Pulmicort - Steroids for Asthma/Lung Issues

My daughter was born with double pneumonia and we experienced many breathing treatments with Albuterol and Pulmicort. I found that the Pulmicort cleared things up in record time. I was worried about her being on a steroid for any length of time, but we gave her 3 treatments a day through the winter for two years in a row. She's now almost 5 and thriving without the need for it any more.

I always found that her breathing improved within the first couple of days and then I would want to stop the treatments because she was 'better'...I was wrong..she would just feel bad again. It was all my fear of giving her a steroid. I had to get past that and think of her overall health and do as the doctor said.

Good luck!

If you do decide to stick with the pulmicort, you could atleast request the lowest dose possible, .25 mg, I think. That way it is still in the system, but minimally.

Well, here's the thing...the dose of steroids in an inhaled medicine such as pulmicort is so incredibly low...it's actually only a minute fraction of the steroid burst that would be prescribed if he were to actually get a lung infection (no doubt they would prescribe prednisolone...they always do b/c it works so well). So you have to weigh the risk/benefit ratio. Would you give him the prednisolone if he got sick?...absolutely, if it would help! So giving the small dose in an inhaled form to keep the inflammation at bay is really a far better choice. In a perfect situation you wouldn't choose to have your son on any meds, but in the here and now he needs it. Preserving his lung function is so important now, and as he gets older he may outgrow this as my boys did. Pulmicort is a medicine that is very effective for lung function preservation, and he can stop taking it in the months he is at less of a risk, allowing his body to completely get rid of it.

You are a very smart mom to research what you give your kids, and in this case you have to do what you find to be best for your baby, even if it's not what you had planned! I had to do the same thing and I hated giving my babies meds...but they needed it.

~L.

**Vikki's answer reminded me to tell you to ask your doc for samples. They will usually have some. We always have samples in our office, of just about anything you can imagine. The reps keeps us stocked. Also, it may be available generic now, so ask the pharmacy about that, but don't ever hesitate to ask your doc for samples of anything...even baby formula! If you dont ask for them, somebody else will!

D.,

I have an 8 year old daughter who has been on Pulmicort and Xopenex since she was a year old. She has the cough-variant type of asthma and only wheezes when her cough is out of control. I would recommend the Pulmicort and please be diligent about following your treatment plan. One or two missed doses can make the wheezing harder to control. She has not had any side effects - she weighs a little bit more but overall she is a very active and happy child.

Good Luck and best wishes! K.

I am going through the exact same thing. Only my son was full-term, he can not handle the weather change. It sends him direct to breathing difficulties. He was diagnosed with Reactive Airway disease (pre-asthma). It breaks my heart. We just went to the doctor and she told me he has to start back up on the pulmicort twice a day and his albuterol. I have not started the pulmicort yet this season, and I too am nervous about all the chemicals. My son does wheeze and I would let him suffer so I am starting back up. I am curious to hear what the others have to say. My son just turned 2 in September. But I also just heard on the news that Albuterol can be damaging, so I have to call the doctor about that now. Good luck!

My son is 18 months and started on Pulmicort last winter. He had a cold that turned into croup with wheezing and labored breathing. So we did the treatments through the course of last winter, and we're on a watch-and-see this winter. So far, I have given it to him for a few days when he had a cold, and he's off of it again. The ped said it would be wise to resume the treaments with the onset of cold symptoms to prevent complications, so that's where we're at. Lacy's information was good... I have a friend who is a pharmacist and one of his son's is also on Pulmicort. He said the same thing... The dose is so low, that the ounce of prevention is more than worth the pound of cure. He said that with his son, they give him a treatment even if he's had an active day of running, etc because he's so likely to go into an attack through the evenings after such activity. Just remember - the pulmicort is a preventative, not a rescue. If he does go into actual wheezing or labored breathing, the Pulmicort will not help. We have Albuterol on hand in case of such an event, but luckily have not had to use it since his case of croup.

FYI... It is EXPENSIVE!!! If you don't have insurance (and even if you do) be prepared. With our insurance it still costs us $70 for a month supply (it lasts us MUCH longer since we don't use it daily at this point, but last winter it was daily). Without insurance last year they said the one month supply would have been $270. Not sure if the price has come down in the last year since I haven't had to refill yet, but you might get your hands on samples from the ped as often as possible...

Good luck to you and your little one!

D.,

My daughter was not even two when she was put on pulmicort twice a day. I was very cautious. I heard about the elderly developing brittle bone disease. I was eventually reassured by an allergist that the dose a toddler or young child is on will not cause this problem. But with it being cortico steriod it can slow growth but they make up for it within a year.

If this is going to help your son live an easier life then do it. It could be all he needs to help his lungs become a little more effective.

