my son was born premature (2 months early) , he is now 19 months old. In November he got sick with a cold but this one developed into a more severe cold than the ones before. after about a week of having this cold he woke in the middle of the night with such severe wheezing we had to take him to the E.R. then the next morning a trip to the dr and he was admitted into the hostipal (4days) They put him on I.V.'s for dehydration and antibotics and started him on breathing treatments. He was sent home with pulimcort and albutoral, but the albutoral would make him so hyper and frustrated, but the dr said that is just a side effect of these meds. since then we have had to take him to the E.r. 3 other times because when he gets a cold his wheezing gets severe (the severe episodes are when he is asleep ) which makes it even scarier. Just a couple of days ago, he woke in the middle of the night barely able to breath, so we took him to the E.r.. and his oxygen was at 99% which was strange, i didnt understand that since he was wheezing. the er dr gave him a breathing treatment , antibotic shot, dose of steriod med, and said he had an upper resperitory infection. and this was prob caused from him being a premie and the pathway to his lungs was narrow, unlike a full term baby would be and he would continue to heve these problems , but they would get less severe and hopefullly he would grow ootut of it by the time he was about 5. when i took him to himto his pedi he said it is prosible that he has asthma and now has put hime on wopenex (2puffs every 4hrs as neede for cough for one month) and flovent (2 puffs 2 times a day for for 2 months) I am really confused about this and it doesnt seem like he is getting better. is there any suggestions on what to do for the severe conjestion when he lays down to sleep? and are there any natural remedies to help sooth him? i have so much trouble getting him to take the inhalers and it breaks my heart because it scares him.
all asthma meds make them hyper xopenex makes some kids evil or fustrated try to get him on albuterol instead. Albuterol makes adults hyper imagine what it does to babies. but yes it does sound like it could be asthma
There are many different kinds of inhalers, that can be used.
Xopenax and Flovent are just 2 types. Each "type" or family of inhalers... are for specific use... ie: rescue inhalers or long acting or short acting inhalers. Steroid based or not.
Here is a link for example:
http://asthma.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/a/asthmamedic...
You cannot just use something that someone recommends... because it is real specific for the individual. And, he is only 19 months old.
If it makes him hyper... then, the Doctor needs to adjust the dosage... ie: the number of puffs and frequency. OR, he needs to switch to another kind of inhaler medicine. Each person reacts differently to types of inhalers.
Myself for example, use Albuterol. My Mom uses something else, because the albuterol used to make her feel wired/hyper too.
The point is, you need to tell the Doctor... a doctor is only as effective as the patient communicates to them as well. There are many other types of inhalers which can be used, and perhaps those will be a better fit for your son.
But Asthma is also very dangerous.... and certain things will make it worse, like being sick, having a cold, being in the cold which for me always makes my asthma worse. Keep in mind, that when an asthmatic is wheezing and coughing...it is because they basically cannot inhale or breathe, because the bronchial tubes in the lungs are all constricted/inflamed and the lungs cannot expand to even take a breath. It is like suffocating.
So the inhalers work to "relax" the bronchial tubes... so that it can function.
And, until this bout of asthma is completely gone... you DO need to use the inhalers for him. Then, you can probably stop, unless it is for maintenance or daily use, that he needs it.
Because otherwise the lungs will NOT be fully recovered.
All the best,
Susan
Get on the internet to look it up or consult another doctor. Is this Doctor a pediatrician? If not, find one. This is not something to be messing around with.
My pediatrician, now retired, is an expert on kids. Look on facebook for Sue Bradshaw, and her husband is Dr. Doug. They would love to help.
I would get a second opinion. My Daughter was on D different meds...including the ones your son is on. They said it may be allergies, asthma ect...I took her to a specialist after a year and a half and it was a infection in her nose that required a strong antibiotic. It caused the constant drip in her throat and when she did get sick it got worse. They tested inside her nose with a cotton swab and put it under a microscope. She is a perfectly fine 5 year old who hasn't wheezed since.
Have you tried a nebulizer with abuterol? It can make him hyper but he doesn't have to do it as much and not as long. I would get a second opinion because that sounds like a lot of medicine for such a little guy.
I have twin 9 yr old boys and they both were diagnosed with asthma at about the same age as your son and they were also premature(2 months early too). But my boys were first give Albuterol thru a nebulizer and they would be so hyper after the treatment. It's was kind of scary. They would get so wild and uncontrollable. We went back to the doctor and she prescribed Xopanex to use with the nebulizer. They still were a little hyper with the Xopanex but it wasn't as bad. Their asthma use to hit them really bad when they got colds and during days when the air quality isn't good. It's gradually gotten better for both of them. We only use the medications when they start developing the symptoms. You'll learn soon enough when your son will need to start to take his meds. My husband and I do not agree with giving them this medications all the time like some doctors suggest. I just pray when they get older all this medication that they've been given doesn't affect them in some way.
