cold virus...

Andy got a bug, a mild one and he's trying to get better without going into crisis mode. We are doing three puffs of flovent a day (which is less than doubling the dose). If necessary I will double the dose till he gets over the hump. He looks very pale on occasions like this. we have also reduced the milk too for a couple of days.

We have changed the floors, and one week after the filters becase I forgot to do it. We should have cleaned the AC vents after changing the floor but we did it before and it is rather expensive to do it again. If I see a lot of dust I will cover the vents again.

or maybe it is just the cold.

weekend

fever up tp 102 during sunday night. ibuprofen. tylenol. ibuprofen. cold water compresses on the forehead. double dose of flovent. twice given two puffs of xopenex (have to check on their apprently shorter valididy preriod). axid in the evening. also magnesium, extra vitamin C and some fish oil. if it sounds like a lot, it is. In essence we are grateful that A is getting better, apparently managing to avoid an asthma flare-up.way to go A!

double flovent

perhaps too easily but I had decided to up the flovent as a consequence to hearing A cough in the morning. when we thought we were done he caught a cold and has a stuffy nose. again?

morning cough

A coughed twice yesterday morning. In the afternoon had a runny nose. This morning he coughed some more so I gave him a double dose of flovent.

axid

maybe A is finally getting over his cold or maybe giving him some antacid (axid) in the evening helped. we are finally back (for two days now) to his regular dose of flovent (110 mg morning and evening).

irritation

since grandma left - at the beginning of June A has been in an almost constant state of irritation: not too bad, but not too good. we ended up using xopenex more often than not. I was expectign releif when we got to the beach...but we had a cold and circulated it within the family. So we did double dose of flovent and additional xopenex - as needed. Not too much but three-or four days; once or twice a day (or night). Nights have been the worse. Notthing too bad but you never know, so we were precautious.

air ducts

thinking to inspect the air ducts see if they are in goo dshape or they trowh trash into the air. Here is a guide on what to look for.
http://www.inspect-ny.com/aircond/aircond18.htm

quercetin - anti-inflamatory

Foods rich in quercetin include capers (1800 mg/kg)[9], lovage (1700 mg/kg), apples (440 mg/kg), tea (Camellia sinensis), onion, especially red onion (higher concentrations of quercetin occur in the outermost rings[10]), red grapes, citrus fruit, tomato, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables, and a number of berries including cherry, raspberry, bog whortleberry (158 mg/kg, fresh weight), lingonberry (cultivated 74 mg/kg, wild 146 mg/kg), cranberry (cultivated 83 mg/kg, wild 121 mg/kg), chokeberry (89 mg/kg), sweet rowan (85 mg/kg), rowanberry (63 mg/kg), sea buckthorn berry (62 mg/kg), crowberry (cultivated 53 mg/kg, wild 56 mg/kg),[11] and the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. A recent study found that organically grown tomatoes had 79% more quercetin than "conventionally grown".[12]source-wikipedia

xopenex again

I do not know if it is the chlorine in the pool, the dust in teh house or the ozone in the hot summer air but A needed xopenex again yesterday and this morning he woke up with a bit of a cough again. sent him to camp hopeping that he;ll get better during the day.
I am considering replacing the carpet with wood-bamboo-cork....low emission laminate (just cause it is less expensive).

too much pool?

Last summer was a good summer. we alternated camps : with and without swimming to avoid A catching a cold and having it linger. This summer I was not as careful, A swims all the time (we had a good winter too) and now he has this tiny bit of cough lingering and I never know if it is going away or trying to get back. Maybe it is not swimming but the remnants of a cold. Do not know so I do double dose of flovent but need to stop soon. Perhaps just a bit of xopenex instead?
I hope he will get back to a good healthy baseline soon.
And we are trying to inroduce fish oil supplements (carlson) but he dislikes the "fishy" (after)taste.
tried thyme tea - another invention.

camps

A loves his camp at New Hope Church. They are active there and swim. But I wonder if he does get cold and this is why it's taking seemingly long for inflammation to go down.

