HELP!! RSV And Now the Croup

H. I can imagine what you are going through, so I will sincerly pray for you and your family. About a year ago my grandson was diagnois with RSV. How about my son and daughter in- law spending 27 days in the hospital in Houston at the childrens's hospital due to this. He is on breathing treatments now at the age of 17 months. Is there anyone here to help you with your 3 year old daughter? Grandparents? I will pray that God open a door for you and don't you forget to do the same regardless what things may look like, you will make it!

My son (now an adult) had the same problems all of his life. After weekly doctor’s visits and hospital stays, a doctor finally had him tested for allergies. He was allergic to animals (we had to get rid of them), and everything else under the sun. He needed weekly shots (which helped some) and was put on medication for asthma. The climate we lived in did not help much either. The change of seasons played a big part of when he would be sick (winter, spring, and fall) summer was his best time. We now live in Florida and he still has asthma but is much better. I think you should ask to have him tested and maybe switch doctors if this doctor is just pumping him full of medication. You need to find the cause of his illness. If your kids have croup a way to break it up is to run the shower on the hottest setting and when the bathroom is full of steam just sit with them and let them breath in the steam. This breaks up the congestion.
God Bless,
S.

My daughter had croup when she was 11 months old. I work and go to school full time, so I understand your pain. We used a cool mist humidifier all day in the house and in her room at night. It was so sad, she sounded like a barking seal and then she scared herself by how she sounded. I used Motrin for pain. Did they give you an oral steroid? Our pediatrician gave my daughter an oral steroid that helped with the cough. It was rough but it really didn't last that long. She only missed about 2 days of day care (plus the weekend at home). So I guess 5 days total and then she was able to go back to day care. She still didn't sound that great but she was no longer contagious and was tired of being at home with me all day.

Bless your heart! I am a sahm now, but I worked when my ds was little, until he was 18 months old. I can remember using up all of my sick leave in 1 month! And no, bosses are not usually supportive. I eventually came home after my ds became very ill and required almost full time care for a time.

Now I have a baby dd. Your RSV caught my attention. My baby dd receives a vaccination each month to prevent RSV. I am not big on vacs, but she was preemie with lung problems so I am paranoid about RSV. The shot is called Synegis and it may be something you want to look into.

I understand your flustration. It sounds like your baby is picking these viruses up from day care. The croup is a mild virus and he will get over it. Use a vaporizer in the childrens bedrooms while they are sleeping. It will help with the croup and the bronchitis. Bronchitis takes a while to get over.

You might want to check your daycares policy on how they clean things. Mine uses clorox wipes to disenfect the toys on a daily basis.

My daughter is 11 years old now, but from the time she was 6 months old until she was a little over 1 she had all sorts of problems from ear infections to colds, had trouble with pink eye from birth up until this time, something they did when she was born they said. Then came RSV her pediatrician/family doctor tried everything but nothing seemed to keep something else from coming on her. So one day he said I have had enough we have got to get this baby well and he told me to go home get anything that she needed from walker, to clothes to toys and be back at the hospital. He checked her in and said she will not come out until she is fully over everything. We spent only 3 days in isolation (because of RSV), seemed life 3 weeks. She had daily breathing treatments and slept under a tent at night but honestly this is the best thing that was ever done. It cleared her up completely and very rarely now does she get a cold. I know if you work this could be hard to do but trust me I would not change a thing due to the lack of her being sick so much. She was in day care and when she started school it was like she was immune to a lot of the stuff that went around and she did not catch it. Hope this helps.

my neighbor is also going through something similar with her two young boys. the only advice I can offer is to dissinfect the whole house even your car. and if you have a neighbor or friend to watch your daughter so she is away from it somewhat it might make it easier to get her over hers. plus possibly think about children/infant vitamins. not saying it would get rid of it or anything but will help to boost their immune system for faster results and future outbreaks.

Hi H.,
I am sorry to hear that your family is going through so much. I don't know how you are able to go to work at all right now, it's so hard when the kids feel horrible and just want to be with their mom. The one thing that has been helpful for us is finding a way to build the kids immune system as much as we can. I have two boys, 8 and 4. This past year my four year old started into all that ear ache stuff and we really had to increase his nutrition. We also got an air purifier for his room. My eight year old was much more consistent on nutritional product and has had one dr. visit in eight years. We think that is pretty good! I work with some patented nutrition called Reliv and i give it to my kids everyday. It is in the form of a chocolate shake, so it couldn't be easier. I would love to introduce you to some of my friends who went through what you are right now. One was able to avoid having tubes put in their child's ears by using the Reliv. It's not magic or meant to be. It just gives them a chance to fight their own battles (and win :). very sincerely, L. S.

