Cough Variant Asthma? Help

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Hello, I have never done this before, so I hope it helps. maybe if enough people can put their heads together, we can come up with something. I have a Bachelor's Degree of Health Sciences as well as a Licensed EMT in Nebraska in the US. I hope that is ok.

Here is some history:

I have an 11yr. old boy, (soon to be 12yr. in 3 wks.) He weighs 64 Ibs. He is small for his age, normal for my kids, but he is very active. Last May, he started to have a persistent dry cough as well as this weird rash on his chest, abdomen, and back. It does not spread anywhere else. It looks like a fungus. So, we were putting this antifungal cream on it, that just made it mad, the rash became dark bright red and then started to scale. When it scaled it had a white film over the red parts, this then became itchy to him, he scratched, and the white film was like "shedding" off of the red spots, kind of like picking off a scap. The spots are random, there is no cluster, no big patches. they are the size of 1/4 of a dime or smaller in random spots. He does have allergies as well. He had been on Zyrtec 10mg, 1 tab am, Advair HFA 2 puffs am/pm, and Singulair 5 mg. pm, Benadryl at pm before bed. During the span of a year in September of last year the Asthma Allergist had him on 6-7 meds, and he was way over medicated, so I took him to start over at the PCP. All medicines were stopped to basically start over and see what is working and what is not. I agreed, it was nice to have my son back and not a medicine head.

He has a Primary Care Physician as well as an Allergist Immunologist. These are not hives or eczema, my second thought was psoriasis, nope not that wasn't it either. We tried Elecon as well as Desowen, nothing worked. It wasn't staph either. They just look a little darker then his skin tone and like spots, he calls them his polka dots. The cough is a dry cough, and he could not breathe through nose for 7 months. He has been on Erythromycin, Amoxicillin, Z-Pack, and Cefinidir. One of these I cant remeber which one fixed the rash, it was a treatment for A-Typical Bacteria, which also fixed the cough temporarily. He has had a CMP, CBC, and a Pathology Lab, Chest X-Ray, and CT of sinues. All came back normal except the rhino cavity was clogged, so he was put on a new nose spray. Astelin Pro. Which helped him be able to breathe through his nose and helped reduce the drainage therefore reduce the cough. "Reduced" key word, he still has a cough! However, he had a huge relapse in the last month. He was diagnosed with Sinusitis and Bronchitis with an exacerbation of asthma. He is an asthmatic, however he has never had an exacerbation. He has Cough Variant Asthma, which can be disguised as acute bronichitis, d/t no wheezing during exacerbation. He was put on another round of Cefindir 5mL/250mL for 10 days and of course Albuterol 0.83% breathing Treatments as needed for attacks. Today is his last dose of the antibiotic. On Monday, March 24, 2014, he was not able to go 2 hours with out a breathing treatment. So, of course I had to go get him from school. He saw his Asthma & Allergist Immunologist that day, Dr. Rhazdan. She put him on 20mg of Prednisone for 3 days, 10mg of Prednisone for 3 days, and back on the Advair HFA. In May when I took him to be seen at this very same office the Physician Asst. there took him off that inhaler because they said that the FDA no longer manufactured it. So, they put him on the Advair 100/50 Diskus. I advised the PA that he rarely uses an albuterol inhaler/breathing treatment. That in a year span he will only need the albuterol inhaler/breathing treatment a handful of times, and when he does use the albuterol inhaler he uses an aerochamber to assist. Therefore he does not know how to breathe in and use the regular inhaler properly without the aerochamber, how will he be able to take the diskus medicine properly? When he was removed from the Advair HFA to the Diskus is when all this started. Honestly, my guess is that he wasnt able to breathe it in correctly and the powder has guncked up his lungs and bronchioles which is in turn causing inflammation as well as the spots from body's response to bacteria growing on the inside or molded powder.. which he is also allergic to mold, and this is what is causing everything. So, to end my pleading for help, I took him back to Dr. Rhazdan on Monday, and she said that the Advair HFA was not taken off the manufacturer list, and put him back on it as well as some of his other medicines. So, now he on the Prednisone described dosage above, as well as the Zyrtec 10mg, Advair HFA used with aerochamber, Singulair 5mg. He finishes antibiotic today, and he still sounds like crap. I dont know what to do. I guess my next step is to get a referral to a Pulmonologist and a Dermatologist. ?? Suggestions?? Advise??