But most importantly do what you think you should do. Go with your gut instinct.

L.

Hi D.,
I would trust your doctor and give your son the Pulmicort. He obviously believes that the benefits outweigh the risks. If you don't trust him, you should find another doctor. It won't help your son to have a doctor and mother who don't see eye to eye! Best of luck to you!

Hi D.,
I also suffered from Asthma, but to a much lower degree. One thing I have found that makes a difference is the air quality in the room he is sleeping. I work with a company that has wellness products, including a very good quality hepa filter. If you are interested, get it touch with me. Another thing I have found helps me are magnetic products from the same company. I was very allergic to cats, and can now sleep over at friends who have them. It is a natural energy that our bodies need and often, when given enough, our bodies respond by being able to overcome all sorts of things. It is basically the energy of the earth that had diminished over the last century.
You can contact me about information on either.
Good luck,
Julie H.

D.,

My son was hospitalized last winter soon after his 3rd birthday. His oxygen levels were dangerously low and he had been fighting colds and coughs since Oct. The doctors said he had RSV and most likely has asthma (he has nut allergies too). Since then he has been on the pulmicort during the late fall/winter/early spring seasons. I do have concerns about him being on the drug so much, but at the same time he has managed every other "cold" that he has caught much better than last year before the hospital incident. I would recommend talking with your doctor about the side effects your son might experience (my son hasn't really had any effects that we have noticed) and weighing it against the pros. I'm not happy about giving our son so many drugs, but they do seem to be helping him so that is where we are - good luck!!

Hi,

My son was a few weeks early. Nothing to the extent that your son went through though. He developed asthma, as he gets older it seems to have turned into seasonal asthma. I was told to give it to him once a day in the morning every day as a preventative. While in his infant stage he needed it on a semi-regular basis. However, I noticed that his asthma turned seasonal...spring, winter, fall etc. It came w/ the changes so I started giving it to him once a day as needed.

He is doing excellent now, w/ very few flare-ups. However, I got him on an excellent multi-vitamin that I feel contributes to his health.

He also used Albuterol on a as needed basis. I really did not like it. It is an expectorant (if thats what you call it) It seems to have made him worse. But it was still better that a previous medicine which he turned out to be allergic to.

Hope this helps.

Hi D.---It must be very difficult watching your son struggle with his health issues. Thankfully, modern medicine has many useful tools for intervention when needed.

I would like to suggest another way to look at helping your son and his breathing problems. It would seem like these problems have to do with a respiratory system that has been challenged by his being premature. Have any of the medical professionals talked about ways to strengthen his immune system through his diet? By doing this, it will help give his body time to heal.

I am studying wellness education with a naturopathic doctor who also has her PhD in nutrition. I am learning so much about how we have more influence over our risk of disease than we think. We CAN strengthen and balance our immune system so that we can fight colds, diseases, and not be bothered with allergies and other conditions that lead to asthma and other autoimmune disorders. You didn't say how old your son is, whether he is breastfed, bottle fed or eats with you from the table. Outside of being formula fed, and I do have a suggestion on how to supplement that, you need to concentrate your diet on these main food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. These all support good health. Minimize or eliminate animal products and that includes cows milk (see www.strongbones.org). It is recommended that we eat 9 to 13 servings of fruits and veggies each day. That's a challenge, especially now in the winter. And when you think about it, because your son has health issues, he needs even more nutrients to help his body heal and stay healthy.

I'd be most happy to share what I am learning with you so that you might strengthen and balance your whole family's immune system. I'd also like to suggest you look at Juice Plus+, a research based whole food supplement made from 15 different fruits and veggies. These foods have been juiced, dehydrated and the powders put into capsule, chewable or gummie forms. We have two independent studies that show improvement in immune system function. Feel free to contact me with any questions. There is no obligation for my help. I am happy to help people get healthier.

Talk to you soon. D. ###-###-####
www.dianeshealthed.com

Hi D.,

I'm sorry your son must go through this. I know it is really hard to deal with, emotionally and otherwise. Personally, I have not had to deal with such an issue, but do have a further suggestion. If you must give him the steroids (which I don't blame you for being anxious about!), try cleaning up your indoor air environment as well.

A quality air purifier is helpful along with getting rid of all the caustic chemicals in your home. Not only cleaning products, but personal care products are big contributors to many ailments due to their contents. We breathe in the chemicals from household cleaners far after we have used them, as well as things like our shampoos, soaps, lotions, etc. that soak into our skin and can be contributors to common conditions like asthma and other breathing problems.

I guess what I am trying to say is that you may not be able to avoid the steroid drugs, but you can do what you can to make differences in his breathing abilities otherwise.

