Do any of you have children with asthma?

[panther1967]

Hello! I posted my first message (about Iowans) about a half hour ago, then read a lot of the back-posts. This looks to be a very interesting and informative message board.

I am particularly interested in asthma in children. I have asthma (adult onset - very much under control), but as an adult I can recognize symtpoms and seek proper treatment. In other words, I know what's good for me!

My son has asthma. He was diagnosed at 8 months of age. He was wheezing so bad that I thought he had swallowed something and it was stuck in his throat. We started with liquid albuterol, then went to Intal Cromylon (for maintainence) and albuterol (as a rescue treatment) in a nebulizer. Back then we were doing 4-6 treatments a day (at a minimum).

He is now 6 (will be 7 on Friday). He no longer uses the Intal (I'm thinking he only used that for a couple of years. Now we only have albuterol nebulizer solution (and when he gets a cold, etc. we almost always have to resort to the Prelone). When allergies strike or we hear a cough coming on we give him Benedryl and can sometimes head off a full-blown asthma attack (just depends on which asthma trigger is at work).

When he started to kindergarten two years ago he got a Maxair inhaler - and refused to use it. Made for some tense moments sending him to school not knowing what they would do if he needed the inhaler and refused to use it. Luckily we had very few problems - usually he was able to wait until after school to use the nebulizer.

As I said in my earlier post, he had an onset of an attack late last week. We started him on Prelone syrup yesterday - oh, the joys of a small boy on steroids... Yesterday he decided that he is going to start using the inhaler - I am happy, but why couldn't he have done this TWO YEARS AGO?

Anyway, I guess I would really like to hear from parents of asthmatic children. Coping techniques, etc. Also, the walk-in clinic doctor told me that there is a steroid that would work in the nebulizer - Cort-something? Anyone have any details on this?

Thanks so much!

Hi,

I think you may find that the steroid for the nebuliser is called Pulmicort. If your son uses a steroid inhaler, then this acts in exactly the same way as the Pulmicort via the nebuliser and will reduce the inflammation in his airways, thereby reducing the liklihood of an attack. Normally, he should take Atrovent or Ventolin first or whatever preventer meds he is on. These are bronchodilators and will help open up the airways and so prevent bronchospasm, which produces an asthma attack. If he takes the Pulmicort or steroid sprays after this, then they will go further into the lungs as the airways have been opened fully.

Did your son ever have eczema before the asthma and is there any history of either on both sides of your family apart from you?

As your son is still quite young, you may find that he grows out of this condition. Some kids do.

I also developed late onset asthma in my 20's and I used inhalers for a while. I do not use anything now as I found alternative therapies very useful. I have regular acupuncture and have never used my inhalers since. I also use homeopathy too.

I can understand that you son may be a little young for acupuncture, but you could still try taking him to a homeopath. It is a perfectly safe treatment and you can use it conjunction with all his other conventional meds. You never know, you may get some good results. If it does help, you may find that you are able to reduce his other meds.

As far as inhaler use goes. He has to find the time when he is ready to use it. At the age of 7, it does not really look cool to use an inhaler in school. Anyway, I am glad that he has now decided to use it. You could always give an inhaler to his school nurse and if he felt short of breath or wheezy, he could always go see her and take a couple of puffs in private, rather than in front of all his pals.

Anyway, hope this helps.

Take care


Sarah

[dawnangela]

My baby is 3 months old and his dr says he has asthma. How do I know if it's asthma or just a bad cold? He is on a nebulizer with pulmicort and xopenex in it. He is also taking prelone and zyrtec. I don't like him taking all this medicine so young. Should I take him to a specialist? He seems a lot better. He has been on this for 5 days now.

[momonline41]

yes! I worried about giving my babies meds too.
first call doc and ask him what you can stop giving him now that he is better... zyrtec is for allergies not colds, does your doc think he has allergies, or a cold ?
sometimes babies will get all congested and wheezy with a cold since their air passages are so small....many GP's hear a wheeze and call it asthma, when it may not be.

I recommend going to a pulmonary specialist(not an allergist) to tell the difference, if it is asthma you want to have him on just the right amount of meds and require the specialists expertise.

best of luck to you let me know how you make out

Cyn

[wrin]

unfortunately it is very very hard to diagnose asthma with bebbes. Like mom said any lower respiratory infection can mimic the wheezes heard in asthma. I'd say unless a pulmonary doc is sure, keep off the steroids. Nebulized albuterol, however, is nothing really more than a stimulant, and in peds doses isn't likely to do any harm.