Is It Allergies, Asthma or Something Else? Please Help My Son.

Consider bringing him out here to Colorado at least for care at National Jewish which is one of the best allergy/asthma care facilities in the country. And possibly to live. If he is that allergic, his quality of life will be much higher in a desert environment where the pollens are that much reduced. I had a hand full of friends growing up who had all suffered similar struggles as babies and toddler and their parents moved them here. Generally their quality of life was much better, and the care from National Jewish was awesome.

Hi, M. - Poor little thing! It is hard to understand why doctors want to just keep prescribing drugs, instead of looking for a cause. My friend's 3 asthmatic sons have not used inhalers in 4 years. They found relief by getting all the chemicals out of the home. They now shop exclusively with a wellness company. When my friend told me about it, I decided to try it too. My allergies symptoms are 1/2 what they used to be. Happy to provide more info. Good luck!

if it is asthma this will help. switch to all free and clear laundry soap. stop using all fragrances. soaps have to be fragrance free or hypoallergenic. a saline nasal spray will help. cut all cleaning chemicals out as much as possible. I use vinegar and baking soda. go buy a hepa filter matress cover and pillow cover if he uses a pillow. Why do you feel all the meds are damaging him. on me and niether of my kids have it so I cant do a parental view if he is not coughing or wheezing dont give the albuterol or xopenex. those are rescue inhalers only. if you think his meds are making him worse tell doc and dont back down but be prepared to give a reason why.

keep your windows closed and make him take a shower before bed. everynite. give him the pulmicort and the flovent daily they are long acting inhalers. until they get the long acting inhalers right keep him on them. ask them about allegra. claritan and zyrtec dont work on me. i had to be put on a high dose allegra but I dont know if this is available n liquid form. get him to an allergy asthma doc instead of a pediatrician. liquid benedryl should help too. but with him being on claritan and zyrtec they may be over medicating him. he should be on one from my experience not both. benedryl is a histamine blocker. also go to about asthma.com and look up info for how to get rid of triggers. also do you have any pets in the house if so put them outside for now. vacumn when you can get him out of the house. dust very frequently. if possible when he is outside or not home. if you need more advice mail me. I listed everything I can think of at the moment

sorry :( couple of questions:
- how is his feeding?
- after/during feeding how does he sound?
- is he always congested?
- if no one is willing to test for allergies - you can try an elimination diet (obviously being careful to make sure he continues to get proper nutrition).

Also if the medications are not helping and no one is willing to help you then you may want to consider switching doctors

good luck!

RSV.... probably weakened his lungs. Especially in a 3 month old.

Thus, once the lungs are weak, it is susceptible to other lung problems and illnesses.
Pneumonia... is a complication of RSV, and so is Bronchiolitis.
Other side effects/complications of RSV are: asthma, ear infections, dehydration and heart-failure as a result of labored breathing, and lower respiratory infections. Even though his RSV was when he was 3 months old... and he is now 2.5 years old... he probably has a tendency toward lung illnesses... now, or it was pre-existing.

With lung problems.... there does need to be help via medicine. If untreated, a lung illness/weakness can get worse. I am asthmatic and have been since a child. The asthma medicines, are actually therapeutic.... versus if a person does not use the asthma medicine... it is worse. Especially if having asthma attack.
There are many different kinds of inhalers... quick acting & rescue inhalers, maintenance types, and those with steroids or not. But each one has a specific purpose. So you need to know what that is... and why, and how to use it for your son, correctly. If not it will not help him.

I would also, have him stay away from anyone who is sick or has a lung cold etc. Because if he gets sick, he can get another round of lung infections/illnesses etc. When other people are sick...I DREAD it, because whenever I get sick, that is when my Asthma acts up more... and asthma is extremely debilitating AND can be fatal.
Cold air/weather also makes it worse upon the lungs.
You need to know the triggers, and stay away from ill people.