I made the switch from your everyday, regular store-bought products to cleaner, safer, non-caustic products two and a half years ago...and within 2 weeks of converting my home, I was off my inhalers and asthma medications for good and asthma free in my home. It was truly a miracle for me...wish I had known about it years before while I was filling my body with medications that only seemed to sedate the problem! Cleaning up my home environment was all it took to cure a major health issue for me!

It sounds like your son will probably have asthma issues as a residual effect of his current problems. I'd love to help you switch stores and create a healthier environment in your home for him (and your whole family!). The best part is that you will save money, too. Please let me know if you'd like to find out more about where I shop for these better, safer, more economical products. I know you'd feel better if you could at least do that for your son's health.

C.

Both my sons are on it-have been on it since the ages of 2-(5 and 8) Our ped. told me to have them on it once a day from Oct.-April--which I didn`t but di the first yr. I DO give it to them if I think they`re coming down with any signs of anything because they do have allergy asthma but seem to be outgrowing it as they get older. My daughter was the same was-she`s 18--and she finally talked me into not giving her milk to drink ( she hated milk) and she never really got sick after that!
good luck

My son had pneumonia (not treated as such for 3 days because of a moronic pediatrician that we don't use anymore!) when he was 6 months old. Since then, we've had 'cold induced asthma' - same as you. We saw a FABULOUS new pediatrician and asthma/allergy specialist that is very aggressive. My son was put on singulair (chewable) and flovent (through an inhaler with an air chamber). We did sporadically use oral steroids, combined with albuterol when he just couldn't breath otherwise.

I recommend that you see a specialist and then follow their advice. Now that my son is 5 years old, we still use the singulair and flovent - but the days of oral steroids and albuterol are over!

One of my sons took pulmicort with the nebulizer starting when he was about two weeks old. In the beginning he took it twice a day, then after he was about a year old once a day, then after about two years old he only took it as needed. Now, he's 7 years old and hasn't needed any breathing treatment whatsoever in over a year. Yahoo!

Good luck!

Two of my kids had to use nebulizers for the first year or so of their lives and they have been fine since. No asthma attacks at all. Their lungs healed, I think much in part to using the nebulizer as instructed and doing all that I was told to do. They are very happy, healthy 8 and 11 year-olds now with no breathing problems. And to think, I thought I was going to lose my daughter at one point because hear lungs had gotten so bad that she was hospitalized at 6 months old.

I had a son with asthamatic symptoms when he was a baby. Our doctor saw us every two to three weeks. We tried every antibiotic for the croup and bronchitis even the shot twice. The doctor put us on an aggressive treatment to help his lungs develop including Pulmicort through the nebulizer. We did it often while he was sleeping so he would breath it in deep into his lungs. It was not convenient but the steroids did their job. He is 10 now without asthma and although with the current weather changes he has some sniffles, he doesn't take a daily med for them. He actually doesn't even want a decongestant, so that tells you how bad the symptoms are. Annoying at best. I would help your baby develop his lungs with the steroids as the long term benefits are well worth the slight risk. God Bless.

D.
My daughter is 13 months old and she is on the pulmicort.
We were just at the hospital recently for 3 days because she had pnomina(sp). My ped recommends it daily 2x a day. She has been on it sience she was 4 months old. She gets treatments of abuterol every four hours even through the night. She has yet to get jittery or anything like that.
The hospital also suggested that we put her on it daily just so we dont have to come back to the hospital.
Good luck to you and take care of that little one.

Sounds like your son is still a baby, right? It is wise of you to be cautious with the steroids. A friend of mine had a similar instance with her son, when he was a baby into toddler age. He had tubes in his ears, which didn't work, and kept getting sick. She took him off of milk and that helped. But she put him on supplements that really made a difference. He never had to go on breathing treatments, which the doctor recommended. She put him on a food based multi vitamin, and a probiotic (good bacteria/flora).

If your son does not have allergies to soy, a soy formula would be good. If you are breast feeding, you may want to stay away from milk, which creates congestion.

All of this will help his immune system.

If you would like more information, call me at ###-###-####.

M.

I am a mother of 4 two with asthma and 2 without. My Son actually sounds like the asthma comercial when he has an attach. My Daughter she has just Broncital asthma whne she gets sick or weather changes she gets really bad cough so bad she can't breath. Both have been on Pulnacort since they was little ones. The girl is 8 my son is 5. My son was born with laringomalacia and he has been on pulmacart, xeopex and singular since 3 weeks old. He takes pulmacort every day with the singular. Its a preventor but doesn't mean they won't have an asthma attach still. But I can say instead of have 4 to 5 a year he may now only have one. Same with my daughter she has had fewer too. I don't like giving them all the stuff either. I rather have healthy kids than kids on a monitor all the time don't know if there going to stop breathing or not. I have had tons of sleepless nights and I love them everyday I watch my kids grow. I wish you best of luck and have great one!!! Do what your gut tells you is right! Its your child and it was in you for 9 months.

