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advice needed! 3.6 ds1 health probs-diagnosed melatonin, poss reflux, poss ENT problem. Desperate!

34 replies

mad4myboys · 04/12/2009 11:13

my ds1 is 3.6. As a baby had reflux, had meds and was off them by 1. He developed asthma and for about 18 months has had inhalers. Has steroids too. He has always slept through but is always tired. He wakes in the morning (after 11 hours) and crys telling me hes still tired. This has been going on a long time. Recently it has become a big issue. It is really affecting his behavious, he is very angry and now getting aggresive. It isnt normal for him as he isnt an aggresive person. I spoke to preschool yesterday as i asked them beg of september to see what they think of him and they said they'd keep watch. Teacher said to me that he is def very tired, falls over alot, and yesterday twice for no reason he went up to a child (2 different ones) and shook them. I ask him what is wrong with him, he says he is angry i ask why and he says because he is tired. He stopped naps when he was about 2. He wont go up for a nap but if we are out in the car will fall asleep and will sleep for 2 hours if i let him.

He has mild sleep apnea (as does dh and ds2) and they had sleep studies done a few weeks ago. the results came back inconclusive. Said his SATS levels had dropped and that he moves around alot in his sleep so we have to have the tests redone. He has a very healthy diet, had allergy tests done, ashtma is under control, has friends, we do plenty of things and i make sure he has quiet time too. They tested his wee a few months ago as i was worried about diabetes as he drinks alot aswell but that was fine. The paed prescribed melantonin to give for 2 weeks so that he could get rested sleep and see if that changes his behaviour in the day...

Can anyone shed any light? Think of anything that i could be missing? Im so desperate, its really starting to be draining and i miss my little boy. ds2 is poorly aswell and bad enough going in and out of hosp with him aswell.

OP posts:
mad4myboys · 04/12/2009 12:59

bump

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mad4myboys · 05/12/2009 10:51

trying again

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suiledonne · 05/12/2009 12:00

I would give the melatonin a try. Tiredness really has a terrible effect on them at this age. Your poor ds must be feeling really miserable if he is tired all the time.

My dd1 has asthma and eczema. She is 3.6 now and has never slept through the night. Her sleeping was really bad towards the end of last year and her paediatrician gave us a prescription for a sedative to see if we could get her in the habit of sleeping through.

I was nervous about sedating her and had a talk with the pharmacist when I went to get it and he essentially talked me out of it.

At the time the pharmacist recommended melatonin instead of what the paed had prescribed but I was pregnant with dd2 at the time and didn't get a chance to discuss it with the paed.

We now have dd1 co-sleeping with me full time and it has helped a lot although she still wakes up in the night she isn't wide awake as she was before and settles down easily enough. Because she is sleeping better she is much more cheerful during the day and you would notice the change in her behaviour too.

The pharmacist seemed very knowledgable about sleep issues and said the melatonin can be very effective. It sounds like your ds isn't getting into a deep enough sleep to refresh him and the melatonin might help that.

I hope someone with better advice comes along.

mad4myboys · 06/12/2009 07:40

thanks for replying. i really dont know what is wrong with him. gave him the melatonin, slept as normal, up at normal time, really aggresive this morning

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TheTwelveDAISYofChristmas · 06/12/2009 08:09

aw mad4, sounds like you and your DS are having a rough ride at the minute

No advice, but just wanted to send some virtual support.

mad4myboys · 06/12/2009 08:10

thanks daisy

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foxinsocks · 06/12/2009 08:13

they've checked his tonsils I assume? (to see that they aren't too large?)

dd had a similar problem at a similar age but it was oversized tonsils and bad asthma at night. We didn't have the tonsil op but did really up her steroid inhalers and it made a huge difference.

When you say he's on steroids, is he on oral steroids still? because in my experience, they can make them feel a bit unusual and I'd be looking at those in the first instance.

foxinsocks · 06/12/2009 08:17

and just other environmental things...

are you avoiding cheese after lunch time (can give them very vivid dreams/nightmares), making sure he's not too hot at night (can make them tired when they wake up)...

ultimately, I wonder if mild sleep apnea might be enough to cause all this because they need so much sleep at that age that I imagine even a small disruption long term would make them feel tired, do you think?

