Need advice about current pertussis infection!

[Jenaka]

I need some advice about a possible pertussis infection in my 6 yo DD.

Some background: she's had cold/cough symptoms for the past month. We initially saw our regular Dr. and DD was on antibiotics for 1 week with no change in symptoms. Since then her cough has gotten worse and she's now to the point of cough spasms leading to gagging/vomiting.

Today: we saw our chiro and he has her starting a supplemental herbal/homeopathic therapy. Also saw regular Dr. who prescribed an inhaler and another stronger round of antibiotics. X-rays and lab work came back negative. Pertussis test won't be known till Wed.

I'm leary of another round of antibiotics, so have not started them yet. Right now I'm using supplements, herbs and essential oils for comfort. So I'd like to hear from those who have gone through a pertussis infection and what seemed to work for them. Also how you handled school and any quarentine for your sick one or immediate family.

My DD seems to have always had a strong immune system, but this infection is kicking her butt!
FYI-she has not had any vaccinations.

Thanks to any who respond!

[Marnica]

If she has been coughing for a month already, (and took antibiotics early on) she is likely no longer contagious and a swab for WC at this point may be useless for diagnostic purposes.

The organism is more likely to be found early in the coughing phase. After 3–4 weeks of cough the organism may have cleared the nasopharyngeal area, although unvaccinated infants may remain culture-positive for more than six weeks.

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize...physician.shtm
In other words in may come back positive it may not. If it doesn't, doesn't mean she doesn't have it. Treat the symptoms and she'll be fine.

Sounds like it may be WC and more antibiotics will not help her and can worsen the clinical course of the disease.

Hands down the best treatment for WC is sodium ascorbate to bowel tolerance (375mg per 2.2lbs of bodyweight is your starting dosage. Give over a 24 hr period in divided doses. Adjust/tweak dose from there. You shoudl see significant reduction in the coughing within a few days once you hit the right dose.

[peilover010202]

i'm facing the same dilemma with my 16 mo old ds right now. He's been coughing for 3 weeks, spasms for 1.5 weeks. Here is a link to some info from my original post.

I did start Sodium Ascorbate on Friday, but haven't gotten a high enough dosage in him to suit me. (About 2500mg). We didn't do an abx.

[Jenaka]

Thanks for the replies. The supplemental therapy from our chiro seems to be helping. She's getting a little life back into her. I really don't want to do the antibiotics. I'm trying to get my hands on some sodium ascorbate, but am having a hard time finding it locally. Might have to order it online. Did you use the SA on family members who have been in close contact? Does anyone know how schools deal with a positive diagnoses?

[Jenaka]

Forgot to ask: Does WC show up on lung xrays? Is it a similar picture to pneumonia? Also does your white blood cell count go up like it would if you had another bacterial infection?

[peilover010202]

If she's taken abx, then according to my research, she's no longer contagious (after a 5 day prescription for Zithormax.) And no longer contagious after 21 days of coughing without abx.
My dr did a immunoglobulin test for Pertussis, which will tell us if he has/had the infection. The cultures can read false nagative if you wait too long. I'm doubtful that an xray could tell you for sure. My dr didn't recommend that.
We started SA for the entire family. ds2 (also unvaxed) started with the cough yesterday and we started him on abx since we caught it early. ds1 didn't get abx because I didn't catch on to what was happening until he reached the coughing spasms.
I ordered my SA online from Bronson vitamins (laboratories.)

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Jenaka

Forgot to ask: Does WC show up on lung xrays? Is it a similar picture to pneumonia? Also does your white blood cell count go up like it would if you had another bacterial infection?

Both blood tests and x-rays are done as a secondary measure if at all.

A complete blood count (CBC) will monitor the levels of the different type of blood cells. High levels of lymphocytes (white blood cells) indicates the body’s response to an infection. It will not conclusively identify the type of microorganism.

