Is it safe to give an 11 yr old bee pollen for his seasonal nasal allergies?

I'd be very careful with bee pollen.

According to the American Academy of Asthma Allergy & Immunology (AAAAI) there is little, if any, scientific evidence that bee pollen or royal jelly helps allergies. On the contrary, "there have been reported cases of severe allergic reactions to ingested bee pollen or royal jelly in individuals very sensitive to either the bee venom or plant components that become part of the bee pollen. Therefore ... ingestion of bee pollen is unlikely to be helpful and may actually trigger allergic reactions rather than desensitize."

You should talk to your son's doctor about his allergy symptoms and the fact that they are no longer responding to the medication he's been taking. The doctor should be able to help you and your son find another way (either with drugs or other therapy) to help relieve his symptoms.

Hi Lizzie,

I'd echo Joy in cautioning you against using bee pollen. There are many reasons why Claritin may not be helping. First off, look at triggers. Are you sure you're keeping your son away from them as much as possible? If he's allergic to pollen, check your local pollen counts at Pollen.com and keep him indoors during the early mornings (as much as you can) and on hot, windy, dry days, when pollen is most in the air.

Also, treating allergies is often a trial and error process until you find what works best. Claritin does nothing for me, while Zyrtec is a bit better and Allegra is best. But that's just my experience. Other people swear by Claritin and/or Zyrtec. Flonase, and other nasal sprays, are considered some of the most effective allergy medicines around. But according to the Flonase website, maximum results can take several days, so maybe your son hasn't been taking it long enough to get full benefits?

To your health,

Kathi