Sick Baby, Docs Are No Help!

E.,

My son has allergy problems as well. There has been times that his nose is constantly running or he ends up with the croup. We have started giving him "manny bears" they are vitamins for children. They have seem to help him with the runny nose. Just thought I would suggest. HOpe he gets better.

I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! I had the same problem and my Doctor was no help either. My sister was having the same problem ans she helped me. She said to get the childrens or if you can find baby allergy meds the over the counter stuff and a dropper that will show ml and tsps. My daugter is just now 7 months old and i was giving her about 1/8 tsp or half of 1.0 mls. And use little noses drops before you feed or when needed . This is what my sisters Doc told her to do and it worked for both of us. I hope that you can find something to help.Bit this is what I did. Good Luck.

I had the same problem when my son was about six months old, he had a horrible cough that just wouldnt go away for months

Finally, I fought will his doctors and made them put him on allergy medication.

He hasnt had any real bad problems since then, he is now 3 years old

Keep searching for a Doctor who will prescribe an antibiotic. I can't stand these doctors now-a-days who say "oh it will pass, just wait another month or so!" Hello, it doesn't always pass and why leave a child or baby suffering when they should and could do something to relieve the suffering. It doesn't always go away on its own and you don't have to do everything a doctor tells you to do, you are the mom, you are the only advocate your child has. Personally i think after a few weeks the "thing" has already turned bacterial and needs an antibiotic but i am not a doctor. Good luck and keep trying dont give up!!!

I would take your baby to Dr. Deborah Bryant at the clinic over by 183 and Braker Lane where that HEB and McDonalds is. My baby girl had something similar to that and it turned out she had bronchitis. Dr. Bryant is the best in my opinion and she is my 7 month old daughters pediatrician. Something she did tell me when my daughter was abou 2 to 4 months was that at that age if they got really sick that it was like automatic hospitalization because they were so small and so young, so please be careful. I hope he gets better soon. :-)

E.,

i would tell the nurses, dr's, anyone who will listen exactly what you just told us today. do not leave until you are happy that they are helping your baby. if they do tell you, "it will go away", then tell them you are not happy with that response, you have tried to let it go away, and it has only gotten worse. you are paying them to provide a service to you. make sure they give you want you want. good luck, let us know how it goes.

I am a mother of 3 and have lived in TX for a yr now and recently my 2 yr old has had a lot of congestion also and like you have seen the doctors 3 or 4 times with the same response. My son (11yrs old) also has been going threw the same thing I think maybe you might want to see an allergy specialist because even little ones can have allergies. Hope this helps

I have a daughter who was like that when she turned one.. I ended up takeing her to a allergy dr who special is babys and kids... http://www.austinallergy.com Dr Vigo is who she sees.. Since we started with him. She has no more conjestion and breaths great... Check him out.. he will HELP.. I promise. He knows his stuff..... Any question email me..

I had problems with my baby too, humidifier, salines, doctors do not work. What worked for him was the Vicks Vapo rub. He did not sleep at night cause he could not breathe, but in his sleep I brought it close to his nose and he slept better for a few hours. He has probably had a mixture of viral infection and bacterial infection at nose level. In general doctors in Lubbock are disappointing. I would recommend only one pediatrician in Lubbock: Dr. Diane McIntire. It is worth the wait in line at her door with other parents and kids.

Oh poor baby! Maybe by now he has a sinus infection. Seems like he has taken a little turn for the worse, it should be easier to detect. Sounds like you are doing everything I would do, keep it up. Esp. keeping the nose clean w/ the booger-sucker and use the saline. Simply Saline is really good for babies, because it's like an aeresol(?) and really gets the saline up and in there. I have only seen it at CVS or Walgreens, not Target or W.M. Best of luck!

My kids have been sick like this too. For my infant, I used PediaCare Decongestant and Cough. You have to buy it behind the pharmacy counter, but that is the best stuff for congestion. I used it with my older son and couldn't find it anywhere and finally found out it is just kept behind the counter now, and you don't need a prescription. That helped my little one be comfortable enough to sleep. It didn't completely clear him up, but it made him comfortable. Like the dr said, it will go away. But a lot of times all of that congestion can cause an ear infection, so that might be why he has fever. Good luck!

