Steroids or homeopathy? Someone please advise me I'm so upset (Long, sorry)

[Lilypie]

DD has been coughing and wheezing for over 2 months now, she has good and bad days (and nights) and we've tried many different treatments, antibiotic, inhalers, homeopathy and cutting out dairy included, nothing seems to touch it. She's not struggling for breath or anything but constantly has wheezing, rattling breath and a wet phlegmy cough. Its so upsetting and the nights are hard as she coughs constantly and the wheeze keeps her from sleeping inbetween coughs.

My problem is whether or not to give dd who is 18 months old, the steriods my gp prescribed. I hate the idea, I thought I'd rather do anything but pump that crap into her but after last night I just want to see her better. I know the steroids will probably help her quite quickly but everyone is telling me to do different things, some people are telling me to go with the homeopathic remedies as we are only one week into a 4 week treatment (but she's got worse in the last week, not better) and others are telling me to give her the steroids and implying I'm leaving her to suffer by not giving them to her.

I'm so confused, I just want my little girl better. Has anyone had experience like this? Anyone used steriods and regretted it? Anyone know what the side effects are so I know exactly what I'm dealing with?

[foxinsocks]

I really don't think they hand out steroids to small children without really considering what they are doing.

I think in your shoes, I'd give her the steroids (ask the doctor how quickly they should work). If, say after 2 weeks, you feel there isn't an adequate improvement, I would probably insist on a chest X-ray.

The wheeziness is one thing - but having a wet, phlemy cough all the time sounds unusual and probably on that alone, you could ask for an X-ray to see what is going on.

There is an old thread somewhere where a few of us with children with long term coughs were considering what to do. I'll see if I can find it.

[Heathcliffscathy]

oh you poor thing. it's horrible, really horrible when they're ill.

it depends what you can bear: can you bear to see the four weeks through?

you've tried cutting out dairy right? for how long? it does sound very allergy like. feathers? all the bedding is hypoallergenic? worth having hard floor in her room?

I understand totally not wanting to give her steroids...i feel the same and have not given ds steroid cream he was prescribed....having said that though if he had been sleepless and distressed for a long time i would have.

i know i'm not helping much, look, either stick it out and see if the homeopathy works (have you talked to your homeopath about how distressed you and she are???, definitely worth calling her/him back and talking this through).

or do the steroids, get things under control and then look again at homeopathy for a more long term solution.

plenty of people will come on here telling you to give the steroids immediately but if I were you I would be equally torn.

do you put hot water with vicks in it in her room, having moist air helps with coughing. i'd be looking to cover all those kinds of bases whatever else i was doing.

really really sympathise, she is lucky to have a thoughtful and intelligent mummy that really thinks about what she is doing.

[foxinsocks]

here it is - it was about night time coughing but there might be something useful on it

miracle cures for night time coughing

[Heathcliffscathy]

foxinsocks, ime they do hand out antibiotics/steroids/all sorts willy nilly. in the case of ds, without giving advice that would totally prevent the condition without use of them

[Heathcliffscathy]

equally though, nothing is worth long term distress for your dd and for you and there is nothing worse then cumulative sleep deprivation for either of you....so i really get this!

[ChicPea]

I do sympathise. My ds in August who was almost 3 started to cough at night and he wasn't back to nursery so I thought he would shake it off. He started wheezing after bath time and I thought it could be the Johnsons bedtime bubble bath that I used to wash him so stopped that. Still the wheezing. I kept an eye on it but no green phelgm and no temperature but it continued. Whrn he did get a temperature i took him to GP who prescribed antibiotics (amoxicillin) for a chesty cough. It helped abit but not much. Temp went though. Then 10 days later another temp, took him to private GP who prescribed different antibiotics and an inhaler. The temp went but cough didn't. 10 more days later back to private GP who prescribed a different antibiotic and said it would definitely clear. It didn't so took him to peadiatrician who asked lots of questions and suggested Neoclaritin which is an antihistamine on prescription and also rubbing in vicks on the chest and also the vicks thing you plug in the socket to give an aroma. So did this and he didn't cough constantly until 4am. Got him out of bed, rubbed his back and gave him some water but cough continued. Couldn't give him more of the Neoclaritin so gave him Piriton and lo and behold once it worked the cough went!! I gave him Neoclaritin the next evening but at the point that he started coughing which was about 11pm which took him to 6am so I gave him Piriton. The next evening I gave him Piriton at the point that he started coughing, 11pm, and that took him through the night.

His cough did go after about 5 nights of medicine and began again at night. I am wondering if it is an allergy of some sort. He is allergic to egg, humous, kiwi, oranges, fish so he doesn't eat them and I find Piriton is very good for easing the discomfort of the above or a cough.

I am sorry this post is so long winded but I wanted to explain fully and hope it helps.

[foxinsocks]

even the steroid tablets (which, I assume that lilypie means)?

