Reflux Reactive Airway Disease

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone! My little girl is now 7mnths but was born @36wks due to IUGR & Oligo. She has had pretty strong wheezing & what I call “rattling” in her chest since November. Her ped finally referred us to a pulmonologist in January. Long story short, we are going for a Swallow Study because we believe she may be aspirating either due to reflux or a Suck/Swallow problem. She is certainly gaining weight and thriving so the real concern is lung damage. We did the Barium study but she wouldn’t swallow enough consecutively to get any real answers; however, the radiologist did see severe reflux. I just really don’t know what to expect at the swallow study so I would love to hear from others who have been there/done that. Also, if anyone has ANY advice at all, I am all ears. This is really beginning to take its emotional toll on me and I just want my baby to be all better!

Oh, also I have noticed that the rattling and wheezing are worse after she eats but not as bad if she breastfeeds. The dr also changed her meds from Zantac to Prevacid but that seema to have caused the reflux to rapidly worsen. Anyone else experience this?

[hellbennt]

i’m late for work, DO NOT STOP ZANTAC – things are worse bcse it can take up tp @ weeks for PREVACID to show it’s working

read all you can- go to ‘active topics’ upper right hand corner of this page- go bck a bit & READ- look for link PREVACID 101 it explains a LOT and also look for GROUPIE INTRO

gotta dashhellbennt2013-03-17 09:29:56

[Anonymous]

What’s your little girl’s diet like? And yours too? Dairy can often play a huge part in refluxing and also wheezing, coughing, and asthma like symptoms.

[hellbennt]

it could be aspiration – that’s what the Swallow Study will tell you & also

yes, acid can make its way into the lungs when refluxed (especially in babies who spend a lot of time laying flat). The acid is refluxed and gets aerosolized (tiny droplets) and they get inhaled into the lungs. This causes the bronchospasm, wheezing, etc. Using inhaled agents does not really get at the problem (although try telling a pulmonologist that). Now for sure not all asthma is from acid reflux – sometimes there are allergens and other inducers of asthma. But if there is reflux and symptoms of asthma then 1+1=2 much of the time.

[hellbennt]

hi!! Please update!

1) we love to hear how things are going and

2) your information helps others and

3) I’m going through ‘inactive’ accounts and deleting them…

thanks!

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone! Sorry that I haven’t updated in awhile. She was admitted to the hospital for 2wks due to rapid breathing and a low pulse ox (it was about 88)… we did the swallow study and what felt like a MILLION other tests…. They determined that she has severe reflux and is aspirating a very small amount- though not enough to warrant a G Tube. She was officially diagnosed with asthma as well. The Dr believes that when she gets any type of virus it just causes EVERYTHING to go crazy and increases aspiration and reflux which in turn causes the asthma issues.. she is now 8 1/2 months old and STILL sleeps semi reclined in her bouncy chair. The Dr originally put her on Reglan but I discontinued that for 2 reasons #1 that stuff HORRIFIES me #2 She was very very very cranky and restless (neither of us slept while she was taking it).. I just can’t justify the risks and the side effects. We are also testing for Cystic fibrosis to make sure all bases are covered.

Oh and as for her diet, she was exclusively breastfed until about 6mnths. We are SLOWLY introducing new foods =} But I stay away from dairy and other common allergens because my older son has food allergies so I am trying to make sure she isn’t exposed just in case she shares her brother’s luck

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update. I’m sorry your little one wound up in the hospital. 🙁 Please take the time to check out my blog. There is a lot of different info and links to info about digestive problems in children.

[Author]

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