Little Ones with Asthma

[SBMama]

Anyone have a little one with asthma? I took my DD2 to the pediatrician two weeks ago, because she had a cough that was not clearing up. It seems like she was sick all winter (constant colds, nothing to warrant a trip to the doctor), but this cough just stuck around. The doctor listened to her, and she was wheezing pretty badly. They gave her 2 albuterol treatments in the office and sent us home with a nebulizer. She was also put on Zyrtec. The doctor said that it may be a virus causing the wheezing or asthma.

 

So, two weeks later she is still needing the treatments about 2-3 times a day. I am almost positive that we are dealing with allergies and asthma at this point. I am hoping to get her into the pediatrician to be rechecked either tomorrow or Tuesday and discuss a plan, and I was wondering what to expect from here? Will they send her to a specialist? Put her on more meds? She had a UTI as an infant, but otherwise she has been pretty healthy. She has never even had an ear infection. This is all new to us, so I just want to be prepared. Thanks for reading and any advice!

[Rosie_0801]

Chiropractors can alleviate a lot of asthma. Not all kinds, but a lot, so I'd try that before agreeing to more drugs than are immediately necessary.

 

Rosie

[sixpence1978]

More than likely they will want you to add in a steroid treatment 2x a day with the nebulizer.

 

It sounds scarier than it is. The steroid is a preventative treatment used to keep the airways more open. If you are still needing albuterol 2-3 times daily, I would think they would look into this option. The steroid treatments are very safe and I trust them more than albuterol at this point for keeping my DS under control.

[Dolphin]

It will depend on what type of asthma. Mos t people do not realize that coughing is a sign of asthma.

My ds 8 has seasonal allergy induced asthma. We have good years and bad years. We start off with claratin (like zrytec) and albuteral as needed. If it is not clearing up we start singular (about every other year) Last year was our worst year and we moved onto a steroid inhaler twice a day (flovent, advair discus type of thing) and then we even had to do a round of steroid tablets to get it under control. That cleared it up and we were able to wean down to once a day on the steroid inhaler until the allergy season was over. Luckily we only had to go that far the one year.

 

My dd,4 had viral asthma which is a little more scary. Her first year of life all her friends get colds and she ends up in hospital with RSV, her second year of life the first bad cold turned into bronchitis and the second one turned into pneumonia. Funnily enough last year was really bad for ds, and was the first year dd didn't end up with a scary lung issue.

 

So far this year we have done well too, a couple of things have gotten into her lungs, but we are really on top of it. I guess with childhood asthma you want to over treat at young age. If you can keep it under control there is more chance that they will grow out of it (the viral type) We went in at the beginning of the cold season and made a plan. We are giving her the steroid inhaler once a day (flovent) Then at the first sign of a cold we up that to 2 times a day and do albuteral every 4-6 hours. We don't even wait for it to go into her lungs, she sniffles and we act. I have oral steroids for her and the doctor has told me what to watch for. So far we haven't needed them, but it is nice to have so if it turns bad at 2 am I can act immediately.

 

If it turns out to be viral (or chronic which luckily neither of my children are, that is the worst type) you will need to educate yourself. If you stay on top of it, it is not to bad. I have spent the last 2 years getting familiar with the medical side. I am just this year starting to look into some homeopathic things that we can do to help strengthen dd's lungs.

 

Oh, for either one; liquid. What the doctor has our kids do is take a sip of water every time they cough. We also keep a humidifier in the house. I have a banana tree and some other plants in the hall outside of the kids bedroom. The banana tree takes a lot of the common household toxins out of the air.

 

Hope that helps and best of luck

Nicole

[Jennifer in MI]

Chiropractors can alleviate a lot of asthma. Not all kinds, but a lot, so I'd try that before agreeing to more drugs than are immediately necessary.

 

Rosie

 

:iagree:

 

And, I have a ds who was diagnosed with asthma after an AWFUL bout with pneumonia at 19 months. EVERY time he gets a cold, it turns into wheezing.

 

My recommendation is to find an allergist. Our allergist is also a pediatrician and a pulmanologist. If you can find her - make an appointment!

 

Check out allergies first. Often a good allergy med will do the trick. If not, you need an asthma action plan. For my ds now 10, that involves daily breathing scores (with a peak flow meter). Depending on his score, we give various medicines. Most often, it's nothing. But, he spent years on Pulmacort daily and Xopenex as necessary. Often, when his scores start to slip, it means he's getting sick. I know before he starts feeling sick!

