Hello! I'm so sorry about all the questions but I truly want what's best for my toddler.

When my 5 year old was a baby she had pertussis and for six months after her hospital stay she was on a nebulizer four times per day (for bronchiolitis). She used albuterol and cromolyn.

I am curious about cromolyn for my toddler. Does anyone else use it? It sounds more appealing since it is nonsteroidal (I realize it is not as potent).

Like I've said before I didn't even realize my daughter *has* asthma so it seems odd to be treating her for a condition that isn't obvious. She coughs a lot and wheezes during colds and after eating certain foods but it doesn't appear to bother her at all. I'm concerned about treating her with potent medications if she doesn't need them. How can you tell if they need them or not?

The doctor feels it's causing her poor growth but I can't imagine since her breathing problems evidentally are not severe.

I'm feeling a little uncertain about it all. Should I request an x-ray? Would it show anything? Her pediatrician will be calling soon to see how she's doing so I'm going to ask him about it then.

If anyone has a take on this in the meantime I'd appreciate your replies!!

Love and Prayers, Kelly

It is tough when they are so young, the tests used for diagnosing can't be done because of their age. Older people could have a PFT done to test for asthma. Its not to say your babe doesn't have it just because they can't get tested. There are other things to watch out for. Educate yourself as much as possible and remeber to ask your doctor a very serious question. If you don't notice she has asthma, you need to find out what you should notice during an episode and when should you seek medical help. I know coughing, wheezing etc may accompany an episode. Also there are things that trigger asthma. Dust mite's fetal matter is one. You can freeze your kid's stuffed animals and get special bed liners to cut down on the exposure your babe has. Everyone's triggers are different though. It would also be beneficial to find out a list of triggers so you can help minimize their exposure to them.

Also remember that asthma is a disease that has episodes, while they might not experience symptoms 24/7, in a lot of cases it is important to take maintenance drugs to help prevent or limit the amount of occurances. They should also have a rescue drug like Xopenx or Albuterol for when things get really bad (a quick acting Beta 2 agonist). I appologize I don't know what class cromolyn comes under....... I know it is a mast cell stabilizer and helps to prevent allergic reactions that can cause asthma episodes. So, I assume its one of the maintenance drugs.

Best wishes,

P.s. I also don't know the age limitations for certain drugs either......Best bet is to ask your doctor for a session with a certified asthma educator. They can answer all your questions.