Claritin and Zyrtec is both commonly prescribed, as well as Allegra. BUT... each one works for an individual differently. I don't like Zyrtec for example, but Claritin works for me and Allegra. So you have to see which one works the best. But you do NOT need to be on 2 different antihistimines at the same time... that is simply duplication and over-medicating. BUT.... you do also need to use an inhaler. Usually 2 are prescribed. One for daily maintenance and 1 "rescue" inhaler/quick acting inhaler. That is what I have.

The oral steroids and antibiotics your son was on, has a purpose. The oral steroids.... was because his lungs was probably in bad shape and he probably had a hard time breathing and/or there was shallow breathing and/or the oxygen levels in his blood was low... thus, the oral steroids acts to REDUCE inflammation of the bronchial tubes... so that he can breathe and take full breaths. Then, the "antibiotics" were prescribed to stop his infection.... in his lungs.
THAT Is the regime I have been on too before, when my lung illnesses/asthma was already at an ACUTE stage. Otherwise, I may have ended up in the hospital.
So that is the usual medical recommendations and medicine use prescribed.

Sure, I have asthma, and I am "allergic" to basically any sort of dust or pollen or anything in the air. So you cannot stop what is in the air nor have him live in a bubble for the rest of his life. BUT.... you can control the quality of air in your home. Get air purifiers. Have him do exercises that strengthen the lungs... ie: swimming, certain kinds of physical activity etc. Also, do "deep breathing exercises" which helps A LOT in strengthening the lungs. Look it up online. It is very helpful.
He needs to strengthen his lungs.... as well as keep up with medical maintenance/medicine as his case requires.

Put it this way: if an asthmatic does not have proper medicine, nor takes medicine... you can basically die. Asthma is a very serious and critical lung condition... and if not managed properly. And if not understood properly... so you must make sure... you understand Asthma, fully.

Asthma... what is it? It is like suffocating in various degrees. Like as though someone put a pillow over your face.... and that feeling of you can't even take a breath. That is how it feels. Not even being able to walk 10 feet, without being completely out of breath and needing to sit down just to rest so you can breathe. That is an asthma attack... and how it can feel while the lungs are under duress or sickness.

All the med's you mentioned that your son has been on. That is typical. I have even been on all of them, too.

Next, how come no one wants to test him for allergies?
Or, what to you may be allergy symptoms.... may just be Asthma symptoms that he has. Cold air, dust, pollen, certain things can make asthma worse. "Stress" also can make it worse. When I was pregnant with my 2nd child... even pregnancy made my Asthma MUCH worse...and I had to be on my Asthma meds when I was pregnant. Everyday.

Once a person has asthma.... it is not something that just goes away. It is there all your life. But so you need to understand what it is, how to manage it, how to recognize the triggers (if any) for your son, what med's works best for him, learning to recognize if his asthma is coming on or getting worse etc.
Each person is different....

Ask the Doctors all you need to, to figure it out and even ask them "why" they think it is Asthma???? Or are they just guessing? IS it conclusive? Why? How can you help him? etc.

All the best,
Susan

Sorry you have to go through this. I did when my youngest was little. Does your son have eczema too? My son (now 6) had respiratory issues was hospitalized three times between the 16 weeks and 3 years old. The first hospitalization was at 16 weeks. They though he had RSV but he tested negative. They suctioned almost a full liter of mucus from him over 4 days. Then I demanded a suction machine at home to keep him clear.

At first they treated it strictly as respiratory issue but when he wasn't clearing I asked that he be allergy tested. Turned out he was mildly allergic to eggs, animals and environmental stuff (trees, weeds, pollen).

We put air cleaners on our heating & a/c system, had duct work cleaned, removed all scented items from the home (lotions,candles,etc.), no pets. Wrapped all the mattresses & pillows in allergen protectors. Took out curtains in his room. Got a hepa filter vacuum and got the carpets deep cleaned. Put filters on all vents and change monthly. I got rid of all but the washable stuffed animals. We even ripped out all our grass (which he was allergic too) and had a variety installed that he was not allergic to and plants/shrubs he was not allergic too planted. He cleared up pretty quick.

