Allergies and Asthma Following RSV

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My son has jut been diagnosed with it too! He is almost 13 months now but has been battling it since he got a cold in July! He is on singulair and it has made a world of difference. I don;t know if they will give it to a younger child though.

My little guy developed 'cold induced ashtma' following pneumonia (at 6 months of age). We did the albuterol breathing treatments, the oral steroids, flowvent inhaler, etc. Now, at age 5, we still use the flovent inhaler and signulair daily - but we only need to use the albuterol when he has his asthma cough (i.e when he's sick). My son appears to be outgroing this - just as the doctor predicted.

Don't fret - since he is so young, it's quite possible that he'll outgrow this. Also, I'd recommend you see an asthma / allergy specialist for his breathing problems. If nothing else, it will confirm your ped Dr. treatments. We use Dr. Horwitz, Song et al. - out of Providence (but they have several locations including Novi, Canton and Ann Arbor). Their Novi phone is ###-###-####. Good luck.

Our son was hospitalized with RSV for 5 days when he was 4 months old. He suffered from croup cough and wheezing a lot after that as well as being sensitive to allergies when the seasons changed. Each season has gotten better for him and he is using the breathing treatments less and less and well as staying health more. He has always gone to daycare too. His Ped specializes in the respitory diseases and told us that he could be an Asthma kid but did not want to diagnos him so yound. I am glad that he didn't because now that he is over 3 years old, I feel that he has overcome a lot of those health issues and his system is strong. I don't know if that will be the case for your boy but what I can tell you is that it was the hardest the year following the RSV and that ever year after keeps getting better. I hope you will have the same experience over time. Keep on it though because it is very serious and if he does become Asthmatic, with good practice he will keep it managed well and be very happy.

Hi R.~

Im in your shoes! I also had a baby this past winter who got RSV. And her wheezing has just stopped! Is your little one cutting any teeth? Dont worry about Asthma yet. I have a 4 yr old who had her very first Asthma attack at 3yr old that was nuts! But I can tell you that she has been fine every since that time. She rans like crazy, jumps, being your normal 4yr playing with no problems. If you would like to talk more about Asthma and what we do with all our kids drop me an email.
____@____.com luck and hang in there.
C.

My cousin actually had her son, who I believe was about the same age, contact RSV at daycare as well. He was on breathing treatments for quite a while during that time, I cannot remember how long exactly, but eventually he was weaned off of it. He is now a healthy 3 year old with no other symptoms. Hopefully this will give you hope!!

My now 6 (very active) year old son was diagnosed with asthma when he was a couple months old and we had to give him something like four breathing treatments with the nebulizer every day plus he was oral meds too. Between the ages of about 1-5 years old we only had to give him occassional breathing treatments and he still took oral meds. Around that same time the pediatrician changed his diagnosis from "asthma" to "reactive airway disease", but a doctor friend of mine said that they basically mean the same thing. I am happy to say that over the past year he hasn't taken any oral meds at all and we have only had to do like one breathing treatment and the asthma, or RAD, have never affected his ability to play sports, etc. He has taken gymnastics since he was about 3, then since he started school he has played t-ball, soccer and basketball without any problems. I would say that as long as you keep a watchful eye on him he'll probably be able to do anything he wants.

Good luck!

Has your son been tested for Cystic Fibrosis? If symptoms continue consult a pulmonologist or pediatric allergist. They are better versed at getting to the root of the problem, not just saying is is asthma.
I spent the first year of my son's life one infection after another, constant breating treatment etc. He tested positive for CF. It is best to rule things out instead of the wait and see approach.
You have to be your child's advocate!

R.-

We have a seven month old who was also diagonised with RSV by her Ped. I have asthma myself so I can understand your concern. I do not believe that your is being truthful with you. I was diagonised with asthma when my parents divorced. Having RSV does not mean that your son will be asthmatic all his life. I was diagnoised when I was 10 and I played soccer all the way from age 5 or 6 up until I was a freshman in high school then I played softball. So just remmeber that if your son does have asthma he can still play sports he will just need to have an inhaler on hand in cause he has a hard time breathing. God Bless and I will be praying for you and the rest of your family.

