need advice 1 year old couldnt breathe

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 2:28 pm

I'm the op, thanks gold21 ,

Animeme, you're right, which is why my Dr. Already gave me 2 prescriptions which I have filled and will use with the nebulizer if I need to. Of course, ill also be making many PCP visits to check his lungs. I'm usually an advocate of going to specialists but in this case, my PCP is very available, involved, and competent regarding his breathing issues. We will wait until he's older to take him to a specialist if he still has this issue. Especially since at this point, I'm having a lot of trouble finding an opthamologist for this same child who accepts my insurance. I feel like its impossible to find some specialists as a lot recommended were not accepting my insurance.

Thanks for your help.

greenfire

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 2:46 pm

amother wrote:

you would never go to a podiatrist for eyeglasses ... or an ophthalmologist for asthma ...
if your child has issues that need specialists you don't wait or go to a general doctor no matter how good they are ... you need the pulmonologist

call your insurance to recommend specialists in their network

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 3:05 pm

Green fire, You have a point, but I went to other specialists with my older kids, and I know it doesn't make sense to just go to my insurance and pick a Dr. Off a list.

However, since breathing is a fundamental function to live, and my PCP has known exactly how to turn my "closed up son's lungs" into a normal breathing lung. The PCP gave me a regimen to follow and is also available evenings if something is wrong, and Boruch hashem, it worked, he knew what to do. At this point, even if I find
A specialist, in my experience, they don't squeeze me in every time, I think his lungs will close up from a cold. He gets colds often from his siblings...
However, in the future, I plan to see a specialist for a more long term .....but, I am hoping hell outgrow this.

seeker

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 10:00 pm

I was about to share my own experiences, but first I want to say I'm shocked at how close some of these posts are getting to medical advice. That's not something we can do on this type of forum. We can suggest questions one might want to ask, doctors one might want to consult, and things one might want to research and share our own experiences but if op's doctor prescribed a medication it is way out of line to say "no, a different medicine is used for that." There are many details that go into these things.

I also have a kid who got asthma every time she got a cold. It's less frequent now but still happens. What I found the most helpful was asking doctors the kind of things that would help me understand more for the future, once the current crisis is past. The doctors should really do this voluntarily more often, but usually once I ask they're happy to help. I say things like "I didn't know she was wheezing. How would I be able to tell if it happens again?" Because my dd tended to have more subtle signs. And then, "if I see this again, what should I do?" Etc.

When it comes to breathing issues the general rule is "when in doubt, call hatzolah" (I was instructed thus by doctors and hatzolah members alike) but as you learn more, you will hopefully be in doubt less often. Also the sooner you intervene the less likely it is to get to hospital level, though with a 1 year old I think you'd need to be much more cautious. Mine didn't start until she was a little older and hopefully sturdier. Basically you need a proactive treatment plan so you'll know what to do, including the hatzolah part.

gold21

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 10:15 pm

seeker wrote:

I didn't intend to shock, I intended to help. Feel free to interpret any way you choose. That's your prerogative.

Anyway... Prednisone is the recommended medication for stridor. Sorry if you find that offensive.

Last edited by gold21 on Thu, Sep 01 2016, 10:19 pm; edited 1 time in total

out-of-towner

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 10:18 pm

seeker wrote:

Thank you seeker!!! This is so true!

Speaking from the perspective of a parent who has children with complex medical issues, I have often found that everyone who is made aware of your situation wants to put their own two cents in, and often it just confuses the parents and makes them more concerned. Unfortunatly, with my DS we were bumped around from doctor to doctor for several months before anyone was able to correctly pinpoint what was causing all of his issues, and BH we were able to take the steps to resolve them. With my DD, she has something which on the surface looks like a textbook case for one orthopedic condition, but in reality it is far from being a textbook case and thus the intervention is different. When she was younger, a well-meaning relative, who is a doctor, but not in the orthopedic field, was pressurizing us to understand why there was no medical intervention being done. While I appreciated the concern and effort that this relative put in to help us, at the end of the day he did not understand the specific nuances of DD's case, which only served to make us unneedingly worried.

