He was just diagnosed w/lyme but hasn't had his appt. with Dr. Jones yet.

His allergist missed his sinus infection because he wasn't registering a fever (even though he was because his body temp runs very low). So he missed a week of treatment until I called up and demanded antibiotics for his sinus infection.

In the meantime, his asthma has really gotten bad in the past few days. I thought it would settle down if we kept him in the house and not doing any sports.

It's 3am and I just hear him coughing continuously.

If I have to take him to the emergency room - what do they do for severe asmathic attacks since he shouldn't have any steroids. Isn't steroid injections a common treatment for this?

I'm up. But, I don't know what they do about asthma in the ER. Maybe someone else who knows more about it will come by soon.

I hope it settles down and you don't have to go to ER.

I have lyme and asthma - (started tx two years ago) I take inhalation steriods - otherwise, I feel awful - I need it and it works really well on me - The last few days my asthma has been really bad too - when under infection or stress - they suggest you increase the inhalation steriod.

For years, my daughter would only flare in the fall with her asthma. They kept telling me she must have "Seasonal asthma". She also has EID exercise induced asthma, as I do.

My daughter's "asthma" ended up not being lyme, but being yeast.

My EID asthma cleared up spontaneously after I had both yeast and bartonella treatment. My asthma has since resurfaced and so has my typical bartonella and yeast symptoms.

I have used serevent. It is NOT to be used DURING an asthma attack, but to prevent it.

It does not contain steroids. My daughter has full blown asthma attacks, as well as obviously, asthma induced by play,r unning, etc.

For full blown asthma attacks, her LLMD once told me this:

"Well, she NEEDS to breathe, give her the treatment for it!" With continued treatment on the yeast, however, my daughter has not needed her asthma treatments.

I will be honest also, three months of zithromax really kicked my daughters asthma square in the rear end, so I suspect lyme played a part in it too, as she did have positive testing.

I also use a product called XANGO. It DOES control my daughter's asthma and she loves it. I do not sell this product.

You have many options open to you to get some non sterodial options for your son's asthma. INCLUDING: Have you had him checked for GERD? You would be surprised, and totally shocked to learn that YES GERD from the stomach ( even without symtpoms)

CAN induce asthma.

My daughter has to, however, when her asthma gets too bad, take a tsp of predlisone a day.

I wouldnt suggest to push steroids out of the way for a matter of breathing. She never received a steroid injection for her problems. She also has allergies:

SHe is allergic to ( believe it or not)
Latex
Nylon
Polyester
Spandex
Timothy Grass
Ragweed
Cats
Maple leaves ( I believe)
and penicillium mold

To me, all those allergies point to two things: bartonella, or yeast.

Thats JUST my opinion, really, just my opinion.

With my daughter's yeast, she had:
The asthma
asthma and wheezing after eating certain foods
chronic ear infections
ezcema ( that is now under control)
Vaginal yeast infections
Crying, crankiness, mood swings
Uncontrollable urges for sugar, to the point of getting into cupboards and the fridge without my knowledge to hunt SOMETHING, anything down. She ONCE ate straight sugar. It was THAT bad
-Extreme giddiness and excitement when she actually GETS sugar
-complete inability to wind down or pay attention with or without sugar
-chronic diarrhea
-frequent abdominal pain
-contact dermatitis symptoms- such as wear polyester, and look like she was literally burnt, blow up a ballon and about have anaphalysis with her lips swelilng like Goldie Hawn.

I guess another thing that I am saying is I dont believe asthma develops for no reason at all. I listened to the doctors about my daughter for years on end believing this

"seasonal asthma" bullcrap, and watching her suffer, toting nebulizer of albuteral, inhalers of fluconase and Advair in hand, at all times.

Im glad to report that the asthma is now under so much control. Do you have a nebulizer/bronchilator for your son? Most insurances will pay for that and it will certainly cut down on the ER trips.

ANd yes, I always keep a bottle of liquid predisone steroid up to date, not expired and ready for my daughter if needed.

And yes, XANGO works great for allergies and asthma.

Magnesium(Mg) is a critical element(mineral) in asthma. Get some scientific lit. on magnesium and lyme.
Some hospitals will use an injection of magnesium sulfate to quell an astmatic attack.
I don't know if it quells it, but its proven effective in emergencies against asthma.

