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Anti-Asthma remedies and diet for toddler, any ideas??

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Posted 6/27/2013 3:21 AM (GMT 0)

Hi I am looking for any alternative to steroids for my 2 year old who has asthma. Poor little guy is literally crawling the walls with the steroids and I just feel so bad for him, he just seems unhappy, upset and not himself while he is on them...and he can't sleep.  I am looking for any feedback about diet or alternative therapy to help him. Thank you so much :)

Posted 6/27/2013 2:12 PM (GMT 0)
Many people are claiming relief from allergies by eating paleo. I'm not sure the science is there yet to back it yet but the anecdotal evidence is pretty strong. If anything eating this way is super healthy. Also, when/if you research this don't get hung up on the back story and the people who say our ancestors didn't exactly eat like that(it's totally irrelevant).
http://expatpaleo.com/health/spring-allergies/
Posted 6/27/2013 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
After getting prick allergy testing from a board certified allergist, of course you avoid those foods. The blood tests are not highly reliable. However, not everything has a test. My allergist has people with possible food allergies or sensitivities keeping a good food diary (log, journal). It's free, easy and the only way to find those trigger foods.

I like a 6x8 size notebook or calendar. Write down the date, time, everything consumed - food, drink, meds - any reactions noted. Some reactions are delayed-type, so you may have to look at the foods eaten the previous day.

After you have a list of foods you have to find the ingredients in the foods. This is done by challenge testing. For serious reactions you should only do this with the OK from your allergist! See previous posts (search box) for how to do this. Example: For me it was not the waffle, it was the syrup.

While the website listed above has a lot of good information (also things for sale), I would not take any medicine not recommended by my doctors. Herbs, homeopathic remedies, and other non-controlled remedies can have disastrous effects. A lot of the foods recommended in the Paleo Diet would send me to the hospital.
Posted 6/27/2013 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
A food diary is an excellent idea. Common culprits, as I'm sure you know, are dairy products, citrus, egg whites and certain grains.

If he hasn't seen a good pediatric allergist, I'd try to arrange that. Testing in young children is notoriously unreliable, but they do specialize in determining what items are suspect.

If you have pets in your home, consider keeping them outside the main living areas or at the very least out of your child's bedroom. Cover mattresses and pillows with occlusive covers (vinyl or the like). Wash bedclothes regularly. Try to buy stuffed toys that are washable, and also wash them regularly. For many asthmatic children, dust mites or animal danders are the culprit.

Please don't consider putting your child on paleo or any other highly special diet. Children's growth and brain development depend upon eating the right foods in the right amount, and restrictive diets can be harmful.

Finally, your instincts are right in wanting to get him off steroids as much as possible. Their long-term effects include growth retardation, eye and bone problems and many other non-reversible destructive changes. If you can get him to the point where steroids are used only in emergencies or when he's having extreme problems, that would be great.

Good luck, and let us know how he's doing.
Posted 6/28/2013 7:57 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks so much for the feedback everyone..I can definitely try some of these things!! I think changing his diet to include much healthier things! I can pay closer attention to what he is eating and when he is having the attacks is a good idea. I know people have suggested keeping track before and I try for a while but the attacks ae usually every other day like clockwork and much worse if he skips a steroid dose so maybe just go through process of elimation on the foods, and maybe I can get some things narrowed down.........p.s. In regards to the food he could be allergic to, since he has an asthma attack about every other day, the only food I can think of that he eats consistely or drinks I should say is milk.  How long would it take to know if he was or was not allergic to it? thank you

Post Edited (Mommylife) : 6/28/2013 2:23:17 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/28/2013 11:05 AM (GMT 0)
If you watch and document carefully, I'd say probably about a week. If you eliminate the dairy first, you would know it was that. Changing multiple things at once can confuse the picture.
Posted 6/28/2013 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
You can certainly eliminate dairy but you really have to eliminate all of it. Including casein added to processed food (very common). You must be sure that you replace the calcium with other foods.

MommyLife, your son may be crawling out of his skin on steroids but he is also breathing. Breathing is really important, as I'm sure you know! Serious asthma can be deadly. Better than oral steroids are inhaled steroids and I hope your pediatric allergist has talked to you about this (not sure if a 2 year old can do this). The key to staying safe with asthma is to manage the illness so he NEVER has an attack. That usually requires steroids of some kind for people with significant disease.

I have pretty mild asthma and I am using my pulmicort inhaler twice a day, 2 puffs per dose, and I'm still having to use my rescue inhaler once or twice a day. I should probably be on oral steroids! But I know my asthma pretty well by now and I've never been to the ER to treat it. If I start getting resistant to my rescue inhaler I will get a steroid burst pack. Those are my rules.

Your 2 year old depends on you to keep his asthma under control. Do not skip steroid doses. Do not taper him until he is ready. Deal with his bad steroid side effects as well as you can and be thankful that he is breathing.
Posted 6/28/2013 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, thank you, we are off dairy today and so this is day 1 and if it takes about a week I think I'm going to get almond milk as a substitute. Good point about him breathing..I do have to remind myself it could be much worse, thanks for the reminder :)
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