Then he had a flare up with his asthma & eczema...I was keeping a food journal along with his asthma symptoms so I knew it was food related but unsure what. We had been eating Italian food for several days in a row so I thought he was sensitive to tomatoes. I had him tested again. They did an "Italian" panel (onions, garlic, tomatoes, oregano,etc.). Turned out he was allergic to garlic! I cook with garlic all the time and was giving him tofu in garlic :( Definitely a bad mommy moment.

My son was on all the meds you listed at one time or another. We did pulmicort nebs TID and albuterol q4hrs for what seemed like forever. The true change I saw was when he was put on Singulair. Also it turned out he had reflux which made his asthma worse so he is on Zantac. Now he is on singulair and flovent inhaler. He takes Zyrtec too when it is his high allergen seasons. He also flares with viral illnesses so at the sign of illness we start his pulmicort and albuterol so it doesn't settle in his lungs.

I hope that helps. Keep a food/asthma journal until your next doctor's visit. Be proactive! Go to a pediatric allergist as soon as you can. Once you know what his triggers are it becomes so much more manageable. Good luck!

I think you should take him to a peds allergist. They can test him to figure out what he is allergic to, and if he has asthma. My son had allergy symptoms (not horrible, but he was always stuffy, his nose always runny and always drooling). Finally I had them xray his adenoids. They were huge. Nothing was draining because it was all hitting this big clog. After the adenoids came out, all the nasal symptoms went away. Something to think about...

I am so sorry you are dealing with this and that your little boy is not feeling well. I suggest the following:

1. Get a second opinion from another pediatric pulmonologist

2. See an Ear Nose Throat specialist or other doctor who specializes in Allergies and see if you can determine what it is that he is allergic to.

When you say the doctor will not test your son, do you mean they will not do allergy testing or testing for asthma or both? Have any of the treatments worked? Are there certain times or places when your son's symptoms get worse?

I hope you get to the bottom of what is causing his symptoms soon.
L.

Hi M.,

I am with a health and wellness company and it is much healthier than what you are using at home to clean, wash your clothes, and many other type of everyday items that you currently use. If you would like to talk about it send me a message. This even helped my dog stop sneezing, just by doing the laundry! You don't realize that your skin soaks in whatever you wash with....so if it is Tide with Bleach, you are absorbing that into your body through your skin. Our products are safe and have no chlorine or bleach in them.

I would say if you are not happy with the doctors you have now, get a second opinion. I agree with you, I would be alittle upset that they just keep throwing more drugs on him and not testing him. This is wrong.
See if you can find someone (look on the internet if you need too) or a childrens' hospital in your area.

I would rather get a second opinion to make sure that he is not being over medicated and to find out what is really wrong with him......if these current doctors are not right.

Take care, good luck and hang in there.
D.

If you are really not comfortable with the care your son is receiving from his doctors I would suggest you ask around to find other children with asthma and ask their parents who they see. It's important for you to be confident in your child's doctors. I'm not bucking getting rid of toxins etc but please do not start removing medicines that your child has been prescribed without talking to a doctor. Asthma should be taken very seriously. My son has asthma that is triggered by head/nasal congestion - allergies, severe colds - and there are times that he takes more medicine than I would like him to take (spring time is his bad time). But I have learned over the years that the most important thing is managing his breathing during these times. Sometimes that takes more medicine. Singulair has helped him a lot but does not work for everyone. Currently because the pollen count has been higher this year - and he started having breathing problems about a month into the spring allergy season - he is taking flovent, singulair, flonase and zyrtec. Last spring he was on singulair and flonase. Good luck! I know it's not easy.

I'm with the moms who suggest getting every possible chemical out of your son's life, exploring the possibility of food allergies, and finding another doctor to evaluate the treatment so far.

My lungs have always been my weakest area, and I've suffered chronic asthma, allergies, and infections since I was a baby, and for the past 20+ years, chemical sensitivies. I have taken some of the drugs you mention, and didn't tolerate them all, but still take Pulmicort (and don't know how I'd survive without it).

Might you be willing to consider taking your son to an acupuncturist and/or a homeopath? I've gotten tremedous relief through both of those alternative pathways.

