xp: Anyone's kids on asthma meds?

howleyshell

I know I'm not a regular here but I'm ISO anyone with experience.  Can you please share your experiences? Dylan's got a chronic cough and lung sounds that may indicate asthma (improved after neb treatment).They're staring him on Singulair daily and a rescue inhaler 3-4 times daily when the cough is present.I'm shaking in my boots about Singulair.  I've read some not kind reviews about kids having behavioral changes with it.Any words of wisdom or advice with Singulair or rescue inhalers?TIA

ilovemygirls

My 3.5yo has asthma- dx'd just before she turned 2.  I thought that Singulair was for asthma that was not well controlled by other meds (I think I got that from the commercial though, lol). Mine has cough-variant asthma- it presents as a cough and only when she is ill with an upper respiratory virus, which is her trigger.  When she was first dx'd, she had a cough that wouldn't go away for months over the winter, when she was sick a lot.  She was easily on a rescue inhaler multiple times a day.  When we finally got into the specialist, she said that well controlled asthma should not have to regularly use a rescue inhaler.  Since we got her on Flo-Vent inhaler (which she uses 2 puffs 2x/day when she is sick)- almost 2 years ago- I've only had to use rescue meds twice.  If you have not already, I would def. recommend seeing an asthma/allergy specialist. Or if that is who rx'd the Singulair & you're not comfortable, I'd seek a 2nd opinion.

Just when I thought everything was status quo, we started having a whole new issue this winter, which is upper airway inflammation which causes uncontrollable coughing- but it is NOT her asthma. That condition just makes her upper airway more susceptible to being "reactive" as her specialist terms it.  We have a good plan in place now, but it was scary a few times.  Good luck!

omurray

My DS is 4 and developed asthma about a year ago.  His is triggered by illness 99% of the time with just a couple episodes of wheezing after being out in very cold weather, and one episode of wheezing after being around a cat.  We've have tried several different controller meds (Pulmicort, Flovent, Singulair).  The Pulmicort and Flovent made him extremely emotional after a couple weeks and also made him have the urge to pee all the time (like he'd go to the bathroom and not even make it back to what he was playing with before it felt like he'd have to go again.  of course, he didn't actually have to go that often, so it must have been bladder spasms or something, but felt very real to him and he was constantly running to the bathroom which was frustrating for both of us.  Singulair was the last controller we tried and we had high hopes for it since it is not a steroid like the others.  For the first week, he had no issues and we were thrilled, but in the second week, the constant peeing started up again.  Apparently, this is not a common side effect because the doctors look at me like i'm nuts, but we've been on and off enough meds for me to be 100% certain its the meds.  So, since DS's asthma is not all the time and only induced by colds, we've decided to keep him off of controller meds because the side effects are just too rough on him.  We use Xopenex rescue inhaler every 4-6 hrs for any wheezing episodes (such as during illness) and it seems to work well for him.  If we have to use that consistently for multiple days in a row, the peeing will start up, but if he only needs the med here and there, he's fine.  So, we focus even more than normal on keeping him healthy. 

We started taking him to a Chiropractor this summer and we believe that is helping.  I also started giving him Immunity Support gummy vitamins this winter to help prevent and fight off colds.  At the advice of our Chiropractor, I reduced DS's dairy intake and I really feel that is helping.  Since reducing the dairy, DS has had NO instances of wheezing from being in cold weather (we're in IL).  I think that's it.  Obviously, DS's asthma isn't too severe at this point and typically isn't an issue unless sick.  BUT, I absolutely hated all the meds they wanted to push onto him.  Especially since my DS does not have consistent asthma, I see no need whatsoever to have him on a daily med.  I certainly understand some patients would need that, but I felt they were pushing a one size fits all treatment plan on us and I'm not comfortable giving my kid daily steroids when its unnecessary.

Good luck!  If your DS is a big milk drinker, I'd encourage you to just try reducing the dairy for a week or two and see if you can tell a difference.  I know it may not work for all, but its certainly non-invasive!

jnicks19

We're just going through this ourselves.  My #2 has had a cough since the first week of Dec.  We initally treated with amoxicillin because we were leaving for Mexico and she had no relief from that.  So obviously not bacterial.  When we went back last week we tried albuterol 4x day and oral prednisione for 5 days and a chest xray.  No relief again.  She could barely sleep because of the cough.  We were all losing sleep!!  Took her back this Tuesday and they've put her on singulair, flovent, continued the albuterol and she's also now developed double ear infections so she's on Augmentin for that!  She's on so many meds but she's definitely improving.  Her cough isn't totally gone but we're all sleeping much better!!

 We've got an appointment with an allergist as well.

I'm hoping this is an isolated episode, we haven't had anything like it before and there isn't asthma in either of our families.  I just want her off the meds but I do think they are helping.

Sorry I don't have much advice but I can relate, it's new for us too.  Maybe we can keep in touch as the kids progress!