MamaBearTeacher Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 My 8-year old son has pneumonia. A significant patch showed up on a chest x-ray yesterday. He has had fever from 100-102 for the past 5 days. He has a cough but it's not awful, decreased appetite and neck pain. he has no trouble breathing. The symptoms started suddenly and have not gotten any better or worse. He is tired from the fever and complaining about his neck. I have an Rx for antibiotics. Here's the thing: my 2 other sons have had neurological reactions to antibiotics (even when given with high doses of probiotics). The reactions were permanent and awful. I don't believe that this is an allergic reaction to 1 drug but rather just that their gastro tract ca't handle the antibiotic effect. Whenever I have taken antibiotics in recent years I have had horrific diarrhea and vomiting after the first dose with lots of probiotics and yogurt. Still, from what I have read pneumonia is hard to get rid of without antibiotics and can cause complications. He is generally a strong boy and has never had anything beyond a cold before. I feel very very scared and torn and I don't know what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLMom Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 So sorry. I will pray. My oldest ds had it when he was 3. I was scared, and we didn't have the issue you are having so I can imagine yours is extreme. Hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 How frightening for you. :grouphug: I had pneumonia twice as a child. Once when I was an infant, and once when I was nine in fourth grade. I actually missed the last 8 or so weeks of school because of it. Pneumonia can be very serious. I would speak with your son's pediatrician or perhaps a pediatric pulmonologist about your concerns re: the ABX. Do you know which abx caused the reaction with your other sons? Is it the same one? The same class/type? The more information you can give them, hopefully the better they can work to find a solution for your son. Also, there are different causes, and they may be able to culture what is causing your son's pneumonia and thus treat it better. If it's viral, no need for abx. Lots of hugs and prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 Height Ho, did your child have antibiotics? Was it viral or bacterial pneumonia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I would definitely take your concerns to your doctor! Did you tell him/her during the visit? A dr. who write you off without listening or addressing your concerns would not be MY dr for long!! But you can't blame them if they don't know what your concerns are. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I hope you sort it out quickly. Pneumonia is serious so you really need to get your medical team up to speed and get a plan you all are comfortable with. IME antibiotics are tolerated best when taken on a full stomach. Halfway between abx dosages, I administer a capsule form of high quality probiotic. I do not feed any dairy because all dairy, incl yogurt, can cause stomach inflammation. also, the amnt of probiotic in yogurt compared to a capsule live culture supplement is minuscule. Best wishes OP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 I did talk to the doctor and the doctor listened. The problem is that the kinds of reactions my other sons had are very uncommon and not understood and the doctors don't know what to do with the information I give them. They just know that pneumonia is serious and so they do advise antibiotics and they said that in the end the decision is mine. My concern is not with one antibiotic but with antibiotics in general as my other sons reacted to a few types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 No advice, but :grouphug: . Pneumonia was the cause of one of my four dr visits over the past several years. Antibiotics were needed to clear it up as my body wasn't doing so well on its own even though I tried. I was fortunate that I don't react badly to them though. I hope your guys gets better and doesn't have any bad reactions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 (Hugs) I hope there is a way to determine if it is viral or bacterial. (Hugs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 How frightening! :grouphug: I hope your son gets better very soon with no complications from the antibiotics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I would lean heavily toward using the antibiotic for pneumonia, whether regular bacterial or mycoplasma. Do you have a doctor who specializes in the nervous system issues you see in your other kids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 We have seen so many doctors to help my oldest boys with their gut/immune/nervous system problems. In their cases it is obvious how much their gut is involved but every time we go anywhere near their gut to try to help their neurological problems get worse. This is why I am so scared my youngest will develop neurological problems. I am very scared of the pneumonia too. His temperature is just over 100 today without medication. He has a very sore neck. His cough is not that bad and does not bother him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Is the neck pain a new symptom? Stiff neck is a symptom of meningitis so if it's new, I'd want a doctor to reassess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 The stiff neck is not a new symptom and the doctor ruled out meningitis. What is macrolides? What do you mean by targeted therapy rather than broad spectrum stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 zithromax is an example of a macrolide, IIRC, and treats certain infections intracellularly, if I understand correctly. It is usually the first choice for mycoplasma and is often prescribed for certain lung infections, or at least was for years, but our new doc said not necessarily always anymore... AFAIK, our regular ped still prescribes regular amoxicilan for an ordinary bacterial pneumonia. IME it is not always clear what the type of pmeumonia is. When two of mine were in the hospital, they were each on two different antibiotics because the xrays did not solve the riddle of the type of pneumonia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Sending good thoughts for your son's recovery. Pneumonia is scary, I agree, even without the added issues. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Update: He has not had a fever for a day and a half. Does that mean the infection is gone or getting better? His neck is still hurting but it is a lot better. He has more energy, is eating more and playing more. He is coughing more in the night. He wasn't coughing much before but he is still coughing less than his brothers. He got tired in the evening and took a nap. I haven't given the antibiotics yet. Could he just be getting better? or might it have been viral pneumonia (less severe) rather than bacterial? Would this show with certainty on the x-ray? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Is he telling you he's not having trouble breathing? Or is that your assumption? For some of my kids, that pesky cough is actually a result of deficient breathing, but they do not know it. They assume it's how it is and keep playing. If I can get them to medicate, then they realize, "Oh, I WAS having difficulty breathing!" Also, I'd check with a neuro or something, but I'd be very pro-antibiotics for pneumonia. It stinks. And the last time my littlest had pneumonia, he started on antibiotics and the fever left. I assumed the abx were helping. Nope. Wrong abx and the fever dissipated but the pneumonia came raring back. So lack of fever may not mean lessening infection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Have you called the doc to discuss this further? Or ... What did the doc say when you told him/her of the abx worry, when it was prescribed? Did s/he suggest that you wait and see? Do you have a pulse oximeter at home? Pneumonia here has been a terrible experience. It was bacterial, and my child was hospitalized. I would not wait and see unless told by a doc specifically to do so. Both times we had it here, it appeared to get better, then roared back. But my child has asthma, so maybe it's a different scenario. If you need abx, or have to give them, always give S. Boulardii two hours apart from the abx. Along with quality probiotics, but don't underestimate the importance of S. Boulardii. Eat with the dose of abx - not a cracker, but a meal. Sit upright for awhile, don't lie down. Don't give with dairy (most). I hope your kiddo is feeling better soon. Eta: different classes of abx would be worth investigating for you. They are not all the same, and as they can be lifesaving, you want to have some you can use if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I think it's good his fever is gone! I would keep monitoring for that. My son developed cough variant asthma after pneumonia. He was 9. He had never had any asthma signs before that. But mycoplasma, which is a common bacterial cause of pneumonia, can be an initial trigger for the development of asthma. My son was still asthmatic, with poor lung function on pulmonology tests, even after the cough signs went away. In short, I'd consider seeing a pulmonologist if all isn't back to normal soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 He has had absolutely no breathing problems so far. No fever today either but his neck is still stiff? Why? The doctor said it was fever aches and pains but he had no other aches and pains. He is coughing more. We put him in steam to loosen the phlegm. Is that good? He does not have more coughing than his brothers. His oldest brother has been coughing for a month but did not have a fever. He seems to have cold symptoms today. Is that good? I heard it is good when a cough turns into a cold. Or maybe he caught a cold from the doctor's office or hospital. Mostly it's the stiff neck that is scaring me right now. And the x-ray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Thank you so much for all this info. I am seeing that it is a lot more complicated than just symptoms. I really have a tough time talking to the paediatrician. I don't feel she listens and I don't always understands what she says because she mumbles to herself. We have another doctor we see for my other sons neurological issues and I will try very hard to speak to him about this because he will really understand and he is a GP too but he has a 3 month wait for all appointments and even phone calls. I will try to see if I can talk to him anyways. I am not afraid todo the x-ray. We did it already and that's how we know he has pneumonia. The ER doctor said he was surprised. I want to give him the antibiotics but I am worried it will cause permanent, severe debilitating disability. I do not believe the risk is small. I would be surprised if he did not have a reaction. I do not think that is a drug reaction but rather that they would completely empty his gut of good bacteria and that somehow the probiotics won't stick. I am worried that if we don't treat the pneumonia with antibiotics he could get very serious complications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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