Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Four-Year-Old Biting His Fingers | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My four-year-old son has been biting his fingers (not the nails) and chewing on his palms for almost a month now and it is driving me crazy. He says they itch, but I don't see anything and lotion doesn't seem to help. He also constantly clears his throat, but says his throat doesn't hurt or itch. He takes Zyrtec for allergies to pollen, cats, and dogs. Any ideas as to why he is doing this? Thank you.— CryJry in Hillsboro, OR | | | ANSWER |
November 13, 2001 | | | Dear CryJry,
If your son's finger and hand biting, and/or throat clearing appeared after he began taking the Zyrtec, it is possible that these are side effects of the medication. Cetirizine (the generic name for Zyrtec) has been reported to be associated with abnormal skin sensations that could include itching, and also with throat dryness or irritation. An easy thing to do, in this situation, would be to stop the medication and see if the symptoms go away. Luckily, we're getting out of pollen season, at least in the northern U.S., and the best treatment for dog ad cat allergies is to remove the animals from the home. Of course, you should only make a change to your child's medications after talking with the physician who prescribed them!
There are other possible causes of repeated hand chewing and throat clearing. One possibility is that these are a form of involuntary movement, or tic. Tics are quite common in preschool-age children, and usually go away by themselves. However, a tic involving throat clearing may be somewhat more serious than the usual eye-blinking tics, so you may want to pursue the problem more actively. If stopping the medication does not help, you may need to obtain a consultation from a physician who is familiar with tics and other movement problems. Usually, this will be a pediatric neurologist or behavioral and developmental pediatrician. The first step, as always, is to consult with your child's primary care physician or nurse practitioner.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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