Here is an interesting article on asthma - a multifaceted approach.

http://www.ajc.com/health/altmed/shared/health/alt_medicine/ConsConditions/Asthmacc.html

Which natural ingredients can have an effect on asthma?

from http://www.healthresearchdata.com/health-concerns/treatments/asthma.html

Carotenoids, grape seed extract, quercetin, N-acetylcysteine, ginkgo biloba, coenzyme Q10, fish oils (EPA/DHA), vitamins B5, B6, B12 and C, selenium, magnesium and molybdenum.

from

http://www.practicalasthma.net/pages/practical_strategy.htm

In the presence of ample nutritive factors such as vitamins B3 and B6 as well as zinc and magnesium and such fatty acids as EPA, DHA, and GLA, antinflammatory mediators are more likely to be produced.

predinsone

started a 5 days course f prednisone 10 ml, twice a day (concentration ?/5ml).
rainy ...coldish today in the 90 and then 100.

anti-inflamatory foods

http://www.metabolismadvice.com/anti_inflammatory_food/

1. lower body fat
2. exercise
3. eat right: more of these




Vegetables


Bell Peppers
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Broccoli Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chard
Collards
Fennel Bulb
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Onions/Spring Onions
Kale
Leeks
Olives
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Turnip Greens





Herbs & Spices


Basil
Cayenne Peppers/Chilli Peppers
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cocoa (at least 70% cocoa chocolate)
Licorice
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Rosemary
Thyme
Turmeric





Oils


Avocado Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil





Drinks


Green Tea




Fruits


Acerola (West Indian) Cherries
Apples
Avocados
Black Currants
Blueberries
Fresh Pineapple
Guavas
Kiwifruit
Kumquats
Lemons
Limes
Mulberries
Oranges
Papaya
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tomatoes





Nuts & Seeds


Almonds
Flaxseed/Linseed
Hazelnuts
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts





Fish


Cod
Halibut
Herring
Oysters
Rainbow Trout
Salmon
Sardines
Snapper Fish
Striped Bass
Tuna
Whitefish

4. eat less of these: sugars, refined or hydrogenated vegetable oils such as those found in margarines, potato chips and baked goods

summer troubles

since Thursday the 4th A has had some troubles - a little bit of a virus. Then we had a bad night on sunday the 7th and we kept him out of school for monday. Called the good doctor KS and he prescribed corticosteroids. But A got better on monday so we refrained from using the meds. A seemed to get better but every time he got wet (it's hard to keep him from getting wet during the summer) he nose would start running . Now we are coughing some again...and it is the 15th. It takes so long to get in perfect shape.

not asthma - just laxative foods

this is for my other A:
(source is iloveindia)

* Avocadoes
* Alcohol
* Almonds
* Aloe Vera
* Apple Juice
* Cabbage
* Chicken Broth (canned)
* Chicory
* Chocolate
* Coconut
* Coffee
* Dandelion
* Dates
* Dried apricots
* Endive
* Figs
* Flaxseed
* Grapes
* Hot Tea w/ Lemon
* Licorice
* Mangos
* Molasses
* Olives
* Papayas
* Parsley
* Peach/Apricots
* Pears
* Persimmons
* Pineapple
* Plums
* Prunes/Prune Juice
* Psylium Husk
* Rhubarb
* Soybeans
* Spicy Foods
* Turnips
* Walnuts
* Watercress

other symptoms

tummy problems - adressed with axid (antacid)
throat problems - salty water rinse (yuck) or mouthwash rinse (still yuck)

white nights

a short (5 days) course of corticosteroids started on saturday morning.
a white night saturday then the cortcosteroids kicked in and A got much better! still coughing some but much better!

pollen days

we've had crazy weather in NC lately . oe day hot and one day cold. one day sunny one day cloudy. I have a cold for about one month now. or is it allergy?
the idea is that A is coughing some again. for now we do xopenex with the spacer and doubled the flovent...since april 8. I have started with doubling the morning dose only, ended up doubling everything and may require the same meds for the nebulizer.
and there is pollen everywhere...carolina pine pollen mostly.
happy spring!

old wives tales or natural remedies for cough

source: http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Cough.html

Cough Home Remedy

Cough home remedies and natural cures, Questions and answers

Cough treatment using Grapes

Grapes are one of the most effective home remedies for the treatment of a cough. Grapes tone up the lungs and act as an expectorant, relieving a simple cold and cough in a couple of days. A cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey is advised for cough relief.

