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This is not directed toward the mothers who wrote about their sons, but I suggest that people who don’t know about asthma learn more about it.

I was working in a school where 8-year-old twin boy and girl both had asthma, and went to grandma’s house most days after school. I asked them if she had room deodorizers and explained what they are, and they said “yes”, so I gave her a pamphlet from the American Lung Association about not using scented stuff in your house.

One teacher wore a lot of perfume every day that made me feel sick; my son doesn’t have asthma but I requested that he have a different teacher before he was assigned.

These give advice about what can trigger asthma-

http://www.acaai.org/allergist/news/New/Pages/childs-room-allergy-free-zone.aspx
http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/keep-pollution-out-of-your-home.html

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Liz Reply:
March 17th, 2012 at 12:20 pm

@Martha, Thank you!

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My son started struggling with asthma when he was about 2. thought he was sick all the time, but no fevers. after being told by 4 different dr’s at the same clinic (i was taking him in to the on call dr’s since i couldn’t get him in to his own) over a few mont period, one came to the conclusion that he had asthma. so we were precribed albuterol and pulmicort.
the key to any madicine being effictive is being told how to properly use the tools given. which i wasn’t. so we struggled for 2 more years with athma attacks until i switched dr’s. much needed! we got on the right tract, he’s now also prescribed singulair and otc zyrtec. but we rarely have to use albuterol and he’s so well controlled that we are (w/his dr’s orders) starting to take him off pulmicort (budisonide). peak flow meters are very helpful as well! it is hard, and scary! i’be been there! had panic attacks over it! be strong, and my best wishes to you!

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Liz Reply:
March 17th, 2012 at 12:35 pm

@Mary, Thank you. My fervent prayer is that he does grow out of it.

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You know what? Take back everything except my best wishes for you and your son. I can’t defend my actions in a public forum; your situation is obviously different, and I would delete the above post if I could.
Sorry.

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Liz Reply:
March 17th, 2012 at 12:32 pm

@julia, No worries. I completely understand. Thank you for the words of encouragement.

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Liz, I have been there and my heart goes out to you…I’ve watched my 8-month old boy fighting off nurses as they put in an IV to oxygenate his blood…My boy is 15 now and your Dr. probably has told you “It gets better” –some kids ‘outgrow’ the severe attacks as their breathing tubes get bigger.

Right now my son is on his 4th missed day of school this week. We just went to the Dr.’s yesterday and are going back today. The kid is usually OK but every cold, every virus turns into a respiratory infection, and then–Steroids. Inhalers. Antibiotics.

What I want to tell you is that there is a fine line you may walk as a Mom. The default setting is to medicate asthma aggressively; while I am ridiculously grateful for medicine that enables my son to breathe, I don’t want any more of it than is strictly necessary. And you may make Executive Decisions about if or when to reduce meds or decline them altogether.

Before any doctors start howling for my head: I’m not suggesting you ignore or undermine your doctor’s advice. I’m telling you from experience that while your dr. may see nothing wrong with keeping your son on a particular medication for (ever and ever), if you see improvement, and you know that your son’s not in the ‘asthma season’ (spring and fall for many in CA) then it is up to you to see if you can cut back on his meds.

It sounds like your son has pretty severe asthma, and pedi asthma is terrifying, so that may not happen for several years. But the possibility exists.

I feel like a heretic for writing that, and I expect to be chastised severely; but these medications are serious stuff.

Yesterday the NP told me she was going to prescribe an antibiotic, which the kid was just on in January. I told her I would rather not go that route. I know my kid’s lungs like a favorite prayer, and he wasn’t bad off enough for me to embrace that decision. (Yet. There’s always worse).

I would rather keep him home from school another week, and let him fight it off with other asthma medicines, than compromise his immune system further. That is a treatment decision that I feel OK about making, though it may change by the end of the day.

So I’m trying to tell you that, although the dr. has more knowledge of the medicines and treatments, you have more knowledge of your child. And you be a pesky mom–you make that dr. explain everything to you, and justify every medication. I just don’t want you to feel helpless, and ultimately when it comes to our kids’ illnesses, we are; but you can be a champion for your son.

Strength, Mom. Be well.

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