The ABC Homeopathy Forum
My 3yr. old with asthma, hesitant to give oral & inhaled steroids
Hello,My 3 1/2 yr. old son was diagnosed 2 years ago with astmha. For the most part, thankfully, when he begins to have an attack, we use the nebulizer with albuterol, and it usually works. Last night it didn't work very well, and he was having a pretty severe attack which resulted in an ambulance ride to the hospital. We followed up with his pediatrician this afternoon, and she wants me to keep him on prednisolone (oral steroid) for 5 days, then continue with inhaled steroid 2x a day indefinitly. I want to start using homeopathic remedies, but I'm unsure if I can start some of these in conjunction till I can taper him off the steroids. We use herbs ALOT, but don't have much experience with Homeopathics. He has an attack every couple of months, and it definitly seems to be triggered by dust among other things. We only give him soymilk, and good juices. Rarely eats cookies. We mostly eat raw fruits & veggies with fish or chicken for dinner. I have pretty much eliminated processed foods from his diet. No boxed or shelf food, with the exception of cereal. We barely give him bread. Mostly just fruits, veggies, and all natural chicken and fish. Joe De Livera suggested Nat Sulph 6c, but I am wondering if I can use that with the steroids and albuterol. He stated that it is best used when not having any astma symptoms, and must stop all other remedies while using. If that is the case, what could I start using now since the asthma attack just happened and he still has some symptoms? I just gave him 5 pellets of Spongia Tosta 30c, so I will see how that works, because he does have a bit of a croupy sound. All help is greatly appreciated, and I feel like I'm getting VERY LITTLE help from my pediatrician. All they want to do is write a prescription and send him on his way. We've had no tests or anything. All they want to do is put him on steroids and keep us quiet. Thank you.
Elisha on 2005-12-16
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
Elisha,
I am glad to see that you are seeking homeopathy as a resource to help cure your son's asthma. I am no Doctor nor am I a Naturopath however, I cured myself from Asthma after 18years through homeopathy. IT CAN BE DONE! Also, I did a complete 360 on my environment and diet, which is so critical. So have faith, patience and stay with the course.
First, you are doing the right things with changing his diet. Asthmatics are often sensitive to sulfites, food additives and chemicals in our food. Start reading labels for your son because even healthy foods like Tuna can have sulfites in them as preservatives. Secondly, if he has more asthma problems at night (vs. the daytime) when trying to sleep, think about dust mite covers for the mattress. Do you have carpet in the house? In his room? Carpet is bad for asthma for the same reason, dust mites and the synthetics that can cause allergic triggers. Use a HEPA filtered vacuum also if you do have carpet because vacuums kick up TONS of dust and microbes which can be allergic triggers. Try to use natural cleaners and not strong chemical cleaners like bleach, fantastic, etc. which are also irritants to asthmatics. Use a 3 to 1, water/white vinegar solution, which is anti-bacterial and works well for cleaning (like his toys, feeding areas, etc). Even your washing powder might affect his clothes, bedding, etc. Borax is more neutral and does not usually cause allergic triggers related to allergies or asthma. Any pets? Smokers in the house? What about mold? That is a real serious trigger for asthma and may be worth looking into, especially if you live in an old apartment building or house. Do some reading on the allergens and triggers for asthma and test on your own to see which ones really seem to cause a reaction in your son. (Take them out of the environment for a while or switch to an alternative and see what happens)
As far as herbs and vitamins here's what I recommend:
Vit C; protects lungs and keeps down inflammation - powder form (because your son is 3, he will probably not take tablets to willingly - I know a website where you can get pure/good vitamin c powder)
Vit B (multi); anti-inflammatory and stimulates immunity - powder or chop up capsule (same website - I can give you to order pure/good vit b multi)
Children's Echinacea; immune booster - liquid form (again, I can recommend a website)
{I use all of these on myself and my children who are 1yrs and 4yrs.}
Because your son is so young, some of the other herbs may be inappropriate for his age but there are many others.
Be sparingly with the dairy products as they can produce allergic responses or increased mucous production which can aggravate asthma. And increase green veggies in his diet, if he will eat them or juice them. Even if your water is contaminated, it can cause problems. Use a filtered system like PUR or Brita. We even boil the water first and then pour it through the filter for me and the kids.
Even read the labels on the chicken carefully.
As far as the homeopathic remedies, I don't know all of your son's symptoms however, I took Arsenicum album, sometimes Nux v. or kali c. I was more of an Ars. Alb type. I would need to know more of your child's specific symptoms to make any sound recommendation. There are many great doctors on this forum site also that can help with specific remedy recommendations. I can suggest something based on my books and experiences but by all means, utilize these doctors who have the diagnostic experience and expertise.