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    Have every sympathy for your boy. Do you really think the big phama is the correct route for him ? Have you checked your home and contents? If as you say he cant breathe in properly, how is he "active" ? Why do you have such a dependency on drugs? Have you researched NATURAL remedies ? I suggest you do this instead of giving the poor child more drugs. Google Salt Pipe, this has really improved breathing in my case.
  • Posted

    Hi Jay,

    I dont understand what you mean by phama? I do not like him on all the meds. What is a Salt Pipe? Guess I will need to do some research. I have gone through his room, etc. and there is nothing in the room that he is allergic to, or triggering his asthma. I am totally dumbfounded on what is going on. I will be researching some natural remedies as well. Seems like they just want to throw meds at him. However, I know they do have his best interest at heart.

  • Posted

    Hello. Big Pharma is the name used by all of us natural medicine fans ! My dear friends twins grandkids have at 4 years old developed wheezing, blocked noses and rashes. So far, the ionic air contraption is helping. I have asthma, use symbicort and atrovent to control it but wintertime I was wheezing as usual.
  • Posted

    OOPS ! continue. Noticed a FB ad for "breath easy" as it was a reasonable price I asked a UK friend to buy one. After two weeks use I couldnt believe the difference. It is available in USA and it comes from Hungary. Lasts 5 years and has salt crystals formed in the Middle Miocene. Use it most days, have been able to lower my drug dosage after 2 months .. ... I have bought a spare as its ceramic and I am clumsy - -

    Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the link as we do not post links to selling sites, please use the message facility if you want to exchange links such as these.

  • Posted

    Hello valeriesmiles... sounds like your poor son has been getting bombarded with so many full on med's, so sad. I agree wholeheartedly with Jay in regard to investigating natural remedies, however I would be doing that once you know what it is your son has?

    My background - I was injured at work from a toxic chemical exposure and it took me seeing 6 different doctors (of all who misdiagnosed me as having asthma) - until finally I saw a Respiratory Specialist and was diagnosed as having RADS (Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome) it mimics asthma but it does NOT respond to traditional asthma med's and in fact they make my breathing worse. I have built a website offering support and information for people who have RADS and some things maybe of interest to you in regard to natural things to try. http://breathingissues.weebly.com/

    *if I did not persist and keep moving doctors, I would still be getting bounced around - and still be given ventalin and every other asthma med thrown at me - be proactive and vigilant!*

    You may also find some useful information from reading up on RAD (Reactive Airways Disease)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_airway_disease and I think there maybe some youtube videos about that in regard to children.

    After trialing so many med's I personally found great success going down the natural path for my RADS. Also, going away on a regular basis to the lush forest to inhale clean fresh air was also great for my lungs not to mention a few days down near the ocean too. I personally find salt is ok - I purchased a Salin Plus machine but I get more benefit from clean fresh air... and the salt for me is just a bonus :-) Maybe for your son the salt could be of great benefit considering his cough? I would be checking with a Naturopath.

    Anyhow ... I agree with you re: ... head off to see a Pulmonologist / Respiratory Specialist - and hope they can identify what is going on....and maybe also see a Naturopath.... then you can compare and work out the next step for your son.

    I wish you all the best and hope he gets well soon

  • Posted

    Hello, Sorry to hear whats going on.  I have had alot of help with using baking soda!!        (  Not Baking Powder)

    A lot of help. When he takes a shower - you changed the soap you were using on him?  When he takes a shower get the soap and a tablespoon of arm & hammer baking soda and rub them both in your hands then rub it all over the rash do it again to the other parts and wash off. Don't leave it on to long because sometimes it can sting. My husband had something like that they gave him the pills that they give to woman when they have a yeast infection 3 times a day I can't remember the name for them. Sorry.  But the baking soda help in 2 days. Best of luck to you my friend.

     

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