3 Year Old with Chronic Asthma

Hi T.,
Try a homeopath. There is a Doctor Dan Cook in Dallas. Homepathy can work well with ashtma. Alo Craniosacral therapy can help along with homeopathy. Google it to read about it. Kenny Piercy is a great cranio guy. his is number is ###-###-####

Hi T., I know that Tahitian Noni Juice works great with people or kids that have asthma. I can send you some information if you would like to read on from scientist proven that it helps.

Happy New Year's

L.

I don't know if this has been suggested or not but my babies pediatrician put him on Singular as a preventative. I know several other people that have asthma that has been put on the same thing.

I HIGHLY recommend my chiropractor/accupuncturist, Dr Ken Parker. He identifies allergies and sensitivies using muscle testing, so it's very noninvasive. I started seeing Dr Parker around September for several issues I was having and have started taking my kids in to see him as well. He can not only determine the allergies, but can actually treat the allergies with laser therapy. Some other people mentioned Omega's...Dr Parker did determine my son had an Omega deficiency and recommended Coromega. It's like a pudding consistency and my kids can't wait to have this special "treat" every day. You can get it at most health food stores, but I like to try and wait to get all of my supplements, body care etc until the Super Tuesday 20% off sale at Healthy Approach in Colleyville. (The sale is typically the 1st Tuesday of the month--rescheduled to the 2nd Tues for January). I think Dr Parker will give you a free consultation (so what could it hurt?) if you tell him I sent you.
Dr Ken Parker
###-###-####
www.JubileeWellnessClinic.com

my 3 yr old has struggled w/ this, too. we found allergies to dairy and oranges, cats and horses. not to dogs, but moving dog outside helped. he is on zyrtec in the am and singulair at night, but only in fall and winter. only had to use nebulizer for a week or so this year. he gets adjusted at chiropractor regularly. we also tried tui na massage recommended by my acupuncturist, but i haven't kept up with it.

yes, yes, go to the allergist. test for food allergies! get to the underlying issue, she will grow resistant to steroids over time.

if the neb med is albuterol, then ask about xopenex. it is the newer generation of med, use every 8 hours not 4, and less hyperactivity.

bath every night to help w/ outdoor allergies.

barleans has a fruit-flavored cod liver oil good for little ones. prob. every kid should be taking it.

do you have the little dragon/dinosaur mask for her to wear during treatments? the medical supply store just sold it with the nebulizer. we tell our son he would be like spiderman wearing a mask, and he gets to watch a movie (tom & jerry episodes on you tube was a recent favorite--they're short.)

i believe in healing prayer, too. contact me privately and i can suggest some christian resources.

good luck, and blessings on your girl. those episodes can be tough.

I have not had to deal with this personally. But when my niece was small she did. She was on breathing treatments regularly for a long time as a maintance measure. It helped keep it under control so that she would not be sick and/or have attacks.

I think it may vary according to age, environment, etc. I know they are worse when they are outside a lot.

I am also a firm believer in specialist...but only if you can remember that all specialist will attack only that problem. They will attack it and manage it with gusto. So just because one says lets do surgery/more drugs/therapy that does not mean you need to do it. But it does give you more ideas of what can be done to deal with the issue and how severe it really is.

My ENT is an example. He told I don't have to do surgery, but if I did not do it, then I need to bring my son in every month to monitor the fluids and whether there could/would be any damage to him from the constant ear/throat problems he was having. So it put things in a different perspective and let me know how bad things were.

Our son does well on the Xopenex HFA inhaler with a spacer. My son didn't sit still for the neb treatments so this is working much better. If it doesn't get better after a few days a steroid may be the only thing to help with her inflamed airways.

T.

Try this website...

www.LiveTotalWellness.com/HFHM

The company is offering a VERY SPECIAL ENROLLMENT DEAL that is only good until the 31st!

We have been using the products since my son was 1 1/2, and he does not have the breathing issues he came home from the hospital with! (We have also CLEARED UP his eczema, completely!)

You can also call me at ###-###-####, or send me an email at ____@____.com your daughter gets to feeling better soon!
~J.~

You have gotten great advice, I would like to say I have two children who suffer from asthma, and I have educated myself greatly on every med that I give them. I have learned what can do more harm and what is a great preventative.

For my sons colds and allergies set off their asthma and singulair and zyrtec were miracles after trying lots of other things. My son is eight and has suffered since he was 13 months. Those drugs came along after the fact and were a miracle.

