4 Month Old with Severe Asthma Any Good Ideas?

I have a friend whose child suffered wth this for TWO YEARS. I know you don't want that! They had many tests done and found out he was allergic to many ingredients in household cleaners! So when she would clean up like crazy, she made it worse!! She found a company that sold non-toxic products and as soon as she switched her home over, the treatments (that were at the max) stopped. He hasn't had one for three years!! You have to get refered to buy these products so let me know if you're intereted. They are giving away $100 in free products for signing up so now is a great time to do it!

Please don't think I am crazy, but I have a nephew that is now 18, and had severe asthma as an infant. My brother and sister in law heard of a family buying a pocket chihuaua for their child to help with asthma. They bought one, and believe it or not, this helped. It has to be one with the white strip on the head. We actually have one now and have had him for almost 7 years. They are short haired, and don't shed. Hope this helps.

S.
39 yr old mom of 3 and grandmother of 1

I have a 7 mth old with the same problem. We took him to see Dr. Suzanne Beck, a specialist with this problem. She was very helpful in prescribing the right medicine for the job. Within a month he was off one of the steriods. And the we took him to our pediatrician for a check up and because he was very congestion. She prescribed Xedoprex. With one week, you could barely tell he had asthma. He still wheezes, but not so often now. I don't know what you are on. But we normally gave his treatment once a night before bedtime. If you like, you might ought to see that doctor. We saw her nurse practioner. But overall they know what they're doing and I fully trust them.

I have a very good friend who is going through similar with her son. They had tried everything. he has had several hospital stays as a result of it.
She did some research on the internet and is trying having a chiaua dog, i know that isn't spelled right. you know the little taco bell dog. anyway she had read on the internet that there is something in this particular dog's hair, or skin oils that helps with asthma. She has had their little dog "Poopy" (her son named him) for about 3 months now and her son has been slowly getting better.
She of course asked her dr. about it before she got the dog and he confirmed her findings. She also found out from one of our other friends that her parents had done that for her brother for many years and hit helped his severe asthma.
I guess it's one of those old wives tales that actually works.

There is also one of those cart vendors at north star mall in San Antonio that sells these special lamps that are supposed to help with allergies and asthma. they are very odd looking (looks like a big rock). But that may be worth a try too.

Good luck!

Hi A. I agree with the other moms. My son has allergy induced asthma. He takes singulair everyday and it really seems to help and there are no side effects that he has shown. My son gets perssistent cough when he has asthma and what helps along with the neb. is warm apple cider(I always keep it on hand in the powder form)and a steam shower. Anything that can get moisture in his lungs makes the biggest difference. Also if he still has problems when he gets older with cronic cough that wont go away no matter what there is a prescription that works the best called Histussin it has a cough suppressant and codeine so be careful. Good luck and I hope your sweet baby feels better soon.

S.

I also have asthma and my son came down with RSV when he was 3 months old and again when he was 12 months old. We got one of those home humidifiers. Not the little ones that make everything around them wet, but a big one. It was about $150 and we put it in the living room. It took about 2 days, but after that you could tell the air was moist and cleaner feeling. My son had RSV so bad that he could not be at a house that did not have this humidifier going. It has an auto shut off when the air is moist and auto turn on when it needs to. It's very quiet and it doesn't actually spray out water. It is wonderful. My asthma has improved, we have not have RSV in a year and my husband's allergies are even better! It's worth a try, I promise.

Hi A.,

My son went through the nebulizer ordeal as an infant due to asthma and/or alergies. It is scary and exhausting. I used humidifiers in his room and sometimes would shower with him in the middle of the night to attempt to clear his congestion. I would just make a really steamy hot shower and hold him in my arms while the hot water ran down my back. My doctor said the humidity helped open his air passage ways.

I tried to limit the use of the nebulizer as the medication given to my son (albuterol) made him hyper. Sometime he would shake and cry in his sleep or it would wake him up and he would be litterly "hyped out". That was scary too. So if possible maybe ask your doctor about some homeopathic alternatives, if any! I just got to the point when he was breathing well, sleeping well and peaceful I would not wake him with a timed dose. Then go back to the timed doseage when he was awake. And NEVER double up on albuterol.

Just be patient and be there to do whatever the doctor suggests. My son out grew all the symptons by 4 years old and have never used the nebulizer since. Although he does get alergy sysmtoms and occassional persistant cough, only once has he ever used inhaler.

I would be so scared for him and at my wits end with frieght. I have no advice other than the above about being there for him and ask your doctor about humidifiers in his room and the hot shower treatment!!

He may outgrow it and be a super healthy little man like mine! (My 8 year old Jake is super healthy now and never sick! As a matter of fact, it it really hard to beleive he was ever diagnosed with asthma!!)

GOOD LUCK!!

