Whooping cough and pneumonia and weight loss

scatterbunny

New member
Hayley had a doctor's appointment today because she's been sick for so long and it isn't getting better (we are all sick). The doctor listened to our lungs and said he thinks Hayley has pertussis (whooping cough, even though it's part of a required vaccine) and that we are all on the verge of pneumonia. :( I kind of figured it would be something like that. When Mark was logging, when Hayley was a baby, he got walking pneumonia in January, from working in the snow from sun-up to sun-down. I had to MAKE him go to the doctor back then, and I knew we were that sick now.

So we got some cough syrup with codeine and some antiobiotics. Fingers crossed it works soon! I don't want to be sick on Christmas. We have a big family get-together planned at my mom's.

And Hayley has lost 4 pounds. She went from 52 pounds to 48 pounds. I checked the growth charts and she's off the charts for height and in about the 80th-85th percent for weight. No wonder she looks like such a stringbean to me! And her pants all fit her in the waist but are way too short, LOL. Thank goodness she's getting some clothes for Christmas.
 
ADS

hsjwmom

New member
I hope you all get to feeling better, it really stinks to be that sick! Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon so you can enjoy your time with your family.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
I was trying to think of what helped me when I was younger? I have asthma & every stinkin' year I got whooping cough :( It didn't help that my bus stop was over 1 mile's walking distance away & my parents left too early in the morning to drive me.... But, I just can't remember what we did to help ease it, although I know we did something :eek: Some old remedy of my grandmother's because my mom had it so bad once she ended up in a bubble in the hospital :eek:
 

Starlight

Senior Community Member
That vaccine doesn't work very well does it? :D

You might want to check the vaccinations board over on Mothering.com for help in treating the whooping cough. They'll recommend massive quantities of vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), and it *will* help. I'm not sure of the proper dosage for a sick little one, but my own kids get more than 1000 mg of SA a day, and despite being around lots of illnesses this past month (the live flumist thing was done here, so *everyone* in our community has the flu) neither have been sick.

HTH

Sorry you guys will be sick for the holidays!
 

scatterbunny

New member
Thanks. :) Mark and I take a multivitamin/mineral supplement daily, plus extra B vitamins, zinc, calcium and magnesium, plus fish oil. I haven't been able to find Hayley a multi that has enough of what she needs that isn't full of sugar, artificial colors and other crap. :rolleyes: She's been eating these Halls vitamin C drops like they're candy, probably because they ARE full of so much sugar and crap that they're like candy.

I think I registered at MDC a long time ago and never really posted except to answer a carseat question or two. If I remember correctly I was not treated well and didn't go back.
 

Michi

Member
Aww..poor kiddo!
My 9 yr old DD had her tonsils out right before Thanksgiving and lost 6 lbs. :eek:
She was only 60 lbs to begin with, so that's a lot for her.
She is supossed to be a flower girl in two weeks and we have to have her dress altered. ( they had to take in 3" !!!)
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Wow!

I hope you all feel better soon!

Pertussis... wow.

I seem to catch everything lung-related, but I have never had pertussis. I did, as an adult, have a REALLY bad case of RSV. Usually only small children get RSV and usually most people aren't that sick from it, but I had a REALLY bad case. It was terrible.

I really hope you all feel better soon!
 

scatterbunny

New member
Thanks, everybody. :)

I did some research today online and found that to actually diagnose pertussis lab tests (mucus swabs of the throat and nose) should have been done. He did say that if the antibiotics didn't clear us up to come back, and he gave Hayley the only antiobiotic that seems to really work for pertussis (Zithromax), according to the websites I checked.

He gave me amoxicillin because I don't have insurance (Hayley is covered on Mark's insurance), so let's hope it ISN'T pertussis so I get better!

I guess this is really contagious, too. :confused: I feel bad because Hayley went to school a few days last week while she was sick because she didn't have a fever, just a nasty cough, and seemed fine. I hope the other kids aren't getting sick.