Search Magnesium chloride, another form of Mg. Some medical lit. states this either is a preferable form or Mg for asthma, but I don't recall for the moment if they mean't i.v., or oral.

One source I did read recommended oral Mg-chloride for asthma. A large health store will most likely have it on the self, in oral form. Tablet forms of MgCl are available as well.

Two companys that make it, are

Allergy Research group, and;
Advanced Cardiovascular Research(?) the name is off here.

Ask your doc about interaction of MgCl with any of his asthma medicines, and if and when you can stagger their respective intakes in time, so as not to cause a problem, if any.

Borrelia,and babesia(?) usurp the body's Mg stores. One estimate is 30% of body's Mg store.

Insist both on 1. A Red blood cell Mg, and 2. A standard blood level of Mg.

Search Pub Med with terms: 'Magnesium + Asthma'

See Marnie's post for an overview of Magnesium, and Magnesium links.

I cannot drive in a car and breathe at the same time and have almost constant rumbling in my chest with I do not take the Pulmacort - (I only take 200mcg a day - which is pretty low). My asthma attacks leave me worn out and bedridden - and albuterol is usually too late to keep this from happening. So, in my case, I need it and function well with it.

I tried to go off after my first month of antibiotics (slowly of course) and all my asthma junk that I had forgotten about came right back. With more Lyme tx I am going to try it again. But, right now I really appreciate breathing and functioning.

When I have had to go to the hospital for asthma - they put you on a nebulizer with albuterol in it.

I have to say, as a person with severe asthma since I was 5, I don't care what infection I have, if my asthma is bad, it MUST be addressed and with steroids if necessary. People can die quickly from asthma attacks that are not treated promptly and properly.

If you go to the ER, the first line is an albuterol nebulizer. This is the same med as the "rescue inhaler" but the nebulizer sends it deeper into the lungs. Oftentimes, they will prescribe a nebulizer at home if control with the rescue inhaler is problematic.

Next is an epinephrine injection (sometimes they will go immediately to this if you are in bad shape). When you are really tight and wheezing badly, this is the only thing that will open you up.

If you are that bad, epinephrine is short acting. Sometimes they will give you IV solu-medrol (steroid) or a short course of oral prednisone to reduce the inflammation a bit longer. If your son's asthma is that bad, HE MUST TAKE THIS. They'll give you this even if you have bacterial pnemonia as a trigger if your asthma is bad enough (just an example of infection/steroid needs at times!). Again, I don't know how to be more clear: severe asthma attacks can kill people. Whatever it takes to stop one and settle your lungs down, is what needs to happen.

IV magnesium is also sometimes given. Please note that the literature on Mg and asthma shows that IV seems to help (data are equivocal) and oral does not. Oral Mg certainly won't hurt, but don't expect a miracle and don't expect the same outcome with oral Mg on his asthma as any benefit provided by IV Mg in the ER.

Lastly, they may also prescribe a steroid inhaler (e.g., flovent, asthma-cort, beclovent). Most of the inhaled steroids stay localized in the lungs and do not act systemically (which is what you optimally want to avoid with an ongoing infection).

I've been on inhaled steroids for at least 20 years. It has not affected my exacerbations or remissions with Lyme. And, I've also taken oral prednisone (short courses) for my asthma as needed. As long as I am on antibiotics at the same time, this has not worsened my Lyme infection.

It is, of course, optimal to avoid steroids while you have Lyme particularly if you are not on antibiotics. However, asthma can be an immediately life-threatening problem and should be treated as needed regardless of the steroid issue. If it can be treated well without steroids, great. If they are needed, then please, be sure they are given. Breathing is a good thing! Also, the sooner you get someone to the ER during an attack, the less likely you are to need the more aggressive treatments.

I listened to the ducks and their nonsense, and finally researched it myself. You've gotten some good advice, keep a nebulizer at home, with albuterol for flare ups. Some inhalers do not have steroids.

Keep prednisone handy for a severe attack, or if they get a bug that effects the lungs.

In my research, I've found asthmatics need lots of acidophilus, a good multivitamin, vitamin c, and pantothenic acid. Stop feeding them sugar, as yeast does play a big part in asthma. Lot's of water.