DownSyn Forum

[EAS1971]

Long-winded. Sorry.

I wanted some feedback from parents who have BTDT with asthma.

Primarily, I'm wondering if I should be pursuing a formal diagnosis, or just stick with what we've got. So, here's our situation:

Both of my kids get croup a lot! All year long, but worse in the winter. Sometimes it's the first symptom of a nasty cold. Other times it's just a night of croup, and no other symptoms. Both of my kids cough a lot at night. They can sound terrible at night, and then sound just fine during the day.

Sebastian seems to have seasonal allergies. His eyes get red and watery and his throat gets sore in the spring.

Oliver had RSV as a baby. He gets bronchitis at least once a year and he's had pneumonia a few times. His breathing sounds a bit rattly fairly often. When he has been running and playing hard, the rattle sound is terrible! He had exzema as a baby.

Family history...their dad has seasonal allergies, hay fever, nasal polyps.

We never had a nebulizer or anything at home. We'd end up in the ER with croup/breathing issues a few times a year with Oliver. Once with Sebastian.

We just recently put them both of treatments. They both get Flovent. Oliver gets it every day via an inhaler/spacer mask thing. Sebastian gets it at the first sign of a cough or runny nose.

It has made a HUGE HUGE difference in Oliver's breathing!!!!!!!!!! He sounds SO much better!!!!!!

We don't have an asthma diagnosis. Their pediatrician feels it's something they may grow out of, or they may not, time will tell. We don't have anything at home for acute respiratory issues. Hopefully the Flovent will lessen or prevent the croup. But if they end up with bad croup again, it's back to the ER.

So my long-winded question is, does this sound like asthma? Or something they will grow out of? Should I try to pursue an asthma diagnosis, or is this sufficient??

_________________
--Beth
Mom to Oliver, 5 (DS, ADHD)
and Sebastian, 4

[Teresa E]

I would take them to see a pulmonologist. Have them do a thorough exam and review the records, see what she/he thinks. Coughing at night is a big red flag for possible asthma. I would want meds at home so you aren't always running to ER- if you could treat at home it would save everyone time and money. In any case, the symptoms listed seem to warrant a trip to someone who specializes in asthma and allergies. My son was diagnosed with asthma as a toddler. It has gotten better over the years, hadn't needed asteroid burst for three years. This fall, we were back on them. You just never know when it might flare up again.

_________________
Teresa, mom to
Molly
Max
Lucas DS

[kctahoe]

Do they get the asthma like symptoms only when sick, or does it happen when the seasonal allergies pick up or when they are exersizing?

I have asthma, have since I was a kid. For me, it happens during allergy season. I go to the doctor, get some meds, then when the season ends, I'm fine unless I have some really nasty chest sickness.

Charlie gets "asthma like symptoms" when he is sick, which sometimes lasts for a few weeks after he recovers--as in, he can breath fine, but if he is very active he sounds weezy, but recovers when he slows down.

I would say if you are really concerned, see a pulmonologist. But, if they are getting the treatment they need, and you expect all of this to end with the end of cold and flu season, maybe you are on the right track. Maybe it is okay to "wait and see."

What I would do for sure, though, is ask your doctor for a nebulizer and some medicine so you can treat the night-time croup junk at home. We have one, and were able to get it based on Charlie's history of having bronchiolitis as an infant. We don't use it all the time, but it has saved us some rough nights. We usually just get a new RX for medicine at the first sign of cold season, and we're good to go. I wouldn't think you would need an official diagnosis of asthma to get one. Your kids have obviously demonstrated that they need some help when ill.

Anyway, hopefully the Flovent will help things a lot. If your kids are prone to allergies, it would make sense that they would be prone to airway inflammation.

_________________
Kim. Wife to Ray, Mommy to Charlie (DS) 1/2006 & Calvin 3/2008
http://charlies47.blogspot.com/

There is more than one way to have a good life!

[mary c]

My son Alex was diagnosed as a baby by a pulmonologist as having "reactive airways", a type of asthma. One of the symptoms was coughing at night but not during the day. You could never hear any wheezing when he breathed but every night he coughed. He doesn't have allergies but if caught a cold the coughing became very bad. He also could not be around any type of smoke--we don't smoke but we had one emergency room visit after visiting a friend's house who had a fire going in the fireplace. We actually never use our fireplace at home (and we have 2 of them) as a result. Our pulmonologist put him on a daily control medication which we gave by nebulizer and also gave us an inhaler for sudden onset of symptoms. We used this stuff for years but gradually Alex's symptoms decreased as his lungs grew and he hasn't had to see the pulmonologist or use an inhaler for a couple of years. Personally I would take your son to the pulmonologist to make sure that you are doing what you need to and to avoid emergency room visits--we never had to visit the emergency room again once we were on the control medication.

_________________
Mary
Mom to Libby 6/92, Alex 9/93, Anna (DS)12/12/03

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[EAS1971]

Thank you guys so much for the information! I think we'll make an appointment with a pulmonologist. Thanks, y'all are the best!

_________________
--Beth
Mom to Oliver, 5 (DS, ADHD)
and Sebastian, 4

[Googsmom]

Brook started Flovent a couple weeks ago and she sounds soooo much better!! I hope it does the same for your guys

_________________
Jennifer, Momma to The Brookster 4 yrs old


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