Just FYI, if your kids go to daycare then this is totally normal, especially this time of year. My son went to daycare for a year and was sick the entire year. He alwasys had a runny nose or something. My husband and I made the decision for me to stay home because it was so bad. I know that's not a choice for everyone and we for sure don't do as many things as we did when we had my income too. Just keep taking good care of them, give your 3 year old a multi vitamin and they will get over the severe symptoms! Good Luck!

If my grandmother was still alive she would tell you to give the child GroundHog Grease. AIN'T NO WAY! But my youngest son had RSV and on occasions still has problems breathing. He was kept in the hospital for several days with RSV. When the doctor released him he advised me to run his cool mist ventilator all the time. I also want to suggest a old recipe that actually helps him and myself (asthma). Take on onion cut it up … not too small of pieces, just cut it up… put about ½ cup of sugar put both in a pan to place in the oven on 350 until it liquefies. When it liquefies place it in a jar in the fridge. You can take this once a day… preferable early that morning… it opens up the passages and helps with the mucus on the chest. I use it and it really helps. It is up to you, it is only a suggestion. But I wish you the best of luck! I understand how hard it is when you have a child grasping for air. My prayers are with you and you family.

As for the kids, especialy your son, perhaps they would benefit from seeing an ENT. S/he might be able to offer some help that a GP can't.

As for you, it sounds like you're physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted more than anything. Is there a family member or friend who could come keep an eye on the kids long enough for you to rest, even if only to nap for a couple of hours?

A lot of dr's are not very proactive with illness - this is because we all hate to just give out medicine when it is not needed.

Demand attention - ask for solutions - request the referral of an ENT and get your children well so that you can function!

I have learned the hard way that I have to ask for medication for my children and ask for referrals. They just aren't handed out easily. You know your kids and know that you aren't just looking for pity. Take matters into your own hands - you are allowed to ask for assistance of drugs and specialists. Do it!

H., don't worry. RSV is treatable and does take awhile to get over. I had to hold my son up on a pillow until my arm hurt in order to help him breathe at two months. I ran humidifiers and sometimes went into the bathroom and let the steam clear his nose. It is exhausting, but RSV is serious and can take a turn for the worse which would be hospitalization. Watch him closely and remember "this too shall pass." Look for support from family members to help when your tired and need to work. They are only little once and they will always need their mommy when sick. My son has allergies and now takes shots which I feel has been a result from the RSV so young. Sleep when he sleeps and hopefully you can work around the illness. God Bless.

Do you have a vaporizer? That would probably help. Also is you don't have one or cannot afford one-try Vick's vapor rub for children. You could put it on the baby's chest and put a t-shirt on over it. It is stinky and kind of messy, but it really works!

My sons were sick over the holidays too. They kept telling me it was allergies. My youngest who is 3 got better on Zyrtec but my 5 yr old did not. Finally took him back and demanded a chest x-ray that they did not think was needed. Turns out he had pneuomnia. Got on some meds and is 100% now. Even though his lungs sounded fine he still had it. I heard of alot of people having walking pneuomnia this year. Hope this helps.

Ok, before you say "that's nuts" believe me when I say that I said that when I first heard this too. At bedtime put vicks vaporub on the bottoms of the kids feet and then put either footed pjs or socks on their feet. For some completely bizarre reason, this calms the cough so they can sleep. I know it sounds completely insane but I tried it with my son when he had a cough that kept him up all night and it really did work. That will at least help everyone get some much needed sleep. As for the cough not going away just keep after the doctor about it not going away and maybe he/she will do something more. Both of my kids are asthmatic so anytime they get a cough I request meds for the portable nebulizer and that will break it up fast.

