Viral-induced asthma?

[carfreemama]

Can anyone tell me anything about this? My dd is 6 years old and has had a cough for a good 2 months, getting better and worse. This happened last year around this time, too. After not having so much as a sniffle until around the beginning of February, despite being in kindergarten/primary in public school, she has had a cough that is now almost constant. She's had a bad, but brief stomach bug and a 24-hour fever/vomiting thingie in the past month. This time, she felt a little warm; but otherwise, just had a sore throat that was bad enough to hardly be able to swallow. We took her to the children's hospital a couple of days ago, after seeing our ped who sent us there for swabs/cultures for RSV and strep. The strep swab came back negative, though he said the lab is "still going to culture." Not sure what that means. We already had the rx for abx, so we started that after getting the cultures, because her throat was rapidly getting worse and had already been inflamed. Now we get the strep-negative result, but ped says to finish the abx because there was "phlegm in her lungs." Her throat is much better and dd says it doesn't hurt, despite the coughing.

But the coughing has become CONSTANT. She doesn't seem to have any trouble breathing and she is in a remarkably good mood. She is running and playing between bouts of coughing and really not complaining at all. No fever. She is not prone to viruses and up until Feb 28 (her birthday), had not missed a single day of school for illness all year. But I notice when she does get a virus, the cough hangs on for weeks and weeks after the illness; no matter how minor. Ped says not to worry, that the cough must just be the "viral component" and will take longer to go away. She's sleeping now, but I'm worried about her waking up in the middle of the night unable to breathe.

Does this sound like viral asthma?

[Violet2]

I'm kind of in the same boat with some differences, DD has been sick constantly since Jan and we've had one wheezing episode which has put an asthma diagnosis on the table. She has a nagging cough and congestion as well.

From what you describe, it could be viral asthma. However, if she's breathing well and happy and active try not to worry too much. I would maybe push your ped on the next step...maybe see a specialist. Definitely get an albuterol inhaler and spacer to have on hand in case things become serious.

That's what we are doing.

Also because your DD is older, ask her how she feels when she's breathing.

V

[carfreemama]

Sorry to hear you're going through this, too, violet2. I would definitely feel better if I knew there was something I could do for dd if she did start to have trouble breathing. We're not used to this string of illnesses thing, I don't know how you've done it since January! I also don't know how she can have any energy or enthusiasm left with all that coughing. I'd be sooo grumpy if it was me!

If it is some kind of viral-induced asthma, can it get better on its own, or does it always require inhalers or other treatments to get under control?

[Violet2]

Our ped seems to think it will go away eventually. Eventually seems to be defined as 'sometime in the future in a galaxy far away'. They are very low key about dealing with this which irritates me.

At least DD is happy and active and breathing okay. We do give the inhaler when we can get her to take it and it does seem to help. (Me? I have the exact same problem and I am definitely not happy, active or breathing okay so, you know, if they aren't doing well it becomes really obvious.)

That's the key with the inhaler because then you can go back to the ped and say 'the inhaler helps' and then they go 'OH so it is probably asthma' and everyone is on the same freaking page.

The cough should go away but who is to say when? The persistence means there's some chronic airway irritation, it's the source that is in question. You could even be dealing with an allergy. Or a virus, some viruses just hang on and drag out like you would not believe. I even knew a kid where the cough started out as a virus and became a chronic habit--she got so used to coughing she never stopped.

Push for the inhaler and test it out. Then try for a specialist. If it is asthma, it's important to have a game plan for if/when it ever gets worse.

V

[Breathless Wonder]

We're dealing with this too. My DD is 7, and it started out with a virus, which they said turned into pneumonia back in October. Honestly, the albuterol/levalbuterol (which are administered in the form of a rescue inhaler, or a nebulizer treatment) has not been nearly as helpful as steroids were. At this point, she is taking Advair.

[gothnurse3]

I just sort of skimmed the replies but could not leave without posting. I am an RN and have been for 17 years....that being said my 3 children have been having the exact same problems as y'all. I have been soooooo frustrated. I am confused and not real sure what the problem is "called". Be it asthma, rsv, pneumonia

How I see it it keeps happening:
1) allergies (something in the air) flare and/or a cold shows up. I *hate* giving medicine (fear that in 20 years the FDA will come out and say oh, that stuff you gave your kids causes ______fill in the blank). We do saline sinus flushes.
2) It gets worse in a couple of days and their airways become irritated which is why the cough just never goes away. They breath fine but if you use a stethoscope they sound horrible. My children have never done the "OMG, they are having trouble breathing 'asthma attack'" Thank you, Jesus!!!!

More than half the time they get an ear infection too from the back up of fluid.

After repeating this cycle for over a year we have opted to give the drugs to prevent permanent airway damage. It is EXPENSIVE ( around $20.00/day/kid) and I have been forced to work a few shifts a month to pay for it. I feel if we can keep they allergy component down by suppressing it with the meds then we can move away from the neb treatments ( steroid and bronchodilator) until they actually get *sick* with a virus/ bacteria.

Here's our regimen:

1) pulmicort/ albuterol neb treatment twice a day
2) Zyrtec in the AM
3) Singular at bedtime

It seems to be working even though I am very sad that my children are on all these drugs. I hope that all of our children outgrow this. It has been scary and I hope it goes away!!!