4 Year Old Son with Allergies/asthma

Hi,

You've got a lot here, and it's helpful to me as both my boys have allergies, but they haven't had to take very much medication. I think the cleaning products are a good place to start and you should consider cutting back on wheat and diary products in his diet. It's hard as a lot of kids are picky eaters, but it will help and you should see a difference after a week.

Hope this helps, good luck!

My son was on Pulmocort from 7 onths to 10 months for reactive airway. We didn't see any decrease in his growth rate. The side effects we did see were black spots on teeth, the dentist saw him and said they were not cavities just stains from the medicine. When we stoped the medicne the spots went away. I know its trying but he'll get it under better control. Good Luck.

T. - I too have a 5 year old that had the persistant cough. After many, many peds appts I was finally referred to a Pulmonologist and am so glad that I pushed the issue. After a CT scan we found that she had Cronic Sinutitus and was put on 5 weeks of Augmenten and she hasn't coughed since, we have reduced the use of the nebulizer to a couple of times a month and although we are suppose to use the Nasonex every morning, I often forget and we haven't even noticed a difference. My child coughed from the time she was 2 years old until she was almost 5 years and it was extremly frusterating. My recommendation is go to the Pulmonologist!

Hi T.,

My daughter has allergry induced asthma and had RSV when she was 15 months. For about the past 2 years though, she has only had two breakouts and I just use the neb w/ albuterol & pulmicort until that raspy cough goes away. She is on Singular daily and I think that has cut down her breakouts alot. I grew up with and still occasionally have asthma without the allergies though and it is absolutley miserable if you cannot breath, so keep an eye on him and maybe you will be able to cut the meds down to only whenever he has syptoms. :)

K.

Hi T.,

Sorry to hear about your little boy.

Unfortunately all the different pharmaceuticals that doctors prescribe often don't help and always do some kind of damage to other organs and glands... especially the steriods.

Actually medical universities have proven over the last 70 years that most of the diseases we suffer with are caused simply by nutritional deficiencies...including asthma and allergies.

We have been taking an excellent All-in-One liquid vitamin/mineral supplement for the last 3 years called Vibe.
We feel great and RARELY get sick!

Vibe was formulated by an MD using a brand new technology.
This technology allows the nutrients in Vibe to get to the cellular level in minutes. That is how quickly I feel the effects of Vibe when I take it!!

Vibe isn't sold in stores, it is only available through independent distributors. www.vibeforme.com/smartidea

If you would like I can send you some samples.
You can check it out with your doctor too. He will find that it is just the vitamins and minerals that we should be getting from our food but these days, we just don't.

Please let me know if I can help in any way.
No one should have to suffer with these different ailments ...especially our beautiful children.

D.
###-###-####

Hi T.,

My son (2 years old) is on the same medications as your son. To make a long story short, we started on breathing treatments with xopanex (another form of albuterol), then added the pulmicort, then added the singulair. He suffers from asthma, but also had RSV when he was 7 months old and was in the hospital for a week. We are able to keep things under control now by doing pulmicort morning and night, xopanex as necessary..when he starts wheezing coughing, etc. and singulair at night. We have not seen any side effects of any of these medications. My son has always been on the top of growth charts, if not off the charts! :) I know medications can be scary, but after having gone through RSV and the months leading up to that, I'm just grateful we have a heathly big boy!

My 4 yr old is on the same medications! He has pulmacor and albuterol as well! I don't know who you have been talking to or getting your information, but it will not stunt their growth. If there is any stunt at this time they will make it up later in life when they go through a different change. Good luck! My son coughs non stop during this time of year as well! It cam be quite frustrating! Hope it gets better!

Hi T.,

I would be concerned with him taking all of those medications too! Have you seen a holistic doctor? There are many things you can do to improve his environment and his diet, as well as natural things he can take to reduce his allergies and make him less dependent on medications. Have you considered going to a naturopathic medical doctor?

Sincerely,
L.
www.lifesculpting.biz

Hello T.,

I know you have already had many responses of this type. However, it's too important not to reiterate. These medications can have long term consequences & it's concerning to me to have a 4 year old taking these medications. Not to mention, they do not address the cause of your son's condition, therefore, likely making him dependent on these meds indefinitely. As some mom's have already commented, Naturopathic medicine can be extremely effective with asthma and allergies. The medications will always be there, but I encourage you to try a safer approach initially.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to answer them.