I could go on forever because this was how I got into natural healing and homeopathy; I read everything I could get my hands on and became a human guinea pig. Mainly, because I came home from the doctor after an ER stay for an attack with 5 prescription meds - including a steroidal inhaler. I was 25 years old and I said, "ENOUGH!" I am 35 now and happy to report that I have not had an attack or episode in 10 years using homeopathy, natural remedies and many environmental changes. There is no asthma in my house period (thank God). I DID use the homeopathy in conjunction with the albuterol and the claritin-D however, I DID NOT use the steroidal inhaler or nasal inhaler. That was my choice and I am not saying emphatically, that is what you should do. You have to do what you are comfortable with. Continue with the nebulizer and maybe try a humidifier also.
I know this was long but I do hope that it was helpful. If I can help further or you want some additional information that I offered above, please let me know. Thanks.
Erika
I am glad to see that you are seeking homeopathy as a resource to help cure your son's asthma. I am no Doctor nor am I a Naturopath however, I cured myself from Asthma after 18years through homeopathy. IT CAN BE DONE! Also, I did a complete 360 on my environment and diet, which is so critical. So have faith, patience and stay with the course.
First, you are doing the right things with changing his diet. Asthmatics are often sensitive to sulfites, food additives and chemicals in our food. Start reading labels for your son because even healthy foods like Tuna can have sulfites in them as preservatives. Secondly, if he has more asthma problems at night (vs. the daytime) when trying to sleep, think about dust mite covers for the mattress. Do you have carpet in the house? In his room? Carpet is bad for asthma for the same reason, dust mites and the synthetics that can cause allergic triggers. Use a HEPA filtered vacuum also if you do have carpet because vacuums kick up TONS of dust and microbes which can be allergic triggers. Try to use natural cleaners and not strong chemical cleaners like bleach, fantastic, etc. which are also irritants to asthmatics. Use a 3 to 1, water/white vinegar solution, which is anti-bacterial and works well for cleaning (like his toys, feeding areas, etc). Even your washing powder might affect his clothes, bedding, etc. Borax is more neutral and does not usually cause allergic triggers related to allergies or asthma. Any pets? Smokers in the house? What about mold? That is a real serious trigger for asthma and may be worth looking into, especially if you live in an old apartment building or house. Do some reading on the allergens and triggers for asthma and test on your own to see which ones really seem to cause a reaction in your son. (Take them out of the environment for a while or switch to an alternative and see what happens)
As far as herbs and vitamins here's what I recommend:
Vit C; protects lungs and keeps down inflammation - powder form (because your son is 3, he will probably not take tablets to willingly - I know a website where you can get pure/good vitamin c powder)
Vit B (multi); anti-inflammatory and stimulates immunity - powder or chop up capsule (same website - I can give you to order pure/good vit b multi)
Children's Echinacea; immune booster - liquid form (again, I can recommend a website)
{I use all of these on myself and my children who are 1yrs and 4yrs.}
Because your son is so young, some of the other herbs may be inappropriate for his age but there are many others.
Be sparingly with the dairy products as they can produce allergic responses or increased mucous production which can aggravate asthma. And increase green veggies in his diet, if he will eat them or juice them. Even if your water is contaminated, it can cause problems. Use a filtered system like PUR or Brita. We even boil the water first and then pour it through the filter for me and the kids.
Even read the labels on the chicken carefully.
As far as the homeopathic remedies, I don't know all of your son's symptoms however, I took Arsenicum album, sometimes Nux v. or kali c. I was more of an Ars. Alb type. I would need to know more of your child's specific symptoms to make any sound recommendation. There are many great doctors on this forum site also that can help with specific remedy recommendations. I can suggest something based on my books and experiences but by all means, utilize these doctors who have the diagnostic experience and expertise.
I could go on forever because this was how I got into natural healing and homeopathy; I read everything I could get my hands on and became a human guinea pig. Mainly, because I came home from the doctor after an ER stay for an attack with 5 prescription meds - including a steroidal inhaler. I was 25 years old and I said, "ENOUGH!" I am 35 now and happy to report that I have not had an attack or episode in 10 years using homeopathy, natural remedies and many environmental changes. There is no asthma in my house period (thank God). I DID use the homeopathy in conjunction with the albuterol and the claritin-D however, I DID NOT use the steroidal inhaler or nasal inhaler. That was my choice and I am not saying emphatically, that is what you should do. You have to do what you are comfortable with. Continue with the nebulizer and maybe try a humidifier also.
I know this was long but I do hope that it was helpful. If I can help further or you want some additional information that I offered above, please let me know. Thanks.
Erika
erika1 last decade
I just wanted to add/clarify that within 6 months I was off ALL meds period - even the homeopathic remedies I used sparingly for maintenance. I keep albuterol in the house because my Doctors suggested to keep up my prescription but I haven't used it in 10 years. After 2 months I was off of the 2 allopathic remedies, albuterol and claritin-D. It was a process but it was worthwhile. Cure your little guy while he is young and don't let him go through 18 years of that misery, like I did! Regards.
