posted
So 2 weeks into school and my son is sick already!
He said many kids are absent or went to see the nurse and then went home last week. I called to find out if anything was going around but got the brush off. The nurse wasn't in so I will have to try again Tuesday.
He started with what seemed like a flare in allergies. Then a sore throat. Then the head congestion and drainage. Now it's starting into a cough. When he gets sick he gets a croup cough. Then it gets worse and he has troubles breathing.
He gets several upper respiratory illnesses each year. This seems like one of those. He was diagnosed with asthma years ago. But his isn't atypical. He usually only has problems when sick or in humid hot weather. So I think its the lyme or mycoplasma and not asthma.
Anyone ever heard of this? "Reactive airway disease. This is actually not considered a form of asthma, but it looks and acts similarly to asthma. In this type, the child has asthma attacks only during colds. The lungs are hypersensitive to cold viruses, causing the airways to constrict. The child is generally well in between colds."
I found it online. It sounds like what he might have.
Anyways, I just wondered if anyone else gets this when they get sick? Croup cough and airways swell so you can't breath well.
I guess we will be at the doctor's after the holiday. He hasn't seen his pediatrican since being diagnosed so I am not looking forward to it. I really don't like him and was trying to find a new one.
Oh and I noticed the symptoms for H1N1 (swine flue) are similar. Actually an 18 year old from my area just died from it and she just thought she had a cold. So that is also freaking me out!!
Does anyone know if you HAVE to get a fever with H1N1? Because he doesn't have a fever.
Thanks! Amy
-------------------- My lyme disease blog: http://lymetimes3.blogspot.com/ One BIG Lyme family! I tested CDC + 10/08 My mom Igenex + 11/08 & My brother Igenex + 4/09, My 2 boys some + & IND bands, clinical diagnosis 3/09 (youngest has Aspergers too) Posts: 470 | From Painesville, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2009
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Pinelady
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posted
If I can find it I will send you the literature on this in children. I have read for some this is the predominate symptom.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Both of my children have reactive airway disease. We have a nebulizer and give albuteral or zopenex (sp?) at the start of an upper respiratory infection. An allergist diagnosed them with this. Neither have symptoms except when they have a upper respiratory infection.
I had read early in the summer that some people are not getting a fever with h1n1.
Both of my children are recovering from what started as a mild fever, sore throat, runny nose, headache, cough. My son said that his arms and legs felt really achy. My daughter said that she felt really sore.
Was this h1n1? I hope so because for them as it was mild/moderate illness and now they are done with it. But I guess I will not know.
Hope your son feels better soon Amy.
-------------------- I found my original identity! It has been a bit over 12 years...can't blame me for forgetting my password, right?!!
Member red (Member # 1886) Registered: 26 November, 2001 70 posts Posts: 164 | From NJ | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
WOW - this was a timely post - I was wondering the same thing about my 5 year old son!
He developed what they called cough variant asthma that only gave him trouble when he had a sinus infection or URI (which was very, very often in the winter). During healthy times of the year he has no problems with asthma.
We also have the pulmicort inhaler and xopenex as a back up.
I have wondered about this for the last 2.5 years. It just seemed odd. He was chronically sinus infected and had lots of URI's. When the allergist diagnosed him with asthma I was surprised. No one in the family has asthma and it was not a "normal" asthma.
His chronic illness in addition to my + Lyme diagnosis led me to have him tested and sure enough he came up + too.
Pinelady - I would really really love to have the info you remember about this being a sign of Lyme in children. We are meeting with his allergist, who has consented to work with my Lyme doc to treat him locally. Any info would really be appreciated.
Guess I'll have to be on the lookout for h1n1 - if any of us will have trouble with it, it will be him for sure.
Thanks for this post - really nice to hear that others have similar issues with their kids - I didn't want to attribute everything to Lyme, but I have been wondering about this - so good to hear.
Aimee
Posts: 239 | From Virginia | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
My 7 year old has been diagnosed with reactive airway disease and I have cough variant asthma.
