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I don't know about the blood brain barrier but my DS has been on 10mg of Claritin daily for a few months now w/out problems. His allergies are much better now. This was prescribed by his allergist, along w/ Flonase and Patanol drops on an as needed basis. We have not had to use the flonase or pantanol but just a few times. Before the daily Claritin, he was needing the flonase and patanol on a regular basis and they weren't the best approach.

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We use a WONDERFUL supplement called Querciplex, which consists of quercitin and bromelain. They are natural antihistamines and anti-inflammatories. We have been taking them daily in high doses for years and we can't be without it. We no longer have the allergy, sinus, and cold problems we used to have.

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A pediatrician we saw once at the hospital told me that antihistimines and decongestants bring out tics in kids who are predisposed to getting tics, so parents have to weigh out the good and the bad, and decide how serious the child's situation is, and then go from there.

The floride from the dental hygenist can also bring out tics.

 

It sounds like there are some natural antihistimes, from what someone posted. Interesting.

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I don't know about the blood brain barrier but my DS has been on 10mg of Claritin daily for a few months now w/out problems. His allergies are much better now. This was prescribed by his allergist, along w/ Flonase and Patanol drops on an as needed basis. We have not had to use the flonase or pantanol but just a few times. Before the daily Claritin, he was needing the flonase and patanol on a regular basis and they weren't the best approach.

 

 

I think it is not uncommon for our kids to have reactions to antihistimines... but from what I have read on this forum, everyone seems to be different. My son has had hyperactivity with claritin and with beadryl in the past. Now he takes zyrtec and benedryl and does fine. We have also used quercetin with vitamin C. He had depression with singulair. I think much of this (unfortunately) is trial and error.

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My DS15 has incredibly bad seasonal allergies, in addition to dust, mold and cat dander. Prior to PANDAS, his ped had prescribed Zyrtec and Flonase; those helped, but never really irradicated the stuffiness, itchy eyes, etc. We even used benedryl at night with no negatives, but not as many positives as we would've liked.

 

Like a couple of the others here, though, since PANDAS, we've added quercitin (for us, it's a QBC Complex by SolaRay -- quercitin/bromelaine/Vitamin C). It has helped a LOT. As I understand it, quercitin actually works as the mast cell level -- preventing them from making histamine in the first place -- rather than impacting an H1 or H2 receptor.

 

We also added Pepcid a few months ago; an H2 blocker. Really LOVE this stuff . . . it has made such a difference. I don't expect it it crosses the blood brain barrier, though. I think it works on the H2 receptors in the gut so that no as much histamine is taken up?

 

Somebody with a better science background can check me/correct me, maybe?

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Hi Nancy-

 

This is timely for me.

 

Older dd (11) has never had seasonal allergies, until now. She had a short allergy bout a month ago (diagnosed as allergies by ped), and we think she is having another (could be a cold, plan to see ped for her opinion Monday).

 

Stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, etc.

 

She is on flonase, advil (more to hopefully avoid a pandas flare- which hasn't happened yet), mucinex (was on zyrtec, changed). Not seeing any help to the suffering from these.

 

If we get confirmation of allergies Monday- I am going to try the quercitin. I am wondering are you saying you see a difference with the allergies from the pepcid (or the pandas)? This I have in the cabinet, so could start tomorrow night.

 

Assuming these things made a difference in the allergy symptoms- did they help even after the allergies had begun (or did you start prior to allergy season), and, how long did it take for you to notice improvement?

 

As always- thanks!!

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If we get confirmation of allergies Monday- I am going to try the quercitin. I am wondering are you saying you see a difference with the allergies from the pepcid (or the pandas)? This I have in the cabinet, so could start tomorrow night.

 

Assuming these things made a difference in the allergy symptoms- did they help even after the allergies had begun (or did you start prior to allergy season), and, how long did it take for you to notice improvement?

 

As always- thanks!!

 

We saw improvements in both his physical allergic response and his behavior with both the additions of quercitin and pepcid, though I will say the impact of the pepcid was more dramatic than with the quercitin. Overall, the quercitin took longer for us to see an impact, and that would seem to make sense as it's working further up the chain (at the mast cell level), rather than at the receptor level. So I'm guessing it takes a little time for it to make a dint in histamine production.

 

The impact of the pepcid, meanwhile, was nearly immediate: within 2 days. Behavior (fight or flight mini-episodes over things like homework stress) was much improved, and his eczema patches (wrists, inside elbows) began to evaporate also and was entirely gone within a week.

 

And yes, I think both of them can help even in the midst of allergies. We began both in the midst, and we've now got things controlled sufficiently so that we're doing the allergy meds (as opposed to supplements) like zyrtec and flonase only every other day instead of daily. Truth is, with pollen, dust and mold on DS's list, there really never is a "non-allergy" season for us <_< , so he's taking both quercitin and pepcid year 'round, at least for now!

 

Good luck!

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THanks, Nancy!

 

Well off to the doc tomorrow- but I am starting to think this is a cold, as the symptoms are morphing a bit, her sister seems like she might be getting it- and now I hear her BFF and brother have come down with a bad cold.

 

Good news- that maybe we won't need to deal with a ton of allergies long term. Howe ver almost certainly guarantees us a spike in pandas issues :(

 

Calling Dr T :)

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The impact of the pepcid, meanwhile, was nearly immediate: within 2 days. Behavior (fight or flight mini-episodes over things like homework stress) was much improved, and his eczema patches (wrists, inside elbows) began to evaporate also and was entirely gone within a week.

