05 May, 2009

Enough with the Night Terrors

Spotty has allergies. His eyes are swollen and red. He is rubbing them constantly. He is sneezing 100 times in a row. He is stuffy. He is miserable. I feel bad.

Last night when I picked him up from Carter he was whimpering. The teachers said he had been complaining about his eyes. He cried the whole ride home (45 mins). I got him home, Boy Toy was still at work. I dragged him onto the couch with me. I pulled a cozy blanket up under his chin and turned on BAKUGAN. He almost fell asleep a few times. Boy Toy came home and snuggled Spotty while I made some Car soup. Spotty was eating and chilling so I decided to run to the grocery store. Spotty FREAKS out. Boy Toy suggests that we go lie down and read stories. We read, we sleep. Boy Toy wakes me up around 10:00pm to take out my contacts. Since I have felt crappy all weekend I fall back asleep. At some point Spotty starts screaming like someone is tearing his arms off. This goes on for what seems like hours, but it might be 15 min or so. We can't comfort him. We can't get him to wake up. I stumble out of the bed with him in my arms and we go outside. It is raining lightly. He calms down. Boy Toy ushers us back to bed.

This happens several more times during the night. Not so badly that I need to bring Spotty outside again, but enough that no one is sleeping well.

I have gone through my posts because I thought that I wrote down the last time he had Benadryl he had a really bad nightmarey night. I can't find it.

DOES BENADRYL ADD TO NIGHT TERRORS?

now maybe I will find it next time....

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG!!! This is weird... hope your son will feel better... I`ll ask my friend (nurse) about Benadryl... that`s scary...

meredith

Mojo said...

That's a new one. Never heard that side effect before. Then again, I've never heard of a pain med with the side effect of a blinding headache, but based on my experience from Monday night apparently it can happen. I hope you get it figured out, 'cause that sounds like zero.fun.sir.

also I wanted to say thanks SO much for stopping by and helping to make my "Maggie Tribute" a success. The comments are the best part. (Other than, hopefully, some new visitors to VU...) And knowing you did it on next to no sleep... well that makes it all the more special.

Anonymous said...

I know when I give my son Benadryl he has night terror episode. I have kept a journal. He also has had night terror without Benadryl. He has had night terror episodes since the age of two. He is now nine years old. A week ago my son had an allergic reaction to a dog and I gave him a Claritin red tab pill. I wanted to (of course) help him without giving him Benadryl. He had his first night terror episode in almost a year. I have read that Benadryl is a cure for night terror. This is NOT so in my sons case. Our pediatrician suggested making my son go to the bathroom in the middle of his night terror episode. It sounds funny but it works for my son. The night terror episodes are frightening. He screams in fear, sometimes I can make out what he is saying (ex : "Mommy help me") and other times it is mumbles of syllables. All during my sons episode his eyes are wide open. Sometimes he holds his hands out like he is trying to prevent something from getting to him. Frightening! My pediatrician told me to take him off spicy foods at night and she told me to keep a journal. That is when I noticed that the Benadryl definitely causing him to have a night terror episode. I'm not sure if any of this helps you, but I do sympathize with you. I know how difficult dealing with night terror can be. I feel very helpless when dealing with this. My son doesn't remember the episodes. Thank goodness.

me said...

Merry - thanks for thinking of me!

Mojo - you pick good things to champion

Anynom - Thank you so much for posting. I thought I was crazy as all of the info I have read said that it made things better. I will definately try your tip to have him go to the bathroom.

Anonymous said...

I gave my 2 year old Benadryl back in 2009 (coincidentally). She had night terrors for 2 weeks. It was the worst two weeks of her childhood. Her doctor claimed that she had never heard of this as a side effect. I have never given her benadryl again and she has never had another night terror. Thank God.
I will add that she probably had twice the recommended dosage.(Per her doctor's instructions because she had suddenly broken out in hives at daycare.)