E
E
erika1 last decade
Hi Erika,
Thanks so much for all of your advice. We have hard wood floors in the living & dining room. The rooms with carpet are the bedrooms. We have been using 2 air filters for about 1 year now, which definitly seemed to help. About 6 months ago I did get 2 cats. Sounds crazy, but my daughter had been begging me, and I told her we'd try it and see how your brother responds. Ironically, he's only had 1 bad attack since we've gotten them, which really surprised me. I've been talking to her about the big possibility that we're going to have to find them new homes, though. The herbs that we give him are mostly through Nature's Sunshine. I give him elderberry, antioxidants, and a mineral supplement. I also give him a lot of flaxseed oil and spirulina. I give him the soymilk which also has a pretty high amount of B12. I give him Pau D'arco every day, along with Goldenseal & Parthenium (parthenium is good for allergies)I also give him ALJ which is a combination of herbs for upper respiratory support. I also give him an antiviral formula. This is pretty much what I give him every day. These are all in liquid form that I put in his sippy cup. They taste absolutely horrible, but he likes them because I've been giving them to him since he was a baby. So, I'm pretty lucky there. I've been having someone clean my house, so I'll make sure I tell them to use the vinegar solution that you were speaking of. That sounds great, and I've never heard of that. So, can I just have them pretty much wipe everything down with that vinegar solution? By the way, I do have dust mite covers for our bedding now which seemed to have helped tremendously! I bought them a couple months ago. Is there a particular kind that you use? I don't think we have much mold because we live in Southern California, and it doesn't get very wet here. I'm sure there is some, but not as bad as other places would get. Thanks again so much for your help! Oh, we also only use bottled water. Thanks! I just wanted to be as thorough as possible in response to your post.
Thanks so much for all of your advice. We have hard wood floors in the living & dining room. The rooms with carpet are the bedrooms. We have been using 2 air filters for about 1 year now, which definitly seemed to help. About 6 months ago I did get 2 cats. Sounds crazy, but my daughter had been begging me, and I told her we'd try it and see how your brother responds. Ironically, he's only had 1 bad attack since we've gotten them, which really surprised me. I've been talking to her about the big possibility that we're going to have to find them new homes, though. The herbs that we give him are mostly through Nature's Sunshine. I give him elderberry, antioxidants, and a mineral supplement. I also give him a lot of flaxseed oil and spirulina. I give him the soymilk which also has a pretty high amount of B12. I give him Pau D'arco every day, along with Goldenseal & Parthenium (parthenium is good for allergies)I also give him ALJ which is a combination of herbs for upper respiratory support. I also give him an antiviral formula. This is pretty much what I give him every day. These are all in liquid form that I put in his sippy cup. They taste absolutely horrible, but he likes them because I've been giving them to him since he was a baby. So, I'm pretty lucky there. I've been having someone clean my house, so I'll make sure I tell them to use the vinegar solution that you were speaking of. That sounds great, and I've never heard of that. So, can I just have them pretty much wipe everything down with that vinegar solution? By the way, I do have dust mite covers for our bedding now which seemed to have helped tremendously! I bought them a couple months ago. Is there a particular kind that you use? I don't think we have much mold because we live in Southern California, and it doesn't get very wet here. I'm sure there is some, but not as bad as other places would get. Thanks again so much for your help! Oh, we also only use bottled water. Thanks! I just wanted to be as thorough as possible in response to your post.
Elisha last decade
Hi Elisha,
There are two ways homeopathy can help in cases of Asthma.
It can help during an acute attack, and it can also help reducing the frequency of attacks till the patient get completely cured.
For this, we need all the physical and mental symptoms of your son, (eg: his aversions, cravings, sleep pattern, dreams, thermal state, bowel habits, mood/temperament, fears etc...)
Please write in detail about him, so that we could suggest a remedy.
Also, when does he typically get acute attacks? ( night/ morning/ rainy days...) What makes his breathlessness better and worse? (moving around, lying down, open air, fan, etc...)Are there any associated symptoms along with breathlessness during an acute attack?
There are two ways homeopathy can help in cases of Asthma.
It can help during an acute attack, and it can also help reducing the frequency of attacks till the patient get completely cured.
For this, we need all the physical and mental symptoms of your son, (eg: his aversions, cravings, sleep pattern, dreams, thermal state, bowel habits, mood/temperament, fears etc...)
Please write in detail about him, so that we could suggest a remedy.
Also, when does he typically get acute attacks? ( night/ morning/ rainy days...) What makes his breathlessness better and worse? (moving around, lying down, open air, fan, etc...)Are there any associated symptoms along with breathlessness during an acute attack?
magicure last decade
Elisha,
Sorry it took me a while to post. I read everything you said and the other posts. Just to respond to what your wrote. Keep in mind about the carpet in the bedroom if you see that he is still having problems at night. There is not a particular kind of dust-mite covers I use beyond them being antibacterial. I am an animal LOVER so I KNOW how it is with pets in the house. Unfortunately, if you are finding that your son is having a reaction, then you may have to consider giving them to relatives (I know, I've been there!).