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Jennifer in MI]

It I have a banana tree and some other plants in the hall outside of the kids bedroom. The banana tree takes a lot of the common household toxins out of the air.

 

Hope that helps and best of luck

Nicole

 

I want to know more about a banana tree!!!! Can we have this in our MI climate?

[SBMama]

Chiropractors can alleviate a lot of asthma. Not all kinds, but a lot, so I'd try that before agreeing to more drugs than are immediately necessary.

 

Rosie

 

Great suggestion! DH and I had talked about taking her to the cranio-sacral therapist that we used when she was a baby. I think I blocked it from my mind, but she also had torticollis and reflux as a baby. :banghead: (I try not to think about those days!) Anyway, we will look into this. Also, that reminds me that someone suggested to my mom that reflux causing the asthma...

 

More than likely they will want you to add in a steroid treatment 2x a day with the nebulizer.

 

It sounds scarier than it is. The steroid is a preventative treatment used to keep the airways more open. If you are still needing albuterol 2-3 times daily, I would think they would look into this option. The steroid treatments are very safe and I trust them more than albuterol at this point for keeping my DS under control.

 

Thanks! I agree that she needs something more to control her symptoms instead of just treating them.

 

It will depend on what type of asthma. Mos t people do not realize that coughing is a sign of asthma.

...

 

Oh, for either one; liquid. What the doctor has our kids do is take a sip of water every time they cough. We also keep a humidifier in the house. I have a banana tree and some other plants in the hall outside of the kids bedroom. The banana tree takes a lot of the common household toxins out of the air.

 

Hope that helps and best of luck

Nicole

 

Thanks! How can I find out what type of asthma it is? We do try to get her to take a drink of water when she is coughing. Good to know that can help!

 

And, I have a ds who was diagnosed with asthma after an AWFUL bout with pneumonia at 19 months. EVERY time he gets a cold, it turns into wheezing.

 

My recommendation is to find an allergist. Our allergist is also a pediatrician and a pulmanologist. If you can find her - make an appointment!

 

Check out allergies first. Often a good allergy med will do the trick. If not, you need an asthma action plan. For my ds now 10, that involves daily breathing scores (with a peak flow meter). Depending on his score, we give various medicines. Most often, it's nothing. But, he spent years on Pulmacort daily and Xopenex as necessary. Often, when his scores start to slip, it means he's getting sick. I know before he starts feeling sick!

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

Thanks! I pediatrician/allergist/pulmanologist sounds like a dream right now! I am concerned about allergies, because she also has some drainage and sneezing. I have severe allergies, so I do think they are playing a part. We have 2 cats, and that worries me. I have this thought stuck in my mind that asthma and cats don't mix.

 

Thanks for all of the quick responses! It helps so much!

[Mrs Mungo]

I would ask to be referred to a pediatric pulmnonologist.

[Desert Rat]

I have 2 asthmatic boys. Both were diagnosed around 2. My oldest has grown out of it and only needs intervention when he has a terrible chest cold.

My youngest? Well, he probably won't grow out of it. My dh and my mom are both childhood asthmatics who didn't grow out of it. His is, by far, more severe.

I'm battling a new doctor right now who was shocked that we had never been seen at an ER for his asthma. She looked at me, rolled her eyes (Oh, yes she did!) and said, "Okay, Quick/Urgent Care then." The answer was still, never. :)

Anyway, my ds takes a combination of Singulair (we've never had any side effect issues) and Zyrtec (we by generic from Costco). He has breathing treatments before any sports practice/game or when going to the park and of course, any other time he gets wheezy/coughing. He also goes on Pulmocort (inhaled steroid) twice a day during fall and spring. I dread those times because it makes him grumpy.

If you think that allergies are triggering the asthma, definitely get a blood test done. We've been managed just fine under a pediatrician for 7 years now. But he does see an allergist for anaphylaxis (tree nuts). I would prefer he be seen by the allergist for his asthma now that we have had a not-so-stellar visit from his new ped. New, crappy insurance that I'm so grateful to have, BTW.

Hope this helps.

[lollie010]

Wish I could help, but I am still learning. Ds was referred to a pulmonologist/allergist. He said that they can't definitively diagnose asthma until he is a little older and can do the lung function test. It seems like albuterol and steroids are going to be a part of our life for now. My ds does not seem to tolerate the meds very well. He is often agitated and tired or agitated and wired. But, we are adjusting. The doctor said its hard right now to determine what is actually causing it. We will kind of have to wait and see how it develops over time. I am thinking that it is allergy and exercise related.

