Hi Ladies! My daughter continues to get ear infections and the croup. She's recovering from her second round of this stuff. This has all happened in a matter of 4 months. She's got lots of food allergies, and the doctor seems to think that she must have environmental allergies as well and something she's allergic to keeps triggering her getting sick. Long story short...she just finished her cortisone for the croup, has about 5 days left on the antibiotics, and the doctor wants me to start her on Singulair through the end of fall to see if it helps keep her healthy. By the way, she is cared for at home, so she's not being exposed to millions of germs or anything. Any advice? Do any of you have your babies on this medicine? Thanks for all of your help!
***** PLEASE KEEP YOUR ADVICE COMING!!! HOWEVER, HERE'S AN UPDATE!
So everyone understands a bit more of the situation... My daughter is currently on a gluten, nut, egg and dairy free diet. Yeap - that's how allergic she is. She did also test positive for a dairy allergy. We never cut out cheese or yogurt, b/c it's not a common item in her diet. However, for the past 2 weeks, we decided to completely cut out the dairy, since I have a feeling that might actually be making things worst. I'm very into holistic meds or heallings, etc, but it's very stressful to watch your kid not be able to breathe. Here's another catch - my daughter cannot use the nebulizer, because she had an allergic reaction to it (only 1% of the population). She also had a reaction to Zyrtec. So, you see, my options are very limited here!! Oh, she's also been on probiotics for 5 months as well and has always taken her multivitamins. By the way, I did lots of research on this medicine before starting, but can't find many blogs about it online, which is why I came to the best of the best - fellow mama's! =) I do believe that there is a side effect to everything...I mean, it's man made after all - nothing is 100% safe! By the way, to the mommy that wrote about the night terrors, thanks you just made me realize something huge!! My daughter took Singulair for the first time yesterday, and for the first time ever she woke up screaming completely unconsolable and crying!! Huh - I read the side effects, but it was so late last night, that I didn't even think about that connection - THANKS!!!!! Oh, we're also getting a mold test done in the house this weekend...will keep all posted.
First - thank you all for your advice and support!! We decided to take her off Singulair. She had a few other reactions, and we decided that the risks outweigh any benefit we might receive from it. (her doctor agreed) The house test for mold came back pretty clear except for a bit of fungus in our air handler, so we are being exposed to some fungus. (who knows, maybe she's extra sensitive to this stuff). I did contact Dr. Robbins which was recommended by a fellow mama (Reggie). Though they can't really help us yet because of her age, the assistant gave me a few words of advice and has helped me start moving in the right direction. I also plan on looking into NAET and reaching out to a few other doctors that were mentioned by other mamas. Right now we've pumped up her probiotics and also are going to put her on an immune booster. I 'm confident that this will all work! Keep us in your prayers!! THANKS AGAIN LADIES!! xoxoxo
J.
When my daughter was 4, she was given Singulair. It helped the asthma but made her very aggressive. We chose to stop the drug. My friend uses it with her 8 year old every fall and winter and has had no problems. Hope this helps.
Ever try NAET treatment to eliminate the allergies so she will be able to eat the things she gets treated for? It is the best thing ever and she will come up positive for things that traditional bllodwork doesn't, NAET uses no needles, is gentle and eliminates the allergen so the asthma, eczema, croup, ear infections and all of that goes away.
Hi J.,
EVERYTHING stems from the immune system. The one thing that you didn’t mention was whether or not your home is detoxed and if you only use natural things for her hygiene as well. We are not meant to "catch" bugs or even pass them and we are definitely not supposed to stay sick. We are also not supposed to have allergies to natural things.
To make a long story short, I detoxified our home. I removed all the synthetic chemicals, cleaning products, bath and body products, laundry detergent, etc and I also started shopping for food a little bit more cautiously. (For instance, the states of Washington and Oregon have standards on their produce that compare to the US standards of organic so they don’t add synthetic chemicals like pesticides and preservatives.) Synthetic chemicals weaken the immune system and they STAY in your body. (Pharmaceuticals as well and you mentioned several.) They also contraindicate just like a pharmaceutical does so you don't know how they will affect you. They don't just go away, you have to remove them. The best thing is to not expose them and your immune system just gets stronger and stronger. Housewives have a 54% higher risk of cancer than working women, so your daughter being home is not necessarily safe unless you have purposed to make your home safe.
I had two parents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and a daughter diagnosed with ADHD. Turns out, after I detoxed the home, I had one parent with Alzheimer's and no one had ADHD. I have since put my daughter on an absorbable multivitamin and mineral complex that helps keep her healthy. There's only one on the market I trust.
When I detoxed my home, I actually started saving money on our personal care and cleaning products, not to mention the intangible cost savings of NEVER going to the doctor. I mentioned my daughter's ADHD because that was the most immediately visible sign, but I have also seen incredible results with my other daughter’s persistent ear infections and friend’s children with Asthma, Eczema, Autism, digestive issues, and even weight problems going away simply by detoxing the home and the body.