T.
My son is an asthmatic and also has allergies. He was diagnosised when he was 2 1/2 years, he is now 5 and doing much better. When he was diagnosised we started him on Singular every night for the asthma. His allergies were still bothering him so we started on Zyrtec nightly as well. He intermittantly has had to take Albuterol nebs for wheezing and Shortness of Breath, he did take Pulimicort nebs as needed for when RSV season or a cold would strike the household. It is my understanding that you shouldn't use Pulmicort daily unless during an event of sickness, plus it's really costly. This spring we have added a nasal spray (I don't remember the name) nightly for his throat itching, it helped within 2 days. We also you the Advair inhaler now instead of the Pulmicort. He has been taking the Albuterol inhaler with a face mask since he was 4 without the nebulizer machine what a time saver! I understand your concern about the growth rate on the steriod but since he was born he has always been in the 5th percentile, and that is still were he is, I have not noticed a problem with it as of yet. I would suggest taking your son to a Allergist who does work with kids, I did this and found out so much information and have been able to fine tune his care. You can contact me with questions if you'd like. It sounds like we are in the same boat, I've been in it for awhile 3 years now. Hope this helps.

Our 3 year old has been taking Pulmicort since he was 6 months old. We, too, were concerned about the possible side effect of reduction in growth rate. We don't think it's been an issue for our son . . . he's above average in size across the board, but we of course have no way of knowing if he'd be even bigger if he hadn't been on Pulmicort! Our neice was a premie and has been on it for 4 years. She is also average size, even though she was tiny at birth. There are side effects with every medicine and we just weighed the options -- without the Pulmicort, he needs Albuterol so much more often for wheezing and coughing and for asthma attacks. With the Pulmicort his asthma symptoms are greaty reduced. We do try to wean him down during the seasons of the year when he isn't affected as much. In late Spring through early fall we only give him 1 dose a day and even cut him off if he's completely symptom free. Hope this helps!

have you thought of diffrent cleaning products for your home. I have just bought Living like Ed (Begley Jr.) from sprouts and he talks a lot about how the usual cleaning products arent good for our air and howw our air in our homes is worse than the outside air due to these cleaning products! also if you dont have one already you should look into an air purifier. i sleep with one and i notice a big diffrence when it is turned off! well good luck! I just thought ide share what i had just read!!

I'm always wary to take sterioids, because their side effects can be ugly. I personally have a SEVER mood shift if I take steriods (Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde). Just be sure you know your side effects. When I tell doctors what happens to me on steriods, they don't put me on them!!

Good Luck!

T.,
Several here have already mentioned it but it is worth repeating. It is now a proven fact that the growing number of children with asthma is directly related to the chemicals you use to clean your house. An alarming news report from 'market place' watch group called "Toxic Brew" is something EVERY mother needs to watch. You can find it, and other supporting informaiton on toxins in the home at www.shakstory.com the Toxic Brew news report is about 1/2 down the page. There are other changes you can make in your home but getting chemicals out is a good start. Go to www.shaklee.net/greenplanet/getclean click on YOUR HOME and you can do a test "What's Under Your Sink?" It is well worth your time and could be life changing for your 4 year old son.
All the best in beating this!
J.

My cousin has 2 boys who deal w/ asthma.... she found that they were allergic to dairy & wheat which triggered their asthma. After taking those things out of their diets their asthma is completly clears up & don't have to be on medications..... if they have a little bit of dairy or wheat now after many years being off it, they have a little cough, but usually nothing serious..... so there is an idea to get your son off the meds. See if there is something in his diet that affects the asthma. Blessings, C.

P.S. another idea is to help boost his immune system w/ LOTS fruits & veggies... there's lots of research out there that shows fruits & veggies are so beneficial.... I have my kids on fruits & veggies that have been put into gummy form (it's not a vitamin but whole food called Juice Plus+) Because of the extra fruits & veggies I have given during meals/snacks & through the gummies I've seen a huge improvement in their health! My cousins kids eat the same things and have seen an improvement as well..... if you want to know more respond to me & I'll tell you more. :)

My son has allergies and asthma he is almost five, He is on all the same medication you listed. Unless he is having an episode I generallly dont use the pulmicort everyday anymore. Good luck Really try to keep him in when its windy and dusty. When he is running and playing hard and you notice he has to work to breath you may need to remind him to settle down. I think we have saved a lot of ER visits cause I try to stay one step ahead of it. My sister and I both grew up with asthma hopefully he will outgrow it in time.