Hi H.,
I just wanted to tell you I kind of know where you are coming from too. I too work full time outside of the house and my kids go to daycare. I have 2 girls-ages 3 and 2 now. They were BOTH really sick all the time it seemed. My husband and I both had to miss a lot of work and we spent so much money on doctor's visits, medicine, etc. Financially, it really hurt us. First, you lose out on your work pay, then you have to still pay daycare and doctor's and medicine. It is really not fun!!! Luckily, both of our jobs were pretty understanding (there were acouple of things said). My new boss is super and very understanding.

I don't really have a lot of advice, but just to tell you to hang in there. It really does get better-although there still will be little phases. (My girls were both out recently a whole week-one had strep throat, the other had pink eye) I am sure daycare does cause part of the problem, but we don't have another choice right now and you can't shelter your kids forever. (many kids who don't go to daycare go through something similiar when starting school).

Good luck to you and like another said-try to take a break from it all. If you have someone to help, take it!!

J.

RSV and croup are both viral. Go to a good "whole" foods grocery store and buy some Sambucol for kids. It was developed by an Israeli virologist and can help a lot. You can also try colloidal silver. It is also highly antiviral.

For a nasty cough you can try RC, a therapeutic essential oil blend by Young Living. You'll have to find a distributer near you to get it, but it works great on many types of coughs. I put it in a humidifier. You can also put a drop or 2 in your hands and have him breathe deeply for a few minutes.

I'm sure the MD told you about running a HOT shower to steam up the bathroom and breathing it for about 15 minutes, followed by breathing cold air, either from the freezer, or outside if it's cold enough. He needs to be able to see his breath. It sounds weird, but it works very well.

H.,
I am so sorry for your problems. I had my own crying spell lastnight but for completely different reasons.
I have a friend who when through the RSV things. He was born premature and as I hear it, that will affect the lungs of a premature for years to come (if this is the same thing but I think it is).
It sounds like you are stressed and probably carrying the kids back and forth to day care every morning and it being cold, their immune system sounds like it has been compromised. Why don't you see if you can take vacation or about a week and a half of non paid just to take care of them, give them time to heal without being woke up and out the door in the cold. I think that if you could swing it financially that it would do you good and give them time to get well so they won't get sick again. It sounds like they aren't having time to get completely well.
Good luck and calm down. It will get better.

My son had rsv at 2 months old. We were sent home with a nebulizer . He received treatments every 2 hrs around the clock. That is pretty much all i can say is good luck! The croup my son gets often at least once a year. They give him orapred which is taken at this moment.

Cool humidifer will help him sleep and keep temp down to 70 in your home. And try and hit him on the back a little harder than what you would for burping. It helps loosen up all that mucus so he can couph it up.

Hi H.,
My granddaughter had multiple ear infections when she was younger (she is now 6), and had RSV once also. She has a lot of respiratory infections still, but when she was 3 or 4 she had tubes put in her ears, and it made all the difference in the world. She would still get sick again, but she did not get ear infections such as you have described. She needs Albuterol treatments for her lungs sometimes when she gets sick now. I believe she inherited her Mom's allergies. It would help if her Mom cleaned more, as their floors and rugs are not vacuumed frequently, and as a result, her Mom has bouts of asthma, and my granddaughter gets sick often (dust mites are a major allergen for those who have asthma). I've always believed strongly in natural ways of building immunity. So I suggest low doses of Vitamin C on a regular basis, sunshine, and yogurt. I would check with your Doctor about ways to stimulate their immune systems. I know you are really busy, with two children and full time work. Really work at keeping your house clean. That doesn't necessarily mean antibacterials. Use soap and water, vacuum and wash those little hands. If they are in daycare, they are going to get exposed a lot.

A little about me. I have been an RN since 1987. I raised 4 children on a tiny budget. I'm currently a baby nurse in a hospital, and regularly teach infant care after delivery.