My best wishes to your family. I can hear how much strain and worry you are enduring on your little boy's behalf. And I'm sure his experience is not comfortabe, either.

ok sweetie the first thing you do is get a new doctor, and you ask for allergy testing . my son did the same thing for years and i had him tested for allergies and done everything the doctors told me to do and he got better. i found out with the allergy testing that my son is allergic to so many diffrent things that kept making him sick like trees, shrubs, hay , certain animals, stuff like that so get a new doctor and have him tested

Poor little guy. I agree with what someone else said. I would definitely try alternative medicine. You need to figure out what your little guy needs to get healthy. Mainstream medicine only deals with the symptoms, the medications they are giving are be used to try to control the symptoms, not addressing the underlying problem. (by the way, my husband is a doctor and he would agree. I'm a chiropractor, so we have both sides in our house. Both mainstream and alternative medicine are appropriate at different times. Mainstream in acute, emergency situations, but alternative does better in chronic conditions and actually works to create health.) There are a lot of different techniques out there that work. I would try acupuncture first. Also, many chiropractors utilize natural/alternative medicine in their practice, or there is homeopathy, naturopathy, allergy elimination techniques and more.

My niece, who lives in another state, had chronic lung problems since birth - wheezing, coughing, infection after infection, including RSV. She was going to doctor after and doctor and would often end up in the ER. I finally convinced her mom to take her to an acupuncturist/chiropractor friend and she got significant results the same day. She still has a long way to go, but is doing 80% better (according to my brother). They found food sensitivities and weak organs that need healing among other things.

It is worth checking it out. Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

M.,

This is the point where I would turn to alternative medicine. I've had great results from NMT (neuromodulation techniques). You might also look into something called "provocation and neutralization" allergy testing and treatment, which is more mainstream and practiced only by medical doctors. Homeopathy can also be extremely effective with allergies. Orthodox medicine has a lot to offer when you're in an acute situation, but for chronic conditions you end up on dozens of meds and don't feel much better.

he may be sensitive to some of the medications the doctors are pumping into him. of course they dont want to test him for allergies, they make more money, and kickbacks, by selling you drugs that arent even approved for a child that young. read the labels, if you dont believe me. he shouldnt taking all these different meds. ,VERY bad for the kidneys.see if you can get in touch with someone in your area who knows something about herbals, they may be able to help you, without risking the future health of his kidneys
K. h.

There is always a natural route you can go for any illness. I can sense your worry about too many drugs. This can only be weakening his immune system. There is a health food store in Bozeman. Go there and ask for a knowledgeable health advisor. The health food store I am thinking of is operated by the Seventh Day Adventists. You may have read that they are healthier people than the average US population. They have some natural remedy clinics around the country. Perhaps someone can steer you to the closest one. AF

I'm sorry to hear about all the trouble you and your little one are having.

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned that sometimes, especially with children, allergy testing is useless. Both of my girls have allergies, but when they were tested, my then 8 y.o. daughter only tested positive for dust mites. My then 7 y.o. daughter didn't test positive for anything! The doctor said it's because she's young, and wanted to re-test after a year or so. I haven't bothered, but their allergies are not as bad as your son's.

I just wanted to give you a head's up on that, because it was something my girls did NOT want to repeat. They had their little backs pricked in about 6 rows of about 8 pins each. I was glad that both my husband and I were there to hold and comfort them.

Blessings to you and your son. Godspeed!