Could it possibly be allergies? My son has really bad problems with that and it can even cause Asthma even in very young children... They found his when he was under a year old.

Hi E.,
Your poor baby. It does sound like the "thing" that lots of kids have at the moment. My kids are 2.5 years and 9 months old, have always been very healthy but lately have had similar symptoms on and off now for a couple of months. I've been told it can be related to the constant weather changes/possibly allergy related. My kiddos have not had it quite as bad as yours so I have not taken them to the doctor but am constantly wondering whether it is an infection (cold) or allergy related?? My husband and I have lived in loads of places all over the world and have never had so many cold like symptoms cropping up all the time since we moved here. Have you asked your doctor about trying some kind of allergy medication?? Is he too young?? I have friends with older kids that have their kids on allergy medication and they say it has really helped. Personally, I avoid any type of medication unless absolutely necessary but your baby sounds like he is suffering from the symptoms a lot worse. Good luck and I hope he feels better soon :)

Hi, I can empathize. Our understanding was all babies have some congestion, but our son was very congested early on. We tried everything you are trying, plus the following: I had him sleeping in his bouncer, which assisted in prompting up through the night. I bought the Vick vapors you put in the shower, closed all the doors and sat with him in the bathroom. We used the Vicks vaporizer, not the cool humidifier. We used the Vicks vaporizer with salt and closed the door to his room. We change the air filters monthly. I completed cleaned the house from top to bottom, ceiling fans, blinds, etc. I stopped using harsh chemicals to clean. All of this helped a little, but it was not going away, plus he developed two ear infections, resulting from all of the drainage. When he turned five months, our pediatrician put him on Zuritec, which has made a huge difference. He just turned 13 months old and he continues to need the zuritec. It is still too early to test him for allergies, but he definitely has them. Our pediatrician is Dr. Kimberly Albert with Austin Diagnostic. I think she is awesome and she made an effort to fix our little Brandon. Hope this helps. I understand your frustration.

You may want to take your baby to Dr Capra's office

The most effective solution I have found when medications are not helping is to create a steam room. When my son can't sleep because congestion is keeping him from breathing well I go into the bathroom and turn the shower on as hot as it will go. Then I put on a night light and sit in the bathroom with him for about 15 mintues. He usually sleeps through it. After about 15 minutes we leave the bathroom and I hold him a bit. Usually he will throw up mucus a few minutes later and go back to sleep. I usually only have to do this a couple nights, but I have heard of some moms doing it every night for a week or more if baby continues to have trouble breathing. I also strip him down to his diaper so that he doesn't get too hot under his clothes. You want the steam to go into his nose and mouth, not necessarily to heat him up. I also use baby vics vapor rub on his chest and back, but I'm not sure if it's approved for a baby as young as yours. Good luck.

I personally have given up on doctors when it comes to allergy and cold like symptoms! We have started to see a homopaphic specialist and she is awesome! Since we started seeing her in November, my son has had almost no issues with respitory and congestion stuff! We have gone from steroids and nebulizing (which created a child who was not the same!) to more natural suppliments and alternatives and he is a happy, healthy boy!!!

my son was pretty sick a little while back and the only thing that i could find that helped was baby tylenol plus cold. I did have to give it to him every 4 hours but it helped him sleep and breathe a lot better. dont know if you have tried this already, but i hope i could help.

I know how you feel thats how my second son was and it is frustrating when your told the same thing by every doctor. You just want someone to care about your worries but they dont give babies medicine because if they are given it to often or to much they will just become immune to it then it wont work when they are older. Them having colds is helping them build up the antibodies they need to be able to fight being sick when they get older. What I would do is keep using the humidifier and warm baths and keep the nose sucked out. Of course if the baby gets worse definately take him back to the doctor. Good luck!

