Continued from Part I (which you can read by clicking on the link!)…
Dosing
There is no need to give your child more than what is directed. It will not speed up recovery and will only bring about more side effects (this goes for all three medications). For children ages 2 and older, Claritin and Zyrtec list appropriate doses on their respective boxes. Benadryl is a bit trickier. Even though Benadryl is FDA approved for kiddos younger than 2 years of age, the directions on the OTC package are geared toward children 6 years and younger.
As a pharmacist, I recommend giving children 2 to 5 years of age ½ teaspoonful (6.25mg) and children 6 to 12 years of age 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls (12.5 – 25mg) of Benadryl by mouth every 4 to 6 hours as needed (teenagers can take the adult tablets, unless they are super small for their age). However, as a disclaimer, if you have any doubt, even the slightest inkling, please seek help from your local pharmacist or your child’s physician!
There are no special directions on how these medications should be taken. Food will not affect the response to the drugs. Because of Claritin’s and Zyrtec’s once-daily dosing, I recommend giving them to your child at bedtime so he or she can sleep through any sedating effects the drugs may have. Also, pollen levels are highest in the morning, so Claritin and Zyrtec will be well absorbed into your child’s system and ready for battle if taken at bedtime (a good deal if pollen is your child’s major “invader”).
And let’s stop there! Don’t want to overwhelm you with too much info at once. 🙂 I’ll get Part III out to you next week.
Does your child suffer from allergies (indoor or outdoor)? Leave a comment below to share how their allergy symptoms are controlled!
Questions can be sent to me at Cate@getpharmacyadvice.com, or you can use the “Submit Your Question” form at the top of the page.
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Happy Monday 🙂