Same thing with both only when we have a cold does it escalate. It was about 15 years ago when I had my diagnosis.
I had a cough that wouldn't go away and a dr. at the time that didn't believe in asthma!? Needless to say I switched drs and saw a pulmunologist
He put me on Advair for 2 weeks and I was fine. I have had a few issues over the years but it always cleared with a few weeks of Advair.
My son was put on daily Pulmicort when he was around 3. Then Xopenex as needed, like when he had a cold. After about 2 years and no more ER visits we took him off the pulmicort and he has been doing fine since.
I give him the pulmicort now if he starts a particularly bad cold, but otherwise the xopenex seems to keep it all at bay.
I never thought about the lyme connection. As someone who has always been lyme-tick consious, never even thought to connect the 2.
I would like to see the literature as well about it being predominant symptom in children.
I have never tested my kids through IGENEX because they never had more than one symptom and really, any symptom could mean anything. I wonder now...
Posts: 193 | From New Jersey | Registered: Oct 2008
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Starfall1969
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posted
Wow! I just called my husband in to look at your post. This is EXACTLY what my older son goes through, to a T!
We just had a horrible round of it with him and he was put on a nebulizer for the first time.
Like your son, the only time he gets these attacks is when he is sick--which happens WAY too often!
He just sees a regular doctor, not a pediatrician, so she can be a bit clueless with kids at times, but otherwise I really like her.
I've been thinking of either switrching docs or at least trying for a referral to an asthma specilaist. I'll be watching your post!
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
I started to get this a few years back and I'm in my 30's. For me, it is turning out to be babs related.
My kids get this from time to time. It seems worse if they get sick in the fall once the leaves are coming down.
Posts: 581 | From CT | Registered: May 2008
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posted
Anyone have a child who had this and Lyme and had it clear once the Lyme was treated? I am highly suspicious of a connection between the two as the onset of the asthma and chronic illness coincides with when I believe he was bitten.
Thoughts?
Posts: 239 | From Virginia | Registered: Jun 2009
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glm1111
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Member # 16556
posted
I had severe upper respitory asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis for 40 yrs. When I started antiparasitic tx with herbs and salt/c my symptoms went away.
Parasites and worms play a MAJOR part in Lyme disease. Lung worms have been found in CFS pts. PLEASE don't ignore this,
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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Pinelady
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Since these polymers (plastic, chitin, cellulosis) are pleo-vectors for multiple pathogens, some have been tested but not everybody have been proven with some of these viral, mycotical and bacterial or opportunistic involved pathogens, but most concerned have been infected with "Borrelia burgdorferi" (Lyme).
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
WOW! I am surprised to see that so many people have the same problem.
I often wonder if he has Babesia? His test was negative but he does have some symptoms. Maybe I will talk to the LLMD about this. We go for an appt the end of this month.
My pediatrician gave me a script for a nebulizer (spelling?) but I never got it because I thought the meds were steriods.
I better look into that cause I think it will be a long winter!
Jeanne, do you know how I can find a nurse practioner or one does both natural and regular meds. I can't remember the name of those types of doctors? My old LLMD was one.
-------------------- My lyme disease blog: http://lymetimes3.blogspot.com/ One BIG Lyme family! I tested CDC + 10/08 My mom Igenex + 11/08 & My brother Igenex + 4/09, My 2 boys some + & IND bands, clinical diagnosis 3/09 (youngest has Aspergers too) Posts: 470 | From Painesville, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2009
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Carol in PA
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posted
Amy, I got bronchitis every year, as a child, and then as an adult.
When I found out that I had a positive test for Lyme, I began taking Cat's Claw, for the immune system. I haven't had bronchitis at all, for the last five years!
Low magnesium can make the asthma worse. You can google for info about this.
A salt inhaler/pipe will help asthma also. You breathe in air that passes over salt crystals, they pick up salt ions, and this kills bacteria in the lungs and reduces inflammation.