I have 2 children -11 and 7 with asthma .....the oldest has severe asthma and I cannot believe a doctor told you he got from RSV ... sorry but I dont buy that one bit.My kids got it cause their Dad had it.I would check out both sides of your family before believing that doctor.

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My 8 week old preemie caught RSV at the Dr's office a few days after she was discharged from the NICU! Talk about a quick turn around back to the hospital - she got another 12 day stay before finally coming home for good, with a nebulizer and the breathing treatments for a couple of weeks! She did fine for a long while and didn't need them any more, then about a month before her 1st birthday she started the wheezing and having breathing issues on and off. After a few ER visits, steroid shots to open her airways, etc., they started up the breathing treatments again. This went on for a couple of years, doing the treatments when she would show symptoms (sort of 'as needed') and the Dr's talking about possible asthma because of RSV, but no real diagnosis since there was a chance she would outgrow it.

Well, she's 9 now and we haven't used the neb at all for a few years, and the last several times it was used it was only 1-2 times per winter season (seemed that's when it was more of an issue for her). I think she's officially outgrown it and she has never been a true asthmatic. There were a few years there when every time she would get a cold or something it would start the wheezing, and we would immediately start the breathing treatments (our Dr just prescribed the stuff for us to keep on hand) and once she seemed better we would wean her off the treatments. Over time she needed them less and less, and not every illness started the wheezing anymore. Now, like I said, it's been a few years since we've had to bring the machine out, so there's great hope!

RSV is a nasty illness and affects every child differently. We adults carry it around too, it just acts like a regular cold for us. Unfortunately no one is immune to getting it. But hang in there and don't be so quick to assume asthma, even though I seriously know how hard it is to hear about the possibility of it for your active child. My daughter is a very active dancer and has not had any issues with her breathing :)

S.

R.,
Have you thought about holistic/functional health care with your son? I bring my 7 1/2 mo old to a functional Dr.- He gets adjusted and I know the Dr. has talked about Asthma and deals alot with it with much success. We brought him there at 6wks old due to reflux and have been incredibly happy with the results. He is very healthy. The Dr. will not use drugs and such like a conventional Dr. would- much better in my opinion. If you would like his name let me know. I am new to this Mamasource thing so I am not sure how it all works yet.
B.

Hi. My son became asthmatic very early on--had his first wheezing episode at about 4 months of age and it continued to get worse and worse from then on. His was triggered by food allergies but once those issues were under control with diet changes, the wheezing continued. It got worse during the spring time with the change from cool weather to warm weather and again in the fall with the switch from warm to cool. Anyway, we went through a rough spell of round the clock breathing treatments and even a hospital stay when he was having bronchospasms (meaning even with treatments, the wheezing continued), and a liquid steroid which finally got things more under control again. The good news is that he is now almost 3 years old and while he is still considered asthmatic, the episodes are much fewer and further between. We are currently controlling it with Singulair tablets and Pulmicort respules. He is a very active child who can keep up with the best of them and I have no worries whatsoever that he won't be able to play sports in another couple of years. I hope the same will be true for your son!
A. O.

I have a son that developed respiratory difficulties at 3 mos of age. He was initially diagnosed with bronchiolitis. He started breathing treatments at this time. Shortly, thereafter, my son was diagnosed with milk and wheat allergies. I was shocked because I breastfed him. So I altered my diet and he still would have respiratory issues at times, in which I would have to give him breathing treatments. As time went on his episodes became furter and furter apart. He is now almost 3 years old and the last breathing treatment I had to give him was about 6 months ago (which is good for us). I take this as a sign that he is growing out of it. My pediatrician was hesitant to call his episodes asthma, because he is so young. I hope this helps.