A chest x-ray cannot conclusively confirm a diagnosis of pertussis, however, it will indicate complications and other upper respiratory tract disease

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by peilover010202

If she's taken abx, then according to my research, she's no longer contagious (after a 5 day prescription for Zithormax.) And no longer contagious after 21 days of coughing without abx.
My dr did a immunoglobulin test for Pertussis, which will tell us if he has/had the infection. The cultures can read false nagative if you wait too long. I'm doubtful that an xray could tell you for sure. My dr didn't recommend that.
We started SA for the entire family. ds2 (also unvaxed) started with the cough yesterday and we started him on abx since we caught it early. ds1 didn't get abx because I didn't catch on to what was happening until he reached the coughing spasms.
I ordered my SA online from Bronson vitamins (laboratories.)

Just want to re-iterate that abx will do nothing to help the clinical course of WC, and can often extend the symptoms and make it worse. What it will do is shorten the lenght of time the person is contagious. So unless one is comfortable quarantining their child for 21 days after the cough shows up, than abx shuld be given I suppose.

[peilover010202]

Marnica, that's my concern. At this point, we don't have a + result for ds3, and ds2 has been exposed and has started the coughing. I cannot quarantine for another 21 days. Sounds selfish I'm sure, but ds1 is involved in soccer and Cub Scouts and I'm the only one who can take him. He'll miss the entire soccer season if I quarantine for 21 days. :/ I thought (and perhaps misunderstood), that if caught early then the abx could actually REDUCE the severity, but if started LATE in the course of the disease, could prolong the recovery stage. Did I misinterpret somewhere? (which is very possible.) At this point, I've only given 1 day of abx, so I'm not against discontinuing.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by peilover010202

Marnica, that's my concern. At this point, we don't have a + result for ds3, and ds2 has been exposed and has started the coughing. I cannot quarantine for another 21 days. Sounds selfish I'm sure, but ds1 is involved in soccer and Cub Scouts and I'm the only one who can take him. He'll miss the entire soccer season if I quarantine for 21 days. :/ I thought (and perhaps misunderstood), that if caught early then the abx could actually REDUCE the severity, but if started LATE in the course of the disease, could prolong the recovery stage. Did I misinterpret somewhere? (which is very possible.) At this point, I've only given 1 day of abx, so I'm not against discontinuing.

As a working mom who has to go to work to pay the bills, I hear you. I often wonder what I would do about the abx if DS gets WC. If you cannot keep him home, you really have no choice but to give the abx. Everything I have read suggests that abx do nothing to lessen he severity of WC, and can actually extend the period of coughing, (ill look for my links and post back if I can find them) but you have to do what you have to do. Make sure you are giving him probiotics while on abx and continue for a good long time after the course is over. Also please please do SA to BT. it will help so much!

here are some links about abx use in WC
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract

Children who received an antibiotic had a duration of cough 6 to 11 days longer and spasmodic cough 4 to 13 days longer than untreated patients.

Clinical Infectious Diseases 1992;14:708-719 "Epidemiological Features of Pertussis in the United States, 1980 - 1989" Farizo K M. et al.

when treatment with erythromycin was initiated... the duration of cough tended to be even longer than for persons who did not receive erythromycin at all."

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/coc...404/frame.html

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotics are effective in eliminating B. pertussis from patients with the disease, rendering them non-infectious, but do not alter the subsequent clinical course of the illness. There is insufficient evidence to determine the benefit of prophylactic treatment of pertussis contacts.

[Jenaka]

Well DD tested positive for WC. Which is surprising since she's been coughing for a month now. Anyway, I'm going to do the 5 day Zithromax so she can go back to school next week. She's not one to learn as well with me at home. My DS (3) is in preschool, so I'll have to have him on antibiotics too. I realize that it won't help the disease itself, but I do want to reduce the contagiousness (sp?) of it.
[B]peilover010202[B]- Have you decided with the antibiotics yet? It's so hard to know. On one hand you know it's really not going to do anything for the WC, but on the other, you have to think about others who are in contact.
Right now, I'm just concentrating on DD and DS and taking it day by day. I'll do the antibiotics to appease the health professionals, but my goal is help them through this illness and hopefully it will make them stronger.

[peilover010202]

Jenaka, I am doing the abx for my 4yo. My 17mo (today!), has been coughing now for 28 days, so no longer contagious.

I have increased SA to 4000mg for my 17mo and 6000mg for my 4yo.