I have a daughter that has allergies and asthma - allergies are so bad that every year she would get a cold that would turn into bronchitis. What has been the best help for her was to take allergy shots because they built up her immunities. We went to Arizona Allergy Associates. She went a few years without the bronchitis once she built up her immunity.

I hope this helps,
K.

A little about me: I am a SAHM that is going back to school, I have 3 children, 16, 14, & 12.

Hi T.,

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. When it come to out kids, we only want what's best. I agree with the others that have said to get the toxins out of your home, that should be the first step. Cleaning products can be toxic and can aggerviate asthma and allergies. I would rather start off more conservative. Then if I have to, check out medication. I work with a wonderful company that can help rid your house of the toxins and save you money on the products you use daily. Let me know if you need my help.
K.
###-###-####

I always try to treat everything naturally since my family is so allergic to meds. One thing I do is put a few drops of Melaleuca Oil (pure non-caustic from melaleuca.com) in a humidifier at night. It always helps my kids...Good luck! You might be able to find some natural things to relieve his symptoms so that your doctor can wean him off all the meds. Or maybe you can talk to your doctor about rotating the meds so that he isn't on all of them at once.

My son had v. bad allergies -- at 4 years old he had an allergy test done where they pricked his back with different things to see what he was allergic to and he reacted to practically everything.
We began allergy shots at age 4 and continued for about 4 years. The shots really helped, although at first it's a pain because he had to go in twice a week for shots. Now his allergies are under control and he can just take over-the-counter medicine during the spring and fall seasons. Good luck!

Hi T.,

I work with a Wellness company and I think I can help you. Visit my website:

http://www.saferisbetter.com/yourfamilieshealth

I will give you the information and you can make the decision if this is something you would like to try.

I love helping people whenever I can!!

I would start to use safe products instead of the harsh ones on the market. I used to cough at night also but since I started using the safe products, I am no longer coughing like that. Call me to find out about Melaleuca's safe products at wholesale.

S. Fatovich
###-###-####

My son was having issues like the persistent cough etc. when he was around 15 months and our doctor tried to tell us that he had asthma. We were uneasy about all of the medications she gave us and so we switched doctors and got a second opinion. Our new doctor simply diagnosed it as allergies and told us to give him Claritin once a day when his cough would start to flare up. We probably have given him Claritin twice a year at the season changes (fall into winter and winter into spring). This past year he has really had no trouble at all. So, I guess my advice is to get a second opinion.

my opinion of these and most all pharmaceutical medicines are that they are poison - the body has all the tools to heal itself it just needs the proper nutrition for all the systems - allergies are a sign of toxins in the body as well as nutritional imbalances - the best thing for your son are natural formulas to address these issues - if you want more information about some completely safe and natural herbal combinations feel free to contact me back - good luck helping your son

My 4 yr old girl has been on Singular daily for 2 years. She does the albuterol only when she has a flare up of her asthma. Last fall the albuterol was not taking care of her issues and the dr prescribed the Pulmicort to be added with the albuterol. We were leary of doing it as well but she cleared up within just a few days of using it. We have had to use it for just one other episode. It works fairly quickly (3 or 4 days has worked for us)so I don't feel it has affected her growth at all. I spoke to her Dr. about the growth concern and he said that since it is not a daily permanent thing it should not affect her growth. She doesn't like to take breathing treatments and I think it is because she doesn't like how it makes her feel for about an hour after the treatment but she understands that it makes her better in the long run. I hope that I have helped you with this. I know that it is tough and frightening to see you child fighting to breathe. I am sure that the Dr. told you about the triggers that cause an attack. One thing that mine didn't mention to me was household cleaners. I figured that one out on my own and have discovered the Green Works series by Clorox does not bother her and it is chemical free a major plus. Feel free to email me if you have other questions, I have been helping my daughter with this for 2 years now. G.