I can see why you are so worried. But, the doctors are probably right. There isn't much to do about a cold and it sounds like you are doing the right things. You are very correct in taking him to a doctor though now that he has a fever. Sometimes when they get a cold, they end up getting a bacterial infection of some sort whether it be ear infection or throat infection etc. Since he has a brother in school, it is assumable that he picked something up from him even if he didn't get sick. Babies have to develop their immune system and so they sometimes get sick when you don't. I would worry if he develops green or dark yellow mucous or if he has troubles breathing (not because of nasal congestion but because of his lungs getting full). Babies can get RSV which is basically just a cold in older kids and adults but can be very detrimental to babies. They develop so much mucous that they end up getting a plug and they stop breathing. Sometimes they can clear it and sometimes they cannot. But, the good news is that it is not RSV season anymore but it's not completely out of the question. I've read some of the other mom's responses. Please do not put vapor rub under his nose or on his chest. This can cause problems in babies with their breathing ie. pneumonia. And yes, if a baby under 6 months has a fever greater than 101, the doctors should work him up to include, urine test, chest x-ray, blood tests, and sometimes spinal tap. They don't want to miss meningitis which doesn't usually produce symptoms like this but they have to be sure. It doesn't mean automatic hospitalization unless the doc thinks he needs it.

Keep suctioning him and using the humidifier. If it is allergies, don't keep the windows open in the house. Also, I do believe what the one mom said about the cow's milk. But make sure you talk to your pediatrician before you go changing his formula. If you breastfeed, it won't hurt to try to stay away from dairy for a few days. But, all in all, don't give him any medicines unless you ask you doctor first.

Good luck!! M.

Hi E.,

Drs are right. There is not much you can do if it is a cold. At this age the medicines really don't have any effect. The best thing is keep suctioning that nose and keeping him hydrated ( I know he probably can't drink much with that stuffy nose... i've been there!. Colds usually lasts 10 days, beyond that it might be allergies, so bring that up to your dr. A fever might suggest that he could have an ear infection, which I would not be surprised with the cold that he's had. Good luck.

Seasonal allergies are pretty awful anyway, but we went through this with our youngest and it turned out to be asthma. We took her to an asthma/allergy doctor, and he got her on the right meds. This was a tough situation for a long time, but she's almost 8 and much better now.

Are you drinking dairy while breast feeding, or using dairy based formula? My niece had the same problem and it lasted for months and months until she was switched to soy-based formula. She had an allergy to milk. The runny nose was gone in one day! The doctors couldn't help because they didn't know that that could cause it, but it can and it did. Now if for some reason she has to have dairy the congestion comes right back. It has something to do with all the really gross stuff that's in cow's milk. If you go to www.notmilk.com there are numerous studies from doctors and scientists discussing the lasting effects of cow's milk such as migraines, allergies, asthma, and the list goes on. If you're breast feeding go 3 days without drinking and eating any dairy. It should clear out by then. If you're formula feeding, try switching to soy-based formula for a few days. It's worth a shot. And it's a lot cleaner besides. Best of luck, and God bless!

my son was the same way and they used to tell me the same thing. but i finally found a good doctor who recognized his symptoms right away and scheduled him an appt. with an ENT. Now he's gettin his adenoids and tonsils removed. I didn't push it and now my son is 7. All the doctors before just told me he didn't have asthma and to use a humidifier. I think if this doctor doesn't help you need to make a suggestion for an ENT or call a specialist yourself. Be as pushy as you wanna be, your'e allowed to...they call you mommy!

E. I went through the same thing with my baby in December and January. I found an ENT specialist through a doctor my mother used to work for and he has been the only one to help. She now has tubes in her ears, which allows her ears to drain. I have also noticed a significant difference in her speech. She is finally trying to be vocal. I dont think she could hear us before.
All this after taking Haiden to the Emergency room because couldnt stand. She had no balance because her head was so full of boogers that had no where to go. The Physician suggested that I take her to an ENT Specialist.

Try contacting Alamo ENT Associates in the Medical Center.
###-###-#### you would want to see Dr. William Gordon. His assistant is Brian and please tell him I sent you there. The front office staff is not the greastest but Dr Gordon and Brian are awesome! They can surely help you. Good luck!