Hi M.,
I am so sorry for your son's struggles.
I can help you with natural supplements and nontoxic cleaners and laundry products. They can make a tremendous difference.
I can also direct you to a free website where you can listen to audios on health issues.
Just let me know if you are interested.
Victoria

Both of my children had RSV and pneumonia as infants. There is nothing scarier than hearing your baby wheeze and watching a medical team give him oxygen. Ugh! I totally understand your concerns. I became vigilant about watching out for dust buildup in the home; keeping vents cleaned; and staying away from other sick people. Folks even told me that their being sick would help build up their immune system! What a lie! It all was very discouraging! I too was very concerned about the numbers of meds and the combinations being used on such a young child. I hope this anecdote will at least encourage you, if not calm you.
Today, my children are ages 6 and 11. My 11 year old rarely has breathing trouble. My 6 year old had her first cold this year without needing Prednisone! I had never seen either of my children with just a NORMAL cold that didn't send us to the ER! Couldn't believe it. I also worried about side effects. But, we had to weigh the balance: compromised breathing vs side effects. Neither were desireable. I even tried homeopathic remedies, but they took too long when the children were already in distress. However, since they began eating more vegetables, fruits and multivitamins, their immune systems have gotten stronger and now they don't come down with as many colds, which is one of their asthma triggers. (Weather allergies and dust are the others, and we live in Washington, DC, the capital city of allergy inducers!) We've finally started a Rx for Astelin, which is nonsteroidal and has helped ward off sinus infection on at least two occasions for both of my children. Clairitin never worked for my kids, though the Claritin 12-D works for me. Not sure of difference between that and the 24-hr. OTC version, but there was no equivalent for the children. We tried Rynatan (another Rx allergy syrup) and Rondec (a decongestant cough syrup) for the kids to give them relief. Also, Xoponex & Pulmicort at peak misery. Finally, Singulair for maintenance. It's miserable, but they really have had fewer trips to the ER since we found the right mix. They don't need Pulmicort/Xoponex mix unless they're already in distress. Pulimort and Singulair are used when we expect the season shift and are tapered off. Not sure if your son is drinking a lot of sugar-laden fruit juices, milk, dairy, or meat, all of which can be aggravating for allergy sufferers in that they thicken the mucous. I've tried limiting the amount of high fructose corn syrup in our diet. I was surprised at how often it showed up on food labels! Anyway, your son is still so young, that none of this might be helpful for you yet. Check his water intake, and exercise actually helped strengthen our lungs. As for allergy testing, it was a waste of time and caused great suffering for my daughter. It wasn't so traumatic when my son was tested in 2000, so I didn't expect the new system, which was miserable! In the end, the testing didn't give me any information for either of my children. My daughter endured massive #s of tiny pin pricks in her back at 2 1/2. At the time, I was desperate for answers and hoped I'd find out what was causing everything. But, if I had a do-over, I'd skip that. It was useless, told me nothing, didn't help alleviate any of the treatments we've had, and the pulmonologist wasn't even the one who finally recommended the Astelin!
How to stay sane through all of it? Throughout, we prayed. That at least helped keep my sanity. It was not a welcome introduction into parenthood, but the experience has humbled me as a mother, strengthened my faith in God, and taught me that parenthood is truly the hardest (most rewarding, most stressful) job on the planet. I have the utmost respect for parents, love my children more, and am more convicted in my faith because of this journey. Some things are just beyond our control. We do our best, read, ask questions, and--really--accept that some things just are not within our realm of control. You sound like you're doing all you can. Assess his environment, his diet, and his triggers. Continue to ask questions. Continue to research other options. And remember, you're an amazing mom. It's ok to be scared. It's a scary situation. But, know that others have been through similar journeys and overcome. You can, too. Be encouraged!

It sounds like you are dealing with a lot, but there is a supplement called ProVex Plus that is made from grape seeds that may help your son. I work PT for a non-pharmaceutical company and this is the info. we give to patients.
Researchers have found that in addition to strengthening your blood vessels, proanthocyanidins can attach themselves to important proteins, enhance visual acuity, and promote smoother skin.*
ProVex Plus contains a potent source of proanthocyanidins—standardized grape seed extract in a patented, chemical-free system that uses no sulphur dioxide that some people are sensitive to.
Proanthocyanidins, the active ingredients in ProVex-Plus, are found in grape seeds. These unique compounds help strengthen blood vessels. They also act as antioxidants to fight free radicals and contribute to your overall health.* (Free radicals are destructive molecules that can damage your cells.)
ProVex-Plus also contains ginkgo biloba, sourced from an ancient plant that helps you maintain mental sharpness and proper blood circulation. The last ingredient in ProVex-Plus is bilberry extract, a cousin to the blueberry that helps enhance night vision.*
ProVex Plus is an OTC medication that is safe for kids and doesn’t require a prescription. Let me know if you have any questions.

