I have had it with Oisin's asthma
weelass24
member
I am changing my OB appointment on Wednesday to an earlier time so that
I can bring him to the peditrician that afternoon. For the last week and a half, we are back to the puking because he coughs so hard. His chest sounds like I don't even know what. Like there is a wet plastic bag in it. The neb is helping, but not improving enough, especially when he refuses it at night or quits after 20 seconds. 5 minutes on it in the morning is a huge victory. When it is really bad, I am giving him the inhaler straight up into his mouth, instead of bothering with the aerochamber. He won't sit for the neb, there is not a chance the chamber will stay on his face.
I am so done. I can't believe I am going to ask the pedi for oral steroids to knock this out of him, but it's not fair to him to keep using therapy that is only doing just enough. The cold weather is not at all helping and I know that, but I can't see waiting for the warmer weather. It's too much for him.
Re: I have had it with Oisin's asthma
Diana, they aren't sure. She said there is a good chance by 7 or 8 it won't be a problem, but who knows.
ETS, I have hit him with the inhaler when he sleeps, if necessary, but he'll wake up the second he hears the nub turn on, even if it is on a pillow and mostly covered by a blanket. And no excema. We've never had any skin issues at all. :bangs fist on wood:
I feel his pain. I had it bad growing up.
And eczema and asthma usually go hand in hand. Not sure why, but every time I was about to have an asthma attack, my eczema would be awful.
What else is he on? He needs a controller so that you can be proactive with this since it's reocurring. We have had great success with having him take Singular (chewable pill) once a day as well as FloVent (2 puffs 2x daily). We still use albuterol when necessary.
Have you just seen his pedi? You might want to consider a pulmonologist as well. Has he been tested for allergies? There might be something lingering that is triggering the asthma. Colin also takes allergy meds twice a day.
In combo, it seems to be working very well - except when he's sick we still end up in the hospital and needing oral steroids for a week.
Let me know if you have questions. We have seen countless doctors between the PICU, regular floor hospital visits, allergist and pulmonologist visits along with tons of different respiratory therapists. I love our pedi, and she really is amazing, but I think asthma that is as severe and uncontrolled as Colin's needed a real pulmonologist - and it sounds like that might be the case with Oisin as well.
I'm so sorry.
Breathing issues are terrifying - especially when you can't get them under control. The last time we ended up in the ER, he had been given 16 puffs of Albuterol and had 3 double Albuterol nebulizer treatments and none of them would help (that was all over a 3 hour time frame).
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Yup. Eczema, Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis (Seasonal allergies) are tightly interwoven. Not sure why, but tight control of one improves the other two, and tight control may ultimately eliminate the 2nd or third.
So, kids who have eczema who are tightly controlled, may not develop severe asthma, or allergies at all. We push the soak & seal method - anytime they get wet - bathing, drooling, etc - they are immediately sealed in a coating of aquaphor, cetaphil or the third that I forget. Also, keeping them away from any kind of additive / scent / coloring etc. From a hospital standpoint, I hate that Johnson & johnson still make scented baby lotion, pink baby lotion, etc.
They're still figuring out this link, and how to treat all three by controlling one. It's really interesting though.
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And ditto what PP said about seeing a pulmonologist, allergist if you haven't already. Just what you need right now, right?
Do you use a noise machine while he sleeps at night? That's my only other idea, that if he is used to white noise, he may be okay with the neb machine.
Soryr Wee. This sucks! Steroids aren't great, but it's better than not breathing!! Good Luck!
Yep, you are definitely spot-on with this as well. Colin has the trifecta of horrible, horrible eczema, allergies (although he just outgrew his wheat allergy!!!!), and terrible Reactive Airway Disease/Asthma. We don't use anything with scents or that's not natural. Unscented California Baby soap all the way!
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Right now we are just on the albuterol/ pulmocort. We were at the pedi back in November for the same thing. Normal regimen of albuterol every 4-6 at first, them longer and pulmocort 2x a day for a month. It improved, we had a bit of trouble with it in Ireland (typical). The last 3 weeks have been bad. The weather here had been terrible and absolutely freezing. I think the cold makes him worse, TBH. Milk can be a trigger too. When it gets really awful, we'll cut the milk out for 24 hours and be super aggressive with the meds to stop the puking.
The last time we were at the pedi, she did say that if it doesn't get better steroids were up next and probably a referal to a pulmonologist. I think at this point, that it's probably a good idea. We've been fighting it on and off for almost a year and a half and every flare up gets worse. I am terrified of it turning into pnemonia or something worse, especially after seeing what you have gone though with Colin.
We'll go Wednesday and see what she recommends. They are very proactive when it comes to referals, he's seen more specialists for varoius things than I have. That's why I love this practice. Any sign of an issue, they like to have it checked out so it can be addressed right away.
That's good news that it sounds like there is a plan in place to get him a referral. You're right about the cold - it's a trigger for my asthma, but it really helps Colin when he's having a flare up. That's such a bummer that it's a trigger for Oisin - especially where you live.
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Hope he feels better! Glad you have a good plan in place.
Get Better Oisin!!!!
Mine is on an inhaler as well. We had our first round of predisone in December because I couldn't take the puking any more either.
At the same time, they put him on Singulair every day. I feel like the asthma is much more under control since then.