Dear A.,

I have a wonderful treatment which can help, but it does seem 'weird'... NAET. My family uses NAET for just about everything, and it truly amazes us. It is a holistic therapy for permanent removal of allergies and sensitivities, and would be great for asthma as well. We see a wonderful man, Dr. Brian Barnett, here in Houston. He works in an office which offers acupuncture, chiropractic, deep tissue massage & NAET. The number is ###-###-####. The office is located near 290 & Mangum. The treatments are $35 for children, I believe. The first visit may be around $100. It is definitely worth checking into... it would change the course of your child's health. I was a very sickly kid, taking allergy shots & getting sick all of the time. It's been a long road (and one that has gotten away from traditional medicine) - but wow, am I better. I hope you'll research it a bit - I hate to hear of a baby on steroids :( I pray your little one is better soon!

Blessings,
R.

I found this testimony regarding asthma online...

Ever since I was a child, I suffered from asthma coupled with very low immunity. Asthma ran in my family and I was on an inhaler, twice a day from an early age. In 1998, I came to Dr. Devi’s clinic and was treated for all the basics, followed by another 20 or so treatments. This changed my life. My asthma is virtually gone and my immunity levels soared. No longer was I susceptible to every cold and virus that went around. I could confidently be around people with colds and seldom catch them. Previously, I would always come down with whatever infection was going around and this would invariably lead to severe asthmatic attacks which often needed hospitalization. I know now that some to the triggers were dust, certain foods, and infections. Now, I have no problems with any of these triggers. I am no longer on an inhaler and I lead an absolutely normal, asthma free life, Thanks to NAET.

M. Firoz, Los Angeles, CA

Has your little guy been tested for allergies? Also, is he breastfed or bottle fed? Cow's milk can be a source of severe allergies/asthma, and the base of most formula is cow's milk. Soy is another high allergen, and it is also the base of alot of formula. Does anyone in the home smoke? Again, another cause of asthma in children. I'd definitely take him somewhere for a second opinion about what is going on with him.

K.
AR

I have an aunt who has athsma. If you asked her, she would say to try Ambrotose. (See link at end of email to find out where to get it.) She is off all shots that she relied on for years. If you want an even better story, you can order the book "A Gift Called Michelle" (search at www.glycotools.com). That girl was on a nebulizer and everything, and now she has no symptoms at all.

If you are breastfeeding, take it yourself. If you are bottlefeeding, try putting a little in his bottle. It won't hurt him.

Let me know if it works.

http://www.mannapages.com/sharethegift/MPComingFromSAA.as...

PS I'm not telling you this to get money from you, just so you know. I'm telling you because it might help. If it does, great. If not, at least you can try it.

My daughter (now almost 3) had severe bronchitis/allergies as an infant and her MD put her on a nebulizer with albuteral at 3 months. Along with the wheezing she was constantly get stuffy noses, would wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, and for a good period of time had a very hard time eating because she couldn't breath. This went on and off until she was about 16 months old and I took her to the MD AGAIN and he went to prescibe a slew of allergy meds AGAIN, and I was just tired of it... Drugs (including the nebulizer) weren't helping! I did a little research of her symptoms and determined that she had apnea. Apnea can cause severe breathing distress when it's at it's worse. At 17 months old I brought her to her MD and insisted he recommend an Allergy Specialist; the Allergy MD took one look at her and sent us to an ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat) there they agreed with me and we had her tonsils and adnoids removed before she was 18 months... She has not needed her breathing treatment since!!!! It may or may not be the same for your little one and even if it is they will probably not do the surgery on him at 4 months. However, if you MD has diagnosed him with "Severe Asthma" or any other chronic lung disorder at this age you need to ask him about an injection called Synagis. It is used to prevent RSV in premies and in babies with respitory problems when the weather starts to get cool. The drug is expensive (in the 1000's) but if your insurance covers it it shouldn't be too bad... Private message me if you are interested to know more about the med as I work at one of the few pharmacies that dispense it. Good luck!!

My son went through the same thing. Well he still is. He is 22 month now and just started doing his treatments again. 1st, if your dr. called it asthma, then you need a new dr. They cant call it asthma until there is a history (like years) of breathing problems. Most kids out grow it also. My son only has a hard time breathing when he gets sick. Last fall/winter he was on Flonase (sp?), a inhaled steriod the entire season. That is a preventative. Then when he got sick and started wheezing, he did the albuterall every 4 hours. He was hospitalized at Texas Childrens 2x also. Once he had RSV and was having a hard time breathing, and the second he was in respiratory distress (breathing too many breaths per minute). He did not use his treatments at all from March until about 1 weeks ago. Just keep up the treatments and he should be fine. My son only has problems when he gets a cold so I never did anything different to my house. My daughter, 12, is allergic to dust mites and we did stuff for that when she was little, but she doesnt have any problems with that now. She takes no medication or anything any more. I hope you son is better soon. good luck! Keep up the steriods though, it will help him. In case they didnt tell you, the steriods can make him swell a little. He will look like a fat baby in the face. My son was so "chubby" the entire season, but as soon as we went off the steriods, his face went down. Also, we dont use the nebulizer anymore. When we went to Texas Childrens last they were using an inhaler attached to a bottle looking device with a mask attached to it. We use that now for both medicines. It can be done anywhere, no electricity needed, it takes less time, and is quiet. You might want to ask your dr about it. You just put the inhaler on one end of the "bottle" and put the other end (the mask) over their nose and mouth. Press the inhaler and wait for them to breath 6 times. Then do it again 3 more times. (2 times for the steriod) It is nice to be able to do his treatment anywhere we are.
Good luck!
K.