Cough treatment using Almonds

Almonds are useful for dry coughs. Seven kernels should be soaked in water overnight and the brown skin removed. They should then be ground well to form a fine paste. A quantity of twenty grams each of butter and sugar should then be added to the paste. This paste should be taken in the morning and evening.

Cough treatment using Onion

The use of raw onion is valuable in a cough. This vegetable should be chopped fine and the juice extracted from it. One teaspoon of the juice should then be mixed with one teaspoon of honey and kept for four or five hours-it will make an excellent cough syrup and should be taken twice daily. Onions are also useful in removing phelgm. A medium-sized onion should be crushed, the juice of one lemon added to it, and then one cup of boiling water poured on it. A teaspoon of honey can be added for taste. This remedy should be taken two or three times a day.

Cough treatment using Turmeric

The root of the turmeric plant is useful in a dry cough. The root should he roasted and powdered. This powder should be taken in three gram doses twice daily, in the morning and evening.

Cough treatment using Belleric Myroblan

The herb belleric myroblan is a household remedy for a cough. A mixture comprising two grams of the pulp of the fruit, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of long pepper, and 2 teaspoons of honey should be administered for the treatment of this condition twice daily. The dried fruit covered with wheat flour and roasted , is another popular remedy for cough condition.

Cough treatment using Raisins

A sauce prepared from raisins is also useful in a cough. This sauce is prepared by grinding 100 gm of raisins with water. About 100 gm of sugar should be mixed with it and the mixture heated. When the mixture acquires a sauce-like consistency, it should be preserved. Twenty grams should be taken at bedtime daily.

Cough treatment using Aniseed

Aniseed is another effective remedy for a hard dry cough with difficult expectoration. It breaks up the mucus. A tea made from this spice should be taken regularly for treating this condition.

Dietaries for Cough

Cough : Home Remedies suggested by users

Orange juice and water

In the case of a severe cough, the patient should fast on orange juice and water till the severity is reduced. The procedure is to take the juice of an orange diluted in a cup of warm water, every two hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All-fruit diet

After the juice fast, the patient should adopt an all-fruit diet for two or three days. In case of a mild cough, the patient can begin with an all-fruit diet for five to seven days, taking three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, grape-fruit, oranges, pineapples, peaches, and melons. For drinks, unsweetened lemon water, or cold or hot plain water may be given.

Well-balanced diet with emphasis on wholegrain cereals, lightly cooked vegetables

After the all-fruit diet, the patient should follow a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on wholegrain cereals, raw or lightly cooked vegetables, and fresh fruits.

Avoid tea, coffee, refined and processed foods

The patient should avoid meats, sugar, tea, coffee, condiments, pickles, refined and processed foods. He should also avoid soft drinks, candies, ice-cream, and all products made from sugar and while flour.

doc apointment

doc says we' are doing good!
we need to keep exercising to get these lung strong!
improve nutrition.

if a does not eat too much milk, does he get enough Ca? Other sources or supplements?

flu? virus?

increased flovent and addition of albuterol/xopnex for almost three days now
A came back from school on Friday with fever and "body aches"

I normally favor the nebulizer for bad days but my albuterol solution has expired. Not sure if it has the same efficacy or side affects because it is old. So must rely on xopenex probably or call the doc.

Added some fish oil and magnesium

Read about benefits of : garlic, onion, hot foods (I thouugh they could be irritants ), massage, relaxatio & yoga.

Avoid dust and sulfites, and pesticides...and what else?

7-10 days of increased flovent

we just finished a (7-10 days) series of double dose flovent to avoid systemic corticosteroids.