Talking Allergies

Has anyone in the GTA/Toronto noticed that it is impossible to find children's Reactine syrup lately? I have checked numerous Shopper's, Loblaws and Rexall, and can't find it anywhere (we use it for our daughter's seasonal allergies, she is about 3 yrs old). I was told it was on back order.

Anyone able to find it anywhere? Thanks

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Erik
peanut allergic since the age of 2
toddler daughter with egg, wheat and peanut allergies

Someone posted in another forum I visit (FAS) that Children's Reactine (cetrizine) has been DISCONTINUED!!!!!

terrible news.. why would they do this? *sigh*

guess I'll have to try children's Claritin or Aerius... wonder which is better? Reactine worked so well for seasonal allergies & hives..

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Erik
peanut allergic since the age of 2
toddler daughter with egg, wheat and peanut allergies

Hi everyone, I'm a pharmacist and from what I've heard it's not discontinued. It's too huge a seller. From what I've heard, they are coming out with new packaging, so the back order is temporary, but there's no available date yet. We can't get it here in AB either. So far most people have either begun using 1/2 the adult tablet (if they can swallow very small pills), or switching temporarily to others.

For the record, we are seeing an unprecedented number of medications on back order. There was an article on this in Macleans a few weeks back, and no one seems to know why it's happening. Please don't get angry at your pharmacy - we are ALL in the same boat! We constantly having to switch suppliers, wholesalers, etc, just to see if we can get stuff in. In 20 years I've never experienced this.

I'm working tomorrow, so I will ask our manager if he's got any updates.

Thanks momtobunches,

That's GREAT news... yes, it's very popular with all our friends too as it really works on children's allergies... it really helps our daughetr when she has hives, or sneezing, runny nose etc plus it doesn't make her drowsy like benedryl does... (I know beendryl is better for a food allergy since it reacts fastest).. that is great news it will be available again.

I had been at Shopper's Drug Mart at Yonge & Finch and they told me it had been discontinued as well, but they probably didn't know all the specific details. It's unfortunate it is not available now as it is peak allergy season (tree pollen, grass pollen, etc)

Thanks for the update.. glad it will be available again soon. I checked about 20 pharmacies in Toronto this week and couldn't find it anywhere until today.. the Rexall at Hazelton Lanes had one package of grape Reactine liquid on the shelf so I picked up their final package (probably the last one in Toronto).

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Erik
peanut allergic since the age of 2
toddler daughter with egg, wheat and peanut allergies

Children's Reactine is still listed on the Reactine website: http://www.reactine.ca/en/index.asp

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14 yr old daughter: no health issues
11 yr old son: allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, sesame, sunflower, mustard, poppy seeds, green peas, some fruits, instructed to avoid all other legumes (except soy & green beans), pollen, cats, horses

GOOD NEWS!!!! It's NOT discontinued. I spoke with the company yesterday at work, and they are aware of all the perceptions out there. Even our wholesaler lists it as "Discontinued", but that is probably due to the fact that it is being re-packaged, and when there is a new UPC involved, the old one is listed as discontinued.

The bad news is that they have no date for when it will return to the shelves. They "ran out" of stock in May, and since it has been a particularly bad allergy season in Canada so far, they were not able to meet demand.

In the interim, Aerius or Claritin are your best options, and several of my patients have successfully moved their children over the age of 6-7 to 1/2 oral tablet (5 mg).

Connie

We use Aerius, it works quite well.
I'm reluctant to change to the tablet as many contain milk-one of dd's allergens.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Thanks Connie.. glad to know it will come back someday.. we did find a bottle at a Rexall so we're ok for a while now

Our daughter is almost 3 yrs old, she hates bubble gum flavour so it's not easy to give her benedryl plus it makes her drowsy so we prefer Reactine

our 2nd choice is probably Claritin as I heard it works ok too though not as good as Reactine (Aerius is also bubble gum flavour so our daughter may not take it as readily as other flavours))

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Erik
peanut allergic since the age of 2
toddler daughter with egg, wheat and peanut allergies

yes I agree about the bubblegum flavour....yucky. My daughter won't touch any of those.

I think your daughter is too young yet, but we are using the melt-away ones. She seems to like those a bit better.

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Tracy
A 4 -Gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free. Also asthma, pulmonary stenosis, developmental delays, Noonan Syndrome, and environmental allergies.
T 7 - asthma and environmental allergies. And a wonderful big sister to her little brother

yes, that's why Reactine is great.. it works, and it is grape (not icky bubble gum flavour like Benedryl & Aerius.. wonder why they choose that terrible flavour?)... I guess if we run out of Reactine we can try Claritin as it is fruit flavour

yes, those melt strips sound great, though she is still too young as you mentioned (but a good idea for the future)

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Erik
peanut allergic since the age of 2
toddler daughter with egg, wheat and peanut allergies

My son would never eat anything grape flavoured. Until he was about 10, just the smell would make him vomit.

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self: allergy to sesame seeds and peanuts
3 sons each with at least one of the following allergies: peniciilin, sulfa-based antibiotic, latex, insect bites/stings

Hi Anna Marie,

Interesting. our daughter is the opposite. She hates the Benedryl bubble gum flavour.. but she likes grape flavour. All kids are different

Never tried Claritin for KIds since Reactine works so well for us... Claritin is fruit flavour so I assume she'd take it.

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Erik
peanut allergic since the age of 2
toddler daughter with egg, wheat and peanut allergies

We have still no been able to find it here in MB. I sure hope they get some on the shelves soon!!

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Son (09.08.07) - Peanut/Nut Allergy, Dogs, Cats and Eczema
Daughter (16.02.09) None that we know of

We haven't had any trouble buying either Reactine or Claritin for DS this summer. Hopefully your pharmacies are able to stock it soon.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish