SCARED-please help, 3 year old asthma out of control?

[babiespalace]

Thank you. I don't know why I didn't think of that.

I am sitting here and I just listened to her lungs and she has the sonorous rhonchi sound again. I never asked if I should treat it with xopenex or not. The info I found called it a mucus plug in the upper airways, but it sounds all through her lungs. It doesn't seem to help when I give the xopenex.

However the doctor feels it is her aspirating nasal drainage. I do keep her proped at night and sometimes it helps. I think I am going to try to call tomorrow and see what he says

[babiespalace]

Does giving xopenex decrease your life? I though I read that somewhere.

[BYHOPE1113]

I've never heard that from any of our doctors. Xopenex is basically Albuterol that has been altered to reduce the negative symptoms like raising the heart rate and causing the jitters. I have heard that oral steriods like Orapred can stunt a childs growth if given over a very long period of time, but short 5 - 7 day courses don't have long term side effects unless done repeatedly.

Then you have to look at it another way. If you didn't use the Xopenex or Orapred (when needed) she would be in worse shape. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. I know my mom kept stressing out over the Orapred but we didn't have a choice. She was wheezing terribly and the only way to stop it was with Orapred.

[celtic_mom]

Hi Shelly, I don't know why they told you to wait either, maybe because he wanted to see what her sinuses look like completely antibiotic free.

Who was this anyway? The asthma doc? Did you find a new ENT? If you haven't, you should call for an appt now. It takes time to get into see them, I wouldn't wait to talk to any other doc about it. Then call back every day to see if they have any cancellations. That's how I got in to see my current ENT. My first appt wasn't supposed to be until July 7. I called the next day and got a June 24 appt. The next day I got a June 1st appt!

Albuterol and even xopenex to a lesser extent are hard on the heart. Over time it can be damaging (at least that is what the respiratory therapist at the hospital told me). That is why it is so important to get this under control where she has fewer and fewer episodes that require her to use them.

BTW - I can't remember if she is on any type of decongestant or not. If she isn't you may want to try giving her some children's sudafed before bed to see if that helps. I have found that I need to take it constantly to keep my sinuses from draining into my chest, especially at night.

[babiespalace]

I might have said that wrong. I read it on the enet somewhere, but I may have interpreted it wrong. Now I am thinking maybe it ment there is more of a chance of fatality using more xopenex, because the asthma is out of control. I am not sure but I can't find it now.