~22lbs and the doc said he can take up to 3/4tsp benadryl. Both my sons had to use benadryl up to 3x/day at times to control allergy and eczema symptoms as young as a few months. Air filters, humidifiers can help also and taking steps to allergy proof your house, especially spring time pollens can get indoors with open doors,windows, etc!

Jenni - posted on 04/04/2010

One thing you might try is finding a real good Kineseologist. They can test any age person on any allergen quite easily, no blood, no needles. They can also help you treat your child if they are allergic. The main problem is finding a good one, just like any other doctor. My children and I have greatly benifitted from kineseology.

Leonie - posted on 04/04/2010

Oh, and just to let you know, she was tested for about 10 common issues: house dust (vacuuming ruled out thank goodness), dog (so she stays too), mowing, pollen, umm, can't quite remember the rest - but it was great to know what we can and can't do with her without keeping her indoors 'just in case'.

they did say she will have to go back and be re-tested in a couple of years, but still it is great to know now that she is not allergic to things - other than colds and respitory type ailments. By the way, we went to a paediatric respritory specialist who saw her in hospital when she was in ICU - so they are around - and can be tested at this age (actually she was tested at 15 months).

Leonie - posted on 04/04/2010

My daughter was in ICU at 9 months, she has had 5 hospital visits since then within a 5 month period and every time she got a runny nose, we were holding our breathe as it typically meant a hospital visit. I work full-time and she has been in CC since 6 mths old (not full time) so she has picked up lots of bugs...

So, I finally got sick of going to the hospital - went to my GP and got a referral to a specialist for allergy tests. I had also been told that she was too young to go on preventer medication prior to 2 yrs old.

Funnily enough she is NOT allergic to anything from what we could tell, however, she has been put on preventer medication (Flexitide) and has not had an asthma attack since! So, I recommend going to your GP and demanding a referral to a specialist - can take 5 months to get in to see them, but it is worth it in the long run for their and your health!

Donna - posted on 04/03/2010

my nephew has saver allergeys the dr gave him meds for it but told her that it wouldnt be any good to send him to a spciltest because they wont beable to tell what it is tell he is between 3and 4 and he is right now 1

Natasha - posted on 04/02/2010

my daughter is 17 months old and has really bad allergies i took her in to the dr or an ear ache and the dr just looked at her and said it was allergies...she gave us the okay to give half a dose of children's benadryal which is one teaspoon and we use a dropper for it. we give it to her every morning and night instead of the 3 times recommended so he body doesnt build up to much of an immunity to it.

Lindsay - posted on 04/02/2010

try going to an allergist, there are even a few pediatric allergists out there. I give zyrtec daily and it helps a little bit.

Caitlin - posted on 04/02/2010

oh, and she is finally getting sent for blood work to test for allergies! Yay!

Caitlin - posted on 04/02/2010

my daughter has taken 5ml (1 tsp) since she was about 9 months old

Lena - posted on 04/02/2010

My children were prescribed zyrtec, 1/2 tsp, by the ped. Good luck w/ the allergy situation.

Claire - posted on 04/01/2010

Part of the problem with your child's lack of treatment are the new guidelines for cough/cold/allergy medicine. My son has had a very obvious allergy to cats since he was only 2 months old. We had no choice but to give him Zyrtec (we did the math and gave him a weight appropriate dose, despite the age restrictions). His pediatrician couldn't endorse it, but said we should limit his exposure to cats until he was older. I'm not sure we would have gotten a different answer from an allergist or ENT, but sometimes you should just go with your gut. Get a referral (if you need one) and go to an allergist or ENT. I'm sure someone can give you a more realistic answer.

Ahuva - posted on 03/31/2010

that only treats the symptomes Shara, it does not address the cause or prevent it from coming back.

Shara - posted on 03/31/2010

my son has allergies as well and one doctor told me to use children's benadryl and only give 1/2 teaspoon.even though another doctor didnt recomend it he seems to do fine with it and it seems to help alot.

Ahuva - posted on 03/31/2010

try NAET.
for information see www.naet.com
this is a natural & safe way to test for & treat allergies and it is non-invasive

Byra - posted on 03/30/2010

Both of my daughters also have pretty bad allergies. Zyrtec and Clairitin are both over the counter, but use to be prescription. The does for my daughter at 27lbs and 17mos is 1/2 teaspoon for either med. We use the generic Clairitin/ Loratadine is the active ingredient, and it works great. We have been using it since she was 6 mos old. If you go that route double check on the dosing because it isn't on the box, but I have had two docs say it is what my daughter should be on. Zyrtec gave my daughter diarrhea, but worked great for her allergies. They are too young to test, but keep your windows and doors closed and use your a/c. Also put an air purifier in her room and do all the vacuuming and stuff the other post said. I know doctors can seem superior sometimes, but YOU are paying them so really they work for you. Think of your self as the BOSS and you don't owe them anything. My oldest is going to be 10 this year and test off the charts for allergies and Clairitin always worked great for her too.

Stacey - posted on 03/30/2010

my pedi told us we can give a 1/2 teaspoon of zrytec (sp) and that is what I use for my son since he was 9 months but he also weighed almost 24 lbs then. I would check with your doctor to see what she/he thinks.

Sarah - posted on 03/30/2010

There are a few concerns here- children that young are not able to be reliably tested for allergies, and they are very prone to repeated upper respiratory infections ( both due to the development of their immune systems) Allergies more frequently involve clear drainage (although mucous color is actually related to the speed with which the mucous moves through the system- i.e. how old it is) get noticeably worse after exposure to the allergen (at the playground etc) and will respond to antihistamines in most cases. The most often recommended one is benadryl, although you really should check with your pediatrician about dosing because in children of this age dosing of all medications is weight based and there are precautions to be taken. Please do not administer any medication without your MD or an RN giving you the go ahead. What is right for another posters child may not be ok for yours, and in a few cases, consequences can be serious. I am a nurse, and all of my children (I have four) have had serious seasonal allergies all their lives, so I really sympathize with your frustrations. Hang in there! steam, saline nasal spray, frequent laundering (particularly of bedding) and vacuuming with a HEPA filter, and allergen barriers are all completely safe and may be really helpful if allergens are indeed at the root of your problems. Make sure you say to your ped "I am really concerned that she is suffering with these issues and I want to know what to do about it." Sometimes parents are afraid to be too bold, but your doc needs to hear that you are concerned and need a response.Good Luck!

Corinne - posted on 03/30/2010

unfortunatly my only advice is to just keep changing doctors until you get one that will listen to you! i went through 4 doctors before i found one that i liked!

Jenivie - posted on 03/30/2010

my daughter is 17 months and has very bad allergies he gave us the ok to use equate (wal-mart brand) children's allergy relief but only use 1.875 ml. he also prescribed her nasonex 50 mcg nasal spray to give her every night