TheTwelveDAISYofChristmas · 06/12/2009 08:19

sorry, I missed you saying he has steroids too. Is he on long term steroids? I know that when my DS1 has to take steroids for his asthma he is really tired and grumpy. If the steroid use has been going on for a long time I could see that this might be contributing.

mad4myboys · 06/12/2009 08:20

he has steroids through the inhaler, by an aerochamber. Started them last year and i [stupidly] thought i could stop when he was better through the summer and have re started them a few weeks ago.

They have checked his tonsils, saw an ENT specialist who said they are small...

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mad4myboys · 06/12/2009 08:21

so x posts. he doesnt have any dairy....

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foxinsocks · 06/12/2009 08:25

do they know why his oxygen sats were dropping at night? I know you said inconclusive but did it come back with anything?

ah yes inhaled steroids are different. Which ones does he take?

mad4myboys · 06/12/2009 08:28

he has beclazone and ventolin.

They havent given any indication about the sats level, just that sats levels dropping and it couldnt give them any indication as to why, hence repeating the study. They did say that he moved around alot in his sleep.

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foxinsocks · 06/12/2009 08:32

poor you and poor him

I can't think of anything else really. Is he still on meds for reflux as that could be disturbing his sleep (acid coming up)?

is he better in the holidays from pre school?

foxinsocks · 06/12/2009 08:32

oh sorry, see you say he is off them now.

mad4myboys · 06/12/2009 08:38

yeah, i think the relux was a clutch at straws from paed really. The only other thing that i keep thinking about is enlarged adenoids. Snores, mouth open...

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foxinsocks · 06/12/2009 08:42

yes though you'd hope they would have thought of that . You can often hear if they have large adenoids because they talk funny (like their nose is blocked but it's not full of snot iyswim!).

I wish I could remember now but the ENT told us there was an age where their tonsils/adenoids were large and then they became more in proportion to their bodies and I think it was around that age (as dd had similar tiredness problems but it was her asthma and large tonsils/adenoids making her snore). As she got older it got better but your son's problem sounds quite severe.

When are they redoing the test? I hope the next one comes back with more answers.

Did they check for things like anaemia (though I see you say he has a good diet).

mad4myboys · 07/12/2009 09:29

havent had a date yet. Yes i do think he has a good diet and i also give him kids floradix, not that im saying he DOESNT have anemia, they havent riuled that out

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Elibean · 07/12/2009 13:56

Ahh, mad4, I'm sorry you and ds are going through it.

The age Fox mentions is between 3-6, then the rest of the body catches up tot he adenoid/tonsil growth, I think, and things can improve. The age your ds is, is when tonsil/adenoid size v rest of body size is most disproportionate.

Tiredness does awful things to all of uos, let alone 3 yr olds....my 6 yr old is shattered and pale atm, and I'm putting it down to fighting off viruses, for now. But time will tell.

Thinking of you, xxx

drlovesmincepies · 07/12/2009 23:13

MELATONIN SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN TO ASTHMATICS!
get back to your gp !

mad4myboys · 08/12/2009 11:37

huh? Why? No one has said this to me

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drlovesmincepies · 08/12/2009 11:47

im not sure why not tbh , but dd4 gets prescibed melatonin capsuals and it says on the bottles label
" CAUTION : if you have asthma or an autoimmune disease , do not use melatonin ."
will try find link for you.

drlovesmincepies · 08/12/2009 11:52

emporium.com/prod_page.php?id=524 here, bottom of the page

Carrotfly · 08/12/2009 11:54

This sounds very sad.

You say he will fall asleep in the car, is it possible to take him out somewhere in the middle of the day and let him drop off for a couple of hours ?

drlovesmincepies · 08/12/2009 11:55

http;//www.healthfoodemporium.com/prod_page.php?id=524

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