My sons cough and cold/ Reactive airway

[danie17075rm]

My son is 6 years old.  When he was 1 he caught his first cold which started causing wheezing and he had to go to the ER and was given a nebulizer with albuterol.  He has been fine throughout the years except for when he catches a cold.  Then he will cough nonstop and has developed croup several times.  He always needs a steroid when this happens.  Now he has been pretty sick almost since November.  It won't go away.  He is on albuterol, singulair, and another liquid steroid at the moment.  My question is that we all are sick here and everyone coughs.  All this is not taking away his cough, but some amount of cough should be normal with a cold right?  They said he has reactive airway disease, but how am I to know when the cough is not right?  They sound the same to me.  His pediatrician won't send me to a specialist yet, and its ridiculous.  He needs a asthma testing.  How many of you have children with reactive airway?  Is it asthma?  I don't know what to do anymore and I'm just so freaked out that I shake every time he coughs.  He also does not get well like other children.  When he catches a cold he is sick for weeks.  I home-school him thankfully, because he would never make it in a normal school.  I appreciate any help and answers.

Danielle

[littlebit667]

hope it helps!  You are being proactive for your child and that is so important!

[danie17075rm]

Thank you- this is a great idea.  I will do that the next time I go.  His doc suggested trying another asthma med first, just to see.  However, I would rather just have him tested and KNOW at this point.  I don't want him to be a guinea pig for drugs.  It's so frustrating.

[littlebit667]

Depending on the insurance....this might work.  Ask your doctor to write a letter stating WHY he/she won't refer you for further testing (specialist dr.).  State it nicely and say that you need to cover yourself if something goes wrong with your son and you want to show you did all you could.  Trust me, they do not want that letter written and will usually send you on.  I would only do this if you have tried everything else and feel it is your last option.  I learned this from a friend who had cancer and the only drs. that could help her were not on her insurance.  She got referred immediately and insurance covered it.  Anyway, it is one possibility to consider.

Another trick that works.  Take a notepad..write down all the questions that you have for your doctor.  Leave space for you to write down the answers as well as anything else they say.  It is a great way to remember what you want to ask and what was said.  It also makes more careful in what they say....works well when you are trying to get the help you need.