As far as the herbs are concerned, a word of caution: try to use PURE herbs. What do I mean? All herbs aren't pure and still use many synthetics in them that may cause reactions in sensitive Asthmatics. Trust me I know, personally. Do some reading on the herb manufacturers and/or the people who are producing the herbs to get a better idea. I can give you 2 websites where I get herbal and vitamin products that I trust and find to have no secondary, allergic reactions to. Also, a word of caution on Goldenseal and Pau D'arco for such a little guy - watch the dosages and frequencies of administering. There is controversy about whether they are safe for small children especially in large doses. I like the children's Echinacea that I use because it is diluted in a safe dosage for children and has a dropper so you can use just a few drops according to age/weight.
As far as the post about Soymilk, I have read similar articles but cannot confirm emphatically anything on that subject. I can suggest buying organic, hormone, pesticide free, lactose free milk from the healthfood store (like Whole Foods - I don't know if you have a store like that). My family does that, and to prevent salmonella's we boil our milk and store it in the refridge in a seperate container. Sounds extreme but for some people with sensitive allergies and asthma, these extra steps can help. Boiling keeps bacteria down and consequently keeps immunity up which is important with Asthmatics.
I don't mean to sound like a fanatic but also a word of caution on the bottled water: bottled water can also contain chemicals that are used in the bottling process, such as benzene which is cancer causing AND most importantly, weakens the immunity that you are trying to build up in your little guy. Sometimes when you are drinking your bottled water, smell it or even in the taste, you can taste remnants of chemicals. That's why. Sometimes bottled water has also been found to be more contaminated than tap water. Water from the tap is not perfect either however, if you boil and filter it with a charcoal filter(like Brita,etc), you are better off. Time consuming but it is worth it.
Please take time, like Magicure said and list your son's repetoire of symptoms because it is also equally important to determine a homeopathic remedy(ies) that your son should get started on ASAP.
I hope that this information has been helpful. Regards,
Erika
Sorry it took me a while to post. I read everything you said and the other posts. Just to respond to what your wrote. Keep in mind about the carpet in the bedroom if you see that he is still having problems at night. There is not a particular kind of dust-mite covers I use beyond them being antibacterial. I am an animal LOVER so I KNOW how it is with pets in the house. Unfortunately, if you are finding that your son is having a reaction, then you may have to consider giving them to relatives (I know, I've been there!).
As far as the herbs are concerned, a word of caution: try to use PURE herbs. What do I mean? All herbs aren't pure and still use many synthetics in them that may cause reactions in sensitive Asthmatics. Trust me I know, personally. Do some reading on the herb manufacturers and/or the people who are producing the herbs to get a better idea. I can give you 2 websites where I get herbal and vitamin products that I trust and find to have no secondary, allergic reactions to. Also, a word of caution on Goldenseal and Pau D'arco for such a little guy - watch the dosages and frequencies of administering. There is controversy about whether they are safe for small children especially in large doses. I like the children's Echinacea that I use because it is diluted in a safe dosage for children and has a dropper so you can use just a few drops according to age/weight.
As far as the post about Soymilk, I have read similar articles but cannot confirm emphatically anything on that subject. I can suggest buying organic, hormone, pesticide free, lactose free milk from the healthfood store (like Whole Foods - I don't know if you have a store like that). My family does that, and to prevent salmonella's we boil our milk and store it in the refridge in a seperate container. Sounds extreme but for some people with sensitive allergies and asthma, these extra steps can help. Boiling keeps bacteria down and consequently keeps immunity up which is important with Asthmatics.
I don't mean to sound like a fanatic but also a word of caution on the bottled water: bottled water can also contain chemicals that are used in the bottling process, such as benzene which is cancer causing AND most importantly, weakens the immunity that you are trying to build up in your little guy. Sometimes when you are drinking your bottled water, smell it or even in the taste, you can taste remnants of chemicals. That's why. Sometimes bottled water has also been found to be more contaminated than tap water. Water from the tap is not perfect either however, if you boil and filter it with a charcoal filter(like Brita,etc), you are better off. Time consuming but it is worth it.
Please take time, like Magicure said and list your son's repetoire of symptoms because it is also equally important to determine a homeopathic remedy(ies) that your son should get started on ASAP.
I hope that this information has been helpful. Regards,
Erika
erika1 last decade
Hello again everyone. Again, thank you all so much for helping. I really appreciate it. First, in response to magicure's post:
He doesn't really seem to have many aversions. One day he'll completely dislike something, the next day he'll love it. Seems kind of sad to me that I don't always know specific details like some parents do, but my son is VERY sporadic. Since he's been a baby I could not figure him out. Not his eating schedule, sleeping schedule, fussy time or playful time. It's always been different. I remember telling my husband when he was only 3 months old, "I just can't figure this baby out!"
Aversions:
none really that are known. some days he's picky about what he eats, other days he'll eat anything. He has a pretty flexible palette. He doesn't seem to like salmon too much. He also doesn't like red meat too well. He definitly won't eat fast food of any kind.