I was the sickest kid you would have ever seen, going in and out of the hospitals beginning at age 11. It was a Godsend when I found out all of this, knowing my kids didn't have to go through it as well...If you're interested in the mechanics of going about it, let me know, I'd love to help.
God bless,
NO, NO NO
please check out Dr. Bruce West at Health alert
there are natural handlings, and the more antibiotics will yield more infections.
Also my friends 7 yr old is now having learning problems from the cortisone when he was 2- do not listen when they tell you no side effects.
And there are many studies about the resultant increase in infections for kids who have been put on antibiotics.
Dr. Bruce West- google him- he will save your little ones health,k
Yes my 3 yr old have been on Singular, Nasonex, and Zyrtec for 8 months. He was so sick with ear infections, constant sinus infections (even MRSA), and constant antibiotics before that. One ENT wanted to do sinus surgery- Dr Orobello. The 2nd opinion Dr Hotchkiss said he did not need surgery but she thought it was allergies. It turns out that it was allergies and he is no longer sick. I realize your reluctance to drug our kids but for mine it's been a blessing. i try to wean him from these and the asthma starts and the stuffy nose starts so back on we go. I only wish we went the allergy route sooner- we had cat scans, cystic fibrosis test, 2 ear surgeries. 5 different antibiotics, tons of blood work. It was so stressful. Good luck.
PS. You do need to cut out allergic foods and any environmental stuff you can. Mine is allergic to grass, trees, weeds and everything outside so other than keeping him in a bubble- he needs allergy meds.
PPS I read some of the other responses and it's easy to tout natural remedies when your kid has a stuffy nose. But when your child is so sick they need surgery or are on constant antibiotics or can't breathe- you need meds. Only after you get those symptoms under control, can you experiment with natural remedies.
My four year old just started Singulair. I have seen no side effects. He seems less congested. He also uses a nasal spray, Flonaise. He is not bothered at all by the meds.
My daughter was put on singular just before she turned 4 yrs old. She gets at least one ear infection every yr. And when she would run around and stop the coughing would insue. Once we put her on singular all that stopped so I am very happy with it. I took her off of it this summer to see if it was a seasonal thing and she was fine all summer then like soon as september hit she started coughing and I just refilled her prescription and she has been fine. So I love it and very grateful for it because the yr before they put her on it was always up and down with her and she would cough so hard she would throw up. Try it and hope it helps!
I am amazed at all the mothers saying Singulair has no side effects. It probably just had no side effects for THEIR child. All of the side effects listed for Singulair are a variation of sleep disorders up to and including suicidal thoughts/tendencies. My daughter is on Singulair and though it is prescribed at bedtime, she cannot take it at night b/c it causes night terrors. She is afraid to go to sleep when I give her the medication at night. I have stopped giving the drug to my daughter because of this. She continues to take her nebulizer as prescribed, but I refuse to continue her Singulair.
"Behavior and mood-related changes have been reported: agitation including aggressive behavior or hostility, bad/vivid dreams, depression, feeling anxious, hallucinations (seeing things that are not there), irritability, restlessness, sleep walking, suicidal thoughts and actions (including suicide), tremor, trouble sleeping." http://www.singulair.com/montelukast_sodium/singulair/con...
I have used it for both of my boys and it works really well. Neither of them have the extreme allergies like it sounds like your daughter has. We now use claratin, but that seems to be enough for my boys. When I notice a little caugh or runny nose, I give them a dose for about 4 to 5 days and they are find.
However, if I remember correctly singulair was pretty expensive for me even though I had insurance. I'm pretty sure it was that allergy medicine. Either way, that was another reason I decided to use the over the counter claratin to see if it would do the same thing for them.
Good luck and it is certainly worth a shot to see if you can get past all this sickness!!
My son was put on singulair as an 18 month old. He was the extremely small percentage that ran very high fevers from taking it. At first the doctors (allergist, ent, pediatrician, etc) were skeptical because they never heard of that happening (even though it was listed as a side effect on the packaging), but we tried it twice and each time he took it for two days and he went from no fever to a fever of 104.
I am very scared to think of the long term effects of such medications. Cortisone is known to be a carcinogen (causes cancer). Sticking a child on medication is dangerous. I don't care if the doctor tells you otherwise. Are you feeding your daughter dairy products??? Dairy consumption causes terrible allergies and even juvenile diabetes. There is a wonderful natural osteopath Albert Robbins in Deerfield Bch that has allergycenter.com he works with allergies, chemical sensitivities, environmental, occupational and preventive medicine. ###-###-#### and ###-###-####. Masking your child's problems with medication especially as such an early age is extremely detrimental to her health.
My son was on Singular as a toddler. There were no side effects, but I always wonder if there will be anything long term that will appear when he grows up. He's 11 now and I don't like the idea of him being on a daily preventative medication, so we just use them as needed. I am expecting to have to use his meds more now that we are in the Fall season-- it seems to get worse when cold fronts come through. I remember his doctor always putting him back on meds around Oct/Nov and keeping him on it through Jan/Feb. I now use Zyrtek as needed for nasal allergies, and Alberterol inhailer sparingly as needed for wheezing.
