I'm having a bit of a problem with my lad of four years. He's just started school and since the end of week one we've been facing major, and I mean major, temper tantrums in the evening. I have been trying to cut him some slack as he's been getting extremely over-tired when coming out of school and is obviously very overwhelmed, having to sit still more, concentrate, make new friends etc. However, I'm noticing that his tantrums are tallying up with his daily dose of cetirizine - literally a half hour or so after taking it he's having these enourmous breakdowns. The cetirizine has always made him a bit hyper so we've always given it well in advance of bedtime so that he could ""run it out"" - or else he'd been awake till really late. So, I think that the dose is tipping him over a crevice because he's already overtired and hyper from school. Does that make sense?? Has anyone else experienced a similar situation? I'm going to talk to the nurse about dividing his dose to see if it helps a little bit, but am a bit reluctant as I don't want him going to school feeling hyper, for all the obvious reasons. Help!
Hi Wheels yeap my Ryan is hyperactive and when he has his cetirizine tablet he gets even more hyper. So I have started giving him it as soon as he wakes in the morning before he even gets out of bed. That way it can kick in while he is eating breakfast and gives me a good hour before the walk to school to get him starting to burn the hyperness off followed by his walk to school. His class teacher this year is amazing and she is really good. I would leave school to deal with hyperactivity due to the cetirizine for a while while you are waiting to see the nurse to discuss the options of other medication. Good luck and I hope your son settles down and enjoys school
Well, the nurse suggested a half dose of cetirizine and tonight was the first time that we didn't have a tantrum. But I'd also given him my complete too, so that would also have helped. It's not that he doesn't enjoy school - quite the opposite, he absolutely loves it and I know that he is trying really, really hard and is concentrating well. He just seems to be saving up the fallout for all that effort at home! And I think the cetirizine really is tipping the balance. Fingers crossed we've hit on something that will help (just hope his asthma doesn't go downhill).
Whilst we're talking about schools, I'm really pleased with my son's school. They have been so proactive about his asthma and haven't been shy about giving him his inhaler if he shows even the slightest symptom. It's such a huge weight off my mind. His teacher is asthmatic so she doesn't need any convincing!
That is brilliant news about his school. It also helps when a teacher or teaching assistant in my case is asthmatic or has a child who has asthma. Always takes the weight of our shoulders knowing our children are in safe hands.
Fingers crossed you have found the right dose of cetirizine for your son and his asthma stays controlled
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