Does anyone have a toddler with asthma?

Laurie - posted on 02/18/2010

Ashley my daughter has had repeated peumonia 8 to 9 from aspiration. she takes nothing by mouth has a Gtube and a fundoplication too to help prevent aspiration. Her was so bad she needed a trach by thats becauese she aspirated on saliva during sezuires. she too has repiratory isses. I hope they figure out what coming on with your daughter. I feel your pain and frustration. uu

Sheryl - posted on 02/18/2010

I feel for ya my story is similar my son was just like that they though it would be pneumonia but after an x ray they would say no and be confused we were hospitalized 14 times in a year and a half! Turns out he had broncialmalacia and that was the answers for the breathing and the sleeping issues were because he had sensory intergation dysfunction. Try melatonin for sleeping your body makes it naturally so it anyone can take it.

Darlene - posted on 02/18/2010

Ashley, I'm a 49 yr old asthmatic and a 7 yr old grand son with asthma too.
I understand how you and how you daughter feel.
I have not grown out of it. I've learned my trigers. I could not go outside much because I couldn't inhale. The cold air or the hot air they both took my breathe outside. At bedtime I would be on my knees in bed tring to open my airway or I would sleep sitting up or I would position myself upward to breath easier. During my early childhood I would stayed awake at night because thats when my asthma was worst. You could here rattling, wizzing, and coughing all night long. I would strain to try to breath in the air so hard my body would shake trying to get what little air I could put inside my lungs. My chest would hurt when I tried to play with the other children. As I look back at things now I know taking to long of a warm baths/showers will take your breathe due to to much heat against your lungs. Heat will close the airway up fast. Becoming scared made my heart rate go up and I couldn't breathe. 20 plus years ago I was told about alka-selzer plus, how it help keeps mucas out of the lungs and breathing freely. Now, along with the flovent and albuterol inhaler I give my 7yr old grandson 2 swallows of alka-seltzer plus daily to maybe 2x a week. I told his pcp what I'm using and I ask why is it working so well, he said it has acetaminophen in it, which helps to clear the breathing passage. I hope this experience and a little wisdom helps out.. Darlene

Melanie - posted on 02/17/2010

An allergist will do allergy tests. As for the ADHD...if she's on a lot of asthma meds or steroids, this will cause hyperactivity. My son was in and out of the ER his first year of life for asthma and on pedia-prednisone at least once a month during that year, along w/ albuterol. It made him pretty hyper and sometimes aggressive. He and I both get allergy shots (I have asthma too...just not as bad). I know the shots plus all the meds have really helped to control his asthma.

Ashley - posted on 02/16/2010

Thank u so much for all the info. Well she has been diagnosed with asthma but last hospital stay the dr said it may not be that it may be Her aspirating on her liquids we go in next week to have her do a swallow study!! She doesnt seem to be chokeing on the liquids but i noticed a couple of weeks ago that she does choke on her foods so she may be chokin on her liquids when im not around..... As far as work i been there going on 3 yrs but they always try to fight with me when i call in and tell them shes in the hospital its like they dont care they even ask me if theres any one else that could stay with her ... Im like ok for one id be worried about her the whole time and 2 my mom wouldnt do it shes my child and i just wouldnt want to go anyways im usally too upset... They even wrote me up one time when i had to stay at home to do updrafts all day... Im the only one that would have the time to do it and anything could go wrong with her breathin... Any ways thank u so much for ur comment i hope they will be able to figure something out her next visit ..

Ashley - posted on 02/16/2010

Thanks so much You helped so much the allergy test where do i get that done the drs office or do i need a referral to someone? I never thought about the allergy test. With my daughter tho she only seems to get sick with the weather changes but maybe they might find an allergy. we are like u to we dont have a history of it either. Its crazy how it just pops up like it does tho. I think my daughter has ADHD cause she is just too hyper all the time and doesnt see to comprehend anything she cant stay focused on one thing and the sleepin thing also that shes been doing she sleeps like 1 hr and then back up i cant stay up like that she gets in to every thing sometimes when i just cant take it no more and pass out. But thanks for all ur info and i wish u and ur son and family the best we are gonna have our hands full with this asthma for sure...

Angie - posted on 02/16/2010

Ashley, I feel your pain. My son is now 5 1/2 years old. He has been diagnosed with chronic asthma! We are now at a Vanderbilt Hospital Pulmonologist in Nashville, TN. He is better, now than he has been in months. I'm not familiar with the updrafts. We've had our son on a nebulizer breathing machine since he got RSV @ 6 months old. It's a constant battle to keep up with, not to mention a scary thing. We don't have a history of any asthma/allergies. We had our son allergy tested at 2 years old. The only thing he tested + to was dust. It was painful to watch him go through that because they pricked him with a needle over 200 times. He has had pneumonia once at 3 years old and I'm not sure which is harder to go through: pneumonia or asthma attacks at any given time.
My son takes advair in the am & pm. In addition, we give him a rescue inhaler (Xopenex) to get him through sports related activities. It's a 4 hr. fix for him. They have determined it is sports & weather induced asthma. Recently, we just had him tested for ADHD. He tested positive for that. I believe the normal age to test from what I was told, is 5-6 yrs. I have to keep my son inside during these winter months as much as possible. we get major cabin fever together! Also, the first sign of a runny nose or him being out-of-breath--I make him take a 5 min. break. I've just started telling him he has to calm down because he will have an attack. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. I'm not sure if any of this helps, but I'm sharing my story with you for added support. I hope this helps and best of luck to you. Angie

Iridescent - posted on 02/16/2010

With all the bouts of pneumonia, something else is wrong. You need to request both a GI and a Pulmonary referral since you said her diet was changed to thickened liquids for aspirating, and this is also definitely a lung issue. She may need a feeding tube to prevent the constant pneumonia if the cause is her aspirating. It sounds like it's just not safe for her to be eating by mouth at this point if that is the cause of all the infections. GI will determine what treatment is appropriate for eating, NOT a regular pediatrician.



I was dealing with the same thing with work - missing a lot for a sick child. How long have you been working there? If it's at least 12 months (and some places even much less) you can apply for FMLA in the US, but it is unpaid. It will at least allow you to concentrate on your child's health for up to 12 weeks.



You do need help. If she does have asthma, a Pulmonologist will be able to tell quickly in coordination with a GI doctor. They will also look for triggers - allergens or temperature that makes it worse. They can be in the air, in things she touches, and just temperature (cold and humidity are common). If this is not yet asthma, you want to treat it now before she has permanent lung damage if possible. They may also refer you to an Immunologist (allergy doctor).