Son STILL Sick

M., I know the frustration as being that mother whos kid is always sick. My son coughed all the time, vomiting afterwards. We would go to the doctor time and time again. This lasted 6 months. Then one day they admited him for airborn Pnemonia for 5 days. He did the albuteral and then pounding his back each time. The doctor told me to never give him a cough suppressant or decongestant. He needs to cough it out. So after he was well, it began again. So what I found works is baby mucinex the powdered or liquid, I hold him and pat his back with my hand cupped, saline in his nose to clean as much mucus out, and I run the shower with steam and we sit in the bathroom on the floor and read. I did what they did in the hospital. The mucinex is awsome to break it up. I hope he is well. I live in Phoenix area.

I have had a similar problem with my son. If he has a cough that sounds like he is trying to catch his breath you need to take him back to the er, if the one you go to gives you same the result take him to a different one. About 3 weeks ago or so my son had a cough liek that and they diagnosed him with an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection. He is doing better now.

Perhaps try chiropractics? Could it be allergy/asthma related? If so, antibiotics will do no good. Are there any allergens in his room, in the house -- pets, dust, pollens, fragrances, etc.? This area in crazy for respiratory problems, where you may think it a cold, it's actually allergens. Reducing allergens in the home, combined with chiropratics could possible help heal your son.

My son has the same thing. We are also in Mesa and he goes to the babysitters during the day. We are also on a nebulizer and we just started our 2nd round of antibotics since December. His doctor says it is resistant bronchitis. He is only 9 months old and I feel bad that he is still fighting this. The doctor says to keep doing the breathing treatments at least 2 times a day. Also you might check with your doctor about Musinex (spelling?) cough medicine. I wonder if it is just going around. Have you heard any tips that have helped from other moms?
C. R.

My son would always get really sick in the winter months too. We saw a pattern and the pediatrician suggested an allergist. Now that his allergies are under control from meds and shots, he hardly ever has a bad cough and the nebulizer only comes out once in a blue moon when he is in football season. It turned out he was allergic to all grasses and trees( some food allergies as well). He went through the allergy shots for 3-4 years. His meds are very minimal now.
Hope that helps

I'm not sure if your into holistic treatment at all? I would recommend reading Perfect Health for Kids by Dr. John Doulliard. The first few chapters talk about children that have symptoms just like your son. The average child has 8-10 colds a year, this book outlines 10 steps to preventing them. Dr. Douillard wrote the 3 Season diet which I follow for the most part. I work with children and would normally get sick and stay sick for months at a time but since changing my diet I rarely get sick and if I do it's for only 2-3 days max. Obviously this doesn't replace the medical care you are seeking but it can support it. He even gives the right questions you should be asking the doctors.

Hi M.,
I was reading about your son's chronic cough and though I am not a medical professional I'd like to offer my own experience. I have 2 boys one of which has chronic asthma. Have you had a pulminologist check him out for potential asthma? I have a great one his name is Kelvin Panesar in scottsdale, his # is ###-###-####. Also, I don't know what ER you go to but I do know, from experience, that Phoenix Children's Hospital is the BEST. It is worth the extra 10-15 minutes to travel there for your children.
I wish you the very best and will hold you and your son in my thoughts and prayers,
F.

Hi M.,

My daughter had a persistent cough and it was a result of sinusitis. Basically she had a sinus infection and the drainage down the back of her throat created the mucus which in turn made her cough and to the point of where she threw up as well.

She is prone to sinus infections just as other children are prone to ear infections. I called my doctor and insisted that they see her after her cough went on for three weeks (I had several calls to them prior to this as well). I told them my suspicions and sure enough it was a sinus infection and it took a round of antibiotics but it eventually cleared up.

I understand your frustration as many doctors advise that this is the season and to "wait it out". I would just push your doctor to examine him thoroughly. This is the flu season but they should be able to do something. Make sure they check him for RSV. Children can get this at any time and he may be more susceptable since he was sick when he was younger.

One other thing, is the cough coming from his chest or from head cold drainage? Chest congestion can lead to pneumonia so again, I would insist on your doctor seeing him.

Good luck and hang in there.

L.

Hi M.,

Your son's immune system is damaged. You can do several things to BOOST his immune system by

1) switching all your cleaning/laundry/dish care products to non-toxic ones;
2) modifying his diet to EXCLUDE dyes, preservatives, and hydrogenated oils AND INCLUDE lots of fresh veggies;
3) making sure he takes a "quality" supplement; and
4) boost his Vitamin C and give him a small (like a shot) of 100% fruit juice (like pomegranate) with Fish Oil AND Flax Oil. These oils will put a protective layer around his cells and help them communicate better.