 

 

 

why do you think the pepcid has such an impact on fight or flight episodes? thank.

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why do you think the pepcid has such an impact on fight or flight episodes? thank.

 

Ever since discovering PANDAS and the role of DS's immune system in his behavioral symptomology, we've been on the lookout for various connections. DS has had some eczema since he was an infant, but when his OCD went off the charts back in 2009 (when we discovered the role of PANDAS in his life), his eczema became similarly uncontrollable for the first time, too. It had been virtually non-existant between the ages of 7 and 12, but then at 12, it suddenly bloomed in full force again.

 

We tried every OTC and prescription cream on the market, but patches at his wrists and inside elbows, especially, became very inflamed. When he was at his worst -- hugely dialated pupils, very emotionally fragile, almost any trigger could set him into a near-panic attack -- the eczema bloomed for the first time on new places, like on his fingers, shoulders, his chest, etc.

 

As he began to heal with abx for the PANDAS, his eczema began to ease off, too, and heal some as well. But after a couple of "flare episodes," we came to realize that the flaring of the eczema was a pretty reliable forewarning of a behavioral flare to come . . . increased general anxiety, higher fight/flight tendencies, lower emotional tolerances, etc. Those patterns held true for the next several months, so when we would see the red patches creep in again, we knew his anxiety was soon to increase, as well. And it did, over and over again.

 

Then someone here on the forum suggested Pepcid for the histamine response that can drive conditions like eczema. Not only did it work like a charm on the skin condition, it also reduced the high-anxiety, fight/flight stuff that the eczema flairs portended. We knew that they were connected, but what we didn't know until the Pepcid was that calming one could also calm the other!

 

Why? We think it's about the histamine. Given DS's overall allergic nature (pollen, mold, dust, cat dander, etc.), we know that he's high in histamine in general; the eczema seemed to be more of that histamenic (?) response. If you poke around, you'll find they're currently connecting many mental "conditions" to high brain histamine levels, also: bi-polar, schizophrenia, etc. So, maybe DS's increased anxiety was driven by increases in histamine in his brain and elsewhere, and the Pepcid helped correct that balance?

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why do you think the pepcid has such an impact on fight or flight episodes? thank.

 

Ever since discovering PANDAS and the role of DS's immune system in his behavioral symptomology, we've been on the lookout for various connections. DS has had some eczema since he was an infant, but when his OCD went off the charts back in 2009 (when we discovered the role of PANDAS in his life), his eczema became similarly uncontrollable for the first time, too. It had been virtually non-existant between the ages of 7 and 12, but then at 12, it suddenly bloomed in full force again.

 

We tried every OTC and prescription cream on the market, but patches at his wrists and inside elbows, especially, became very inflamed. When he was at his worst -- hugely dialated pupils, very emotionally fragile, almost any trigger could set him into a near-panic attack -- the eczema bloomed for the first time on new places, like on his fingers, shoulders, his chest, etc.

 

As he began to heal with abx for the PANDAS, his eczema began to ease off, too, and heal some as well. But after a couple of "flare episodes," we came to realize that the flaring of the eczema was a pretty reliable forewarning of a behavioral flare to come . . . increased general anxiety, higher fight/flight tendencies, lower emotional tolerances, etc. Those patterns held true for the next several months, so when we would see the red patches creep in again, we knew his anxiety was soon to increase, as well. And it did, over and over again.

 

Then someone here on the forum suggested Pepcid for the histamine response that can drive conditions like eczema. Not only did it work like a charm on the skin condition, it also reduced the high-anxiety, fight/flight stuff that the eczema flairs portended. We knew that they were connected, but what we didn't know until the Pepcid was that calming one could also calm the other!

 

Why? We think it's about the histamine. Given DS's overall allergic nature (pollen, mold, dust, cat dander, etc.), we know that he's high in histamine in general; the eczema seemed to be more of that histamenic (?) response. If you poke around, you'll find they're currently connecting many mental "conditions" to high brain histamine levels, also: bi-polar, schizophrenia, etc. So, maybe DS's increased anxiety was driven by increases in histamine in his brain and elsewhere, and the Pepcid helped correct that balance?

 

How long does the quercetin take to work? I'm thinking of trying it for my own allergies!

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How long does the quercetin take to work? I'm thinking of trying it for my own allergies!

 

Quercetin takes about 10-20 min to kick in, depending on how irritated your symptoms are when you take it. About the same as it takes a motrin to kick in.

 

When things are bad, we use 1200mg (two pills) at a time. When things are under control, we take 600mg at a time. I love the stuff. My only complaint it that it only seems to last about 4 hrs, compared to the 8-24 hr relief you get from OTC allergy meds. But on super bad days, my DD takes one 24hr zyrtec and then quercetin thru the day as needed.

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How long does the quercetin take to work? I'm thinking of trying it for my own allergies!

 

I'd have to say that for DS, his response to quercitin wasn't nearly as immediate as LLM experienced. But then, he may have had a much higher histamine level to tackle, too. Although, I do think I experienced some relief more quickly than he did; I just wasn't certain that it wasn't on some level psychosymatic. <_<

 

I would say that within about 2 weeks, DS's allergic-type symptoms -- itchy eyes, stuffy nose, scratchy throat -- had abated significantly.

 

So, between LLM and my DS, your window would appear to be anywhere from immediate to a couple of weeks . . . not bad for a cheap, readily-available, no-side-effect supplement, eh? ;)

 

Good luck!

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