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November 9, 2006 at 9:26 pm #17580AnonymousInactive
Hello ladies!!!
I was just wondering if any of you ladies are going through some bad times with asthma this year? I have gotten to the point that I literally ask the nurse practioner if there is anything I could do and not bring my daughter to the ER everytime her asthma kicks into gear? She giggled and said that I was doing exactly what I should be doing………I just feel so helpless……I even told her that I am really paranoid that someone from the ER will call social services because we are in there so much, but she said that they wouldn’t…….but of course I am still paranoid because I do not not want to go when she has an attack, but I am really worried.
I would appreciate any advice or stories that you have to share.
November 10, 2006 at 9:51 am #17605AnonymousInactiveI don’t know a whole lot about Asthma in children, but I myself have had asthma since childhood. I’ve read and been told all of my life by my doctors that when your asthma is properly treated you should not be having any attacks whatsoever. There are two major types of medications for asthma. “Rescue Meds” such as albuterol are used for acute symptoms or attacks. Maintenance meds such as Flovent, Singulair, etc. (there are many others) are used to keep immflammation and constrictin down so that there is no need for rescue meds. If she’s having regular asthma attacks her asthma is not being treated properly or aggressively enough. Asthma is very treatable and controllable and when asthma is properly treated a patient should rarely to never need rescue meds.
I don’t think the ER would report you to social services, but it surprises me that they are not pushing you to take her back to her regular doctor or to a specialist to get her asthma under control. Is she on any preventative/maintenance meds for her asthma?
November 10, 2006 at 9:05 pm #17665AnonymousInactiveAustin (older son) is 7 now and was diagnosed with asthma at 2, has been on albuterol ever since and is now on all kinds of allergy meds and flovent (asthma preventative). When he was 2 he was on singulair, chewable tabs, to prevent symptoms (worked GREAT!!!) but still had the rescue inhaler just in case. Good things to do to help avoid asthma attacks, no dust (I suck at the no dust in the house thing), keep pets (if you have them) out of their room, sometimes it’s something in their diets that triggers it, wheat can be a big asthma trigger, a LOT of the time it ends up being bundled up with allergies (like my son now). His is so bad that we got rid of the carpet and got fake hardwood. I HATE HATE asthma….scares me to death and I check on Austin like 10 times a night if his has been acting up…I’ve taken him in when he was at the point where his lips were purplish-in the middle of the night, I heard him cough and went to check-and now he has his own personal nebulizer!!!
like christine said, asthmatics should always be on preventative meds, and singulair is 18 months and up I believe, may be even younger. The flovent has made it so Austin hasn’s had to use his inhaler in a LONG time.
Ok, all that aside, he IS a normal little 7 year old, has always played sports and ran around with his friends, it hasn’t really bothered him at all. Also, a LOT of kids grow out of asthma as they get older, Austins was much worse when he was younger. I’m hoping he’ll grow out of it, though I had it as a child and still do.
November 12, 2006 at 3:34 am #17821AnonymousInactiveThanks ladies!!!
Christine,
She is currently on Zyrtec and Flovent twice a day….which I have ot say has helped her a lot. Her asthma really only acts up when she gets sick….then everything goes right into her chest. And at this time, she was getting over Rotovirus and caughte some kind of cold bug. I have noticed that when she does get ill….since she has been on the Flovent and Zyrtec……..her symptoms seem to go away faster when she does get sick……..except, of course, this past time. I think that I am going to give the ped specialist back and discuss my concerns with him.
I would like to thank both you ladies, though, for your insites in this situation. Please feel free to give me more………
November 12, 2006 at 8:46 am #17825AnonymousInactiveoh, yep, when winter rolls around, Austin gets pnemonia every year (well, not traditional pnemonia, but we’re always in the er fidning out he has fluid in his lungs) bronchitus etc. but like I said, as he grows we seem to spend less and less of our winder weekends (b/c of course he only gets bad when the dr is clsoed!!) at the children’s er.
Poor little thing, she’s soooooooo cute!!! I know how she feels, when I get sick is always goes to my chest too!!!! no fun. You might want to take her to a pulmonologist (spelled wrong I know-lol) Austin has never seen one, and I wish he had. Also, next time you’re in for Asthma treatments, ask about getting a nebulizer for home use!!!
November 12, 2006 at 8:18 pm #17859AnonymousInactiveIt took me YEARS to learn this but FINALLY one doctor told me that ANYTIME I am sick with any kind of respiratory illness (even a simple cold) I should immediately increase my Flovent to 4 puffs 4 times per day to prevent a severe and lasting exacerbation of my asthma. It works like a charm!!
Maybe ask her doctor is he would recommend that for her.
I hope she’s feeling better soon.
November 12, 2006 at 11:01 pm #17871AnonymousInactivewow seriously Christine?? Austin is on flovent, I’m going to ask his doc about that!
November 12, 2006 at 11:33 pm #17874AnonymousInactiveAidansmom,
Thanks for all of your input and advice!!! We do have a nebulizer, which we do use when she is really bad. And she does see a pulmologist, who is wonderful. But I think I am going to make an appointment to discuss these issues. Rylie has been on Flovent since, I think, this past spring…..it has helped.
