Flu & Asthma--Advice please

[a good book under a tree]

Jem came down with something this morning that looks a lot like the flu--fever of 103.5, chills, headache, lethargy, possibly body aches . . .

He also has a type of asthma that only crops up when he has a cold, but if it's untreated is quite severe (vomiting, broken face capillaries, etc.). He did wake up with a persistent dry cough this morning, but it resolved within an hour and hasn't come back.

The doctor ordered Tamiflu over the phone, and I'm not positive I want to give it to him. I certainly don't want a kid in the hospital, but I don't want to give him this drug if I don't have to. Any words of wisdom for me?

---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:56 PM ----------

Well, I guess I'm going to fill the prescription. He's feeling better now after a dose of Motrin. I'll just wait to see how he feels tonight before I decide whether or not to give him the meds.

[Aerynne]

My ds has that, too (reactive airway disease) but I wouldn't give him tamiflu.

[a good book under a tree]

Do the risks/side effects outweigh the benefits? Or for other reasons?

[chasingbutterflies]

I have two kids with asthma, both of which who have ended up in the hospital over just colds. The one time we had the flu, I gave Tamiflu.

I think that is a situation Tamiflu was designed for, and I really, really hate going to the hospital. (granted, who does enjoy it - haha).

---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:55 PM ----------

oh and we didn't have any side effects from Tamiflu the time we did it. I do have friends whose kids have gotten fairly bad stomach aches from it though.

[a good book under a tree]

Do you think the Tamiflu helped? Did your kids tolerate it well?

[chasingbutterflies]

yeah, I felt it helped and I'd do it again. They both tolerated it well.

There are a fair # of studies, etc on the CDC website. They also update how the strains are reacting to Tamiflu. Last time I looked all the current flu strains were still showing susceptibility to Tamiflu.

---------- Post added at 06:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:01 PM ----------

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/antiviralresistance.htm looks like 98% of the strains still are susceptible, if that helps.

[mamacat]

I would use Elderberry syrup instead and an expectorant

[camperjen]

How is your son doing now?

My 7.5yo has asthma and came down with the flu a couple of days after Christmas. He immediately had a cough so I called his asthma doc who said he should start Prednisone (orapred) to keep the asthma down. We went to additional albuterol as well (he WAS coughing, but not terribly). I continued the Prednisone the regular five days but then his cough got a bit strange - I ended up taking him to the Ped who dx pneumonia, even though we kept up with the Prednisone.

If your son develops the cough (or has had it already started), keep an eye out for anything changing in his cough... my son coughs at night but usually he'll cough for 30-45 minutes sporadically and fall asleep again... this time, it continued and continued, enough to need his inhaler in the middle of the night which is nearly unheard of. Anyway, it was mild pneumonia and he was fine and back at school actually after his appointment (he didn't fit any criteria to stay home - he was active, no fever, no horrid cough).

And I'm curious - did you go ahead and use the Tamiflu? Our Ped (part of the local Children's Hospital) said they don't Rx it for the kids except in really serious cases. Ours didn't fit criteria (and I didn't feel strongly about using it, anyway).

[Quietspirit]

How is your child doing now?

I'd do the Tamiflu in a heartbeat. Your asthmatic child is at risk for flu complications due to his asthma. Tamiflu was designed for this situation.

What your child has is very different than reactive airway disease. Broken capillaries and vomiting typically signal significant asthma.

*advice given as a mom of a severe asthmatic and an asthmatic herself. I am not a doctor.

[a good book under a tree]

Jem's doing fine. His fever was so uncomfortably high and he wouldn't drink anything all day, so I gave him some Motrin in the afternoon that really helped him. After a conversation with the pharmacist, I decided to give him the Tamiflu. Atticus picked it up on his way home from work. We still weren't convinced we wanted to give it to him, especially since he was feeling a little better, but in the end we decided to give him a dose.

In the morning he seemed completely fine. I didn't give him any more Tamiflu because I thought that if it really was the flu, he would still be feverish and sick. Of course we were still doing inhalers. He did develop a cough and on Wednesday some congestion. He wasn't eating much at all, but otherwise, he was up and playing and OK.
On Thursday I took him to the doctor (a 45 minute drive) because the inhalers weren't controlling the cough. He prescribed an oral steroid to use if I deemed it necessary, but Jem's cough continued to improve and I never used it.

Over all, the whole thing was so much more mild than it seemed it would be when he was so feverish on Monday. I truly appreciate all the kind advice and inquiries.

[Quietspirit]

Glad he is doing better :)