I highly recommend taking him to a Naturopath. A Naturopath will get to the root of the problem and work on fixing the real issue. I have a list of references on my web site (www.healthyhabitswellnesscenter.com)

Best wishes to you!

I am also in Mesa. My oldest used to cough for months on end until we would finally start using an inhaler. I finally found a PA who took the time to listen to me and give some attention (more then 5 mins) to my son. Turns out he had allergies. Once we put him on daily allergy meds, he really didn't have the long term coughing anymore. Hth.

E.

Hi M.,

Cut out dairy and wheat for a trial period of a week or so and see if that helps. These are common allergies and one or both may be the cause of your sons persistent cough. If you cut out both and the cough eases, then if you can add one at a time back in to his diet and see what happens to determine which is the culprit.

If not, be persistent determining the cause of his cough. If your pediatrician can't find an answer for you look to alternative sources of advice. I don't know anyone off hand but maybe a naturopath could offer some good information. I've heard that there are a few reputable ND's around town.

M., i have a 12 year old boy who went through a similar situation last year. we went to vacation and he came back sick. and for the next 2+ months he could not get rid of a cough and he had a cold/virus that lasted forever. 2 weeks after getting back he did better only to get sick again a few days later. i am super overprotective and i make sure he dresses warmly, if it's cold weather baths are at night so he doesn't go out into cold weather with wet hair, i mean, truly, i'm old fashioned. that poor kid was not sleeping because of the violent cough at night so he was tired in the morning and it was hard to focus at school. i was so mad with my pediatrician who would not even give him something for cough relief at night after so many weeks and weeks of bad sleep that i left his practice after 15 years! he was exhausted, and i thought it was cruel. my son had dark circles under the eyes.
anyway, i was pulling my hair out, and like you, thought there was something very wrong. you have done right taking him to the ER periodically since nothing has changed. let me tell you the trick i learned from a girlfriend who read about this, tried it, and passed it on to me. at night, when you put your boy to bed, get some vicks vapor rub and rub it on the soles of his feet followed by very nice and warm socks. also, put some on his chest. THE COUGH WILL BE GONE FOR THE NIGHT! obviously you don't want to do it in the daytime, he could slip. but so that he can get a good night's sleep? try it! in fact i just did that him 3 nights ago, his cough woke me up in the middle of the night, and once i walked out of the room he had stopped coughing. he slept (and so did i) for the rest of the night, cough-free.
once he gets old enough to have honey mix 2 TBSP with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. mix it well and give it to him. the results are immediate (better than medicine for cough). it's a great one-two punch, but the honey can be used in the daytime as well, and it lasts a few hours.
hang in there, it's even harder when they're little. and the up and down temps? are not helping at all~ let us know how he is doing!
:)

Has anyone said anything to you about GERD/reflux. You may want to see a pediatric gastroenterologist about this. Also, they could check you son for H-pilori. Just a thought. Coughing can be a symptom of reflux.

Hi M.,
So sorry about your son. I have a 2 1/2 year old myself. When we first brought him home, he had what looked like cold symptoms. The runny nose, cough, the stuffiness, he cried alot and didn't appreciate his baths. It wasn't until I had a sink installed that we realized we had mold in the house. As soon as the whole cabinet was taken out (was black as could be with mold) my whole family has been better. I didn't realize how serious this mold can be. Please check your house for mold. We found it by coincidence and it was underneath the bottom board of the kitchen sink. Never would have known it was there. Good luck with your baby! Prayers for your family.

I can totally relate with you. My son (9 months) has been sick for over half his life. My guess would be that if he was sick when he was born, maybe his immune system is not up to par. My son got RSV when he was 2 months old. It took him over 2 months to get over that. Now every time he gets a cold it is a battle for a month or two. We did the liquid albuterol, we do the nebulizer, he has had steriod shots...you name it, we have done it. I kinda feel the same as you do because it never seems like there is a big improvement but he eventually does get better. My son also has reflux (as someone else had mentioned) so this might contribute as well. Maybe you should look into that if he has any symptoms. I am not sure what else to tell you except to hang in there. I know it is hard because you just want to help them get better. So far it has just been a waiting game for us. Good luck! Let me know if you get any great suggestions or find something else out because it may help us as well. Take care!

Hi M.,

It sounds like your son cannot keep up with his body's need to eliminate. I would suggest its time to look at what a naturapathic doctor can do.

I'm not sure if I am supposed to make specific recommendations but I know Dr. Kyle Ann Cronin is very good and also Dr Jeff Knytych. They are both Naturopathic MD's

Also to get his body back in control of his health, I would suggest a chiropractic technique called B.E.S.T. Dr. Tim Benner is a Master Level chiropractor in this technique and has been practicing 20 yrs. in the valley.

Good luck.

L.