Toddler has allergies- how can they see grandparents?

[Catherine8485]

Hi all, my 3 year old suffers from bad rashes and itchy skin when she is around animals. Her Grandparents have 3 cats and when she visited she would be relentlessly itching her skin. To the point we stopped visiting.

We have now realised that piriton before and after the visit helps. They can come to us sometimes but struggle to find a way as Grandma doesnt drive. They are a 30 minute drive away.

Would you avoid going? If not what frequency knowing the double dose of piriton.

your child's health has to come first.
having allergic reactions is miserable.
let them visit.

I suffered (and still do suffer) from a bad cat allergy and well remember trips to see family as a child and it not only made my visits very uncomfortable for me but, looking back, caused me such terrible asthma attacks that they hugely compromised my health. If my own children had had similar allergies I wouldn’t have allowed trips to households with known allergens.

Go to them, but not their house. Meet in a park or something.

Does the Puriton get rid of the reaction entirely?

How often would you LIKE to visit if she wasn't allergic?

I completly agree but wondered how people felt if the piriton managed the problem

Meet close to their house but not at their house. Or go fetch them to your house. Don't deliberately expose your child to a known allergen.

Yes it does , so far. My husband and I disagree on how often to medicate her. I dont like giving her medication unless she is ill it has potential side effects and on this basis I feel once a month. My husband however knows they will barely see us if we dont go to them, he wants to maintain a good relationship with them and would like to visit once a week

I wouldn't worry too much about the Piriton if I am honest, but it makes me think of times I visit houses with dogs, and how I feel. I grew up with dogs, would really like one now, but I don't they now make me itch and wheeze. I can cope with help from antihistamines, but it is a bit miserable. Does she want to go?

DD used to be allergic to cat hair (sneezing). We occasionally visited friends or family with cats and we did the dose with piriton.
As DD grew her eczema decreased and allergies lessened. We now have a cat no problem.
I would try to meet outside, but for grandparents I'd check with pharmacy and if they are happy carry on with piriton to enable short indoor visits.

I work in health care, and there are many children on daily antihistamines for allergies.

This was me as a child and I clearly remember it- 40yrs on. I too had a cat allergy. Streaming, itchy eyes and nose and not enjoying the visits at all! Don't drug your child up just to visit their house!!!

I agree- meet in a park or near their home, or at a push in their garden, but don't subject your child to the pain of it all- even if meds help somewhat. In my day, antihistamines caused drowsiness, so I remember many visits where I woke up in the car on the way home and not remembering the visits at all as I'd slept on the sofa! Also check whether the cats have fleas? I've read several research papers since about cat allergies and some claim its actually the fleas on the cats, or their saliva- not the actual cat fur that trigger allergies.

On a good note- I grew out of the cat allergy and have visited friends/family with cats now without any issues and no need to antihistamines.

Ah I have a very bad cat allergy and generally avoided homes with cats when growing up, except, that is, when we went to visit my mum's side of the family in Denmark and we would visit my aunt's and I would have to stay in the garden. In winter. In the snow. It gets bloody cold in Copenhagen in December.

Anyway if it were my kids i would suggest GPs come to us. That said, if antihistamine works then I'd use it for a visit and assess.

Also about being 'drugged up'. My younger DD has terrible hayfever from February to May. You cannot avoid pollen unfortunately without severely restricting your life, so she is loaded up with antihistamine for 4 months a year.

But is acceptable when it's not entirely necessary? I understand if its hayfever or something avoidable. I just dont know how 'right' it is to do it in this way

I don’t see any harm in giving it once a week if it keeps a relationship with her Grandma, but I’d try and take them out to a park or something if you can.

It's not her fault she is allergic to cats, it's not grandmas fault she has cats.. give her an antihistamine or meet elsewhere.

I mean you have 3 options here

I. Give an antihistamine before and after visit at grandmas

1. Meet else where in a neutral place

1. Don't meet grandma again until your child has grown out of her allergy which may never happen and she won't have a relationship with grandma

As grandma doesn't drive I don't see any
Other way around it. Either you want your child to have a relationship with grandma or you don't

Your call you're her mum but it will have implications

I think my original post could have been more clear. If I give her piriton how often would most parents find acceptable, considering it may have some side effects? What's too many times

I would give it as per the instructions. Certainly once a week is fine.

My parents have cats which my son reacts to. We give anti histamine before a visit, no problem

How often if you dont mind me asking?

What side effects are you concerned about? As mentioned above, many adults and children take antihistamines daily.

Its summer now, so meet outside. When the worse weather comes maybe compromise on every two weeks.

When a little older you may be able to desensitise her anyway if she doesn't just frow out of it.

I do agree, I was just unsure as to how often it's acceptable to give a 3 year old piriton just for the visit. Instructions dont say, and I always felt medicine should be used to treat sickness so uneasy on high frequencies of an antihistamine with potential side effects