In short, every child is different, and every circumstance is different. It's helpful to have support from people who have been through similar things with their children, but please don't take the medical advice at face value and please be in contact with your PCP.

I will just say that in terms of buying a pulse oxcimeter for the home, my son's PCP strongly advised against it because he says that it only serves to make parents crazy. But ask your doctor what he feels, because your child's condition might warrant it.

gold21

Thu, Sep 01 2016, 10:22 pm

out-of-towner wrote:

I think what you're trying to say here is, Don't ask for medical advice online.

Right?

Once a medical question is posed online, expect varied responses. That's the OP's choice.

seeker

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 1:13 am

1. Op actually asked to compare experiences, not for personal medical advice.
2. Just because someone asks for advice doesn't mean it's a good idea to give it.

I've gained a lot from others sharing their experiences and conditions on here.

It also seemed that some people responding either don't realize that nebulizer can be used for different purposes, or jumped to a conclusion about the purpose used here. For example the statement that nebulizer is for asthma but not for croup is factually incorrect. "My doctor prescribed albuterol in a nebulizer for my child's asthma, but never for croup" is appropriately sharing a personal experience.

groisamomma

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 1:50 am

When DD was a toddler she had terrible wheezing and we were always doing the nebulizer. At the time, I knew she was a mess but I did not know the difference between wheezing and croup. We'd hear her barking like a seal during the night and run for the nebulizer, which did almost nothing to help.
Over time, I learned to recognize the beginnings of croup and how it sounds different from wheezing. We learned to keep liquid prednisone handy but only use it sparingly. Sometimes we went to get her breathing checked when it got really bad. (I remember going to Dr. Shanik's house at 1 am because her breathing was labored. He sent us to the ER.)

Everyone told us she'll outgrow the wheezing, and she did for the most part by around age 6. Her crouping, however, hasn't stopped and apparently has no plans to go anywhere because she's already 10 yrs old and on any given day we hear her crouping during the night. Unfortunately she already knows the midnight shower routine too well. I find that even slight changes in temperature is related to her crouping although I wouldn't publish my hypothesis in a medical journal just yet Very Happy

amother

Floralwhite

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 5:10 am

Had that when my ds was 1 year old too! Went to sleep fine and 2 hours later woke up with noisy croupy sounding labored breathing! Went straight to ER where he got nebulizer treatment that took forever to work and a then a dose of prednisone. Now he is 5 and I keep a bottle of prednisone in my purse so we always have it handy. He has had quite a few instances over the years where he has come out with croup at night and even sometimes it comes out in the morning (tho typically croup is supposedly worse at night).

Anyway, at the first signs of croup, which for him is usually a bit noisier breathing than usual, or the slight barking in a cough, I give prednisone, then put him in a bathroom with hot shower running, or else open a window in winter, or even open the freezer and have him breathe in the Cold air. At the ER, the respitory therapist told me that in smaller children cold air is more helpful because their breathing tubes are smaller... In any event I usually use both warm and cold (seperately, a few min of warm, a few min of cold) to shock the airways into opening. Ask ur dr about what he recommends.

Also, in my experience, changes in temperature also trigger the croup! In the fall as it becomes cold out, if he isn't wearing a sweatshirt at the first slight chill, even tho no one else is, he can get it. Or in the winter if he'd run out without a coat for literally 10 seconds he'd get it. So I'm neurotic that even when it's 67 degrees out and all the kids in the area are running around without jackets, he will be wearing one or he has to come in. Also, I am so neurotic that I keep my bedroom door open all night so I can hear him because in the past it was closed one night when he started cropping and I didn't hear him until it was bad was pretty traumatizing.

In any event, my 10yo who also had it has BH long grown out of croup and looking forward to my little one doing so as well. BH as he gets older, the instances of croup get more infrequent.

Also, call hatzala if needed! DH is on hatzala and even though it's an inconvenient time or whatever, (like right now in middle of the night and he just ran out on a call which is why I am awake at this early hour lol!) it's why he joined hatzala to be able to help people and save lives. Call sooner rather than later and Never hesitate to call especially with a breathing issue!