D.,
My son has to use a steroid for his lungs during weather changes to. He has seasonal asthma and it is the only way we have found to not end up with pneumonia and in the hospital. He was on pulmicort until he was old enough to use an inhaler with a spacer and then they switched him to flovent (which is also a steroid). I know how you feel because I hated it at first to but it is the only way the keep him breathing good and if that is what I have to do I will. We spent 6 days in the hospital with IV's and treatments every 2 hrs and on oxygen at 8 months old and I will give him treatments everyday if I have to so I don't have to go through that again. One thing though-did your doc tell you to use the mask with the nebulizer? You don't want to get to much of that steroid in the eyes because it can cause problems. So if you will be using it a long time try to use the mask and not just the blow by method. If you have any more questions feel free to contact me. Do they have the baby on singulair granules or any other meds?

K.

My daughter has been off and on Pulmicort and Albuterol since she was 3 months old. As an infant she had cronic bronchitis and now it is thought that she may have asthma. However, she is to young to diagnos, she is only 3. Every time the weather changes or she gets a cold it settles in her chest. On the bright side my Ped. said that most kids outgrow asthma like symptoms by age 4 and my daughter seems to be handling things better this year!
If you do give him ths pulmicort it can make him a bit jittery or hyper so I wouldn't give it tohim right before you want him to go to bed. As he gets older it is helpful to read special books or watch a special movie so he will sit still!
Blessings and I hope that your little guy will out grow this too!!
K.

I know a gal who has an amazing story about how her child struggled with such things until she was introduced to an amazing dietary supplement. If you want, I can hook you up.

S.

D. - I feel your concern & worry. My 20 month old daughter was 6 weeks early and has had breathing problems since birth. My husband has asthma and since it's hereditary, I'm fairly sure she asthma as well, however the don't generally diagnose it this young. All that being said, she has been on Pulmicort since she was about 11 months old after being VERY sick for about 5 months. I actually pushed the doctors to put her on Something, because she NEVER got better and the albuterol would only help minorly with the wheezing. I can remember very few "good" weeks during that time. Once stabilized on Pulmicort she was so much better, no wheezing and coughing until she'd puke. (Keep in mind it takes about 3 weeks of daily use for it to start working.) Her peditrician tried to take her off it in the summer and within 3 weeks she was very sick again. I swear by it, however, we are seeing a Pediatric Pulmonary specialist at U of M on the 25th to see if there are any other options. I too am concerned about her being on medication. That being said, Pulmicort is specifically designed for children, so we can take some comfort in that. If you are not already, I would recommend seeking a Pediatric Pulmonary Specialist for another opinion, it wouldn't hurt. Good luck.

Deana, my son developed asthma when he turned 4. It was strange because he was perfectly fine until then. Last winter we went through a bad attack once a month. And tons of coughing every night in between. Doc's wanted to put himon pulmicort 2x a day. And albuterol on top of it during wheezing times. I couldn't stand the thought of having him inhale chemicals into his develping lungs. I did tons of research and started him on liquid fish oil. Carlsons lemon flavor. (Doesn't taste like fish at all, he actually likes it). He has been on it for 8 months and hasn't had an attack since he started. It is an anti-inflammatory. It keeps all inflammation out of there body. In asthma that is a major thing. And the best thing is, it's great for you. Everyone should take Omega 3 fatty acids. It makes you smarter, and is good for your heart as well. It covers the myelin in small children's brains. That's why they added the DHA to formulas and gerber foods. It sounds like your son is developing an inflammation thing in his lungs when he gets a cold. That happens easily with anyone with lung problems, when they catch a cold. So he would definitely benefit from an anti-inflammatory over the winter months. Your baby is 1 so I would give him a teaspoon every day. You can put it in a medicine dropper. My 2 year old loves the stuff. I give it to her when I give my son his. He just gets more because of the inflammation problem. Feel free to email me if you need any more info. Also the cheapest place to get this is The Vitamin Shoppe. I pay 23.97 a bottle. It lasts a couple of months. Good luck. D.

Hi D.:

Been there! I have triplets that were born 9 weeks early. The girls had PDA and my son was really healthy. My girls were on the oxygen and I used Pulmicort with a Nebulizer for the first year. She is now on Pulmicort inhaler, twice a day, of which you have to wash her face and mouth, due to trush.

My understanding is that it only effect them if it is oral. It has no effect on them when taken as a inhaler.

My docs are U of M docs, I do trust them. I would be more concerned about my child going into respiratory distress without it.

My daughter is now growing out of it - and is improving, we are hoping she will not have to use it much longer.

I wish you the best!

M.