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I don't have any experience with asthma. However, my acupuncturist had severe asthma and allergies in her younger years. After trying every treatment with little improvement, she tried acupuncture. After lengthy acupuncture treatment, she is asthma free and has very little allergy reactions. It prompted her to study acupuncture. Just throwing it out there. I'm doubtful a 3 year old would sit still for it, but it's something to keep in mind. I have a friend who takes her two kids for acupuncture and has for years - they are very blase about it.

We have had good results with Singular. It needs to be taken every day regarded of her condition. DS has been on it for 8 years now.

Same thing with my DS. The Singular is what really made the difference. That and going to an allergist/asthma specialist. The regular ped. managed the symptoms when they flared up. The allergist keeps the symptoms from flaring up.

Thanks again everyone. We have an appointment with an allergist for Aug 7th.

So here's a whole other thing... do all these medications cause nightmares or weird pain?

She woke up coughing last night (all night) and seemed to be having a nightmare. She was yelling and screaming at me (leave me alone! Don't talk to me!) and I was just trying to keep her safe. The first time I figured it was a dream because she passed back out. The second time, she coughed, woke up, and was yelling about a party hat and how I took it, so I was definitely thinking it was a dream and the cough woke her up. She mentioned her elbow hurt, then her toe. I threw the light on because I was scared and tried to rock her, and she was upset and asked to lay back down, which seemed to be too in touch with reality to be dreaming but her head hit the pillow and she was back out again.

She was napping just now, with me, and the same thing happened. She started rolling like she was agitated, coughed, and started this crying that sounded like cat's yowling. She said her arm hurt, but refused to be picked up and didn't open her eyes. I picked her up and she started thrashing and yelling "leave me alone! Let me go to my room!" (we were in mine.) I went to take her back and she started yelling to lay back down, still complaining about her arm. I put her back on the pillow and she yowled again, grabbed her arm, and fell back to sleep.

I think that she's just dreaming, and she's not complaining of any pain when fully awake. Her arm may have fallen asleep... but I don't know.

Wrapping back around, does this drug cocktail give nightmares? I have a VM out to the on call doctor but I thought I'd check here.

With all the meds DD6 and I take we've never experienced that. However, there have been times when I've been dreaming and in my dream I've been winded or my chest hurts and when I woke up I was in the middle of an asthma attack. To my way of thinking it was my body doing anything to get me to wake up so I could realize I needed my inhaler, kwim?

It may not be the meds but her body trying to get her to wake up. If she is having a nightmare her body could be tensing up and causing a temporary pain/muscle cramp and when she wakes up it goes away. Just a thought.

The drug manufacturers should last any side effects on their website if the meds didn't come with some paperwork.

(((HUGS)))

Just read the drug info - vague warnings about mood shifts, anxiety, nervousness, mania.... I guess that's a steroid thing.

Looked it up on Google. Scary stuff about "steroid psychosis" and how it doesn't stop after you're done taking it.

Great.

Waiting for on call doc to call me back.

Jrazz, I know and have done daycare for children who weren't as affected by asthma as your dd is who were sent to specialists at major teaching hospitals. Can you get a referral for a pediatric pulmonologist? I'd recommend one as well as the allergist. It sounds stubborn and like it needs more than a family doctor can cover or treat right now

And is she still on the steroids? Because that will certainly cause nightmares in my experience. That coupled with the lack of sleep can really screw with your sleep when you finally do manage to dose off.

Poor little girl. I so hope she feels better soon

Thanks, meta. You said it causes nightmares in your experience - did you or a kid go through it? Did things go back to normal psychologically after the treatment?

Jrazz, I used an inhaler with steroid when I had pneumonia twice, and had nightmares every time I slept.

My mom was on a steroid drug when she got an infection during chemotherapy and they made her very very angry which was completely out of character for her. In both of our cases we felt a million times better when we were done with it.

In my family, between my sister and I, three kids and myself are severely asthmatic. NONE of us were treated in exactly the same way. I really think you need to get to a first class allergist. Once she is on a preventative routine, things will settle down.

And, while they dont outgrow it, it does enter into periods where the asthma isn't so active.

The nightmares/delusions could be from lack of sleep. Kids get weird like that anyway, so try not to stress about that factor. I'm glad you're going to the allergist.

I wanted to dispel the 'move to another climate' theory. So many people have brought non-indiginous plants and created non-native water features when they've moved to areas like AZ that the climate is no longer any help for asthmatics.

Good luck with the little one. I hope she's on the mend soon.

