Advair, Singular, Prednisone TOO Many Meds for My 11 Year Old? Need Advise Pleas

Have you thought about trying to get her to use a neti pot? NeilMed makes one which I think is easier to use than the traditional style. I was on Singulair and Flonase simultaneously and always had numerous sinus infections. Prior to starting those meds I once had a panic attack because the swelling in my sinuses got so bad I felt like it was going to close off my wind pipe completely. After that I became addicted to Afrin for a while - NEVER use that stuff! Anyway, I started using the NeilMed sinus rinse daily and I've never looked back. It's just a saline rinse, so there's no harmful side effects associated with it. After several months of doing it daily I have reduced it to every other day, more often if I feel a cold coming on. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I'm so much happier now I don't have to take so many meds. Here's a link to their website:
http://www.neilmed.com/usa/adword_sr.php?gclid=COz3053Cx6...
You can find it at any pharmacy or grocery store with a pharmacy.
Good luck!

I have recently discovered essential oils and their ability to help with illnesses and allergies (without the side effects of prescriptions). I have found them to be absolutely amazing. But most of the oils available in the stores are not potent enough.

Also, my chiropractor (Dr. Richard Gelband in Naperville) has treated me and my daughter (12) for any illnesses we've had.

Please contact me if you have any questions are intersted in learning more.

What I can tell you is about Singulair. It is excellent for allergic children. My son was smaller than yours, about 7 or 8. He was permanentlly sneezing, wattery nose, asma, colds, bronchitis, etc. My fridge was full of bottles of different medicines. One day I told my son´s doctor the I was totally confused and she advised me to go to a pediatric allergist doctor. And so I did and it was the cure for my son. He put him in an experiment with Singulair for 2 years since the medicine at that time was new. Today he will be 19 in april and never since he has had asma again and very rare will have allergies to which he only needs allergy pills. Maybe your doctor is agressive at the beginning because she is very bad. But only YOU can control the drugs that are given to her. Be honest with the doctor, tell him your feelings and what you have read. But most of all observe your daughter and see how she behaves with all this medication and take it in YOUR hands to do something if you feel it is not correct. Change doctors, I went to 3 before I found the PERFECT ONE. I hope this helps you a bit.

Hi Sandra,

Yes she's on too many meds and dangerous ones as well. I was 11 when I was put on Prednisone and besides the up and downs of the meds it depleted my bone mass and threw me into osteoporosis. The little known fact is that one week on steroids, even topically, does as much damage to bone density as menopause does. There are many side effects of prednisone but it also makes you slower and more awkward. I felt like my joints were going to explode and I was on a low dose.

Zantac will not protect anything. Stomach acid is required to digest food and by giving Zantac her body chemistry is off and there will be a rebound effect from it. It only does damage.

My suggestion is to take away the stimuli in the home that exacerbates her symptoms. Detox your entire house. It will help her immune system strengthen so that her body can fight off stimuli better in other areas that are not detoxed. When we detoxed my allergies went completely away (We have an inside dog now.) Neurological issues went away as well. My youngest's diagnosis of ADHD was removed. We don't get sick any more. I have friend's with kids that have Asthma that haven't had an episode in years because they detoxed their home.

Chiropractic care will also help strengthen the immune system so her body can do what it is supposed to. Our bodies are not meant to have reactions to natural things like pollen or grasses, eggs or chocolate....If you don't use one or know one, go to ucspine.com and see if you can find one in your area.

If you'd like to talk or want more info please get back to me. I wish my mom had had the internet!

God bless!

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Dear Sandra,

HI. I really wanted to post because what your daughter is going through is what I went through at her age. I have lots of allergies and asthma (exercise and allergy induced asthma). I was on lots of pills everyday to help get all of it under control along with allergy shots 3 times a week for the first 5 years after I was diagnosed (at 8), then twice a week for another 4 years then once a week. I am a rarety the shots did nothing to alleviate my allergies. BUT prednisone did really help my asthma. I was on it for 4 years straight (ages 8-12) along with 2 other drugs that are no longer on the market and 3 different inhalers.