 

His doctor gave us an allergy treatment plan that makes me feel more in control of the situation. It tells me when to use a breathing treatment, when to start steroid treatment, when to call him, when to go to er, and when to call 911. Its been tough, but we are figuring it out.

[Little Nyssa]

DS 6 has asthma & been hospitalized twice. The thing is, the child needs to be stabilized in such a way that the frequent nebulizer treatments are not needed because no wheezing happens. My DS's asthma is due to environmental allergies. He had repeated croup which segued seamlessly into asthma attacks as he got older. DD's croup just went away, period.

For us stabilizing him means:

1. household: no WW carpet. Frequent dusting & mopping. Frequent bedding changes, wash in hot water. Special mattress cover. No pets. (We also had the house inspected by a volunteer from the American Lung Association--free & very helpful)

2. medications: for DS this is Qvar twice a day (an inhaler), Albuterol as needed (usually not), Singulair every night. Tried Allegra and Zyrtec, but they made him nervous, combative, and insomniac so fortunately they were not needed long-term! Sometimes he needs a steroid course.

3. peak flow meter every day (DS blows into it and it gives me a number which tells how well his lungs are working)

4. Asthma action plan which means that you have a specific plan of what to do when. There's a particular sheet they give out which is red, yellow, and green to show you very specifically what to do. This way you never are at home trying to manage something on your own & don't know what to do.

5. Consultation with a specialist MD in asthma and allergies. Dr will need to evaluate what the CAUSE is.

6. Calling Drs frequently with questions!

7. I have the route to the local hospital mapquested on the fridge, and always keep gas in the tank in case of emergencies.

8. IMHO, I am so sorry to disagree with PPs, but I don't think that cranio-sacral or chiropractor would be useful. I have a friend who sees a homeopath for her kids, and it has helped her.

9. We are very hopeful that DS will outgrow it.

10. Also, DD gets jealous because DS gets to take all these nice meds. :tongue_smilie: So I got the idea to give her a spoonful of molasses when he gets his med!

Good luck!

 

PS-- Also, I am extra happy to be homeschooling because the local public school smells of mold, so I can't think it would be good for him! And, by homeschooling, I keep him away from tons of colds, which also spark off his asthma.

Edited May 2, 2011 by Little Nyssa

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Albuterol 2-3 times per day isn't too bad, but it sounds like she needs to be on oral steroids while you work out a plan. It's usually a 10 day course and should start to work by day 2.

 

My ds has asthma, diagnosed 3 years ago. He takes a daily inhaled steroid, and albuterol as needed which is now very infrequent.

[Hunter's Moon]

I have exercise- and allergy-induced asthma. I've had it since I was little.

 

It has gotten much better with age.

 

I still take oral steroids 2x/day and use Albuterol as needed.

 

I haven't used a nebulizer for years.

 

I also use Albuterol 15-20 minutes before intense exercise or labor and it usually either curbs or completely stops an attack from occurring.

[Haiku]

See a pediatric pulmonologist. My biggest mistake in managing my son's asthma was relying on my (normally amazing) pediatrician. Things did not improve until we started seeing the pulmonologist.

 

Tara

[Heidi]

My daughter (7) has allergy induced asthma. It started when she was about 18 months old.

 

What helped her was taking an inhaled steroid (Flovent) once or twice a day, as well as Singulair daily for the allergies. She would not get asthma if we were diligent with these medications.

 

The docter said to occasionally test the waters and slow down the dosage to see how she does. She has been off BOTH medications for about a year. She did get an allergy attack with asthma earlier this spring, but this time I was able to just give her the Albuterol inhaler every few hours for a few days and it went away on its own. (Before, Albuterol didn't help and she would need a high oral dose of steroids for a few days to stop the asthma... which is really bad for the body).

 

So it appears that my dd has outgrown it to the point that she doesn't need daily medication and hopefully will never need the oral steriods again.

[prairiewindmomma]

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Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[Dolphin]

Here is an article about plants and cleaning the air. You will notice the dwarf banana tree is mentioned in the paragraph above the list.

 

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h110indoorair.html

 

I have a collection of these plants that are growing. I do put them outside for 2 months in the summer. They are on our upstairs landing right below the vent that pulls air in for circulation. I have a grow light above them and a humidifier in amongst them. I started with just the banana tree, then I added a lemon and some amaryllis bulbs. This year lavender and the peace lily are going to be added.

[Dolphin]

SBMama,

I was very lucky that our pediatrician has just been really on top of it. I find talking to most people that is not the case. If your pediatrician is not leaving you with a sense of knowing what is happening, ask to be referred to a specialist.