Cravings:
He loves beans, broccoli, peas & blueberries. He loves fruit and most vegetables. We still give him a bottle probably twice a day, but he does not go to bed with it. He definitly craves his bottle "ninny". Lately he's been wanting juice in his "ninny" instead of his milk. We've been giving him watered down cranberry and rasberry juice. Not my first choice, but it's what my husband keeps bringing home. I just realized today that it's only 27% juice, and we've been giving it to him for about 1 month, so we're definitly going to stop that. He doesn't ask for sweets too much I think because we've never really kept them around, so I don't really know if that is why. I know when he was little he hated anything that wasn't completely bland. Nothing sweet. I nursed him til he was about 6 months old and I just couldn't produce enough milk. I think his first couple months of life must have been miserable because he cried alot, and always seemed hungry, and I don't think I was producing enough milk. I thought I was really watching what I was eating (I was mostly vegetarian) but I always made sure I was taking in enough protein, B's, and other vital nutrients. I was a pretty educated vegetarian when it came to how to eat properly. I know a possibility was that the vegetarian diet may have made him gassy. So, I switched him to formula at about 6 months. It was a soy formula, although I don't remember what brand. From the time he started eating solids and drinking juice I always made his food and juice at home. I would bake sweet potatoes, and make carrot juice, apple juice, peas, mashed up avocado, banana, etc. I don't think he ever had bottled juice or jarred food until he was about 1 1/2.
Sleep patterns:
He has slept with my husband & I since birth, ALWAYS. Especially now with his asthma I'm terrified to put him in his own bed. For the last year or so, he would be in bed by 8:30, but over the last couple of months, he's not falling asleep until 10-11pm. He just wants to stay up and play. I do know his nanny (her home daycare) was letting him nap pretty late. Until about 6-8 months ago it was rare that he would sleep through the night. He would wake up 2-3 times a night from the time he was born. So, the first couple years of life, he definitly wasn't sleeping well. He usually won't sleep past 7:15am, even when he goes to bed late. He won't nap for me at home, really never did, even when he was a baby. He was never sick his whole first year and 1/2 of life, and we've never vaccinated him.
Dreams:
I don't know much about dreams, he's never said anything. I don't think he understands the concept yet. I'm not quite sure what you mean by thermal state. His temperature averages around 97.5. For a long time though, his temperature would seem elevated especially during an asthma attack, but would have no other signs of illness. His body does not handle fevers well at all, and even a slight fever of 99 is enough to make him very lethargic. When he was 1 1/2, he did have a febrile seizure in december of 2003. He was also diagnosed with RSV in January 2005, and was hospitalized for 3 days. They didn't put him on any antibiotics, just kept him on sodium chloride? IV's, and albuterol to help his breathing. After a couple weeks he was completely back to normal.
Bowel habits:
He has a bowel movement usually once a day. His stool is usually soft, but people have told me it's because he eats so many fruits and veggies. Normal colors, brownish.
Mood/Temperament:
HE is pretty hyper. Especially in the evening when he should be completely pooped, he's a madman. He runs around screaming, even starts hitting and taunting us. Some evenings, though, he will just chill out and play quietly. I can't point out why sometimes he's calm and others he's not. One thing I can say about that is it seems like when I'm running around doing chores and being busy, he's calm. If I'm sitting and relaxing, he's crazy. No kidding. Aside from his being hyper, he is very loving. He loves to be held, and he does get an abundance of attention from me & my husband. From the time my husband comes home from work, til my son falls asleep, he is playing with him. He likes to agitate a lot. Mostly his sister. She is 8 years old. He has normal fears, but not too much. I think because he is so secure, with us always giving him so much attention, he doesn't really seem to be afraid of anything. HE's not too shy, very outgoing, definitly a showoff in public. He typically gets acute attacks in the middle of the night. This is the only time I've ever known of him to have a full blown attack, wheezing and all. Sometimes the day after he'll still have some problems, but it's nothing like what happens at night. I have no idea what makes his attacks better or worse. I always give him albuterol if the attack is bad enough, and it helps. I don't know anything about open air, lying down, etc. Moving around a lot doesn't seem to affect him, because he's so hyper anyway, and it's never seemed to cause an attack. we keep a fan on in our bedroom at night, but it is an air purifier. IT has never seemed to affect him. Most of his really acute attacks do occur in december through February. We live in Southern California, so that is our rainy season. There don't seem to be any other associated symptoms with an attack other than elevated temperature. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why he would have a fever with an asthma attack, because the Dr. told me that asthma itself will not cause a fever, but he wouldn't have any other signs of illness. Finally someone told me that because his body is working harder to breath, it will elevate his temperature. Also, any time he has an attack, he will not have a lingering cough. Has never had a lingering cough or problem with runny nose. Just straight asthma attack, a little trouble breathing for a couple days, and then that's it. I just can't figure it out. It has been a couple months since he'd had a bad asthma attack. A few months ago I got allergen covers for all of our pillows. Just the other night when he had that really bad attack, he wanted to sleep in his room. So his dad went in and slept on the floor beside him. He awoke at 2am with a very bad attack. We called the ambulance because the albuterol nebulizer didn't seem to be working. They took him to the ER, and we came home around 6am. When we got home, I went into his room and saw that he had been sleeping on 2 really old stuffed animal pillows that were probably filled with dust mites and germs. They were so old, I thought we threw them out last year. My daughter said they had been under her bed for a while, however, I had not seen them there. They may have been in the closet or something. This recent attack was accompanied by a barky, croupy cough, however, that was not productive. I gave him Spongia Tosta 30c, last night and a couple times today, and he's seems to not be having any problems. I also followed the Dr.'s orders and gave him an oral dose of steroids yesterday and this morning. This morning he probably only got half a dose because he didn't drink all of his juice it was in. I hope I didn't miss anything. His dad also had asthma when he was little. Thank you again so much for all help.
