Asthma & Steroids

Hi A.,
My son is nearly 11 now and was diagnosed with Ashtma at 7 months. He has been on and off the steroid prevention puffer for many years and I do notice mood swings more often when he is using it. I haven't noticed early puberty signs but he is definitely got the pre-teen attitude and behavior. Kids grow up so fast these days. I'm not sure how to help with the mood swings especially if he needs his Advair to breathe better. I hope it stabilizes for you.
S.

Hi- I am new to the site too. I just wanted to comment on the Adavair issue- I have a very athletic son with exercise-induced asthma. We had to put him on Adavair so that he could play tackle football- it was the only thing that would consistently help him breathe through the long practices with lots of running on the grass (my son has grass allergies that seem to induce the asthma along with exercise). He had good results with breathing but so many side effects! He was constipated and started missing school on a regular basis due to horrible stomach aches. The pediatrician did not attribute this to the Adavair at first but when we finally stopped the Adavair, the symptoms went away. I also was concerned with the possible side effect of hindering growth. This is not much of an answer but I am wondering what other people have found with the Adavair too. We discontinued it and won't start it again.

Hi A.,
I'm a mother of 3 and all 3 of my children has grown out of Asthma, talk to your child's physician about educational classes which should be free and they can help you with lifestyle changes as well. My son when he was from the age of newborn to 3 years of age he stayed in the hospital at least 3 or more times a year. I noticed after he had his adenoids taken out he didn't have any problems my other two children asthma wasn't as severe. He was the only one of the three children who took steroids. He has other medical problems as well so it's now not the asthma it's something else so get the information you need and educate him on the information so he can continue the care on his on because as he gets older he will need to take his inhaler around and will need to know when to take it.

you might want to check into the air quality at school. go to epa.org and you can get all kinds of info. make sure the filters are being changed frequently at school, as well as having the fan on ALL THE TIME (it's a law)!

hi... steroids is most commonly seen in the media as a performance enhancing drug... but steroids is a group of molecules... and i am no chemist but this is not like testosterone or testosterone derived medication... inhaled corticosteroids are brilliant... (i have no stock in any of the companies)... there is some systemic absorption but for the main part it works on the lung tissue to reduce re-modeling (ie scarring that occurs from chronic inflammation of the lungs!!!)... big plus for asthmatics... no medicine is benign but i have always felt advair or other inhaled steroids are SO much more benign then the results of years of poorly treated asthma.... you do not need to consider his mood swings as a side effect of this medication... best
h

My oldest son, 19.5 got asthma as soon as we moved hear from so. cal. The lifesaver for us was singulair. It worked like a charm- And as for the mood swings, just get ready cause here they come! 9 is right about the time the mood swings started with my son, and they gradually worsened. He is 19.5 now and has tappered off on the mood swings.(he still has tantrums, just less often!) I have a 7 year old who has asthma as well. We use the nebulizer alot! but hers is reactive to illness not allergies. Speak with your doc about a change. There are many, many options out there, not just the ones the on tv!

A.,
I have to agree with the mother who posted the remaks regarding singular, my children and my self take this medication. It helps keep our allergies under control as well as the asthma. Living in the valley you will always have some sort of allergies but if you get them under control the asthama will not be as bad, as far as the mood swings. Get ready they last until they are about 12 and then the rest of the mood swings and tween wonders will kick in. The Advair wont affect his mood, as much as I love my son, mood swings are just as bad for boys as they are for girls. It will get better..........Good luck

Go a completely different route and try an acupuncturist named Scott Sommer. Located in Orangevale at Madison and Main, he is a very caring healer who started out at UC Davis medical school and decided that Western medicine was lacking. He is very good at treating allergies with Chinese herbs and has saved infants and folks of all age of many allergies and ailments. ###-###-####. He has been the only one to find and treat a very serious thyroid problem. I would constantly get tested in the past for diabetes and thyroid problems only to be told nothing was wrong. Chinese medicine has a more narrow scope and he found my problem and for the first time in 30 years, I feel great and am slowly finding my optimum weight and health. He does have a reputation for treating allergies successfully and holistically. Give it a shot - it's worth it. He has free clinics every Thursday night at 7:00. Each Thursday he covers a different subject but afterwards he does complimentary testing to give you a preliminary diagnosis. I know he is a resident of Elk Grove but his office is off Hazel Ave (hwy 50) continue north after turning left off Hazel exit. Go several miles until you hit Madison. Turn right (east. Then a few more blocks you are at Main. It's called The Natural Life Center and it's on your left hand side so you have to make a U-turn at Main and then pull into the driveway in that small medical complex. Good luck.
T.

