It's been several months since Megan has needed to use her nebulizer for asthma. There have been a couple of times I gave her a dose of Accuneb when she began coughing, but it didn't seem to help and the cough went away shortly on its own. So when she started coughing on Monday night I was not incredibly concerned. On Tuesday morning I took her in for the flu vaccine. Before we left I put her on the nebulizer because her cough sounded tight, but it didn't seem to help much. So we saw the nurse who didn't like the sound of Megan's cough. She pulled up Megan's shirt and observed Megan's ribs sucking inward slightly when she breathed. She checked Megan's oxygen levels, which were down. So we shuttled off to see the RN to determine whether or not Megan could get the Flu Mist, which was why we were there.
The RN hauled out her stethoscope and listened to Megan breathe. She informed me that Megan was wheezing in all parts of her lungs. Boy, did I feel like a bad mother. I expressed my surprise because since going off dairy, Megan's asthma had gotten so much better. She said Megan's history of allergic triad (eczema, asthma, gastrointetinal upset) suggests she's just one of those allergic individuals, and that we should expect any little cold to settle in Megan's lungs and make her wheeze. So Megan got another treatment of Accuneb at the office and her oxygen levels came up, but she did not get the Flu Mist. I'll have to take her back in two weeks after her asthma symptoms have calmed down.
I'm feeling sort of bummed because I thought the removal of dairy did the trick. I mean, the eczema on Megan's feet was so bad that skin several layers deep would just peel off in chunks. I used to have to haul out the nebulizer for her a couple of times every month for several days at a time because of her wheezing. And the constant loose stools (the smell could kill a horse!) have disappeared. All of these things have gotten better since removing dairy from Megan's diet. And since going gluten free, she has not complained of tummy upset. So is Megan just prone to having cranky lungs, or is there something else I need to look at that may be triggering the renewed asthma symptoms?
3 comments:
It's interesting that you post this today. Yesterday I took Chee to doctor (she's an ENT) who does food intolerance (and allergy) testing. She told me that often when you remove offending foods you can develop new sensitivities or allergies to other foods.
We are doing a 106-food intolerance test as well as some environmental panels (although I don't think Chee has any food allergies, she may have some dust, cat, tree kind of stuff). Once we get the results of her intolerance test back, we'll begin a rotation diet that a nutritionist will create for us so that we can start to rid her of intolerances. I don't think she'll become fully tolerant of everything, but she won't need to have them completely eliminated from her diet.
From what you've written I have to wonder if Megan has developed a new allergy or even just a food sensitivity.
Have you done the food intolerance testing? If so, I wonder if it should be re-done.
You know, we had just seen the allergist in August and discussed more testing and a rotation diet. He suggested we do testing at the 1 year mark, which would be in January. I agree with you, it sure does sound like there is something aggravating her system, because it's been so long since she's had an issue, and now this crops up. I should bring her in for more testing. It just blows my mind that it's Megan, my typical, who seems to be the canary in the mine...she's the reason I had Anna tested and she's the catalyst for the diet. It shouldn't blow my mind, but it does, every time I think about it.
I know that with S and myself that our asthma is aggrivated by the seasonal change. Up here in the northeast, it is the colder weather, closing up the house, dust and fall allergies. I always, always, always have to start my steroid inhalers in November. Winter is my worst time of year. It appears that S is taking after his mommy :-(
Perhaps Megan's issue is much of the same? I hope it isn't more allergies to foods....LIKE YOU NEED THAT!
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