Hi T.!
While none of my children have asthma or severe allergies, I myself, do. Just about a year and a half ago, I went to urgent care because I had such difficulty breathing. To say the least, things weren't good. It felt like I was breathing through a straw, my chest was so tight, I just couldn't catch my breath--even if I took my Albuterol inhaler. I was given a breathing treatment (nebulizer) and I was put on a couple pretty strong steroids--I think those tablets last for a few days. I was able to get in to see my pulmonologist the next day. She prescribed Pulmicort, Rhinocort, Astelin, and Albuterol as needed. Although she had originally put me on these meds while I was pregnant with my second child, I had stopped taking them once I felt better. Well, fast forward two years, and that's when I had my "attack". My husband said the Pulmicort is more of a preventive medicine, not meant to be taken as a quick-fix like Albuterol. If I would have been on the Pulmicort, then I know I wouldn't have gotten to the point of my attack. So, I began taking my meds faithfully, and am happy to say that I have not taken my Albuterol for just over a year now! My breathing is so free and easy--my hubby says my sleep breathing is really quiet too(it used to be quite labored). I continue to see my pulmonologist every three months so she can check my lung capacity and overall breathing. She especially likes to keep tabs on me in the spring (allergy season) and winter (cold season). Since I've been doing so well for quite some time now, she decided to take me off of the Pulmicort altogether! And, she said she didn't need to see me until the beginning of winter so we can readjust any meds and head-off any breathing issues caused by a cold. As for the effects of Pulmicort? Well, I am an adult, so I'm obviously done growing, but I'll just say that when I was pregnant and concerned about taking any meds while my baby was in-utero, both my OB and the pulmonologist said the drug percantage that actually enters the bloodstream was minute, plus the baby needs oxygen--so it was imperative that I was breathing well. I'd say the same would go for your son. All I know is that I would never want my kids to go through an attack like I did. I hope my experience helps. Good luck to you and your son!

Hi T.,

Having grown up with asthma (both my brother and I), I understand how difficult it is to live with. It wasn't until I was an adult that I discovered how to get rid of it completely. I've been off my inhaler and all other medication for over 7 years now. My allergies are also completely gone.

If you'd like to learn what I did, please feel free to call me at ###-###-####. The protocol is very simple and doesn't involve ANY drugs!!!

Warm Regards,
G. Van Luven
Health and Nutrition Consultant
Healthy Habits Wellness Center, LLC
~Helping you create a lifetime of wellness~
Office: ###-###-####
Fax: ###-###-####
Cell: ###-###-####
____@____.com
www.HealthyHabitsWellnessCenter.com
www.SaferForYourHome.com

My son suffered from asthma, bronchilitis, constant congestion, and severe asthma attacks until he had his tonsils and adnoids taken outlast year. Now he is on a daily regimen of ADVAIR and SINGULAR. Winter thru the Spring was always his worst time , but this year we didn't have NOT one asthma related condition that sent us to the Dr. We used to carry an inhaler everywhere, just in case. He is still a little nasally so we're going to try Flonase instead of Singular. I was told everytime he has an attack it scars the lungs so using preventitive medicine outweighs the risks. I would also suggest an ENT visit. Hope this helps. L.

My son was on the pulmucort and the singular graniulas starting at 6 months. I was VERY uneasy about it. We did it for a few months and then it was uncontrol. That was last year from Feb-June. We havent had to use anything since. I think in our case though he moved to a new state and it was an overload of different pollens etc...in the air and his system had to get use to it. I would talk to your doctor about an alternative method. I know with asthma (I have it) it is always there even when you dont have to treat it. So, that is why they want you to stay on the pulmocort so you dont have to use rescue medicine like albuterol. I wish you the best of luck. I know exactly how you feel. It is scary.

Hi T.,

I only read one other recommendation to go see an ENT. After having dealt with bimonthly to monthly sinus infections since 5 1/2 month of age we finally took our 26 month old to one and just had her adnoids removed on Thursday. It's too soon to really see the benefits but I can already tell you that she is sleeping and breathing better. It didn't make sense to us to keep pumping her with both Zyrtec and Singulair, plus having to give her antibiotics every other month, so we decided to be proactive and contact the ENT on our own. For some reason our Pediatrician(s) never suggested that we see one and the only conclusion that we can make is that the more medications they prescribe, the more perks they receive from the drug manufacturers. Don't get me wrong, we love where we take our children for their healthcare but they don't always have or know what's best for your child.