If you want to cut back on using the inhaler and he has allergies, you may want to consider allergy shot therapy. This has made a world of difference for my son. A year and a half ago when he was 11, my son could not walk the 6 blocks home from school during allergy season without needing a rescue inhaler daily. Once he'd had shot therapy for a year, he's only needed a rescue inhaler a couple of times...when he got a virus or sinus infection due to skipping his zyrtec.

Another year has gone by and I cannot remember the last time we picked up an Rx for an inhaler and sinus infections are down to zero unless he forgets to take the zyrtec or xylal. Allergy shot therapy is a major commitment and my son was not fond of the idea of having shots weekly, but now he thanks me for making him do it. I am now being treated as well and notice a difference...less congestion and wheezeiness from our dog and less itchy eye and sneezing from the pollen allergies.

I think your question is "does Advair cause early puberty or mood swings? I reviewed the entire package insert and found no mention to promoting early onset of puberty nor mood swings. You have given your son a widely used asthma medication which contains an inhaled corticosteroid, fluticasone proprionate. This is not an anabolic steroid. It is extremely safe and is inhaled into the lungs to reduce the inflammation. Asthma is a very serious disease and when left untreated can cause death and permanent lung function damage. Do not regret giving your child a very effective and widely used asthma medication. Advair is approved by the fda for children down to age 4.
Northern California has the highest pollen counts in the nation. The grasses are expected to be bad these coming months because of all the rain we have seen. Do not discontinue Advair because of your fear. See your doctor to get further reinforcement.
A gauge to determine how controlled your son's asthma is is if he is using his rescue albuterol more than 2 times in a week or if he is waking up to asthma symptoms more than 2 times in a month or if he is refilling his albuterol more than 2 times in a year. If he is than he needs more control, i.e. higher dose. If he has not for example used his albuterol in the past month or two while he is taking advair ask your doctor if your son can titrate to a lower dose.
Please talk to your doctor if you have regrets giving your son Advair. You should not at all and just need more information. I have seen and heard from people who took Advair and the incredible impact it had on their quality of life. They say if you want to know what it is like to be an asthmatic just breath through a straw for a couple of minutes. We take it for granted.
Good luck to you and your son.

Has the doctor said the steroids act like the steroids body builders use? My son is 2 and is on both the Albuteral inhaler and Qvar which I believe is similar to Advair. I was also concerned out the word steroid. The doctor assured me this does not affect his mood swings and will not cause his lungs to be weak on their own. I would assume the mood swings are due to him becoming a teenager. I would definitely talk to your doctor or get second opinions about your mood swing concerns.

A., I share your concerns @ the Asthma meds, but a maintanace inhaler or pill is a must for Asthma. It's a real condition & can't be managed by just using a "rescue" inhaler (in time this proves to be not a good idea). If you can determine the allergens or tiggers, it might reduce his reactions.
I've Asthma, & my children do as well. Mostly it is caused by animals, pollens, chemicals & this CA environment. My daughter uses Advair, & a rescue inhaler. I use Flovent & a rescue inhaler, & other specific meds to handle my allergic reactions. When my daughter was 3, I used a liquid (Alupent, I think). I didn't like the effects on the behavior (hyper), but it helped her breathe better on a daily basis.
I'd do research, but trust your doctor. My pedi (San Jose) is an allergist too. I think the American Lung Assoc offers classes for kids & families w/ Asthma. My daughter took classes @ her school (during school). Good Luck. J

A.,
My youngest child has had asthma since he was 4 months old.
He has been on and off steriods as needed. He now uses a nasal spray instead along with the alergy meds. He has not
developed early because of it. But I do find that he can be a lot moodier when he is taking steriods. He also went thru a rough patch when he was 9-10 years old with girls at school. He liked several that did not return the
feelings. He is now 13, and in 8th grade, and is just now starting to develop. I hope this helps you in some way.
W.