I would get an opinion from the pediatrician, but also from an alternative practitioner. The number of people with asthma has increased in the past 2 decades, and there has to be a reason.
I wouldn't want to start putting potentially hazardous, unhealthy stuff in a baby. Look for herbal rememdies or maybe just a vaporizer? Is the problem maybe your air ducts at home that keep the problem going? Anything else in the home that could cause a reaction?
There's an herbal supplement called HistaBlock. I take a couple when I feel that little sinus/allergy type pressure starting to irritate me.
Hope you solve this! Good luck!

Hi R.,

Don't despair, Asthma is not the end of a sports career for your little one. ;o)
Our son, now 7, has been on treatment for allergies and asthma since he was a year old. He never had RSV, but did suffer once from Bronchialitis, but it's an inherited thing and he got it from his daddy. Daily nebulizer treatments can be time consuming and cumbersome, but the benefits of them are that your child will be able to enjoy a normal active childhood, and there's every chance it will get better as he gets older. Thankfully, our son has never actually had an asthma attack, but he has suffered from wheezing etc which itself can be quite scary. As he's gotten older, the wheezing is very rare and a fast acting inhaler (they have ones with spacers which kids as young as 4 can use) helps it. He has been taking a singulair chewable tablet at night (helps both allergies and asthma symptoms)since he was about 2 and in the past year one dose of a pulmicort tubuhaler in the morning. Very rarely do we have to pull out the noisy machine anymore. :o) As far active, he is very athletic - baseball, ice hockey, basketball, soccer and oh yeah - he's hyperactive! his condition has never once interfered with it. You'll be surprised at just how many people you know have a child with a similar condition and we all get through it. Although it's frightening to find out that your baby has breathing problems, it does get easier and you learn to catch symptoms (voice change, etc) before wheezing begins and treat it early.

Good Luck

A similar thing happened to my third child. He is now 9 and is not asthmatic, but has some slight allergies. I had an "old school" pediatrician that simply said I needed to build his immunities. Take him camping, let him play in the dirt and outside. He would come in with swollen eyes and a runny nose beyond belief. Our bodies need to build up immunities. There are some things we can't fight off and Claritin works for that, but overall he doesn't get sick and my athlete doesn't need an inhaler. Check with your doctor, but exposure isn't always bad.

Though I have not had children with Asthma, I was diagnosed with it at a very young age and have battled it all my life. There is a wonderful book by the people who make the chicken soup for the soul books in their healthy living series on Asthma and allergies. I HIGHLY recommend you get it an read it. There are wonderful tips on dealing with children and asthma as well as adults and many inspirational stories it help you see you are far from alone. This book reminded me a a few things I had forgotten. Unfortunatly you don't Grow out of it, it goes into a remission period. But you will be happy to know that as long as it is controlled he can lead a very normal, healthy and Very Active life. I a m a professional dancer and teacher. Dancing Ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop 5 days a week 6-8 hours a day with performances at night. The trick is prevention. Good luck and read that book. It will help.

We are actually in a very similar situation. Our son is 10 months old and has also had to have breathing treatments. We don't know if he actually had RSV but he was wheezing from a nasty cold. We are actually headed to the doctor again today to have him checked out--I didn't hear the wheezing the first time it happened, we just happened to be at the doc for our older son and had her check out our younger at the same time. The older one was fine, the younger one sent home with a nebulizer! Now I am paranoid.

Long term though, we have two nephews with asthma and one (14) has outgrown it. The other (9) is still dealing with it. Both are VERY active in sports though.

We obviously have a family history so it is possible that he will develop asthma but right now, the doctors are just calling it a respiratory infection but say he is more likely to have them since he had one in the past. We own a nebulizer now but haven't used it in a few weeks.

If it is asthma, at least you know now and can be prepared rather than have him have an attack and not know what to do.

Good luck!

