any ideas for STOPPING an allergy attack?

    • Gold Top Dog

    any ideas for STOPPING an allergy attack?

    Done so far...this is for Lily, who was sent home today due to her allergy attack being out of control:

    Zyrtec in the early am before school (this is daily during allergy season).

    Benadryl later on when sent home.

    Ice water to drink and hold against her extremely extremely, maddeningly itchy nose.

    Ran the A/C to clean out any pollen in here freshen things up.

    Staying inside.

    The Benadryl has had really ZERO impact on her....I'm so sad for her...she's miserable..it's mainly her nose itching really badly...it's red and might start bleeding soon if she doesn't stop.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Netti Pot?  Not sure on the spelling.  Also, you might try having her take a shower or bath or even washing her face...sorry she feels so crummy. I am sure Cali will have a miracle cure.  Have you done a search to see if this has been discussed before?

    • Gold Top Dog

    As I recall that pot thing requires a tube in the nose...AIN'T happening with Lily LOL. I am still looking for local honey but where to look??

    Just hoped there was something to stop the nose itching in it's tracks. It's scary when BENADRYL doesn't make a dent.

    We're trying Allegra next I think...running out of meds to try.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I assume Zyrtec works best for her? Have you tried the other meds, like Claritin? How about other antihistamines like chlorotrimeton (sp?) or even Atarax? Just thinking outloud. I bought the Neti Pot recently and it does help greatly with clearing out the sinuses, but I'm not sure how much it would help with the itchiness. Not a bad or expensive thing to give a try with tho. Poor Lily, I hope she feels better soon. Our tree and grass pollens are super high here too.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Check with Whole Foods or Central Market for the honey.  You might even find some at a Farmer's Market if there is one around you.  Do you have any Nasonex?  That stuff works wonders for me.  Or maybe even Nyquil and let her sleep it off.  I would definately call the pediatrician and see what they suggest also to make sure she doesn't get too much in her and a bad mix of drugs.  My allergies have been horrible today too...something must have blown in with the storm last night.

    My mom swears by the netti pot but you do have to pouyr liquid in your nose.  She also sticks tissues up her nose which I have resorted to myself and helps with the itching.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Saw your post after my post but did want to mention that the neti pot doesn't use a tube, but it does require pouring solution into each nostril. I can't imagine I'd have liked it much at Lily's age.

    When I had hives last year, the Dr. gave me Atarax (at my request). I think it's prescription only, but might be worth asking for at your next visit.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Fill the tub for a bath and have her submerge her head and blow bubbles out her nose? have her open her eyes under water? wash and rinse twice? That way you could wash off anything that might be on her that you can't see...have her put on clothes/sleep on sheets that have just come out of the dryer---not because others aren't clean but if you had any windows open then there might be fine particles sitting on the surface...Then maybe try a topical cream after the bath to help her nose stop itching....

    This may just have to run its course until her system calms down. Poor kid.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Lily's been on Claratin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl.

    She's got an appt tomorrow at the doc's where I plan to ask about Allegra. I don't want her on nasal spray as that can be habit forming...or work for a short time then stop and then you have to restart etc.

    I'm giving her a bath right now...that I hadn't thought of...thank you guys!

    • Gold Top Dog

    My husband has really, really bad allergies and he swears by the Nasonex.  If you don't want her on prescription nasal spray, they sell over the counter saline spray called Ocean that works really well at flushing the nasal passages and removing all the built up pollen in them.

    Hope Lily feels better soon - have you thought about getting those shots to build up her resistance to what she's allergic to?

    Deb W. 

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Sorry -- it's rare I can even check the board during the day.

    Me and my homeopathics -- but they WORK.

    There are two main 'pure remedies' (which are then combined into compounds) for allergy stuff -- Apis is typically associated with a hive-type reaction (sting, contact allergy, allergies ON THE SKIN), and Histaminum which is more sneezing, etc.

    For FAST, as in *immediate* response get the Boiron blue tubes of both of those.  They are crazy to 'use'.  You're supposed to take off the clear cap, then upend it and clamp your teeth around the little neckband and twist holding your tongue up.  The little pellets will go under your tongue and you want her to get maybe 4-5 of them (whatever the label says).  Tell her to just let them dissolve under her tongue.

    However -- if it is an *emergency* (like she can't breathe) BESIDES Benedryl, have her CHEW a couple of the pellets and *then* let 4-5 dissolve under her tonuge.  But the sooner she can get the dust under her tongue the faster it works -- and frankly this will stop me mid-sneeze.

    The two best allergy formulas I know of are Boirons "Sabadil" (little tablets-- again you put under the tongue to dissolve) and BHI - Heel's "Allergy" formulas

    I probably like the -Heel one better and it's what I take every day.  It's been THE worst allergy year ever -- and as of like November I was taking 12 or more Benedryl caps a day and not even feeling sleepy from it!! (if your body uses it you don't feel as sleepy).  I'm now down to just 1 1/2 tablets taken at bedtime!  That is ALL.    Billy's not taking Benedryl at all any more.

    Hylands is maybe a little more commonly found than Heel.  Hylands has a Hayfever blend that is good, but their Hives blend is really good as well (and it can be combined with the above if you need/want to). 

    The only difference physically in the Hylands tablets and the -Heel ones is the Heel ones are a little harder and dissolve slower.  The Hylands ones are pretty soft.

    Homeopathics (Lily is gonna love me!!) are sweet -- watch these, Mom - they taste like candy (sooooo true!!)

    Get raw honey either at a produce market or bodega or do a search for an apiary near you.  But the words 'raw' or 'unfiltered' honey are equal.

    The one drawback to homeopathics -- they don't last long.  You have to give them every 4-6 hours (see label).  And loading them (giving two doses within an hour of each other) and THEN doing them as directed is a common, very safe & acceptable way to use them.

     Oscillococcinum IS also a homeopathic.  Boiron makes that one.  But you won't find these that I'm talking about at WallyWorld.  Most decent health stores carry the Boiron singles (and Histaminum and Apis are very common).  Some carry at least a small amount of the Hylands ones.  -Heel is harder to find but man, it's a GOOD company and a superior blend.

    Now -- we're talking JUST allergy here, right?  Not Asthma??  That's a whole different thing, but I've found the asthma remedies work FASTER than an inhaler.  I can literally stop an asthma attack with either the -Heel asthma blend or the Boiron single of the remedy I use. 

    This is getting complicated but if anyone wants more information email me.  But these are so fast it's incredible.  and ZERO side effects - no sleepiness, no dry mouth. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    THANK YOU! I will check for some of these...maybe at Central Market...they had a pretty big homeopathics area last i was there.

    • Gold Top Dog
    I'd actually just stick with atarax if she were my patient. Adding a bunch of herbals of other medications will complicate the picture. The key with an acute allergic reaction is getting it under control with the least possible medications so you know what actually did the job. Many herbals react with prescription medications as well so when you are piling them on you are bound to screw with one or all of them. I'm sure everyone is well meaning, but the appropriate thing to do is call your doctor for advice if you are using all that and it's still not controlled instead of adding a bunch of supplements. Homeopathic by no means is equal to side effect free or drug interaction free. Many of the homeopathics for allergic rhinitis have been proven in randomized controlled trials to be worthless. Here are a few pubmed links.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18383656?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16675332?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11159586?ordinalpos=20&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

    the last one shows a study where the objective measure showed no difference but pt's subjectively felt better, basically the placebo effect for homeopathy. The placebo effect is generally not pronounced in children for obvious reasons.