I also have educted myself on exportants, Nasal decogestants, antihistamines, and inhaled steriods(which have less side effects in the long run than oral ones, and are very helpful) When they start with a bout a usually give them a Nasal Decogestant(by itself) to keep the running out of their chest. Hummindifiers and Saline spray help to keep it from getting dryed up int he chest as well. Sometimes with asthma you do not want to give an exportant because it can make it worse. Vicks rubs also come in decongestants and exportorants. I buy the seperate ones.

I took my son to an allergist and it was not so helpful, but every doctor is different.

I used to alwys vaccumn and clean everything more when he had bouts, but now have realized that that is more harmful, because they can not build up immunities and have severe bouts when exposed to allergens and colds. I know it is stressful and there are a lot of sleepless nights. When my son was little he was in the emergency room about 10 plus times a year, but now I have controlled it by educating my self on all the meds. I hope all goes well.

I would for sure take her to a specialist. peditricians in my experience dont have time or the spciality to really treat focused problems well...

A.

I have my daughter at an allergy dr. They tested her and she tested neg for any allergys but she does have asthma. Dad to say but ever Aug we will be winter riseing her.LOL... IT seems to help. she take Singular at night and that has cut back on the attacks. Our only problem now is she has developed Croup. So she is have upper and lower problems.. But when she was little she had RSV. which if a child has that then she is going to have a long road with upper and lower breathing problems.. Good luck...

Dr Vigo is great just do a search for Dr Vigo in Austin...

I would say take her to an allergist first, and then get all of the chemicals out of your home. My cousin used to have HORRIBLE asthma, but he hasn't even had a small asthma attack since he was 6 (he's 9 now)! He was always on some type of steroid and medication, and now that they've cleared their home of toxic chemicals and started using more natural products he's a new person. His doctor was actually the one that mentioned how harmful the chemicals we use inside our homes are, and he recommended Melaleuca products to my aunt. Now our whole family uses them and not a single one of us has sick chidren! It's amazing!
If you're interested in becoming a customer of Melaleuca, let me know and I'll help you set up an account. Right now it's only $1 to join, but that promotion ends in 2 days!
Best of luck,
B.
____@____.com
www.themomteam.com/bleboeuf

With attacks that severe, and having to use a dangerous medicine like a steroid on someone that young, she should see an allergist and a pulmonolgist.
Also, just FYI, (I have had asthma all my life)... a doc just recommended that I take about 12,000 mg of Omega3 daily to combat my skin allergies/asthma. You might ask how much she should take. It combats the inflammation.
The sooner you get her to see these types of doctors, the better her quality of life will be. Just treating the symptoms isn't enough.

I recommend Dr. Greald Moore in Plano. He has an office in Frisco too. I drive 30 minutes to get to his office and I think it is worth it. I saw him when I had asthma as a kid and now I take my son to him for asthma/allergies. His partner is great too. I love the staff as well. It seems like the Frisco location is not as busy as the Plano location.

Your poor baby! I feel for her. First, I would get her to an allergist/asthma doctor. There's one in Arlington near Mansfield run by Dr. Apalaski (he's my doc and he treats kids). Specialist know more about the different types of meds out there (for instance, most docs prescribe an albuterol inhaler, gives me the jitters, aka affects my heart, but there are others out there that aren't so bad on the heart). Also, you don't want her on steriods if there are other meds out there to help her; long term steriod use can affect bones as well as other things.

My allergist and I determined that I have allergy induced asthma, allergens are bad, asthma acts up. You should get her allergy tested, both environmental (pollens, cats, etc.) and food. I've found that most asthmatics (including myself) are allergic to cats. And, most people don't realize this, but cow's milk (dairy) can actually make allergies/asthma worse. Stay away from Benedryl if you can, that can flare up asthma. Also, I would avoid anything with a fragrance (deoderants-buy the sensitive, fragrance free ones, candles, perfumes, bath soaps, nail polish for you, aftershave for hubby, cleaning supplies, don't run the fire place if it's dirty, cigerette smoke, etc). Since more and more people (sadly) have asthma/allergies, most companies make fragrance free items, I know, our house is practically full of them.
If it has a strong scent, toss it out. Your baby's health might depend on it. Also, if she has to go outside when it's cold, wrap her mouth/nose in a scarf (make sure she can breath!), that will lessen the cold hitting her lungs and causing a flare up. Sorry this is so long, I just felt compelled to write. I hope your little angel gets better!!

Looks like you've gotten some good advice, so I just want to stress (as a respiratory therapist that treats kids daily) get your little girl to an allergist and or pulmonologist. Sounds like the asthma is very un-conrolled and there are lots of things out there to help. Let me know if you need any advice on dr's b/c I know quite a few.

H.