I may try to move out for a couple of weeks to a totaly different environment, as different as possible (if you can), and check if he´s doing better, if he does, then it has something to do with allergies.
I lived in USA for 3 years, before that, I suffer my entire life allergy like symptoms, with very bad pneumonia´s episodes (several), my mom and I went to the mountains (here in Spain) for a month and I improve a lot after a real bad one in which I also had lung´s necrosis, but I didn´t get much better until I was 4 y.o.(no real reason why), anyway nowadays I still suffering the symptons because I came back to my home town but.. while I was living in USA I NEVER had a little sign of them, it was grate.
I don´t know if that would help you.
I never went through the allergyes tests but I know perfectly what makes me sick : cypress, olive trees, pine trees , and some more plants but these are the worst.
I also have reactions when we use air fresheners and insecticides at home, try to avoid anything that smell very much and no smoke (any kind) at home.
It feels better when the room is humid (at least not very dry).
Anyway when he gets a little older you can ask the doctors again to make him the tests.
They say that if pretty frecuent that babies diagnosed with RSV have asthma afertwards( when they are older), you might be in the right direction.
I understand perfectly your worries and I´m sorry, I also have a 2 and 1/2 y.o son with allergies as mines.
Believe in your instics and follow them , always be aware in what is on the air when he gets worst, check with different doctors (keep going) and also try homeopathy.
I wish you the best of lucks and I´m sure you both will do fine.
Hugs
P.

Remove all toxins! Especially if asthma. My company helps kids with asthma and allegies. Shoot me a message, I'd love to help! Our products are all natural and can help his breathing!
M.

Hi M.,
You've gotten a lot of great advice. I would like to add to the list that you make sure there is no mold in your house. I had a friend who had terrible allergy/asthma symptoms and she and her kids were sick all the time and it turned out to be caused by mold.
Good luck and good health to your little one.
J.

I agree with the other moms about toxins in the home, and also remember to avoid artificial preservatives and colors in your food source.
I am a mom of four.
Case #1 - when my oldest was 5, he had a serious case of pneumonia(hospital stay and lung specialists) that left him with exactly the problems your child is having. Asthma inhalers, blah, blah, blah. Every time he got sick, it went right to his chest. The doctors said, "get used to it". Well, I decided there must be a better way. I did tons of research and found that the best way to fight all these things was with vitamins. And I found not just any vitamins, but the ones that are listed as the best in all of North America(because - did you know that vitamins don't have to adhere to any sort of "testing" to assure that they are actually safe and that they contain what they say they do?). Here is a link that will help you http://www.comparativeguide.com/

After getting a recommendation for "what to take" and being faithful to the program for six months to give my son's body time to "heal itself" my son has been healthy as can be, no inhalers, no steroids for the past 4 years. And rarely even a cold!

Case#2 - My youngest son had RSV when he was 3mos old as well. They said he would suffer with asthma, blah, blah, blah. Didn't want to believe that he would suffer as much as his big brother, so we started him on vitamins too. He has been healthy, and had no signs of any lung conditions since. He is now 4.

You can get personal recommendations from a specialist in nutritional medicine ( there is one I use that is also a licensed MD), and I can share with you the vitamin brand I trust to be safe if you would like.

My personal email is ____@____.com.

I hope that this info helps; I know you are so frustrated with what you are hearing from your doctors.

I have seen asthma dissapear with many clients, and friends. So, this can be resolved.
Yes, be mindful of the toxins in your home. Simplify.
Dairy is a big culprit in allergies, as is processed sugar.
I agree that acupuncture and chiropractic are your best bets! They both will adress the symptoms and then get to the root of the problem(s). They WILL help your son's immune system get stronger.
Best of luck,
L.
If you need a referral in your area to a practitioner who specializes in children, feel free to contact me.
L.