I don't know if this sent 1st time, because I had to re-log in. My apologies if repeat.
Our 7 yr old son was very susceptible to sinus-related illnesses, including earaches when he was 3-5.
Antibiotics are good, but are over-used and will lose their effectiveness, especially since docs start our little ones on them so early and often.
We also found that our son would get sick after visiting my sister, who smoked in her house. So, we restricted our visits when we could be outside in backyard and quit letting him spend the night there.
Also, we started making yogurt (Dannon vanilla & strawberry was his favorite) a part of daily diet as well as REAL fruit juices, and mega amounts when getting sick. Also, since milk makes the body produce more mucus, we cut that out at the 1st sign of sinus type illnesses (sniffles, sore throat, ear ache, cough). We would give a couple of days with this regiment and alternate tylenol & ibuprofen if had any fever. Most of the time, we never had to go to doctor for treatment as the symptoms would disappear. When we did have to go to doc, treatments seemed to produce quicker and better results. And, best of all we weren't polluting his body with antibiotics, which actually work against our bodies producing it's own immunizing capabilities.
Hope this helps and your family is back to good health soon.
Caringly,
Texla

i have no idea what to do about the RSV and croup but i know a remedy 4 the cough:)ok this sounds really weired(excuse the sp)but it works.So u put Vicks on her feet and then put socks on right b4 bed the cough goes away i between 5 & 10 min.

Put Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottom of their feet and then cotton socks when they go to bed. God Bless you! We hope this works for you!

I was having the same things go on with my now 22 month old when he was 7 months we was going back and forth to the doc a few times a week cause he wasnt getting any better. He was born 6 weeks early and every time i took him in they would just say its cause he was born early and he always had a cold to them well i got sick of hearing it was a cold and one day i took him to the doc and they told me the same thing so that night i waited till the doc office closed for the day and took him to vandy and then and there found out he had rsv and the docs there told me if i hadnt brought him in that night then it was possible i would of been barrying my son in the next few days.. He had 6 ear infection in less then 2 months so we did the tubs in his ears and he still gets them but not as much as he did. Some kids they work good on but him they havent done much for. But when they done the tubs they looked down and his air way and cyst on them so they had to burn them out 6 times. The docs kept sayin he had croup too till the ent found the cyct so take the baby to a ent and see what they say. Your baby could have the same thing since ethan had his fixed he's not been sick much at all besides a runny noes hear and there

H., take your baby to an ENT (ears,nose and throat) specialist. Also, do you have a humidifier? it will help with the coughing. Moist air helps with the croup. Did the doctor give you anything to help with the cough? If not, go to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for Delsym cough medicine for children. It is a cough suppressant and will quieten the cough so your baby can sleep. The baby also needs lots of clear liquids. I hope I helped you some...L.

Well, I don't really have any advice with the work thing. I'm a SAHM, and we're definitely suffering financially because of it, so I'm not the one to give advice on work or money while being a mom. I do, however, have 4 children, and I wanted to give you a little hope. My oldest son, who is about 6 now, was my sickest little one. He too had RSV and croup one right after the other, plus Roseola (on his 1st birthday that we had to cancel his party for) right after the croup. Plus several stomach bugs in the first year. It seemed like he was ALWAYS sick with something when he was a baby. But, somewhere between 12mths and 15mths he just stopped being sick...EVER. He's my healthiest child, and when something goes around my house and goes through the WHOLE family, it almost never hits him. So, there IS hope. Just because he's sick all of the time doesn't mean he's going to be a sickly child. This might not have even entered your mind, but it certainly entered mine. My almost 3yr old has seasonal asthma and always spends the fall & winter seasons attached to a nebulizer. So, I can understand the frustration. I've had 2 winters since having kids that I didn't leave the house the WHOLE entire winter season because the kids (sometimes me included) were always sick. I don't have a full time job, but I have a volunteer leadership roll at church that requires me to be there every Sunday and Wed, and when it gets like that, it gets extremely frustrating. So, I can't imagine going through that with a full time job. Just do what you can do and beg for help from friends and family with what you can't. Good Luck with everything, and I really hope your kids and your whole family get well and stay well.

It is really going around right now! My boys have both had the croup, too. We all started out with a cold at Thanksgiving and it seems to come and go and then come again in a different form! Spring can't get here soon enough! I asked my doctor about doing breathing treatments on them, but was told this isn't necessary or helpful unless it is in their lungs. Croup is in young children what laryngitis is in older people and it is in the throat/voice box. So, antibiotics for the throat infection and we got a prescription for Prednisone (a steroid) to reduce the swelling...seemed to help the symptoms but BEWARE - it makes the child's behavior horrible because it is just like getting a shot of adrenaline! I've heard that taking them outside into the very cold air is also helpful if their coughing gets bad. Couldn't hurt anyway. Good luck, and hang in there! It's tough dealing with constantly sick kids.