Carol
Posts: 6947 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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Do you know if you can get magesium or Cat's Claw in liquid form? The pills I have might be too big for him to swallow. Well maybe not the Cat's Claw? But the magnesium is very big!
-------------------- My lyme disease blog: http://lymetimes3.blogspot.com/ One BIG Lyme family! I tested CDC + 10/08 My mom Igenex + 11/08 & My brother Igenex + 4/09, My 2 boys some + & IND bands, clinical diagnosis 3/09 (youngest has Aspergers too) Posts: 470 | From Painesville, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2009
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Pinelady
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posted
Amy C I can, if you can't. But health food stores carry it. I get the liquid MAG. Dosage wise for a child I would ask LLMD first. I would be very cautious on the CC and Mag for a child. I might tend to go with more of a B complex sublingual.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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Carol in PA
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posted
My son is 8 and has had this for the past couple of years.
Last winter was horrible. He had four or five of these "chest colds". He'd maybe start with a stuffy nose or something along those lines and then suddenly he'd have this horrible, shallow, wheezy breathing. I even brought him into the emergency room once because it was so bad. It usually lasts a day or two, decreasing in severity after it peaks.
I've had him tested for lyme at the pediatricians but not for coinfections.
He's also had night sweats off and on for a year or two and complains of his feet/legs aching occasionally. I attributed these aches to growing pains and was told that some kids are simply sweatier than others.
This is sounding quite babs-like, isn't it?
I'm so worried about him having these episodes again this winter and especially now with the swine flu complications being so similar.
Posts: 423 | From Upstate NY | Registered: May 2009
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posted
I get this too. I use a salt pipe. Google it. I had some sort of beginnings of one a few days ago, used the salt pipe for 10 mins for 2 days and it's gone. It's very cheap and works.
Posts: 770 | From USA | Registered: Jul 2006
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Shosty
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posted
Guys, this is relatively common. The doctors rarely use the term "asthma" for young children with this pattern, until it becomes clear that they have longer-term asthma.
Asthma means two things: inflammation (which makes the airway reactive), and bronchial constriction (asthma attacks, which is the result of that reactivity). Reactive airway disease also involves both things, and inhaled steroids address the inflammation, while albuterol addresses the attack that results from the inflammation. Therefore, inhaled steroids really address the cause, and albuterol addresses the effect.
All 3 of our kids, then ages 1,3 and 6 1/2, got the RSV virus (respiratory syncytial virus) within weeks of one another (this was 14 years ago), all 3 were hospitalized with pneumonia and asthma, and all 3 were diagnosed with "reactive airway disease." The RSV virus is extremely common in young children.
This new problem in our house, which was extremely time-consuming, could not have had anything to do with Lyme, in my opinion, since they all came down with identical symptoms within a week or so of each other.
That is not to say that other respiratory problems, or others' similar reactive airway disease, is not connected to Lyme, but anyone coming on here with a kid with this problem should know that it is not necessarily Lyme, and could be the common RSV virus, which makes the airways "twitchy" for a few years.
During the years when this twitchiness was intense, I had 3 quite sick children at times. Doctors were really not that much help, and I joined what was then called "Mothers of Asthmatics," now known as the "Asthma and Allergy Network," which is now online. Buy some books on asthma too: even Asthma and Allergies for Dummies is really good.
Don't worry about labels. all intents and purposes, reactive airway disease IS asthma, they just don't want to label it yet. It might be just a year, a few years, until adolescence, or chronic and long-term. My kids have all had totally different outcomes and, yes, colds and flus are still a problem for two out of 3, in their early twenties. And those two were diagnosed with asthma within a few years of onset, once it became clear it was chronic.
This is very manageable if you learn about how to deal with it.
For those with an allergic component, Intal (cromolyn sodium) can be really good. First year by nebulizer, then by inhaler. Didn't help our kids, despite dust allergies in 2, and mold allergy in one.
Test for and address allergies, and have allergy covers on bedding, wash curtains and rugs in hot water, wash bedding in quilts in hot water, etc.