Interestingly, I did outgrow my asthma, though it was much more mild. I did develop the tell-tale cough in the autumn and was very prone to pneumonia and bronchitis as a child, used inhalers for a few seasons, and was completely done with it when puberty hit. So it may get better in time

[This message edited by SI Staff at 9:25 PM, July 17th (Wednesday)]

I don't have asthma, but my mother, brother, and daughter do.

Just some things to add...

It seems to get much more severe when the pollen count is very high.

Central air has been very helpful to them, filters etc.

My mother has said that she can't take Singulair at night as it gave her horrible dreams, so she takes it in the morning.

Be sure to clean and dry tubing for the nebulizer very thoroughly.

When in doubt, a trip to the ER is often a good idea. They have respiratory therapists, pulmonologists etc. and can sometimes be very helpful.

Also, make sure you wash/shampoo hair every day to get rid of any pollen/allergens. Do not dry clothing/sheets etc. outdoors as pollen can land on them also and cause more problems.

Albuterol via nebulizer can make you feel like a total speed freak....I was on it for bronchitis....totally freaked me out....took at least a half an hour for my heart rate to go down.

My son has asthma and has been in the hospital for it a few times. For my peace of mind, I bought one of those pulse oximeters to check his oxygen levels at home. It cost about $35 at the chain pharmacy. I cannot believe no one ever told me about those things. They admit him if its below 95 and won't release him until he holds over 95 without additional oxygen for a day.

I brought mine to the hospital the last time and the respiratory therapist actually thought mine was better! His attacks last a couple days and I know the coughing sucks, but the nurses always tell me it's a good thing, lungs clearing themselves out...

Thanks! I haven't been cleaning the tube... I thought the instructions said not to but it makes sense.

I'm going to look into one of those O2 monitors tomorrow.

Regarding the lings clearing themselves out, it's my understanding that there's a difference between junk in the lungs and inflammation? Like, persistent asthma coughing just keeps up the inflammation, but if you're sick then it's good to clear them out.. but there's a distinction. Is that right?

From my understanding, the inflammation of the lining is what triggers the mucus secretion, and the allergy triggers the inflammation. My son has the mild intermittent type, and gets asthma symptoms mostly with respiratory infections, so his mucus would be increased anyways.

I haven't had him tested for allergies because his triggers are pretty common for asthmatics and the only thing to do is avoid the triggers, lol. I know it's very scary when they are little and can't really explain what's going on. My son is 9 now, and this started at 15 months. Once the maintenance meds are worked out, hopefully you will all get some relief!!

(((((((SweetieVRazz)))))))))

(((((((((((Jrazz))))))))))))

Few thoughts, as I am late joining the thread.....

Yes it would be normal for her to act bizzare with dreams. She is on steroids which make many people a bit goofy. And she is also sleep deprived from not getting good REM sleep for several days with all the coughing. This will go away when she weans off the prednisone, and gets caught up on her sleep.

COOL HUMID air is what works the best, in a pinch when you need the humidity run the shower, and close that bathroom, but if you can make is cold and humid that is actually better, it helps to shrink the inflammation, and moisturize the airways. As a beekeeper, I want to remind you of one of the best cough rememdies know to man from the beginning of time. HONEY!!! Find a local source of raw honey for her. This helps to sooth her airway, and decrease her cough. In addition if she has a fair amount of drainage from her upper airway she will be more apt to cough, so if you can get her to use a neti pot or saline wash she will cough less too.

My kids had whooping cough at one time, and I thought I was going to loose my mind between taking care of them, and the sleep deprivation. So I feel your pain. You will get through this, and your baby will be stronger, and tougher than the rest of the kids because she has dealt with this.

((((and strenght, and PEACEFUL SLEEP for you both)))))

Let me share our Asthma nightmare story with you.

My son has Cough Varient asthma and I learned the hard way that all of those nebulizers and puffers actually made his asthma worse!!

We spent so many months in and out of the hosptial, vistiting asthma specialists and allergists. No one had an answer.

The only medication that ever worked for him is Singulair. He took it one night and his coughing just stopped. I had to run adn check that he hadn't died!!!

He still has an occassional cough, but they think now it is more of a tick than anything else. He is always worse in the winter and damp days.

We spent a lot of time fighting emergency room doctors who basically told me I was crazy, or to take him home there is nothing they can do. It was so frustrating, I cried so many nights for years until we sorted it out.

He got his tonsils out this year (finally, he is 12!!) and he hasn't had one episode at all this year. What a difference.

I hope they help your child out. :)

We see a highly regarded pediatric allergist on July 30th, and we go back to the pediatrician today. I'm going to ask about Singulair.

Thank you so much, everyone.

(((Jrazz)))

So sorry...I just saw this. I hope your appointment today brings some good news.