I know that Prenisone can be a little scary, but I would like to tell you about me. I did not suffer from any of the aggression or depression, I did not gain any weight either. What is did do was very much help my dependency on rescue inhalers. When I was 8, I was taking my inhaler anywhere between 3 -15 times a day. By the end of my 4 years on predinose I was using my inhaler 1-3 times a day, and at times not needing the inhaler for a few days in a row.
I am admantly opposed to kids being on that many drugs because of my personal experience, but I would willingly go on prednisone again if I need to get my asthma under control again. Please just watch your daughter closely for behavioral changes and have a very honest discussion with the allergist about your concerns. If you do not feel comfortable with what the doctor wants to do please please please go get another opinion.

Your daughter will eventually learn to figure out how she feels and how the drugs affect her, listen to her and be an advocate for her. My allergist was very admant that I remain on a drug that made me nauseaus and other things, I fought with him (at the ages of 12 and 13) to decrease my dosage and after 2 years he finally did... it helped a little. He also did not tell me that I needed to have blood tests to check for toxicity levels, and I was on this drug for about 6 years (the drug is no longer used for children but should a doctor want to use it, it was called Theodore (that is how it was pronounced I don't know if I spelled it right) without ever having a blood draw to check for toxicity.

I am not trying to scare you but let you know that there are a great many allergists out there, so if you or your daughter is not comfortable with the first one you see, try again. I just know how much I hated taking all those pills. You all will be able to come up with a way to control the allergies and asthma (if that is what she has) it will take a while but you all will figure it out.

D.

I think besides us the best barameter is your daughter. Ask her clearly how she feels. She is the only one that knows. Unless she is known for fudging the truth, which I doubt since she sounds wonderful and very brave I would listen to her reactions about this. And thank goodness it is only temporary.

Try taking her to the chiropractor. I've seen many kids need less or no medication after a course of adjustments. Anything natural that supports the immune system is worth trying! I would hate to use so many meds on my kids, I understand!

The prednisone may very well make your daughter hot, flushed cheeks, perhaps gain some weight. However, if they are pulling out steroids for a month, that indicates to me that she feel she has a very very serious infection. I would be most nervous about that personally, and just ask teh doctor to explain it very well, and seek another opinion if you are not comfortable with the answers. My daughter was on Singulair for a couple years with no behavioral/emotional side effects. However, everyone is different and the best indication is to observe how your daughter is doing. Hopefully the allergy doctor can give you some help. I feel for your family. Been there, done that, and it is really awful. Hope your daughter is feeling better soon.

Okay, I don't want to tell to do or not do something but we had a really bad experience with Singulair, and when I read up on it, I learned it was not uncommon.

After about 2 weeks of the drug my daughter who is 8 definitely showed signs of depression. She would come home talking about how terrible her day was and how everything bad always happens to her. And that was just the beginning. She started waking up in the middle of the night screaming that there was a man in her room. Then during the day she started to think that there were always gnomes under the table trying to eat her toes. Yeah, not good! We took her off and within a week she was fine.

Our daughter now just takes the albuterol inhaler when needed, and we just try and manage her asthma that way. She also went to an osteopath which seemed to help as well.

Good luck.

Thanks, J.

Sandra,
This is so hard. Thinking of you reading about these side affects makes me want to cry! I cannot directly answer your question about these meds in particular but I do understand as my child has a serious disorder and I had to make similar decisions for him when he was very young. The responsibility to protect your child in the right way can be overwhelming.

I suggest you do what you are already doing......weigh it all and do the best you can. I had a doctor tell me once when I was afraid of the side affects of a medication, "Statistically your son is more likely to be killed in a car accident on the way home from my office, but this is a risk you are accustomed to and don't think about." I still was careful about my choices but that one statement helped me so much. I could live with my choices and not second guess myself.

Last, my business is health. I may have been one of the Mom's making suggestions about non-toxic cleaners, etc... in your home to help with allergies. I have a Shaklee business. I could also make some nutritional recommendations and give you some of idea of herbs you could add to your daughters diet that would help fight allergies and build immunities. Allergies are related to low immunity. So please contact me if I can give you some of those thoughts.

