Child with Respiratory Needs Mom's Advice, Please

I strongly urge you to take her to see a pulmonologist (lung specialist). She sounds exactly like my (almost) 7 year old daughter. She has had diagnosed asthma since she was about 4 months old. It used to be REALLY bad when she was younger, but it seems to have eased up a bit as she has aged, though it is not gone by any means. From about 3 months until around 5 years of age, she was on so many meds it was sad really. She was on twice daily inhaled (nebulizer until she was around 5, then MDI) steroids...every day, sick or not. She also took Sinulair daily from the time she could chew her own food until about age 5. At one point, she was on an anti-acid med becuase acid reflux was contributing to her asthma exaserbations. Add to this the inhaled Xopenex used every 4 hours around the clock and the oral steroids she had to take when she did get sick, usually 4-5 times per year! A little cold to a "normal" kid is like a hosptial sentence for us. Thankfully, she has been unmedicated (except for the Xopenex when she has a flair up) for nearly 2 years now! Please take her to see a specialist so they can get her condition under control and ease her little body from working so hard.

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First of all on an x-ray asthma looks just like pneomonia (learned that from my pulminologist). Why hasn't your doctor put her on a nebulizer yet? If it's true wheezing then she's not getting enough air and her chest is tight and without the proper medication at home she can have a severe asthma attack. I don't want to scare you but it can happen. You need to talk to your pediatrician about getting her on the nebulizer and getting her on either xopenex or albuterol every four hours and pulmicort if needed at night. And always remember a cold always gets worse at night.

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At this point it should be evident to your daughter's doctor that she has a compromised respiratory system. The last thing they should think is that you are crazy.

I agree with the other mothers in what they have said. In addition to the allergist, you should find a pulmonologist so that you can devise a plan to help your daughter get through the winter. I really think that some specialized testing is in order. If you are able to do that at this point, maybe it could help her "grow out of it" with proper treatment.

Good luck,
D.

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I would ask for her to be seen by an allergenist. The reason I say this is because my son is allergic to eggs and has reactive airway(they thought it was pneumonia at 1st)

it sounds like she has evironmental allergies that turn into broncitis and then pnemonia so if you can get her on allergy meds before the season starts that might head it off. IF SHE HAS ALLERGIES. I would call for a referall today if your insurance requires one if not ask around in your area for the best and take her.

Good luck.

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I would not give her any over-the-counter medications. These may just make her respirator distress worse. It sounds like she has a chronic respiratory issue like athesma. If she is in distress you should take her to the emergency room.
I am wondering if any of these doctors have placed an oxygen saturation monitor on her.
It is a device that measures the level of oxygen saturation using a laser. It's placed on the finger or toe with a plastic clip or bandage. Her reading should be 90% or above or she needs intervention.
These are commonly used in emergency rooms. It's short name is "O2 Sat"

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I think you might need a new doctor or a specialist. This sounds very undiagnosed to me. Just my opinion. Good luck to you--and her!

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If her lungs are really congested, you can lay her across your lap, cup your hand and "pound" on her back to help break it up a bit. My parents used to do this for my asthma.

My colds go straight to my lungs too and suck, so I know what she is going through...sorry.

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I encourage you to consider having your daughter try the supplements that my kiddos, husband and I take. My son will be three in December, and he suffered with allergies which led to breathing trouble. He was always getting sick and it would last for weeks... We started him on these supplements in the spring, and the improvement has been dramatic. I know of many people whose children no longer have to use nebulizers, etc, because the supplement has helped so much. Please let me know if you'd like more info. It is worth a try for sure! Good luck to you.

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A change in diet can clear it all. Avoid dairy, baking goods, sugar and all mucus forming foods. Sticks to vegetables, vegetable juices, fruits, nuts and seeds, most raw without adding anything or processing. Give her only real eggs, meat and fish. Not processed, no bread crumbs or other spices and chemicals. Feed her only real mostly raw food. If it comes in a box, it has stuff that is bad for her.

Another thing to consider is that your heating system may be contributing to her breathing problems. If the problems start in winter and are worse at night, that's when the heater is running. There can be some nasty stuff blowing through those ducts: dirt, dust, mold, construction debris, dead bugs ...

I'm sorry you are going through this. I can relate as I have had to take my son to Childrens Hospital 4 times over the last 2.5 years for the same exact thing. It's very stressful seeing and hearing your little babe struggling to breathe. My son's colds always end up in his lungs too.

We started working with a homeopath and since then he's had three "episodes" where we would have used the inhalers and possibly ended up back at the hospital but he fully recovered in about 24-48 hours with NO meds other than the remedy. We have seen some pretty amazing results and I highly recommend this form of treatment for your dd. I'm sure there are some excellent homeopaths in Eugene.

Other things we do to PREVENT illness and subsequent respiratory distress are:
1. Limit dairy intake (only have cheese rarely) and completely eliminate it as soon as a cold starts. Dairy creates mucous.
2. Take vitamin D, fish oil (helps with inflammation), probiotic, and a multi-vitamin daily
3. Take an herbal immune support supplement when cold starts (got it from the homeopath)
4. Nasal swabbing. Dip a q-tip into salt/baking soda/water solution and rub the inside of the nostrils. Or use a neti pot if your kiddo can do it (sounds like she's too young yet). This helps prevent germs from settling into the mucous membranes.
5. Salt water gargling or sipping hot tea (again, prevents germs from settling into throat).

I'm not sure if I exactly answered your question, but I hope this helps!

I agree with the people suggesting you take her to see a specialist.

In addition to any standard biomedical treatment you are seeking for her, as an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist who has treated people with similar symptoms, I would recommend Chinese medicine to help strengthen her immune system and her lungs and prevent further episodes.

I highly recommend Sariantra Kali, LAc in Eugene.

If you have any questions about Chinese medicine, please feel free to message me :)