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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
RAD in 10 month old lots of questions!
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RAD in 10 month old lots of questions!
by bertalander, Feb 28, 2003 12:00AM
When my son was born at 36 weeks his lungs collapsed... we went through 2 sets of chests tubes before the pneumos healed up. He spent just 2 weeks in NICU. Once he came home he was ALWAYS wheezy sounding at night and had to sleep up on me, even woke up gasping and choking 3 times. He never slept through the night.
They did an upper GI and RO reflux... eventually at 6 month he caught a bad cold and, finally, someone heard the wheezing I always heard at night. He started off with just the albuterol in the nebulizer, but he alwyas get so worked up with it he'd make himslef throw up. Two days later doc changed him to Xopenex and added the Orapred for 5 days. That helped somewhat. After a month with no huge improvment, doc added the Pulmicort once a day and then shortly after we began with Zyrtec. He's since had 3 pretty acute phases requring the burst therapy of orapred.
During the day the Xoponex helps out about 2.5-3 hours, then I have to wait to do the next dose. At night he can go almost 5 hours. I've reached the frustration point I think. We've taken out the carpet, put down laminate, cleaned the ducts, got a Hepa vaccuum, put the covers on everything.., and it's all helped for sure... but he's still so wheezy.
Now we are going on a ten hour car trip. I'm concerned about what to do. I plan to stop and give his neb treatments at the four hour marks... does anyone else have any other tips?
Also, what about Singulair... doc said we might add (or replace Pulmicort.. can't remember!!) it next. Sorry so long... thanks for any advice or info...
They did an upper GI and RO reflux... eventually at 6 month he caught a bad cold and, finally, someone heard the wheezing I always heard at night. He started off with just the albuterol in the nebulizer, but he alwyas get so worked up with it he'd make himslef throw up. Two days later doc changed him to Xopenex and added the Orapred for 5 days. That helped somewhat. After a month with no huge improvment, doc added the Pulmicort once a day and then shortly after we began with Zyrtec. He's since had 3 pretty acute phases requring the burst therapy of orapred.
During the day the Xoponex helps out about 2.5-3 hours, then I have to wait to do the next dose. At night he can go almost 5 hours. I've reached the frustration point I think. We've taken out the carpet, put down laminate, cleaned the ducts, got a Hepa vaccuum, put the covers on everything.., and it's all helped for sure... but he's still so wheezy.
Now we are going on a ten hour car trip. I'm concerned about what to do. I plan to stop and give his neb treatments at the four hour marks... does anyone else have any other tips?
Also, what about Singulair... doc said we might add (or replace Pulmicort.. can't remember!!) it next. Sorry so long... thanks for any advice or info...
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Mar 03, 2003 12:00AM
, Mar 03, 2003 12:00AM
It is not uncommon for a child who experienced the types of problems at birth that you have described to have breathing problems during childhood. Although allergy is a possible cause, this is not usually the cause of such problems unless there is a strong family history of allergy.
The best medicine you are using for prevention is the Pulmicort® Respules (budesonide). This is an inhaled steroid that is intended to keep the inflammation in the lung under control. This is your best chance to preventing the wheezing. It is doubtful that the Singulair® (montelukast) will add much to this, but it is possible. It is not a substitute for the Pulmicort® Respules (budesonide). The Xopenex® (levalbuterol) is a good choice for controlling the actual wheezing and is your best bet to quickly clear the wheezing.
I am sure you are concerned about your upcoming car trip. There are power port adapters available to run the nebulizer in the car. This might give you some comfort.
The best medicine you are using for prevention is the Pulmicort® Respules (budesonide). This is an inhaled steroid that is intended to keep the inflammation in the lung under control. This is your best chance to preventing the wheezing. It is doubtful that the Singulair® (montelukast) will add much to this, but it is possible. It is not a substitute for the Pulmicort® Respules (budesonide). The Xopenex® (levalbuterol) is a good choice for controlling the actual wheezing and is your best bet to quickly clear the wheezing.
I am sure you are concerned about your upcoming car trip. There are power port adapters available to run the nebulizer in the car. This might give you some comfort.
My little boy, who is now 11 yrs was very sick with asthma from the time he was 6 months until he was around 4yr. He was in hospital over 20 times, many times in ICU for weeks on end. Ambulance admissions, you name it, we did it.
Prednisone, although a strong drug with side effects, did the trick most of the time. We had him on salbutomol every 2hours most of the time. Usually they don't send them home from the hospital unless they are on every four, but we were in so often they would let me. We tried pulmicort, never worked. We used intal, never worked. We tried everything, atrovent with the salbutomol, it only worked with the prednisone. He finally went on flovent and after about a month, we noticed an improvement.
He is now 11yrs, plays hockey, soccer, etc... things we never thought possible. It will get better, you just have to get them through these awful, tiring, sick times. Asthma, wheezing, anything like that have to be jumped on. You can't react to the symptoms, at least we couldn't. We had to be aggressive to keep the symptoms under control, then slowly ease up. Any wheezing and we would increase everything for weeks, sometimes months. He is okay today, the medication didn't seem to have lasting effects. In fact, he still takes his flovent daily to this day.
We did the "pulling up carpet", no blind, etc. Never worked! He did end up with the peanut and nut allergy as well, poor little guy, but he sure is a trouper. Yours will be too.
Stay strong and take care, Michelle
The "gadget" you can use to plug the nebulizer compressor into so you can use the power in your car is also referred to as an "inverter." It can frequently be purchased from the manufacturer of the nebulizer and compressor. A less expensive way to purchase the inverter is from an auto parts store, such as Checker Auto Parts. Inverters are also sold at many other places including Walmart and RadioShack. It's important to be sure that the electrical needs of your compressor will be met by whatever inverter you purchase, so you need to either carry the compressor with you or copy down the imformation about the power needs to be sure you buy an inverter that is "heavy duty" enough to meet the electrical needs.
Pari (the manufacturer of my nebulizer & compressor) wanted over $100 for an inverter. I purchased mine at Checker Auto Parts for $30 instead & it works fine. Prices, of course vary.
Aloha,
Starion
I hope more than anything that he can be one of these wonderful success stories I read about and doing LOTS when he's older. Right now he can't scoot accross the floor without wheezing up a storm!!
Thanks again.
Berta
I was an asthma patient for my entire childhood. I am now 31 and asthma free.
My best medicine was Prednisone. Don't let the doctors tell you what they think is best if it is not working to your satisfaction. If you think there could be an improvment and they won't help with the medication of you choice just to try on your child then change doctors or just go and get a second opinion.
My 15 month old has a narrowing in the top of his trachea, was born with a cleft of the soft palate, and partially webbed vocal cords. The palate and the vocal cords were repaired at 7 mths and 11 mths. He has had 2 surgeries, and the narrowing in his trachea had caused his trachea to swell SHUT when the put in the breathing tube for the surgeries. So he was on breathing treatments to keep the swelling down and oxygen sometimes and steroids all the time immediatley following the surgeries for at least a week each time. So I feel I do know somewhat of what you are feeling. It is very frustrating. Just be sure that the doctors are doing what YOU want for YOUR baby all the time.
Mary