I hope this information can help you.

my daughter (6 months) seems to suffer from allergies (at least some) as well. i vote for the saline also. it might help and is simple to try. of course, use it in addition to the medication, etc. what i do is just drop some (it kind of runs) up each nostril. kind of massage their nose a little then WAIT....don't suction immediately. wait a few minutes for it to soften their mucus, then suction with an aspirator. my daughter's first cold lasted about 3-4 weeks. they told me that their first colds usually last about a month because it takes their bodies a long time to fight it. so you baby might have had a cold, which has now turned into an infection of some sort (hence the fever). oh, on the saline, do it every 2-3 hours giving 2-3 "squirts" at a time. even if you can't suck it out, the saline will help them suck it down (gross but gets rid of it).

My older son was congested for the first solid year of his life. It never went away. It's normal because of the number of colds babies get in their first year, the shape of their sinuses and sometimes allergies. There's nothing a doctor can do about a virus. Sometimes the congestion will lead to an ear or sinus infection which can be treated with antibiotics, but otherwise it is normal and there isn't a reason to treat congestion medically. Ask about allergies. When he's old enough to take antihistamines, they can help with that. But if it's colds he keeps getting, you just have to let it run it's course.

Does he got to Daycare? If so there is you problem. If he goes to daycare that's why he's always sick. He is finally getting over it and another kids gets it and it just goes round and round. My kid has been like that for a couple of weeks. If you are really worried get a nebulizer to open up his breathing passages. the doc gave me one.

YOu might want to ask them if ur baby is old enough for a breathing treatment. If so it will help ti loosen all that stuff up. Just a thought but I'm not sure what age they have to be to get them. My boys are older now but I remember using one a lot when they were younger. Maybe it will help. Good luck cause half of these docs now days are to busy and just ry and get u out of there.

Have you tried an Ear Nose and Throat specialist?

Maybe you should get your home tested for mold. I know that is one of the first symptoms and prolonged exposure could cuase serious health problems for your baby. But it may also be just normal allergies. My son gets son bad when allergey season comes. I hope this helps.

Your baby sounds like he has allergies. Is he bottle or breastfed? Do you have any animals in the house. My son is now three but, he has the same problem and he was allergic to the similac or enfamil brand milk(s. Let me know!
God Bless!
E.

A good way to tell if it is allergies is - does it get worse or only happen in the house or outside? Usually you have indoor or outdoor allergies not both (usually) and for me and my son it is worse for us if we are inside. Not that you can have your baby sleep outside but it would help to see if allergies are the cause.

But I agree that I would be in that doctors office until they told me exactly what was wrong and could prove it to me, even if it was just allergies or a cold (but that sounds doubtful).

Good luck and I hope your baby feels better soon!

i am a old fashion mom and when my kid was sick like that, i gave her a bottle of water with a little nyquil mix the nyquil until the water is light green. a full 8oz bottle. then rub mentholatum under his nose and on his back and chest. he will sleep then repeat the bottle when its bedtime as well as the rub.It worked for me hope it works for you. and u will sleep to about a teaspoon of nyquil of 8oz bottle of water in a baby bottle. let me know if it works S.

ps your right Doctors are dumb at times. hahahaha

E.,
I understand your frustation.
It was like this with one of my twin daughter, she was very uncomfortable with congestion and stuffy nose and would used to cry at night 'cause it bothered her. My twins were born in December too.
So last year and this year she had breathing problems starting Decemeber and ending May. She is very sensitive to dust, pollen ,cedar. Anything in the air she is the first to get affected. And her twin sister does not share this problem.
Wash her clothes and bedding seperately in hot water with the baby detergent Dreft. I used this detergent and washed their clothes seperately until they were 2 years. Try and isolate her away from anykind of dust/allergies. Dust your house with damp cloth. Keep the humidifierrunning in his room or wherever he is and keep changing the ac filter every month.
If the baby is very fussy and/or has fever go to the Dr to make sure he didn't develop any throat or ear infection.
Hang in there.

I know this sounds crazy, but rub Vicks (for babies) on the bottom of his feet and keep socks on him. This really works! I have a four month old myself who has had the same symptoms and they will not give you anything for them. My babysitter actually told me about this, she's great.

Hope that helps!

- S.