Hey Mom's what allergy meds work best

We started with the Claritin, but it had little effect. The allergist then put both girls on Clarinex, which is a prescription, stronger version of the Claritin, and that worked well for Lily, but for Em (who will be six next week!) it still wasn't enough, so she went on to Allegra, which worked well for about a year. Now she's added Singulair to the Allegra, but we just started that so it's a little too soon to tell. And Lily's now on Zyrtec, which so far seems to be okay, but for Em it made her bounce off the wall! Em used to do the Nasonex nasal spray, but we've recently stopped that as well. Both girls get saline nasal spray twice a day, and I think that helps a lot, it thins the mucous and helps keep the sinuses clear. DH and I do nasal flushes and that's really helpful, but Em didn't like it, so we stuck with the spray for now till she's a little older.

I take Singulair and do the Nasonex and it works pretty well for me. Occasionally I have to take an OTC if the mold gets pretty bad because my eyes will get super itchy, but I really like the Singulair, haven't noticed any side effects.

Over the counter children's cold and allergy elixir..found at wal-mart...no drowziness and works well for my son's hay and dust allergies!

Have you heard of Nasalcrom? I use it and so does my 2 year old. It doesn't clear up the symptoms, but if you keep using it for a couple weeks, you don't have symptoms anymore. Maybe you can try it in combination with Sudafed or something until it kicks in.
Heres a little piece from drgreene.com about it:
 
Nasalcrom is an exciting, over-the-counter allergy medicine that is more effective and far safer than either decongestants or antihistamines. Nasalcrom is a nasal spray that creates a protective barrier around the allergy cells in the nose so that pollen, mold, dust, and animal dander can't stick to them. It stops the allergic response before it starts--without causing any drowsiness, irritability, or decreased learning. It doesn't reverse allergy symptoms that are already present, but prevents new allergen exposures from causing symptoms. Unlike decongestant nasal sprays, this gentle medicine can be used for weeks or months at a time with no fear of rebound effects or addiction.
Many people think that Nasalcrom doesn't work well, since when they give Nasalcrom a try, they experience no improvement in their allergy symptoms. Since Nasalcrom is a preventive medicine, though, it is only after using it 3 to 4 times a day for a week or so that the full benefits begin to appear. Nasalcrom is safer than decongestants and antihistamines and was a prescription medication for 14 years before it became over-the-counter.

Well I wanted to stay away from anything sprayed into the nose. I have read/seen numerous things on those carrying quite a risk for addiction...as in they work so well you cannot do without them,...and it takes more use each time for them to have the same effect they once did.
Anyone else read this?
 
Thanks guys for the input...I am going to start with the OTC and I am looking into the Allegra as well. Maybe try to get her in to the docs on her Spring break and see what she thinks.

I would also stay away from sprays. Logan seems to do great with Benadryl. (sp)

here's something along the lines of what I meant for the nose sprays...I guess addiction isn't the right term...more like reliance?
[linkhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nasal-spray-addiction/AN01241]http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nasal-spray-addiction/AN01241[/link]

Yes, the OTC decongestant nasal sprays have a rebound effect. Nasonex and Flonase are the steroidal compounds mentioned in the article. Our ENT swears by the nasal irrigation and using saline wash to flush the nasal passages as a daily care routine to help prevent sinus infections. The Allegra is also what DH takes (along with Flonase) and it works well for him too.