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MedHelp Member's Question

Chest infections

by carolyn4, Jan 20, 2008 12:10AM
For the past three years Ashleigh has had come down sick with chest problems in a regular pattens which have been reaccuring every 4 weeks. Before then she had been reasonably healthy with only getting a few colds a year. I havent had a lot of positive feedback on the medical side of things. Doctors dont seem to know an answer for whats going on except they keep saying its bronchiolitis, i am not convinced and very frustrated with not knowing what is wrong with Ashleigh. She has constanly been on antibiotics for the past three years and has even been admitted to hospital to be given antibiotics by a drip. Nothing has seem to have worked and i am struggling for some answers as i dont like to see my daughter suffering every four weeks. A doctor has thought it might be her medication diazepam (muscle relaxant) as it increases saliva, but she has now been taken off this medication and put on another muscle relaxant with no changes to her health. She has sleep aponea and is on a c-pap machine at night, and has a lot of problems sleeping an is on vallergan to help her sleep but this doesnt help her at all. If any one has been through a simular situation i would appreciate any help at all. Regards Carolyn.
Member Comments (40)

by mommyofnathan, Jan 20, 2008 03:44PM
To: carolyn4
Hi,

Does she have a feeding tube or does she eat by herself?  My son was sick ALL THE TIME, had pneumonia 7 times in 6 months, the last episode nearly caused his death.  It turned out that he was not able to coordinate his swallowing and therefore some of his milk went into his lungs causing the infections.  He is still chesty from time to time but this is saliva that he doesn't swallow efficiently.  Diazepam causes the muscles involved in swallowing to relax as well and she might be aspirating.  Ask your doctor about a milk scan.  This scan is where they drink dye and then the path it follows is picked up with the scan.
I am sorry but I cannot offer suggestions on sleep since that is the exact reason I am here!!!!     The only thing that has worked thus far (and not always I tell you) is chloral hydrate.  I tried Valergan and it had the oposite effect.  The same goes for the anti-hystamines.  I tried Dimetapp as well....  That was a VERY long night since it somehow had the oposite effect as well.  It seems as though what works for "normal" kiddies, doesn't work so well for ours.  We are currently trying Melatonin.  Plse hold thumbs...
I am serious about the feeding tube thing.  If your daughter really does aspirate (inhale her feeds) and the doctor's can say without a doubt that that is the reason she gets chest infections, do not hesitate to get a feeding tube.  It makes life much easier and it was a life saver in our case.  Please let me know what you were able to sort out?  

by carolyn4, Jan 20, 2008 04:50PM
To: mommyofnathan
Hi. Yes she does have a feeding tube and have had one for about 5 years now and test has shown that she does aspirate on her saliva. I truely think her c-pap could be a cause of her sickness but Doctors dismiss this as a cause.
My daughter has tried Melatonin in the past and it did seem to help a first but after a few months it had no effect on her at all, just like the vallergan, But every child is different so let hope it works for your son. Thanks for you input.

by JainMD, Jan 21, 2008 04:12AM
To: carolyn4
Hi Carolyn,
How is your daughter doing?
How old is she?
You said she is having repeated chest infections.
Repeated chest infections in pediatric age group the cause can be due to either a muscle paralysis (drug induced or muscular dystrophies) or due to congenital heart disease.
Which doctor have you seen so far?
Does that include a neurologist and cardiologist also?
I would be interested to know.
Keep me informed if you have any other queries.
Bye.

by mommyofnathan, Jan 21, 2008 05:16AM
To: carolyn4
I was told that due to the fact that just as he cannot coordinate and control his muscles, he also cannot coordinate and control his chest muscles, bowel, rectal etc.  He caughs productively only when stimulated (Pressing in the "nook" of his neck where your chest meets your (I find myself applauding kids in shops who caugh well!!) and I use a suction pump twice daily to remove excess phlegm and saliva.  So, the odd chest infection he gets now, is easily managed with the nebuliser, suction pump and chest physio I was taught to give him.  He also sits up in his CP chair or on someones lap most of the day (he doesn't have head control) and it makes a difference.  One of his doctor's once said to us that this will be part of our daily living, and boy he wasn't joking.  I don't know which of these measures you take but they work well if it forms part of his routine.  He has had one chest infection in this past year that needed antibiotics.

by carolyn4, Jan 21, 2008 04:53PM
To: JainMD
My daughter is 10 y.o. She is currently unwell again and have been for over a week now.(on antibiotics again). She sees a neurologists and it was him that suggested it could be her medication causing her chest infections and changed her medication. (no such luck)
She doesn't see a cardiologist but she has been seeing a doctor in Pulmonary Medicine for many years now and he has done many test over the years and have not come up with anythink. She had a CT scan on her chest nearly two years ago now and it had showned that there is damage to her left lung ( their thought is her reaccuring chest infections caused this)  but nothing too bad that they were concerned about. Doctor said he will repeat CT scan in two years so i will request for another one on her next appointment.  She had been diagoned with Laryngomalacia and bronchomalacia,but neither of these have caused any serious problems.
Thanks Carolyn  

by carolyn4, Jan 21, 2008 05:10PM
To: mummyofnathan
My daughter can cough without any promp, if she needs to but sometimes we have to do chest physio to help. She does lay down a lot at home (and school) because she is not tolerable of sitting up for long periods (and i am still waiting on getting a new chair for her to sit in as she has out grown her other one).
We do take her outside a lot on put her on her sisters trampoline and this is said to be good for her chest but i think it has also made her sick this time round. (mucus obviously moved to where it shouldn't). I will love to see the day that Ashleigh will only get one chest infection a year.

by mommyofnathan, Jan 22, 2008 12:47PM
To: carolyn4
You and Ashleigh are in my prayers tonight.  I know we have a lot to deal with but I must say that we also have so much to be grateful for.  I so feel your frustration and I wish that there was something I could help with.  Was it any better when she did sit in her chair?