I definitely think that consulting with an allergist is important. You may find out that she has specific allergies that are relatively easily taken care of. It does not sound to me like her symptoms are under control. If you can eliminate whatever it is that she is sensitive to, her symptoms may diminish.

My twins developed severe eczema when they were about 5 months old. They had their first major asthma attack when they were almost two. By that time they had seen their pediatrician multiple times for these issues as well as a pediatric dermatologist and, finally, an allergist at about 18 months. However, NOTHING showed up on their allergy tests even though their eczema was not getting any better and their breathing was worsening. They had actually maxed out on the steroid that the doctors would prescribe on a regular basis.

Then we decided to take a good, hard look at the kinds of things they were exposed to in their daily life. This was actually at the recommendation of a good friend of mine. Her little boy has asthma so severe that by the time he was 2 1/2, he had been hospitalized several times and was on at least 6 breathing treatments a day. Her son is very sensitive to chemicals in every day products (cleaning, laundry, bath & body, etc), especially preservatives, chlorine, and ammonia. I thought that maybe, just maybe my boys were too. My friend changed over just about everything she uses in her house to products without all of those harsh chemicals and the change in her son was amazing.

We decided to start using the same things. About 3 weeks after we switched over, my boys' skin was almost completely clear. They haven't had a major eczema flare-up or an asthma attack in about a year and a half. So....to make a long story even longer, we figured out through process of elimination that my boys are also sensitive to chemicals in every day products. We didn't change ANYTHING else yet my boys are so much better!

I'd love to help you help your baby by giving you all of the info about what has helped my boys so much! Feel free to email me at ____@____.com. :)

D.

My three year old is in the same situation. He goes so Dr Dilley, who is fabulous and has gotten things under control really well. We still need treatments, but down to 1 a day. Good luck. Oh, and a humidafier (sp?) helps alot when the heater is on.

I would see a specialist because they'll be able help you figure out what triggers her asthma attacks, and they are aware of more treatment options. For example, the pediatrician probably prescribed albuterol for the nebulizer, but if she's still needing breathing treatments that often after 3 days, she may need a different medication to use with the nebulizer. And while looking into natural things may eventually help prevent these things, you probably should stick with modern medicine until she's over this flare-up.

Our son hasn't been diagnosed with asthma (yet!), but has breathing trouble off and on throughout the winter. Since it happens only this time of year, they're calling it "reactive airway" and saying that it's allergy induced. Now that we've seen a pattern, we can keep the reactions at bay with allergy meds this time of year. It seems like winter allergies are due to things like molds. Since all of that is just out there in the air, there's not really a way for us to avoid it. We just try to offer good nutrition and supplements so his body has everything he needs to fight it on his on, and we use the allergy meds to make up the difference!

Also, I'm not sure if your pediatrician would have mentioned this (ours didn't), but be careful of giving her Benadryl. If we give my son Benadryl he'll need a breathing treatment within a few hours. The only reason we knew to watch out for it is because the same thing happens to my husband (who has asthma). I've since heard the same from other people with asthma. For whatever reason the long-acting allergy meds (Zyrtec, Cingulair, etc.) are helpful (my son takes Zyrtec daily through the winter), but the short-acting ones like Benadryl and Aldex affect his breathing. It means we have to read labels on any sort of cold medicine we buy over the counter because a lot of it contains Benadryl.

Once things are back to normal and you want to consider natrual things to help her, I've heard of several adults and kids who have eliminated a lot of asthma and allergy problems with dietary supplements like glyconutrients, chiropractic treatments, switching over to all natural and organic foods, and using natural cleaning products.

There is a great group with Cooks Children's here in Ft. Worth. Our doc is Dr. Tremblay. AWESOME!
He made a world of difference in my son's life.

Though I try to be as "natural" as I can... with household chemicals (I used Maleleuca for a while, now use others including some I make myself out of vinegar, baking soda, etc) Children with allergies/asthma can react to natural things as well. So Seeing a pediatric allergist is KEY in my book.

GOOD LUCK!

Good luck!

I would definitely take her to see an asthma/allergy specialist. They are best at managing this. My son also has asthma, mostly triggered by colds. I haven't tried any homeopathic remedies before, and am very happy with his current regimen. We have moved around for the last 4 years, so it has been challenging with the different climates finding a regimen that keeps him under control. He sees Dr. Vanwagoner in plano, near plano presby.

Definitely take her to an allergy/asthma specialist.

Our family used to visit Dr. Kaplin when we lived in Corpus Christi. He taught us some basic living adjustments that have helped all our asthma (three of us used to suffer).

First, cover your matresses and pillows. I buy mine at Target. Make sure to use the plastic zipper kind. The others dont work.