Christine,
I think that I am going to ask the pulmologist about doing something like that with her. Although I did talk to my cousin who is a nurse and she said to ask about the Atrovent. She said that a friend of her’s child has the same issues and she has a prescription for it, so she has it on hand at all times.
Again ladies, I really appreciate all of your input and please keep posting here!
November 13, 2006 at 9:27 am #17879AnonymousInactiveJill,
I’ve been on Flovent for 11 years and it wasn’t until about 3 years ago that my current doctor told me to do that. I didn’t think it would work, but it does nearly everytime…even when I had the flu! In the past I would always end up on Prednisone and/or hooked up to my nebulizer all day when I was sick. Now I just increase the Flovent and I’m fine.
Rylie’s mom,
I don’t know much about Atrovent, but I know there are several inhalers out there that help to prevent asthma flare-ups….I tried five or more of them until I started Flovent and it was the one that worked for me. I’m pretty sure Atrovent is something you use regularily like Flovent to keep asthma at bay. It’s not a rescue medicine or something to keep on hand for an attack.
November 13, 2006 at 6:23 pm #17905AnonymousInactiveoh lord as if this isn’t a coincidince, I had to pick austin up fro mschool today because he caouldn’t breathe and the inhaler proved useless. Went to our doc, for a neb treament and orapred? never had that, but the combo was lovely right after dropping the rx off (and I mean RIGHT after, in the car), he puked everywhere!!!!! called the doc back, and they said it was probably just to much asthma medication all at once, inhaler plus neb plus that orapred (he’s never had that nut we have an rx for it to give in the am)….at least they finally gave him some nebulizer packets for home.
November 13, 2006 at 7:05 pm #17907AnonymousInactiveOh, poor Austin. He must have been so scared. Asthma is terrifying when it gets bad. Has he been having problems with ashtma lately? Or, has he been sick with a cold or virus?
I hope he’s feeling better soon.
November 13, 2006 at 7:39 pm #17912AnonymousInactiveAsthma issues, I heard him coughing early this morning, but he didn’t come and get me like he usually does. Then when I went into his class to be the volunteer mom for the morning, he was doing what I call his “asthma cough” and said he had already puffed the inhaler (he keeps one in his bookbag) so I waited until after lunch and gave it to him again and told him to go to the nurse if he didn’t feel better.
The weird thing is it doesn’t scare him, I guess he just sees it as “normal” to feel that way in the winter (which breaks my heart). He gets a double whammy at the begining of winter here, allergies are HUGE and they kick up his asthma but the cold air does it also!!!! He was probably gettign a cold but with him a cold is never just a cold, it races straight to his chest..funny thing is, his pulse oxygen level has never ever been under 95, which boggles some dr’s minds because he’ll be pale as a ghost wheezing almost ready to pass out, with a pulse ox of 97!!! (I’m that way 2 though) I HATE asthma..even more than I hate reflux, i hope Aidan doesn’t get caught up in the asthma trap…but we do live in pollen/allergy city so I know he’ll have some sort of lung issue..I just hope it’s not asthma!!!! How’s Myles doing btw??? I read that he has a ton of teeth!!!!! Such a cute little guy!!!
November 13, 2006 at 9:40 pm #17936AnonymousInactiveJill,
Is he on a steroid inhaler like Flovent or any other maintenance meds for asthma? I’ve heard good things about Singulair for asthma and allergies. I’ve even considered it for myself but since I’m doing fine on Flovent I figured I’d leave well enough alone.
That’s sad that he is used to feeling that way…. I hope they can find a way to help him feel better in the winter.
Thanks for asking about Myles….he’s doing great, except for his ferocious temper! Man, that kid can erupt like a volcano at any given time. All I can say is, it’s a darn good thing he’s cute.
Hugs to Austin. I hope he’s feeling better soon.
November 13, 2006 at 10:11 pm #17938AnonymousInactiveI am sorry to hear about Austin……..I can really feel your pain and frustration. I really think that this is going to be a bad year for her asthma this year and it is all because of this weather here in Ohio. It is absolutely crazy.
And about Myles……..I can relate!!! Rylie has a temper too! On top of this, Dylan is going through some kind of stage where he tantrums, I am not use to this because he was never like this when he was a toddler.
November 14, 2006 at 10:09 am #17995AnonymousInactiveHow old is Dylan? My first child was a an absolute doll, a dream child, until the age of 3. I don’t what happened at 3 but that’s when her tantrums began. She’s much better now but I really have to stay on top of things to keep her in line. Time outs are the only thing that calm her down because she hates them so much.
With Myles things are so bad at times that yesterday I decided to try putting him in his pack and play for a little “baby timeout” I felt bad because he’s so young….but it did seem to calm him down. I only left him in there for about 2 minutes, took him out, he began screaming again, so I put him back in for 2 more minutes and he was fine the rest of the morning.
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