Apparently she won't be contagious after she's been on the antibiotics for 5 days.

I just gave her a warm bath in a really steamy bathroom and put some Vicks vapo-rub on her chest and she seems sooo much better. Very happy and energetic and not coughing as much.
 

ccjones

New member
I seem to catch everything lung-related, but I have never had pertussis. I did, as an adult, have a REALLY bad case of RSV. Usually only small children get RSV and usually most people aren't that sick from it, but I had a REALLY bad case. It was terrible.

My son had to get shots of Synagis (vaccine for RSV) once a month from Oct. 2005 through April 2006 because he was a preemie, low-birth weight, and in daycare. Those shots retail about $5000 each! :eek: Thank god for insurance, I only ended up paying about $200 for all 7 shots!

scatterbunny said:
I did some research today online and found that to actually diagnose pertussis lab tests (mucus swabs of the throat and nose) should have been done. He did say that if the antibiotics didn't clear us up to come back, and he gave Hayley the only antiobiotic that seems to really work for pertussis (Zithromax), according to the websites I checked.
I was reading an article in Newsweek or US News and World Report a few months ago about how whooping cough is making a comeback! Not so much for kids Hayley's age, but for teenagers and even some adults. Apparently the vaccine is only good for 10 years or so, and now the expert advice is to get your kids vaccinated again for it before they start high school. My 3yo niece came down with the croup last month! I had no idea what that even was, so I was googling to find out all about it so I can spot the symptoms in case my son ever gets it! LOL
 

scatterbunny

New member
Hayley had a couple doses of Synagis and then they wouldn't give it to her anymore because she was "so healthy" and well above average on the growth charts. She was a preemie and weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces at birth.
 

scatterbunny

New member
Yep, what I googled today said that it's making a comeback in babies and in teens and adults, that it can't be 100% diagnosed without lab tests, that antibiotics don't usually work to treat it, except for Zithromax, that its incubation period is 5-15 days, and that the child is still contagious for 5 days after the first dose of antibiotic.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the doctor was right and that this treatment clears up the problem. We're so tired of being sick!
 

stayinhomewithmy6

Senior Community Member
I'm so sorry that you're both sick. Hopefully you'll both be feeling better before Christmas. My little one had to go to the doctor today, too, for a bad cough, super bad wheezing, and a fever. The doctor is pretty sure it is RSV. He is really sick, and I'm hoping he's better before Christmas! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets better and none of the other kids get sick. I've never heard of the Synagis vaccine. Well, maybe I've seen ads for it in magazines, but none of my kids have been preemies, so I guess it wouldn't have been an option for us. My oldest also had RSV when he was little and I missed a whole week of student teaching to stay home with him! This thread has been informative for me - I hadn't heard about whooping cough making a comeback, either, but we don't have TV, so I often miss out on big news stories! Anyway, I hope you guys are feeling better soon! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you too!
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
LOTS of things that we vax kids for are showing up later in life - often for things that are relatively innocuous in children, but can be VERY bad in teens or adults (chicken pox, for example).
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
My oldest also had RSV when he was little and I missed a whole week of student teaching to stay home with him!

When I had RSV a couple of years ago, I missed two full weeks of work and I was using a nebulizer (albuterol and atrovent) every four hours round the clock for two weeks and then every six hours round the clock for an additional two weeks. I was also getting injections of Solu-Medrol every couple of days and was on oral steriods (Prednisone) for SEVERAL weeks. It took about six-eight weeks for my Peak Flows and my Pulse-Ox to return to normal levels. It was terrible! I think it took about three years for my lungs to recover from that bout of RSV. I was on all kinds of medication (Advair, Singulair, Albuterol, Atrovent, Prednisone as needed) for about three years. Things are much better now... my asthma is back to being mild/moderate intermittant. Much better! :)

I can't imagine what RSV does to a preemie's lungs. If it was that bad for me as an adult, I shutter at the thought of what it does to preemies. Yikes.
 

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