Anyone ever tried year-round Claritin or Zyrtec as a preventative to mild (level 1 or 2) food allergic reaction?
I came upon some medical research a while back that recommended its use as a treatment in situations where benadryl alone was not working. I finally tried it in desperation last winter when a mild allergic reaction (full-body hives) would not go away. It worked like a charm. That started me thinking and I realized that almost all my children's mild allergic reactions occur during the winter when they are not already on medication for hay fever. It made me think that perhaps the antihistimine was suppressing some instances of mild allergic reactions. Obviously, I am not talking about allergic reactions that require an epi-pen as I wold simply use the epi-pen then. These are situations where my kid touched an allergen or perhaps ate something contaminated with trace amounts.
Anyhow, my oldest has been using Zyrtec year-round for many years by advice of one of his specialists to combat food sensitivities/vomiting due to other medical issues and I have been told that it is safe to use year-round. In connecting the dots, I realized that these two recommended uses are probably related, and that perhaps it may not be a bad idea to consider giving at least one of my two younger kids year-round antihistimine as well. Of course, I would discuss it with at least their pediatrician first.
Anyone else ever tried using Claritin or Zyrtec as a preventative or treatment for mild food allergic reactions?