Hi R., I think it would be a good idea for you to take your son to an asthma and allergy specialist. I have had asthma and allergies since I was very small, around age 1, and was a very active and sporty kid. I would suggest Ilea Magdea and James Fordyce on Outer Drive in Dearborn. There are several other doctors in the practice and they are all very good. Good Luck

My son had RSV and bronchiolitis when he was 10 weeks old. At the time our doctor told us this would put him at higher risk for developing asthma. That said, just putting someone in a "higher risk" category is pretty meaningless. Did his risk go up from a 1% chance to a 10% chance, for example, or does this mean he's got a 75% chance? My husband and I both have environmental allergies and mild asthma related to those allergies so the odds were never in my son's favor to begin with. He is 4 now and does not have any ongoing issues, but he has had to undergo breathing treatments in the past on 2 or 3 occasions when he's gotten an upper respiratory infection. I'd suggest you meet with a pediatric allergist to discuss your child's condition and what you can do to help keep him as healthy as possible.

I understand completely...the exact same thing happened to us with our son at 8 months old and we spent 6 days in the hospital because the RSV turned to croupe and bilateral pneumonia. It was very scary. We were on breathing treatments forever it seemed like. He is now almost 3yrs old and doing fine. He is on a Flovent inhaler 1/day and on singulair chewable pill. He is doing great and he even ended up getting the influenza A this winter (which was mainly respiratory and his lungs held up real well). At some point your doc will switch you off the treatments to the inhaler ( i think he was 18 months). We are now seeing an allergy and asthma specialist and our next visit is in 3 weeks and I plan on asking about weaning him off the inhaler and taking him off the singulair and see how he does because he hasn't had any attacks in a long time. He is very active and runs around all the time and doesn't seem to have problems. They said that he may grow out of it and I think that he is. I know that it is hard but try to stay positive because it will get better. My PED said my son would probably be an "asthma kid" to because my mother in law has bad asthma and they say it can be genetic but he is growing up and out of it. If I were you I would ask to see an allergy and asthma specialist. They tested my son for allergies and he doesn't seem to have any. They say that the RSV can just cause these asthma like attacks and symptoms in these young kids...and that seems to be where we are at. So keep me posted and I will have to let you know how our doctor visit goes next month because I am hopeul that we can come off the meds. Sorry for the long story book, but I feel your pain.
K.

I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Both of my kids have had asthma potential since they were born. They both stayed in the hospital with lung problems for extra days due to complications at birth which pre-disposed them to nebulizers, etc. you are discussing.
In addition, we, too, have had a round of RSV in the house, when my daughter was just 3 months old. We had two kids 2 yo and 3month old down for 2 weeks because of breathing treatments and problems.
I am happy to report, 3 years later, that they have almost no problems. The dr. would still like my son to be asthmatic and prescribes allergy medicine for him on occasion and he does need a breathing treatment more quickly than my daughter but we are through it and they are not asthmatic or allergic.

I just wanted you to know that not all RSV turns out that bad and the advice from the other moms is encouraging and right on when they say to deal with each child individually. You just never know.
I wish you the best of luck and I will say prayers that you all make it through ok. Being asthmatic is not the worst thing that could happen, right? Best wishes.

I have asthma, and was diagnosed with it at the age of 2. I played basketball, and ran varsity track in highschool. If you haven't already, you really should take your son to see an allergy and asthma specialist. They are up on all the last medications, and treatments. My doctor (a specialist in asthma and allergies) has been able to keep my asthma under control far better than any other doctor. It is important that you know and learn what your sons triggers are (smoke, grass, milk, etc.), and the seasons that will effect him the most (Spring). It bothers me that your pediatrician referred to him as an "asthma kid" that is really ignorant as far as I'm concerned. Just from that comment alone, I would say see a specialist. If your son was meant to be an athlete, he'll still be one. There are plenty of famous athletes that have asthma.

It does sound like your little guy has some allergies, probably even underlying food allergies. There are many things you can do with natural health and naturally treat the allergies with N.A.E.T. (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique) - look it up on naet.com. The RSV most likely weakened his lungs too. This doesn't need to be a lifelong condition - do not be discouraged by mainstream doctors. I ignored this information for over a year when dealing with allergies with my first 2 children b/f I heard about it for the 3rd time & took it seriously. We have been very happy and it is what started me on my whole natural health journey. As a Naturopathic Therapist, much of my practice is allergy work, much of it with really young kids. The earlier you can catch it, the better. Call me if you are interested - & I did not intend this as an advertisement at all. :) ____@____.com