He doesn't really seem to have many aversions. One day he'll completely dislike something, the next day he'll love it. Seems kind of sad to me that I don't always know specific details like some parents do, but my son is VERY sporadic. Since he's been a baby I could not figure him out. Not his eating schedule, sleeping schedule, fussy time or playful time. It's always been different. I remember telling my husband when he was only 3 months old, "I just can't figure this baby out!"
Aversions:
none really that are known. some days he's picky about what he eats, other days he'll eat anything. He has a pretty flexible palette. He doesn't seem to like salmon too much. He also doesn't like red meat too well. He definitly won't eat fast food of any kind.
Cravings:
He loves beans, broccoli, peas & blueberries. He loves fruit and most vegetables. We still give him a bottle probably twice a day, but he does not go to bed with it. He definitly craves his bottle "ninny". Lately he's been wanting juice in his "ninny" instead of his milk. We've been giving him watered down cranberry and rasberry juice. Not my first choice, but it's what my husband keeps bringing home. I just realized today that it's only 27% juice, and we've been giving it to him for about 1 month, so we're definitly going to stop that. He doesn't ask for sweets too much I think because we've never really kept them around, so I don't really know if that is why. I know when he was little he hated anything that wasn't completely bland. Nothing sweet. I nursed him til he was about 6 months old and I just couldn't produce enough milk. I think his first couple months of life must have been miserable because he cried alot, and always seemed hungry, and I don't think I was producing enough milk. I thought I was really watching what I was eating (I was mostly vegetarian) but I always made sure I was taking in enough protein, B's, and other vital nutrients. I was a pretty educated vegetarian when it came to how to eat properly. I know a possibility was that the vegetarian diet may have made him gassy. So, I switched him to formula at about 6 months. It was a soy formula, although I don't remember what brand. From the time he started eating solids and drinking juice I always made his food and juice at home. I would bake sweet potatoes, and make carrot juice, apple juice, peas, mashed up avocado, banana, etc. I don't think he ever had bottled juice or jarred food until he was about 1 1/2.
Sleep patterns:
He has slept with my husband & I since birth, ALWAYS. Especially now with his asthma I'm terrified to put him in his own bed. For the last year or so, he would be in bed by 8:30, but over the last couple of months, he's not falling asleep until 10-11pm. He just wants to stay up and play. I do know his nanny (her home daycare) was letting him nap pretty late. Until about 6-8 months ago it was rare that he would sleep through the night. He would wake up 2-3 times a night from the time he was born. So, the first couple years of life, he definitly wasn't sleeping well. He usually won't sleep past 7:15am, even when he goes to bed late. He won't nap for me at home, really never did, even when he was a baby. He was never sick his whole first year and 1/2 of life, and we've never vaccinated him.
Dreams:
I don't know much about dreams, he's never said anything. I don't think he understands the concept yet. I'm not quite sure what you mean by thermal state. His temperature averages around 97.5. For a long time though, his temperature would seem elevated especially during an asthma attack, but would have no other signs of illness. His body does not handle fevers well at all, and even a slight fever of 99 is enough to make him very lethargic. When he was 1 1/2, he did have a febrile seizure in december of 2003. He was also diagnosed with RSV in January 2005, and was hospitalized for 3 days. They didn't put him on any antibiotics, just kept him on sodium chloride? IV's, and albuterol to help his breathing. After a couple weeks he was completely back to normal.
Bowel habits:
He has a bowel movement usually once a day. His stool is usually soft, but people have told me it's because he eats so many fruits and veggies. Normal colors, brownish.
