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If your DS has asthma....

omurrayomurray
in Parenting
Would you mind sharing how you manage it and if there are any particular resources you would recommend?  My DS is almost 3.5 and our Pedi has referred him to an allergy and asthma specialist after his second bout with wheezing in the last month.  We had to purchase a nebulizer and currently the Pedi has him on Albuterol every 4-6 hours for as long as the wheezing continues and Pulmocort nightly until we see the specialist.  DS is not fond of the nebulizer.  He's old enought that he can understand it is necessary, so I can get him to do it, but I really hate the thought of this being a permanent addition to our lives and routine. 
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Re: If your DS has asthma....

  • chelle828chelle828
    Hopefully the specialist will be able to get him onto a maintenance medication that is easier to handle.  Something like Singulair - it's a chewable once a day pill.  The neb is your best bet for flare ups - and the pulmicort controls pretty well.  Hang in there - It'll also get easier when your DC is old enough to use an inhaler instead of the nebs.
    Michelle, Happily married to R 2006,
    StepMom to P, Mama to R and E.
    SAHM and weekend NICU nurse
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  • ppantsppants member
    Both of my twins have asthma.  They've been doing breathing treatments since they were 9 mo old.  We see an asthma dr.  We do pulmicort in the nebulizer twice a day.  DD also gets brovana once a day (not approved for kids) but her coughing goes from nothing to every two minutes in about a day when she gets a virus/sick.  They also take singulair once a day and 5 mL of zyrtec once a day.  I don't like them being on all the meds either, but they *have* to have it.  Per the dr they may grow out of it by 5 so we'll see.  My kids don't mind the nebulizer and they watch TV while they do it.
    Wendy Twins 1/27/06. DS and DD
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  • joseysbridejoseysbride member

    My daughter was diagnosed with asthma at around age 2.5.  She is on Pulmicort twice a day and then whenever she shows signs of getting sick at all, especially coughing, she is on Xopenex every four hours or more if needed.  Usually, if she is sick, we have to do the Xopenex every 1-2 hours, even through the night, for a couple days because it gets really bad very quickly.

    I really can't give you much encouragement when it comes to the neb treatments.  If he does have asthma, it will be a pretty permanent addition to his routine.  I know, it stinks.  At times, I feel like it has definitely taken over our lives, but I'd rather struggle with the neb machine a few times a day over being in the hospital.  It is not fun at all.  There is always the hope that they will outgrow it!  And, if not, when they are older it will be much easier when they can take an inhaler.

    If my daughter fights with me about it, which she doesn't much anymore, I will usually let her pick a show to watch on tv, we'll read a book together, or sometimes it even helps if I just volunteer to hold the mask for her.  Also, when we are doing a lot of treatments in a day, we'll time it so that we can do her bed-time treatment after she goes to sleep.  Then we'll just go in there and hold the mask over her face while she's sleeping.

    Hang in there!

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  • joseysbridejoseysbride member
    Mine also takes Singulair once a day during the times of the year when she is prone to have problems, but not year-round.
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  • ilovemygirlsilovemygirls member

    My DD is on FloVent inhaler w/a spacer.  Her asthma is only present when she has a cold or upper respiratory virus, so when that is going on she's on the max dose of 2 puffs 2x/day.  I am able to wean her down to her 'wintertime' dose of 1 puff 1x/day when she's not sick.  At the specialists suggestion, we keep her on that low dose so we don't have as far to go when she gets sick.  In the spring/summer when she's not getting sick as much, I am able to wean her off completely. 

    Our specialist said that once you're on a maintenance med, you want to use albuterol no more than once per week.  We've only had to use it twice all winter, so I know we're doing good.  That being said, last winter right before my DD was dx'd, she was on albuterol every 4-6 hrs still with coughing, so the pedi requested to see her again due to high usage.  She dx'd her at that point & immediately rx'd the FloVent.  Our specialist said she did exactly the right thing.  Honestly, once you work this into your routine, it's not a big deal at all.  Although we don't do the nebulizer, so that would be a pain for sure.  good luck!

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