Hi R.,

This sounds like my life. My oldest daughter, now 6, got RSV at 4 months. After several hospital stays she was diagnosed asthmatic. She was on pulmicort daily when she was healthy and two times a day when she had a cold. On top of that she had albuterol treatments and if things got bad she was on oral steroids. Luckily we didn't do that much unless she was in the hospital. She also went on Singulair when she was old enough to chew. Now don't get me wrong, she didn't sit inside on the couch because she was so frail but she is one of the most active kids I know. Of all her friends she has so much energy and they would never believe me when I said she was having trouble breathing because of the things would still want to do. We were in the hospital every year since 4 months at least once because her oxygen levels were so low. When she turned 5 though something happened and she has not had a problem since. She still does the singular but that is all. My youngest also was diagnosed with asthma but the treatments of albuterol work for her so she hasn't had any hospital stays. Thank God.

Do you see an allergist or pulminologist? Both of my daughters see one and they are amazing. They go in for check ups every 6 months and the doctors call you back whenever there is a problem so you don't have to go to the hospital.

It is hard to go through. I think I have relaxed about it because I feel like I know how to handle the situations now and have a great team of doctors that are there to help me and know my children. Both of my girls are super active and I am sure your son will be too.

Hope this encourages or helps you.

C.

My son who is now almost five, had RSV at nine months. He wasn't hospitalized, but he was a sick little guy. Since then, he has problems with coughing and wheezing whenever he gets a bad cold. He was diagnosed last fall with a type of asthma that is mild and triggered by colds and allergies. We only deal with the asthma symptoms when he has a cold or during rag weed time. He has had this ever since his RSV, but it wasn't diagnosed until he was four. If your little guy has the same thing (cough variant asthma) he should grow out of it. Most kids do. If he only shows signs of problems during and after being sick, that might be it. I don't know if it is, but it's possible.

How frustrating for you!!

One of my close friends has a daughter that has asthma. She has found that getting rid of the environmental toxins in her home have dramatically decreased the frequency of the attacks. I would be happy to share the information with you.

L.
www.HealthyFamilyHome.com

Hi my son is almost 4 and we have a similar problem. Although it may seem connected, I do not think RSV causes asthma. My son was misdiagnosed as a baby--they thought it was RSV but he was actually suffering asthma attacks. This started when he was about 1 1/2.

Since then, he has been having "viral induced" asthma attacks. When he starts getting a cold we just anticipate an attack.
The Dr says he should outgrow it and we do not see any signs that there are any other triggers--like allergies or cigarette smoke, or pets, etc--just at cold/flu season. We do get flu shots to try combat this a little.
He has a cold this week but we have not needed to start the albuterol yet--knock on wood. For some reason this cold is not triggering him YET!
Good luck!
K.

R.,
I am sorry that your son is having difficulties following a RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) episode. Everyone one has a different reaction to this virus and it is difficult to say why your son now has asthma and the other little one seems fine. I do know that chiropractic care can benefit a person with asthma and with boosting one’s immune system so that they are not likely have complications from an infection.
Chiropractors are not neck and back pain doctors, we are nervous system doctors. Our bodies are self healing and self organizing. The central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord and go to the cells, tissues, and organs in our bodies) control how our bodies heal and organize itself. If there is any interference in the communication of our nervous system with the body, then there will either be increased activity or decreased activity, either way the body is no longer functioning at it’s highest potential. Chiropractors call this interference a subluxation (sub-lux-a-tion). This interference/subluxation is caused by three major life stresses- Physical stress (trauma, repetitive motions, poor posture); Biochemical stress (preservatives in food, drugs- prescription, alcohol, smoking); and Mental or Emotional stress.
There has been research on the effect of chiropractic adjustments on patients with asthma and the other multiple benefits. Chiropractic is very safe for any one of any age. If you would like more information please feel free to contact me. I am a chiropractor at Khalil Family Chiropractic in Eastpointe, MI. Our office number is ###-###-#### or you can email at www.khalilwellness.com.
Yours in Health and Wellness
Dr B.