As for frequent ear infections, has he been to an ENT?
Singlur is for patients with asahma . Very hard brething problems. I would look into it more before putting him on it.
Hi J.! You know very few people know that our homes can be more toxic then the going outside in the elements each and everyday. I know I changed my shopping habits about a year ago and even though Thank God my family did not have any health issues at the time I did and I work from home so you can only imagine. Of course when I started working from home I had no idea what the government doesn't regulate. Any how I started shopping at this wellness company a year ago and have gone non-toxic and safe with their exclusive brand. So if you want to know what I learned, and it shocked me... I am all too happy to share that info with any concerned Moms. ! I am not a sales person for them, I'm just a happy very loyal customer and they allow us to share our 40% discount too, if you want to try them yourself! Happy to help! ____@____.com
And before starting your little girl on any short or long term medications Always do Alot of research even the best doctors sometimes unknowningly prescribe things that keep us healthy from what is bothering us at the time might lead to a different health issue later. God bless you and your family and I am sure everthing will work out for the best.
my now 6 yr old daughter has been on Singular sense she was 1 she takes it for allergies and asthma and its works great for her with no side effects
Hi, J.. I haven't had experience with singulair, but it sounds very likely that your child has environmental allergies. You MUST get your home tested for mold and fungus. It's invisible most of the time, but it gets into the walls and air conditioning ducts, and it's hard to remove, but it can be devastating to a child or any sensitive person. You must also get your house checked for dust mites -- they can live by the millions in the cleanest homes, including air ducts and worst of all, bedding, pillows, mattresses, etc. Their feces cause terrible reactions, especially in children. All the cortisone in the world will not cure this kind of problem.
I will say a prayer for your child's healing, and I do hope that she will be completely well.
Peace,
Syl
I had a sick child from the age of 2 months until about 4 years old. He had ear infections, croup, and asthma issues.
At age 2 we also placed my son on Singulair. I have to say that it help him a lot. He was on it until he was about 6 or 7 years old. He is now 12 years old and seems to not need it. He still has a rescue inhaler and a nebulizer that is needed a few times through out the year.
I hope this gives you a bit of insight.
One other thing, give it at night as it makes them a little sleepy.
Good luck.
Hi. This must be frustrating. Here are some ideas:
Switch to non-allergenic laundry detergent. I use Arm N Hammer's Free and Clear.
Eliminate dairy foods and eliminate white flour.
Give her a probiotic everyday. Her antibiotics are killing her healthy bacteria in her colon and she needs to replace them or candida yeast will overgrow and weaken her immune system. This may be the problem already. Look at health food stores. I use Jarro lab's Jarrodophilus in powdered form and mix it in water or a drink as directed. This is so important. Probiotics help with allergies and help with immunity.
When I hear of ear infections, I immediately think dairy or lack of probiotics are the issue. And with coughs I think of too much mucus from dairy or possibly wheat. Of course, check for mold in your environment too.
Also, a quality multi-vitamin, we use Animal Parade from the health food store.
May as well boost the immune system with elderberry. We get a chewable version with vitamin C in it, SambuActin from Solaray.
Good luck!
We only tried Singulair for a few days, caused my daughter to have bloody noses. If your daughter has allergies you want to find a medication that will work so she can stay healthy. My daughter goes through it worst in the spring and fall, she even got sent home in PreK because they thought she had pink eye (just her alllergies acting up). Work with your doctor to find the one that works best for her. (We ended up with children's Benadryl) Good luck.
Have you cut out the foods that she has allergies to? May sound like a dumb question but many people find out about the allergies and still eat the food or give it to their children. If haven't, I'd do that immediately. Food has such a larger impact on our bodies than we know. Have you ever given her probiotics to strengthen her immune system after antibiotics? Nearly 70% of the immune system resides in the intestinal tract and the good bacteria is a major part of that. When antibitics are given, it totally wipes out the good and the bad. You may also want to look at the type of products you have around the house such as toxic cleaning chemicals, plug-ins, candles and other things. She may also be responding to those types of things as well. Singulair is just going to cover up the symptoms, if you're even lucky that it does that and you don't know how it will affect her. I highly doubt studies have been done on children that young. It's best to find the culprit and remove it otherwise bigger health issues will arise in the future.
Your girl needs to rebuild her digestive and immune systems... colostrum, probiotics... the medications won't really solve the underlying problems and they can foster additional problems. Plus, avoid giving her any vaccines - she probably needs to be detoxed from environmental toxins she's already been exposed to that have thrown her body into confusion.
Hi!! My son started Singular when he was two due to allergy induced asthma. He is allergic to pretty much everything. He is now 14 and I haven't found anything wrong with the medicine. He takes it at night they are chewable tablets. He hasn't had an asthma attack in 5yrs.
