Hayfever and allergy testing

[craziedaisy]

Hi I wonder if anyone can offer any advice. My 3 year old son developed really bad hayfever last year and we spent a really miserable summer indoors for around 6 weeks. The doctor prescribed Cetrazine which I was rather reluctant to give him on a daily basis. This year I want to be ready with all possible treatment in advance. Has anyone given Cetrazine to a little one for any lenght of time. Also has anyone had any success with any other medication for a child as young as this.

He also seems to get snuffly sometimes and we can't figure out what has started him off, so think he may need to go for allergy testing. Can anyone recommend any private specialists in the South West as GP seems reluctant to refer.

Many thanks

Yes, DS gets hayfever on top of his asthma, he has cetirizine from March-October and has done for a few years now. We haven't tried anything else though as this seems to work fine.

Can I ask how old your son was when he started taking meds and also whether this enables him to be out and about when pollen count high. I am dreading amother summer like last year.

I think he'd have been 3 or 4, and it certainly greatly reduced his symptoms. As an aside, DD (12) gets worse hayfever, as well as an antihistamine I give her a saline nasal spray to use as needed, which seems to help with the nose/eye/sinus symptoms. You may also be able to get a becotide (steroid) spray prescribed, you can't get it over the counter for under 12's. I know there are all sorts of alternative remedies too, someone else might know more, I've never tried them so I can't comment.