Then, wash your linens and curtains in each bedroom at least once a week. (We cheat a little with the curtains, but we dont let it go too long because than we feel it)
While the curtains and sheets are in the wash, dust every inch of your walls, window sills and ceiling fans. Yes, it is alot of space to cover, but this is your/her breathing. Be sure to wear a dust mask and get behind every piece of hanging decor (pictures, etc.)
Do this especially where she sleeps, but if you can do the entire house. Everyone will feel better.

Vacuum your carpets often and if possible, replace with hardwood or other nonporous surface in the bedrooms.

The most difficult request that we follow if anyone has a cold or is feeling any triggers is to cut all dairy out of the diet. No milk, cheese, yogurt or butter. Instead use natural alternatives like soy milk or rice milk. Tofu cheese (cheddar is most like actual cheddar but none of these melt)
We also cut out chocolate and even now, we dont eat too much anymore whether we feel well or not.

I agree with the suggestion of getting rid of all chemicals used in your house. One of the best books I read in 2006 was "The Organic Housekeeper". We cut out all scented soaps as directed by Dr. Kaplin, but when I switched to all natural cleaning agents, the house felt fresher, the air (or maybe just my chest) was lighter and our grocery bill was slashed.

This is what I learned through years of being in doctor's care, hope you are able to help your daughter without having to keep her on steroid medications for too long.
M.

You've received alot of great advice about replacing chemicals in your house with natural cleaners, covering pillows and mattresses with allergy covers, etc. My 4 1/2 year old son suffered in what sounds like a very similar way to your daughter. What helped with him....

1. all of the above
2. chiropractic treatment (we go at the first sign of a cold now)
3. NAET treatments. These identify allergens and treat them. (google it...it's a non-invasive allergy elimination technique. Alternative and weird-sounding, but very effective on my two boys and myself, a former life-long severe allergy sufferer!!)
4. We now see a Naturopath (N.D.) who uses nutrition and homeopathy. We have had wonderful results using nutritional supplements and homeopathy anytime the boys get colds or allergy reactions.

My 4 1/2 year old who had 2 years of constant breathing treatments has not had one single prescription drug---Singulair, breathing treatment, antibiotic, or steroid---in 2 full years by doing the above protocol instead. The results have been amazing, and he is a very healthy boy now!
4.

My son was always in the hospital or on our way to the er b/c of his asthma, we finally too him to a allergy/asthma dr (Dr.Kaplan in Corpus Christi) and found out that he was allergic to alot of stuff, started him on allergy shots and he has had only 1 asthma attack in a yr and a half, compared to at least once a month. I would take her, it couldnt hurt, it might actually help a little, if you live down south tx i can give you his # and address just send me a message. Hope this helps.

It seems that with problems that bad it would be worthwhile to visit with a pulmonary specialist. I have twin 17 mo old boys; recently the pediatrician said they had asthma-like symptoms and prescribed the same regimen of nebulizer treatments every 4 hours etc. I felt uncomfortable with that diagnosis - I mean, either they have asthma or they don't! I did not feel that the pediatrician was qualified to make that call. So I found a referral on my on and took my boys to see him. I'm glad I did because I just understand a lot more about the situation. He explained that early detection and treatment can make a big difference in the severity of the condition; he explained that the lung tissue is continually re-forming itself so the asthma symptoms now can be creating worse problems in the future. My boys did not, in his opinion, have asthma at this time, but their allergy symptoms were causing some kind of airway reaction. He put me on the same regimen prescribed by the doctor plus some allergy meds and explained that by keeping them on this regimen now we may prevent any kind of asthma development. Also he will be monitoring the reactions to the allergy meds and changing or making them seasonal. If you were in Dallas I would give you his name but I see that you are in Ft Worth. I think asthma is just not something to mess around with, and pediatricians are generally not trained to really treat that condition - they probably can spot the problem - but they are not going to thave the knowledge that a specialist has. I asked the doctor about changing up our house etc. He responded that you can spend thousands ripping up carpet etc. only to have your child react as soon as he or she steps outside, so other than normal activity of making sure your home is clean and using hepafilters and air cleaners, he did not recommend much more. Also you may want to consult with an ENT to be sure the issue is not related to reflux or a throat problem.

Dr. Posnock is a great allergy/asthma specialist. He tested my son and found out all of the things he was allergic to. Pollen is one of the worst, so when the seasons changed he really go bad. He is on Singulair, one tablet at night and he rarely has asthma attacks now. Dr. Posnock is also a little closer to you too, I think. He is off of Central Park Blvd in Bedford. Here is his website - www.midcitiesallergy.com
Good luck, I know how you feel and I hope you get some relief for her soon!