Buy a peak flow meter and learn how your child should use one. This measures outward airflow. Our school nurse had no idea, and was showing kids the wrong way. The child should blow very, very hard into it, sort of rocking into it. You get to know when trouble is coming by a dip in peak flow, and can medicate early with inhaled steroids.
Peak flow meters restored my kids to health, and no doctor ever even mentioned one to us. I can't praise these meters enough, and it was that Mothers group that told me about them. Doctors probably know more now about peak flow measurements. At least I hope so.
Peak flow meters allow you to increase, or start, meds early. The idea is that if you increase or medicate early, you end up needing to use LESS meds than if you wait until they are in trouble. You also avoid oral steroids, which are horrible for Lyme.
When young, my kids did 2 puffs of inhaled steroids a day for the fall and early winter. Making sure that inflammation doesn't happen with the first viruses of the winter, helps, because that early inflammation sets the stage for further trouble. We were told to think of it as repeated sunburns in the airways.
Using albuterol is of course necessary at times, but is very unpleasant (try it yourself!). We used it mainly to get the inhaled steroids into the airway during colds, I think, as time went on, although we did have our share of episodes requiring "rescue."
Delivery of albuterol by nebulizer is much, much gentler but also more effective.
A morning shower in hot water can open airways up a little, so we would do that first, and then could maybe reduce the albuterol dose. The vials can be mixed with saline that comes in plastic ampules, so a full dose is often not even needed.
One of my kids, who also has diabetes, required antibiotics within hours of getting a cold that was headed to the lungs. Otherwise, she got pneumonia within hours and vomited buckets of mucus. It was dramatic. The MD did let us keep antibiotics on hand for her, to use as needed.
I hope this is helpful. Early childhood with reactive airway disease was very difficult, and there were times when I literally kept charts for them. Three nebulizer treatments a day times 30 minutes times 3 kids was 4 1/2 hours! But the next year was easier, and the next even more easy.
Even though we later dealt with Lyme, I see no connection between Lyme and these respiratory problems. The kid without Lyme has been sicker longer with respiratory problems than the other two, who did have Lyme. It might be different for you, but just to show another possibility.
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posted
Shosty, have any of your children been tested or diagnosed with any of the coinfectiions?
Something in my gut is telling me that my son may have a TBD(s), babesia in particular. It's feeling like one of those mom knows best and trust your gut things.
What you are explaining makes sense but it still seems odd to me that for six years of this kid's life, he never ever had anything go to his chest...not a wheeze, no croup, nothing. Actually the opposite, he'd be the one to just about never catch whatever was going around the house, and if he did, it'd be the mildest case. From day 1 he was like this.
Then out of nowhere, two years ago when we just happened to move to an endemic county where everyone and their brother has lyme, he starts up with this horrible chest thing as soon as a cold hits him. And looking back, I remember a tick bite on his head around that time as well. And now to top that off, the foot pain and night sweats thing.
I find it hard to believe that what's happening with him could be asthma or reactive airway disease or whatever you want to call it. It seems too out of the blue. I know my child and something about it doesn't add up to me.
And yes, these labels do bug me. I think a lot of times they arise when the doctors have no other ideas or answers.
I'm going to be doing some investigating.
Not really sure what I'm hoping to find.
[ 10-18-2009, 03:26 PM: Message edited by: Topaz ]
Posts: 423 | From Upstate NY | Registered: May 2009
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Shosty
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posted
Other people say that with their children, respiratory symptoms were connected to Lyme or TBD's.
All I am saying is that all 3 of my children had sudden onset respiratory problems, after being very healthy, at very different ages, within a week of each other, and it was due to the RSV virus.
It was the virus that explained the "out of the blue" quality of the problem.
And the RSV virus is a common cause of reactive airway disease.
This might not be relevant for your child at all, but it is worth maybe asking about.
The actual respiratory problems became quite easy to manage thanks to the education I got from other parents in that organization, which emphasized treating the inflammation first, in order to prevent the constriction later.
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