I am with you (re long term steroid use) but equally, if a child is wheezy or has bad eczema and needs the steroids (not talking about you here lilypie), I cannot see why you wouldn't give them. I totally agree with you about just treating the symptoms though without investigating the cause - unfortunately it seems, that is something you/I always end up having to push for.

Your child had/has a dairy allergy that was causing the eczema is that right sophable?

[ChicPea]

The vicks plug in thing is dry. The Pead said the vapourisers give steam which makes microbes grow on walls/surfaces which bring other problems. He did mentions steroids but said that I should try the other options first. I also have an inhaler from him but haven't needed to use it. Good luck

[Heathcliffscathy]

it's so annoying isn't it...more than that actually.

yes dairy/eczema and dairy/coughwheeze

i'd second giving piriton a try actually, it really does sound like this is an allergy. if piriton works, then you need to go about eliminating all possible causes.

i don't know about the tablets foxinsocks tbh. but they were going to circumcise ds for balanitis. homeopath advised gently very gently pulling bakc and foreskin in bath: ta da, no more hint of inflammation since. did the gp even vaguely mention this? of course not. just cut it off instead!!!

[Cappuccino]

there's no reason you shouldn't treat her with steroids while she is in such obvious distress but look to homoepathic remedies when she is over the worst as a way of avoiding these attacks in future

are the steroids to be administered via an inhaler? cos there is information on the asthma association site about the relative safety of steroids taken by an inhaler over taken by tablets; and I think long-term steroid use is the danger, not a quick course, in any case

if you want to use homeopathy long-term that's fine but I know plenty of people (including myself) who use a combination of alternative and medical therapies

it's not just a case of one or the other

[Lilypie]

DD's been off dairy for 8 days now, I really thought she was getting better early last week but then last thursday it came back with a vengance.

Anyone know the side effects of steroids?

[Lilypie]

She's been on a steroid inhaler for a month already, my gp has prescribed tablet steroids.

[foxinsocks]

what have you been prescribed?

on that thread, mummylonglegs ended up getting an X-ray and they found out it was an atypical infection that needed different antibiotics.

[Lilypie]

Prednesol 5mg, 1 twice a day for a week

[EllieChocolateOrange]

Hi. I am in a similar situation with my son's eczema. I am giving the steroids for now even though I know they don't cure it, as they keep it under control and allow him to get decent sleep and eat well etc. I was going to do homeopathy but have decided I would rather see a specialist in this area. If there was a specialist skin homeopath, I would be happy to go with it, but don't want to just see someone 'general' as ds's eczema is quite an unusual type and if they don't have specific experience, they may not be able to do anything. I figure when things are improved, or he is older, we will try some more natural things. In the meantime, I'm sure the steroids are ok; so many tests have to be done to make sure these things are safe. Hope you feel better soon...

[ChicPea]

Please try the Piriton, you have nothing to lose. Is your DD coughing at night or day or both? My ds does cough a bit during the day but its at night that he is worse. The Pead said something to do with nasal passages dripping while lying down and irritating him.

[Cappuccino]

give the steroids a week imo

you can keep the homeopathy going alongside that

you don't actually have to chuck one lot of tablets out the window

if dd is really not well I'd rather wait one week than four to see if something was going to work

[ChicPea]

I think there is a danger of trying too many things at the same time and not knowing which works.

[Lilypie]

Thanks so much for that thread link foxinsocks, I've scanned it and made a few notes (gonna try the karvol plug-in!)

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Just give her the steroids. until such time you can work out what is causing it.

[foxinsocks]

I know how you feel. Reading that thread back, I can see I was fighting a diagnosis of asthma for dd. Now, over a year on, we have been on inhaled steroids for years and years (must be about 4 yrs now) and the quality of her life (because her coughing has been reduced) is so much better.

There is an asthma UK helpline that is very good.

I would be tempted to try the steroids - if they don't work, I really would go for an X-ray because the wet cough sounds unusual. Good luck.

[Lilypie]

I'll try Piriton too but I agree with Chickpea, dont want to try too many things as I want to know what's doing the trick if she gets better.
Also scared of overloading her little body with medicines.

[Cappuccino]

homeopathy works in an entirely different way to conventional medicine. so you won't overload her

if this is a problem she continues to have then you can look at homeopathy as a way of controlling it if that's what you want to do

but get her better first, please, so you can all get some sleep and then you'll be able to think more calmly about it

[foxinsocks]

here's the asthma UK link

in the medicines bit of that site, they will have something on those steroids

[CountessDracula]

Oral steroids are fine IMO if you take a short course (2 a day for a week sounds fine)

Any longer and she will have to be on them longer term as you can't just stop them. I have been on them a LOT in my life (they saved my life!) and yes the side effects of long term steroid use are bad - thinning bones, hair loss, water retention, weight gain etc. A week on two a day will not produce these effects though.