Hang in there. You have to do the best you can with the information you have at the time. I know it is so hard. Making sometimes what seem like scary decisions for the most precious people in our lives, but keep that advice from my doctor in mind. I hope it helps you!
All My Best,
P.

My daughter, now 13, has asthma and allergies and has been on singulair and advair for years - about 4 years, maybe a bit longer. She also has an albuterol inhaler to use as needed and happily hasn't needed it for over a year and since being on the other meds has needed it very rarely. Every child responds differently so you should continue what you're doing and get as much info as possible and make the best decision for your child. That said, these meds have been fantastic for my daughter. She has had no side effects and the asthma and allergies are so well controlled we hardly think about them anymore. We'll be going back to the allergist this summer to talk about everything. From this mom's perspective though, not all meds, even long term, are bad. Best wishes to you. I know navigating this can be scary and frustrating but you are doing all the right things and you'll make the right choices.

Hi Sandra,
I just wanted to post to say that I too have asthma and have had it all my life. I was in and out of hospitals all too often when I was younger and was on all sorts of medicine. I didn't respond to years of allergy shots either. I am still on advair, atrovent, singulair, zyrtec, prilosec, albuterol and prednisone right now. The only side effect I have ever had was weight gain on prednisone (and toxicity on theodur as the lady before me posted, but they don't make that anymore). The goal with prednisone is always to cure a flare up and not to be on it long term. Sometimes it will take a month or a year even, but the goal is always to be weened off of it. I just wanted to add that while you are smart to read up on the drugs and ask questions, it is much more important to get the symptoms under control. Your daughter is old enough to say how she is feeling and I think those side effects are very rare. My personal opinion is that people who already had underlying problems with depression and suicidal thoughts, etc., will see those symptoms worsen but that it is very rare to have that happen in a "normal" person. Not being able to breathe is very scary and really can't be comprehended by someone who doesn't have asthma. It is important to take the other medicines prescribed even when she is feeling fine, to prevent asthma symptoms from occurring. Now it is possible that once her pneumonia is gone, all symptoms will be gone and she won't have to take anything anymore, however if she really does have asthma, the medications can and will save her life. Feel free to write me if you have any questions!

Prednisone for a month?? I am not a doctor but that sounds like a LOT. My own doc worried when he had to put my son on it and said ONLY 3 days. THere can be major side effects of steroids. I would think esp. for a little girl. I wouldn't worry about the Singulair. May son has taken that every day for 3 years with not a problem. I do seem to recall bad things about Advair. I would google it.

If this was a specialist that put you on these them maybe they are the right thing. But if not I would immediatley make an appt with one to get this squared away. My son's asthma specialist's (a pediatric allergist) treatment was much different than his pediatrician's. Much better and safer. For example his pediatrician prescribed double the safe amount of Zyrtec for a 5 year old. THank God I realized it and called the allergist.

But seriously-your biggest concern is the steroid so please don't delay one day in getting another opinion.

Hi Sandra - as someone who has been where your daughter is, I'm really sorry she is going through this. When asthma flares, it is often difficult to control and requires some aggressive treatments but trust me, the meds are way better than the alternative.

I encourage you to keep your daughter well-hydrated and keep her environment very clean as you are doing. Prednisone will concentrate sodium levels in the body so monitor her salt intake. That will help with any swelling she might have. Continue her meds and don't worry about what the bottles say could happen. That's just taking on too much worry. Just be informed and watch your child for side effects.

Depression and aggression are common with asthma meds mostly because they stimulate the adrenals so you're hyped up but still feel fatigued because you're not oxygenating as well as a person in normal health.

The medication is only temporary - I know a month feels like a long time but once the underlying inflammation is controlled, she is going to feel better very quickly. One thing I'm curious about - did the doctor give her an antibiotic? I had a flare that sent me to the hospital - chest x-ray showed "normal" even though I couldnt breathe. Doc took chance and started me on antibiotic. I think it was called Avelox. I felt noticeably better by that afternoon.