Mood/Temperament:
HE is pretty hyper. Especially in the evening when he should be completely pooped, he's a madman. He runs around screaming, even starts hitting and taunting us. Some evenings, though, he will just chill out and play quietly. I can't point out why sometimes he's calm and others he's not. One thing I can say about that is it seems like when I'm running around doing chores and being busy, he's calm. If I'm sitting and relaxing, he's crazy. No kidding. Aside from his being hyper, he is very loving. He loves to be held, and he does get an abundance of attention from me & my husband. From the time my husband comes home from work, til my son falls asleep, he is playing with him. He likes to agitate a lot. Mostly his sister. She is 8 years old. He has normal fears, but not too much. I think because he is so secure, with us always giving him so much attention, he doesn't really seem to be afraid of anything. HE's not too shy, very outgoing, definitly a showoff in public. He typically gets acute attacks in the middle of the night. This is the only time I've ever known of him to have a full blown attack, wheezing and all. Sometimes the day after he'll still have some problems, but it's nothing like what happens at night. I have no idea what makes his attacks better or worse. I always give him albuterol if the attack is bad enough, and it helps. I don't know anything about open air, lying down, etc. Moving around a lot doesn't seem to affect him, because he's so hyper anyway, and it's never seemed to cause an attack. we keep a fan on in our bedroom at night, but it is an air purifier. IT has never seemed to affect him. Most of his really acute attacks do occur in december through February. We live in Southern California, so that is our rainy season. There don't seem to be any other associated symptoms with an attack other than elevated temperature. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why he would have a fever with an asthma attack, because the Dr. told me that asthma itself will not cause a fever, but he wouldn't have any other signs of illness. Finally someone told me that because his body is working harder to breath, it will elevate his temperature. Also, any time he has an attack, he will not have a lingering cough. Has never had a lingering cough or problem with runny nose. Just straight asthma attack, a little trouble breathing for a couple days, and then that's it. I just can't figure it out. It has been a couple months since he'd had a bad asthma attack. A few months ago I got allergen covers for all of our pillows. Just the other night when he had that really bad attack, he wanted to sleep in his room. So his dad went in and slept on the floor beside him. He awoke at 2am with a very bad attack. We called the ambulance because the albuterol nebulizer didn't seem to be working. They took him to the ER, and we came home around 6am. When we got home, I went into his room and saw that he had been sleeping on 2 really old stuffed animal pillows that were probably filled with dust mites and germs. They were so old, I thought we threw them out last year. My daughter said they had been under her bed for a while, however, I had not seen them there. They may have been in the closet or something. This recent attack was accompanied by a barky, croupy cough, however, that was not productive. I gave him Spongia Tosta 30c, last night and a couple times today, and he's seems to not be having any problems. I also followed the Dr.'s orders and gave him an oral dose of steroids yesterday and this morning. This morning he probably only got half a dose because he didn't drink all of his juice it was in. I hope I didn't miss anything. His dad also had asthma when he was little. Thank you again so much for all help.
Elisha last decade
Erika,
Yes, I am very cautious with the herbs that I use. I won't just buy them anywhere. There are many unpure forms of herbs out there. In response to the Goldenseal, it can be poisonous if taken in large doses, as can Pau D'arco. I don't know if I mentioned this but my Mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law are Naturopathic Docters, so I always consult them when putting my son on an herbal regimen. They live 3000 miles away, though. They also don't use homeopathics too much. They like them, but they mostly focus on herbs and other things. I've also heard negative things about soymilk, but I have always found the benefits to be far greater than anything I may need to worry about. Let's just hope I'm right.
I do get VERY nervous about the water we drink. Even if it is bottled water. I think I'm definitly going to take your advice on the water. Do you just get a brita water pitcher or something? I am lucky enough to have a whole foods right up the street! Again, thank you so much!! So, do you always use water from the tap? Thanks again
Yes, I am very cautious with the herbs that I use. I won't just buy them anywhere. There are many unpure forms of herbs out there. In response to the Goldenseal, it can be poisonous if taken in large doses, as can Pau D'arco. I don't know if I mentioned this but my Mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law are Naturopathic Docters, so I always consult them when putting my son on an herbal regimen. They live 3000 miles away, though. They also don't use homeopathics too much. They like them, but they mostly focus on herbs and other things. I've also heard negative things about soymilk, but I have always found the benefits to be far greater than anything I may need to worry about. Let's just hope I'm right.
I do get VERY nervous about the water we drink. Even if it is bottled water. I think I'm definitly going to take your advice on the water. Do you just get a brita water pitcher or something? I am lucky enough to have a whole foods right up the street! Again, thank you so much!! So, do you always use water from the tap? Thanks again
Elisha last decade
Elisha,
Sorry it took a while to get back to you. With the holidays and my children being sick one after the other, I have been offline for a while.
To answer your question about the water pitcher, I use a Brita or Pur type of pitcher with a charcoal filter. I do use water from the tap always and THEN boil it - then pour it through the pitcher. I hope that answers your question.
Did anyone ever get back to you on a remedy for your son? I don't see it on this post. Have you tried any other particular remedies just out of curiousity? How is the spongia working for your son? Thanks.
Sorry it took a while to get back to you. With the holidays and my children being sick one after the other, I have been offline for a while.
To answer your question about the water pitcher, I use a Brita or Pur type of pitcher with a charcoal filter. I do use water from the tap always and THEN boil it - then pour it through the pitcher. I hope that answers your question.