Hi A.,

I understand your concern with steroids and their side effects. My daughter also has asthma and has had more than her fair share of albuterol, prednisone, advair, singulair, etc.

Several years ago, another RN told me about mangosteen juice. I was very doubtful but decided to give it a try since her meds had so many side effects. within 3 days of drinking one to two oz a day, my then 14 year old was no longer using her albuterol inhaler at all. and she had been using it every day with dance team practice (exercise induced asthma). i could not believe it. she has been drinking the juice ever since and no longer uses any medications. :) if you want, you can read about other people who have had similar experiences at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/New-MangosteenStories/msear...

hope you find something to help your son. if you want to try the juice you can order a bottle at www.xango.com. (my ID # 162769896) it's not cheap but it's worth it. and if you like it, you can sign up to buy it wholesale which will be less expensive.

there are other brands out there too. you can find one at costco (cheaper but does not work as well) and also at whole foods.

good luck to you and your son,

G. M. RN

hi A.- I had to use Advair myself for a couple of yrs due to bad asthma and would highly recommend switching inhalers. I think I may have some long term health issues assoc to use. I am now on Qvar and like it much better. I have a son who will turn 9 next week - and I thank God often he has not inherited my asthma altho he was on steriods for awhile as a baby-- and just thought I would try to help. I found out that advair is not recommended for use longer than 6 mos and Dr at UCSF never mentioned that!! Have you tried allergy shots. i did them as a kid and they did help. Claritin helps my son alot. My son and I see Dr Helen Thomas at Thomas Chiropractic in Santa Rosa ###-###-####) for NAET allergy treatments and that has helped us both immensely. Best of luck.
take care,
L.

A.,
My seven year old daughter has allergy induced asthma what has worked for her is Zytrec (oral once a day), Flonase (nasal two sprays each nostral once a day), Flovent (inhaled once a day) and Albuteral as needed (maybe once a week). Thankfully we haven't had an er visit or major astma episode in over two years. The only side effect that we have seen is some pretty nasty body odor (which using reagular deoterent works fine for) while she is on all the meds. Maybe you should talk to your sons dr about using different meds as opposed to the steriods? Good luck
Amanda

I have a 7 yr old son who has had asthma since he was a baby as well. He had RSV which weakened his lungs and led to asthma. His asthma seems triggered by allergies and from your post, it seems that maybe your son's is as well. Once his pediatrician and I got his allergies under control, the asthma only needed to be treated with an albuterol inhaler very infrequently. He is taking Singulair on a daily basis as an asthma/allergy controller. Occasionally he uses a prescription nasal spray as well. Maybe you can talk to his doc about different types of allergy meds he can try. Good luck!

Singulair was that magic pill for my son who is now 7. He has had asthma since he was very young. We started him on the Singulair a little over 2 years ago. It has made a HUGE difference! He is able to use the Advair and Albuterol on and off through the cold/flu season and the spring everything is in bloom season. In fact, his usage of the Advair and Albuterol was probably cut in half.

Hi A.,
All three of our children including my husband and I suffer from allergies. Since we moved to East Contra Costa County, I can add allergy induce asthma to my list. Two of our children suffer from cold induced asthma and usually get the asthma symptoms just prior to the cold. My son uses Singular,with great results. We tried Advair but it gives both my son and me the cotton ball feeling stuck in our throat. We also supplement with homeopathic remedies, which normally can be taken with other medications and actually help promote healing in the body,these we also use with great results. If you choose that route, as always, check with your doctor first. Hope this is helpful!
Blessings,
T.

It seems like so many are going through the same situation. My daughter started with allergies and asthma as a baby as well. We had her on liquid steroids 2 times a day, albuterol in her nebulizer every 4 hours around the clock, the Advair, etc.
It was crazy. This went on for years. And got to the point that we even had a house built in Florida and were planning on moving there because she could breathe so much better in that climate than here.
While we were waiting for the house to be built, we put her on a protocol from a relief program for medically fragile children. To our surprise and great excitement she started breathing better and not needing the medication and enjoying life.
We ended up not moving since she was the only reason for doing so.
She has been completely medication free now for 3 years. She is strong and healthy. I just couldn't ask for more.