Sandra,
I can't address whether or not your daughter needs those meds.
But I can help you with safe nontoxic cleaning and laundry products and supplements if you are interested. You mentioned that you have made changes in your home, but many products that claim to be toxin free really are not. Here is a website to check to see if products contain toxins: http://www.ewg.org
Here is another website where you can listen to health related audios: http://www.bobsfiles.net
Good luck and God bless.
Victoria

My 11 year old daughter has been on Singulair for 1.5 years. She is doing great with it, and has no side effects. That said, my friend took her daughter off of Singulair after only 2 weeks because it turned her into a "monster". Everyone responds differently.

I love a book by an MD named Kenneth Bock called "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics . . . "

The book provided me with a foundation of knowledge and a reference point for several different issues I experienced with my son (40+ food allergies), as well as a different point of view on how to deal with the problems.

It sounds like you have several big issues to contend with - good luck to you and your daughter.

I would be very reluctant to put my child through this. It sounds like there is no diagnosis and the doctor is throwing medicine at her in hopes it will do something. I would get more testing and doctors involved to get to the root of the problem and I would not want to try to "fix it for now" with a cocktail of meds. I feel really bad for your daughter and hope you can get some answers soon. It just sounds like way too much medication without a proper diagnosis to justify it.

It sounds like the doctor is trying to get it under control first - the oral steriods. I would talk with him and find out his plan. Is he going to get it under control, and then try to wean her down to a drug or two? I think it really depends on her severity. I was taking Advair and an emergency inhaler (Albuterol) only, and was fine. Have you noticed any side effects with your daughter. I know that they have to put all that scary information on the side of the package, but I would talk to you daughter, let her know the side effects, she might be more willing to share any worries she has, any of those thoughts. While she is only 11, they have still have a say in their treatment and should know what it could possibly due to her. My sister overused her steriod inhaler about that age and puffed up like a chipmunk. It went away, but maybe if she knew what could have happened, she wouldn't have?
I would say talk to the doctor and let him know your concerns.

None of us like for our children to be on meds, but sometimes you have to weigh the benefits against the risks. With 2 hospital stays she needs a more aggressive approach to get her condition under control. Another question should be "Do you trust your Dr. and his/her's judgement."

Take care
J.

when you can't breath nothing else matters.
if you child has asthma and may have possible aggression (you mentioned), don't you think they'd feel aggressive if they can't breath? my husband is on all. my son on singular. haven't had any troubles to my knowledge... but it sounds like the proper mix.

i'd worry about the prednisone. if its asthma and its properly managed, i believe they shouldn't need prednisone. talk to the dr about that... hopefully you're seeing a specialisst and not your ped. I believe prednisone also temporarily reduces their amune system so they can get sick more easily at the time (isn't that a nice side effect)

i think some people are stating she is on too many may not have the right knowledge so i wouldn't panic....
i believe the zantac is to protect gerd like symmptoms that happen from asthma medcations. husband on that too.

my husband has been on prednisone for a month as well in the winter.
when he gets sick she's got the z pak and some codiene cough medicine that prevents it from going into his chest. he's had pneumonia several times.

so if there's severe asthma you need the preventative and the maintanance and the steroid if there's something sig going on.

you gotta weigh the costs and benefits.
just make sure you're seeing a good doc.

You should be discussing your concerns with your doctor. If she has been hosp. twice then she mostly need to them for a short term to prevent any further damage to her lungs.
And don't freak out of the steriods, despite all the risk when used properly it is a very useful tool.

It sounds like a lot and is, but you need to be working with them to find the right solution. It took us years to get my sons allergies undercontrol.

Your poor daughter. I know this has to be hard for you also. First I think you need to find out what is causing all of this. When that is out of her enviroment she will have an easier time. Then really talk to her doctor about getting rid of the prednisone. I would think after it is all removed that she will eventually be okay on the Singular and the inhaler. I am not sure how into allternative treatments you are, but have you thought of accupuncture? There is a woman in Libertyville and now has an office in Gurnee that is amazing. Her place is called Vital Points therapy. They have a website I believe, but you may want to think of seeing her just for a consult. Her name is Malina Chin. I would HIGHLY recommend just trying it. The needles are painless and she makes sure you understand everything she is doing before she does it.
good luck