Hatzlacha!

amother

Pumpkin

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 10:29 am

I'm the op, I thank everyone who posted. It is helpful!!
.
. seeker and out of Towner, I Do Want MEDICAL ADVICE!! As much as I think my sons PCP is competent, at the same time, I don't just rely on doctors to decide my plan to give my son the best care.

. don't say I'm crazy because ill explain. I know someone who has a lot of medical issues and she has paid out of pocket for echo referred drs who were highly recommended. But, most of them were so overbooked and didn't even really listen to her concerns, let her ask questions...or worse, they dismissed her feelings or concerns for her body.

. the reality is doctors are overbooked and don't have enough time to really answer your questions.....I personally went to a top opthamologist a few,years ago and realized that while, I could benefit from his intelligence and experience, he was so busy, he didn't even have time to properly look at my file. I kept notes about what happened at each office visit so I knew he was mixing it up. I went for a first appointment and last appointment but was same problem!!

. I know these moms want the best for their kids,so why wouldn't I ask them for medical advice that they used and know from what actually happened with their kids??? I'm not stupid and won't just follow anything but just like when I do internet research, I have to be wary of sources, so too, here ill look into everything.

. these moms didn't go to med. School but are,knowledgeable and experienced in the area that pertains to their kids. They will enlighten me on things I didn't know about. Example, the medicine someone mentioned. If I were to try it, I still have to go to a doctor to get it approved. It's not like I will be able to make these decisions without doctor approval. Just like women on here ask for fertility medical advice!! It's important to share because some doctors b into certain meds or treatments and may not try other things because doctors are human too.

. if I didn't do my own research, I may not have had kids because I found out about other meds that my Dr didn't use, but she agreed it made sense for me to try. It worked unlike clomid that she usually prescribes. Remember,at the end of the day, its the parents who decide if its an emergency or if something seems off to go to dr...we want our children to be safe and healthy, so yes, we can give medical advice as we live it and make medical decisions for our children all the time.

. anyway, I really appreciate everyone who replied. I will of course need approval from my Dr before following anything recommended above.
Thank you so much.

groisamomma

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 11:09 am

amother wrote:

From what I understand, it's the shock of cold air that hits her when she abruptly leaves the hot bathroom that's doing the job of opening her airways. It's actually the shock of the temperature change that triggers it. I keep the shower running and her nose gets unclogged and all that and every few minutes I take her out and she can take big breaths of air after a few times.

Whenever we go to my in-laws, without fail she croups every single time. My MIL gets all nervous and flustered and causes a scene. DD is tiny for her age so the racking cough shakes her little body and leaves her so out of breath. Unfortunately she is so used to it but sometimes she still cries that it hurts to cough. I think it's the warm temperature and dry air in that house that triggers it but I'm not sure. (I had in mind once to ask a sheila if we can do the shower on Shabbos but then we just started leaving a humidifier close to her bed at night on Shabbos when we go instead.)

gold21

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 11:42 am

seeker wrote:

I disagree with your analysis regarding nebulizers. I think they are very ineffective for croup. This is my own opinion based on my own experiences- nowhere have I claimed to be a medical professional. In any case, medical professionals dont know everything, and I personally have gained a lot from listening to the experiences and opinions of other moms (and I weeded out the good from the bad on my own).

Also- I logged onto this site from my phone at a busy moment at home. I saw this thread regarding croup and took the time to articulate a response because I was so traumatized by my own experience and wanted to help. I felt good about helping someone else, paying it forward. Then, the next time I logged on, I noticed your reply. It was hurtful, because I had honestly hoped that my post would help the OP and alleviate the stress that I had experienced. Perhaps you could have chosen to word your post more gently.

Anyway, I hope there's no hard feelings between us. Tongue Out

good shabbos Tongue Out

gold21

Fri, Sep 02 2016, 12:12 pm

amother wrote:

By the way, keeping a window open near your child's bed at night is a good way to help prevent croup. Once a croup attack is underway, it depends- the outside air may help but it may not help. If the stridor is severe, don't bother trying, it won't make much of a difference. But anyway, its great for prevention before onset of stridor. The humidity and moisture in outdoor air helps keep the throat nice and moist. In fact, I keep windows open in all bedrooms at night, all year long.

Good Luck!!