Please help - my son has been sick for a year.

My son was born in August 2007, he was fine until he was about four months old.  He then got a rash and had difficulty breathing.  I had just started him on formula after breastfeeding, so they switched to a milk free kind.  He continued to stay sick with this respiratory issue.  He constantly has had an ear infection that occurs almost everytime this happens, which resulted in the tubes in the ears.  The tubes are working, but the colds/bronchitis (what the doc keeps telling us that he has) are not going away.   He stopped taking the bottle at 14 months.  We thought that the formula might have been causing it, but it wasn't. This last time the cold has lasted over four weeks, with severe coughing and episodes where he cannot catch his breath.  Also since he was four months old, we purchased a nebulizer and he has to have treatments every other day or he cannot function.  Can this possibly be associated with asthma or something respiratory? We are out of answers and have been in the ER with him on many occasions and reg doc many more times than we can count and no one has answers.  We live in a home that was just built three years ago, we do not smoke and we do not have any animals.  We disinfect with bleach and open windows while dusting and cleaning.  None of it helps.  The only thing that gives him temp relief are the breathing treatments.  Thanks for your time, hope someone has had experience with this.  Thank you!

[Tammy2009]

Try using a cleaner other than bleach.  It has very toxic fumes that possibily are irritating his little lungs.  Think of how much closer he is to the floor.  

Beach has made me cough for years but I only have been diagnosed with reactive airways (asthma is a particular type of it) for 2 months now.  

A nice all natural cleaner is mixing 1 cup vinegar to 2 cups water.  Not everything has to be disinfected, we have an immune system for a reason and most of the bacteria and "germs" are good and critical for our environment.  

[lily1616]

This sounds more then just asthma. I'd really get a second opinion from a DR just to alleviate my fears.

[cwbblb]

so sorry you are going through this i did the same almost.

when fianally everyone got around to the question where do you live?
i told them and they sent a health dept. person out and he walked into my apartment and told me to open my windows and get my kid the h out of there.
seems my apartment was loaded with formaldehyde that my cupboards were made of. spent lots of time in hospitals and he would do fine.

then came the issue of milk allergies that were so slight that they were barely detectable on a test.

took him of milk products for one year and then slowly put him back on and no problems he is now 30 years old but still can not be around formaldehyde products.
so check things in your home and see if he has problems that you notice only at home or is it everywhere?
feel free to email me with questions.
blb.***@****
put sick child in subject line so i know its u

bobbie

[Judy246]

I'm surprised that the ER or your physicial has not diagnose and given treatment by now.  It can be anything from allergic reaction to the formula, allergies (rugs, pets, change in season, flowers, trees....anything).  Your pediatrician needs to run test to find out what is causing this problem.

Asthma is something that can be life threatening.  My last asthma attack, I spent 10 hours in the emergency room stablizing my breathing, followed by 2 weeks hospitalized.

When you are unable to breath, it causes  panic, which make the asthma worse.  EVERY SECOND COUNTS. You feel like you are suffocating to death and I can't even begin to imagine what a helpless infant feels and is not able to communicate it.

This is something not to be taken for granted as a passing allergy....life or death. Please take him to his pediatrician and request allergy test to be conducted and some type of rescue medication for his age.

Best wishes...Judy