Son's breathing problem not reacting to asthma treatments

[Jmaro]

My four year old son has breathing problems that his specialist can't figure out.  He makes a high pitched gasping noise when he inhales during exercise.  He is on Flovent twice per day and Albutaral 15 minutes before activity.  These inhalers have zero effect on his condition.  Recently he got so bad the Pulminologist on call prescribed Prednisone for 5 days.  After taking that he sounded better than he has in 2 years.  Once the 5 day cycle of Prednisone was done, he once again starting with the difficult breathing.  I'm starting to think the problem is potentially outside the airway but encroaching on it.  He says he feels tightness around his belly when he is breathing hard.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

[js2630]

What did the CT Scan show? What do your son's doctors want to do. What do YOU want to do? How is he feeling? Please keep me posted. I'm very worried.  Joe

***@****

[js2630]

Good luck. I'll be praying for your son. The fact that his breathing problem disappears while he is on prednisone, is because the prednisone turns off his immune system, and his body loses the ability to REACT negatively to the toxic mold that he is breathing in (I'm not a doctor, but am speaking from my first hand experience with toxic mold reactions.) Just remember, that a 2 week vacation in Disneyworld is a far less invasive procedure than a using a scalpel. The doctor can always use his scalpel, if he wants to, AFTER your son's 2 week vacation, if my hypothesis proves incorrect, and he is STILL sick.

[Jmaro]

Update on my son's breathing not responding to asthma meds.  He has since had a bronchoscopy and they have found that something is pushing on his left bronchial tube form the outside.  They say that it is most likely a blood vessel do to the fact that when they watched it, it pulsated with his heartbeat.  He was also on a recent five day dose of prednisone and his symptoms seem to go away for the first time in two years.  Those two things combined, plus the fact that he has been this way since he could run lead the docs to believe that it is something vascular in nature.  He has a CT scan scheduled for Thursday to identify the problem.  Thanks for the responses.

[js2630]

The blood tests, mentioned by "myproblem", are a waste of time. They only measure a systemic "infection" by mold. They do NOT measure the presence of, or the effect of, mold mycotoxins and mold fragments on the lungs, due to inhalation. It is the effect on the LUNGS that is causing your son's breathing problems. At very worst, my suggestion will give everyone a 2 week vacation. At best, it will save your son's life, since the doctors, who do not know what is making him sick, are unlikely to be able to save his life when he is wheeled into the emergency room. Sorry I have to scare you into taking action. Here is the link to a FREE Yahoo health group, where people who have your son's problem, and are OLD ENOUGH to verbalize their suffering, discuss the situations and remedys.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/sickbuildings/

[myproblem]

RE: mold
There are blood tests that they can do for some mold reactions. Ask your Dr.

[js2630]

Get him out of your house for 2 weeks minimum. If his condition improves significantly, then there is mold in your home causing your son to have a TOXIC, non-allergic reaction, which asthma medicine can NOT releive. If he is just as sick, after 2 weeks, then you have had a 2 week vacation. He must not enter your home, for even 5 minutes, during that 2 weeks. He must not play with any SOFT toys taken from your home, for 2 weeks.(they hold on to the mold from your home). I am an asthma sufferer since the age of 9. I am now 65 years old. I am a toxic mold sufferer for the past 9 years. ***@****
Doctors will not agree with my suggestion, because they are oblivious to the environmental causes of illness.

[tlcs10]

My seven year old  son has the same symptoms when ever his asthma flared up. instead of using albuteral prior to activity his was put on maxair inhaler and uses the albuteral as needed through a nebulizer

[Sunny602]

I wonder if he has some sort of obstruction causing this high pitched wheeze....Has the doctor mentioned any other tests, one would be a lung function test. He might be old enough to follow instructions to do this. This would show it he had obstructive problems within his lungs such as asthma, even obstructive problems outside his lungs (defect). Maybe some imagining would be good to do (CT scan) to look at his lungs in detail. Remember, I am not a doctor....I am just throwing ideas out on the table. I really hope that you find answers soon..Sunny

[myproblem]

Asthma wheezing or breathing noise is usually on exhalation, not inhalation. It is almost surely not asthma. Has he had full pulmonary function tests done? If not, he may be old enough now. I was diagnosed with asthma and for 11 years took everything possible for it. The only thing that ever helped was prednisone. When I finally had a Dr. question the diagnosis, I was given the pulmonary function tests. I have restrictive lung disease, and acid reflux. The reflux was causing some of the coughing, especially at night. I would gasp on inhale when I coughed. That is what led my Dr. to think of reflux. I still have shortness of breath, but the gasping and coughing are better on the reflux medicine.