Did anyone ever get back to you on a remedy for your son? I don't see it on this post. Have you tried any other particular remedies just out of curiousity? How is the spongia working for your son? Thanks.
erika1 last decade
Hi Erika,
I hope you enjoyed your holiday. Thankfully we have all been healthy throughout the holiday week. No one has gotten back to me about a remedy. I'm a little surprised for how responsive it was at first. I haven't used the spongia much lately. I was only using it when he had that "croupy" cough, but it is gone now. I haven't gotten a water pitcher yet, but I am going to this week. I haven't tried any other remedies, because I'm just not sure exactly how to use them, or really, what to use. Thanks again for keeping in touch with me. HAppy new year!
I hope you enjoyed your holiday. Thankfully we have all been healthy throughout the holiday week. No one has gotten back to me about a remedy. I'm a little surprised for how responsive it was at first. I haven't used the spongia much lately. I was only using it when he had that "croupy" cough, but it is gone now. I haven't gotten a water pitcher yet, but I am going to this week. I haven't tried any other remedies, because I'm just not sure exactly how to use them, or really, what to use. Thanks again for keeping in touch with me. HAppy new year!
Elisha last decade
Elisha,
I wanted to defer to the other Doctor's on the site because many of them are very good with recommendations. But since no one has responded to you, I looked up some information. I don't have any type of degree/certification in homeopathy however, asthma is an illness that I have had some experience with homeopathy so I will try to be helpful. Based on the information that I looked up according to the repertoire of symptoms you indicated for your son, I would recommend Arsenicum Album or Kali Carb.
Arsenicum seems to address: the damp/cold season, sensitive to weather changes, wheezing, asthma attacks at night and specifically the 2a.m. timeframe., fever at night (after midnight), high strung, restlessness, likes fruits and veggies.
Or kali carb addresses: mostly cold weather/dry, weather changes, wheezing, asthma attacks that are worse after 2a.m. -3 a.m., high strung, anxious, jumpy temperament, fever (that produces sweats)
There are a few other details that may help to better determine which one seems more appropriate such as: does anything provide relief during an attack (i.e., sitting up, cool air, warm air, etc.); during fever, does he sweat, feel thirsty, feel hot to the touch, etc.?; how is his temperament during attack (likes to be held, left alone, etc.); more indications on weather - (air dry, cool, dampness in house, etc.).
There are a few other remedies that have similar implications however, based on what you said above, especially the uniqueness of your child having fevers with attacks, these two would address those symptoms plus the fever. Especially, if your child does not do well with fevers and has had febrile convulsions previously, I would think that you want something that will address both the attacks and the fever. I dont see where Nat S addresses fever according to the textbooks that I have, but that doesnt mean emphatically, it won't. And yes, you can use both homeopathic and allopathic remedies (albuterol, steroids, etc.) together. If you see significant improvement over time, the first thing that I would try to remedy or lessen is the steroidal inhaler they are great for immediate relief of symptoms but decrease immunity over time.
Hope that gives you a start. If you decide to get either of those, try 30c. You could even try one and get the other as an alternative. Keep the teddy bears, synthetic fibers and feather pillows out of his room when he sleeps. No cat in there, especially at night and dont forget an antibacterial humidifier during the winter.
Regards,
Erika
I wanted to defer to the other Doctor's on the site because many of them are very good with recommendations. But since no one has responded to you, I looked up some information. I don't have any type of degree/certification in homeopathy however, asthma is an illness that I have had some experience with homeopathy so I will try to be helpful. Based on the information that I looked up according to the repertoire of symptoms you indicated for your son, I would recommend Arsenicum Album or Kali Carb.
Arsenicum seems to address: the damp/cold season, sensitive to weather changes, wheezing, asthma attacks at night and specifically the 2a.m. timeframe., fever at night (after midnight), high strung, restlessness, likes fruits and veggies.
Or kali carb addresses: mostly cold weather/dry, weather changes, wheezing, asthma attacks that are worse after 2a.m. -3 a.m., high strung, anxious, jumpy temperament, fever (that produces sweats)
There are a few other details that may help to better determine which one seems more appropriate such as: does anything provide relief during an attack (i.e., sitting up, cool air, warm air, etc.); during fever, does he sweat, feel thirsty, feel hot to the touch, etc.?; how is his temperament during attack (likes to be held, left alone, etc.); more indications on weather - (air dry, cool, dampness in house, etc.).
There are a few other remedies that have similar implications however, based on what you said above, especially the uniqueness of your child having fevers with attacks, these two would address those symptoms plus the fever. Especially, if your child does not do well with fevers and has had febrile convulsions previously, I would think that you want something that will address both the attacks and the fever. I dont see where Nat S addresses fever according to the textbooks that I have, but that doesnt mean emphatically, it won't. And yes, you can use both homeopathic and allopathic remedies (albuterol, steroids, etc.) together. If you see significant improvement over time, the first thing that I would try to remedy or lessen is the steroidal inhaler they are great for immediate relief of symptoms but decrease immunity over time.
Hope that gives you a start. If you decide to get either of those, try 30c. You could even try one and get the other as an alternative. Keep the teddy bears, synthetic fibers and feather pillows out of his room when he sleeps. No cat in there, especially at night and dont forget an antibacterial humidifier during the winter.
Regards,
Erika
erika1 last decade
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