I am really kind of shocked that your pedi thought a 19 month old could benefit from an inhaler. I've had asthma all my life and that just seems a little young to me. It's hard enough for most adults to time inhaling and spraying the medication. If you don't time it right, the medicine ends up in your mouth where it does you absolutely no good. Have you tried a nebulizer? That is a much better option for little ones. At first, it will probably make him mad, but that's actually a good thing... if he's mad, he will be more apt to take a deep breath. Yes, albuterol does have side effects, but the alternative of not being able to breathe is much worse. Xopenex typically has less side effects. As for the congestion, I know this sounds probably overly simplistic, but have you tried a saline spray like Simply Saline? That won't help the wheezing, but it will help thin the thick mucous. HTH!
My son had pneumonia and RSV at 2 months. He was on albuterol inhaler a lot, but we were finally able to stop the wheezing/coughing with Singulair. He stayed on that for about 3 months, and then we would start again whenever he got a respiratory infection. Very few side effects, and it wasn't an inhaler. It worked wonders for us. It might be something you would want to ask your doctor about. Now he's on nothing...no albuterol, no Singulair. Yay!
My son had RSV when he was 2 months (mow 4 years) and he still gets colds easier then my other kids. Take him to a ped. doc and ask to have him tested for RSV.
Like Gailski B said, asthma is a symptom of something else. It does need to be treated, but the doctor needs to figure out WHY he's wheezing. Many times it's b/c of allergies. In 50% of kids with allergies, they are allergic to milk. The other 50% of the allergies are a combination of everything else. Try taking dairy out of his diet first-formula, yogurt, cheese, cheese flavored crackers/snacks, etc. It takes a whole week for the allergens to leave the system, so you have to wait at LEAST a week to see if it helps. Or you could ask your dr to do some allergy tests. But definitely push WHY is he wheezing??
My daughter had RSV as a baby and is quick to get a cold that will easily develop into pneumonia. There is a supplement company called Standard Process that makes supplements that support healing in the lungs as well as in many parts of the body. My daughter takes pneumotrophin PMG and cataplex A-C made by Standard Process. I crush the tablets and mix them w/ a dab of peanut butter and honey and she loves it. I don't know if those particular supplements would be the right ones for your son, but I do know of people who have cured their own asthma by taking these supplements and amending their diets to whole foods and low dairy. People's Pharmacy sells Standard Process and there is always someone there on duty to help you figure out which one, if any, would be helpful in your individual circumstance. I highly recommend checking it out!
Btw I am in no way affiliated w/ Standard Process; I just have seen some great healing happen as a result of their supplements.
Good luck!!
Asthma is a clinical term meaning 'constricted airways'. we see that there are constriced airways.... the almighty question is "what is causing the constricted airways?" Giving breathing treatments and drugs does not change the underlying condition that is present to trigger the airway constriction- it only covers up the body's symptoms (signals) thart there is something wrong that should be treated.
Minerals like magnesium would probably help since signs of magnesium deficicency include asthma and COPD. Talk to your doctor about it. There is a product called babycalm which is geared toward babies. Also there is magnesium oil, which is rubbed on the skin and is absorbed that way.
Also do some research about milk ingestion or milk based formulas. Milk causes illness , including asthma, for people who are allergic. Milk also creates a lot of thick sticky mucus in lungs, sinus and other mucus membranes. Normal mucus is thin and more watery. Bacterias and viruses can stick more readily to the thick mucus in the mouth, nose and lungs, giving the pathogen a chance to get a foothold and infect the individual.
My daughter was born with thrush , which is a systemic yeast infection. She also would get colds much longer duration than my other two.
I beleive that any toxic overload of metals from vaccines, bacteria, or fungal infections can cause a body burden - that clearly shows when the child comes down sick and stays sick for a long time- the immune system is under attack from something and not working up to par.
Probiotics like accidohpilus and lactobaccilus help build the immune system. So does liquid vit B complex, acaii and cod liver oil. Caprylic acid helps rid the body of yeast, so does liquid zeolite.
take him off milk and dairy immediately, they just multiply the congestion and mucus 100%. I would also see a naturopath and get a second opinion or two from that side. Best of luck