Both my kids, my husband, and I have asthma and allergies. These two things tend to go hand-in-hand. He is probably to young for any testing, but I would ask for a specialist to see what is going on. I would have to guess it is allergies if he is not getting better with the medicine. Be careful- this can become very serious if he doesn't get better. A squeaky wheel gets oiled- don't let the dr. ignore you and keep showing up in their office and tell them your child is not better and that they need to do something about it.

Hello A.,
This sitution brings back such memories. My son is now 9 and had/has severe asthma. He has been in ICU about 4 times. The thing I came to understand is the meds can do good but they can also make them worse. He was sent to Galveston when he was 4 and put in ICU for a collapsed lung. A team of Asthma specialist worked on him and believe it or not he was give the right meds, but not the right instructions. There are preventatives and meds you give for a child on the onset of an attack. A child should never br given Albuteral on a daily basis if there are no signs of trouble. But, Meds like Polmucort is on the other hand given daily to prevent trouble. The Galveston hospital helped us sooo much: they help me by holding classes to help me understand the meds, so that I can protect my child from a doctors mistake. They also worked with him to teach him what to do in any situation. He also knew his meds as well as I did. He is doing wonderful now. He still has to carry a shot incase he has a severe attack, but he was perscribred it 2 years ago and has not had to use it. He has gone from 7 meds to 2.
One more thing be careful with conjestion, if fever starts alot of hospitals (not trained to look for asthma with x-rays) will more than likely say they have phenmonia. But the treatment is diffrent for the two and can not only not help him but cause them to get worse. I could go on and on with mistakes that where made and if and buts. My main advice to you is to READ READ and learn, the more you know the better you can understand a complicated problem. If you would like to know more about my experience, I would be happy to help you and give you a few resourses in your area.

my oldest daughter was diagnosed with infection induced asthma. she was put on a nebulizer and steroids. she was about 6 months when all this happened. then i read somewhere that the stimulant in coffee helped in kids with asthma. well, growing up my mom always made us coffee milk. i started deanna on coffee milk in her morning bottle, just 2 to 4 oz. needless to say she has never had another attack. she has had ear infection and such, but has never had another problem breathing and she is 7 now. i know it sounds weird, but i stand by it and have given it to my other 2 daughters. hope it helps. good luck

Hi A.,

Oh my goodness!! OK, have you ever thought about the toxins in your home?? Just reducing the amount of chemicals in your home can help out TREMENDOUSLY!!! My little girl had severe allergies and that is what my doctor told me!!! BUT think about it, we clean our whole house, wash clothes, sheets, ect and most of these cleaners are very harmful chemicals!!! AND this will help out on your child's Asthma!!! AND I have partnered up with a company that I get these products for my home at wholesale prices!!! AND no more doctor appointments for my daughter's allergies!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!! Just e-mail me if you are interested in going THIS route!!!
E-mail: ____@____.com

I really hope this information helps!!!

C. J.

You may have to get rid of all the carpeting and curtains in your house. Even when clean, they hold dust and dander. Also, this time of the year, the mold and pollen are very high and there is not much you can do. This will probably improve in the winter.

first of all i would change my doctor.. don't like that the child is taking a steriod as a breathing treatment, my son had to do them at one time and still does from time to time. but he is eight years old... you mentioned that your house is clean, although it is clean, if your house had flooded at any time and your home has not been gutted out from it then it is the meldew that is in your walls. this is what my sons doctor said to me also..... but i would advise you to stange doctors.

I want to invite you to visit my blog:
http://healthyhouse4u.blogspot.com/
There are alot of things you can do in your home to help those that suffer from Allergies. My daugther had servere allergies at 5 years old and it was awful. A year ago we detoxed our home and wow allergies were gone and we have pets. Something you need to know that alot of household products and personal hygeine products we use can cause allergies because of the toxic ingredients that they contain.
I would be happy to share with you what I did. You can email me at ____@____.com
Blessings, C.

This is going to sound way off the charts but, just hear me out. Take your son to the chiropractor. Then start taking all your kids on a regular basics. They say as soon as your child is even a week old take him to the chiropractor. The reason for this is, even through birth the baby gets all out of wack and is not lined up right. I don't know the way to tell you in doctors lango, but I have taken my son and he is never sick, I go regularly and never get sick.

The way I heard about this was through a friend whose son had asthma and chronic ear aches. They were in the er every weekend, untill a nurse at the er said,"try a chiropractior". The noraml peds, won't tell you this. But look it up on the internet, it really works for everything!

When you are looking for one ask if the do kids or look for one who only does kids. I hope this works for you.