Wes has croup, steroid?

A mom always knows, right? Wesley has been coughing only at night and he has a low appetite. No fever, but he has been fussy and wants to cuddle more often. I know he isn't feeling good, but I held off on taking him for about five days because he was only coughing at night, not at all during the day. So I took him into the ped today and sure enough, he has croup. Has all the symptoms. I had no idea that croup had nothing to do with the lungs (which his were perfectly clear). It's upper resp. So the ped prescribed a children's steroid to help decrease swelling of the tissue in the throat......Has anyone ever been prescribed the same thing? I'm scared to even give my kids tylenol, so I'm a bit skeptical. But I went and filled the prescription anyway. Anything I should know before giving it to him? Ped said there were no side effects except that it probably won't increase his appetite. He only needs to take it for 3 days. And although he seems to be feeling okay, she said to keep him out of playgroup (he is contagious) for at least 48 hours. So you'll probably see me on here a lot lately since I'm stuck in the house. I think Wil may be coming down with a cold too. Yay.

The twins have been given steroids for a variety of upper respiratory issues. IMHO they're ok when needed, is it inhaled or the pills? Just a warning, if it's the pills they taste TERRIBLE when crushed up, I tried putting them in chocolate milk and they wouldn't drink it. It worked much better to put it in a spoonful of choc syrup I hope he starts feeling better soon

Hmm, I haven't actually picked up the Rx yet, so I'm not sure if they are pills or other. I'm thinking other since the ped told me to ask for a syringe though, which I just now remembered I forgot to ask for when dropping off the Rx! So I'm assuming liquid??

Thanks for the tips!

awww poor baby I hope he feels better soon!!! I hope Wil doesn't catch what Wes has!!

Hmm, I haven't actually picked up the Rx yet, so I'm not sure if they are pills or other. I'm thinking other since the ped told me to ask for a syringe though, which I just now remembered I forgot to ask for when dropping off the Rx! So I'm assuming liquid??

Thanks for the tips!

Okay, it's liquid and it seriously smells like extra sweet bubble-gum. They must have realized that the pills weren't working for kids. Wesley had no problem taking it, thank god. We will see what it does...

I'm not sure what they gave you but Jama and Jack have both been on Orapred. It is awful but WAY better than the generic. Orapred tastes like grape with a very strong after taste. The generic is just plane awful and my pediatrician recommends against it as some kids gag from the taste alone. IF it is this medication, it can make them a little wacky---hyper, thirsty, kind of goofy acting or moody. It is not my favorite thing but it decreases the swelling in the respritory tract so if they need it, they get it. Jamison just got over croup and a dose of Orapred last week.


Sorry to hear he's sick

Hmm, I haven't actually picked up the Rx yet, so I'm not sure if they are pills or other. I'm thinking other since the ped told me to ask for a syringe though, which I just now remembered I forgot to ask for when dropping off the Rx! So I'm assuming liquid??

Thanks for the tips!

Okay, it's liquid and it seriously smells like extra sweet bubble-gum. They must have realized that the pills weren't working for kids. Wesley had no problem taking it, thank god. We will see what it does...

I'm glad to hear that...we had such a fiasco trying to get the pills down them it was awful...it tasted so bad they wouldn't take ANYTHING on a spoon from me for a good week

You should see a big difference pretty quickly

Poor thing. I hope he feels better soon.

rae, caleb gets this all the time, when he was really young we ended up in the er for it at least every few months..he just had a bout of croup last week from climbing in a tunnel at chuckie cheese...
anyway, he takes orapred...an oral steroid when it gets really bad and we keep it on hand at home to give when he is really bad.
if not treated his throat closes up and he has to be rushed to the er for nebulizer treatments.
he has taken that steroid since he was one, and it has not affected him adversly.

i hope he feels better soon.
the steamy showers usually help, and we do albuteral at home via nebulizer too.
hot liquids and tylenal.

Another trick for croup is to open your freezer door and let him breathe in the cold air, it makes the airways open up.

I hope he feels better soon.

Yeah, the ped recommended cold air too. She said to just walk outside, since we live in CO and it's like lower 30's in the evening. I haven't tried it yet though.

Brenda, I think it may be the generic beause it was only $5. And the name you posted doesn't sound familiar. Wesley has had it twice now and takes it with no problem. I think he likes the bubble gum flavor. Ick, but oh well. I haven't noticed any wacky-ness, but my kids are always a bit wacky!

Stacy, didn't realize their little throats could close, scary. Thanks for telling me that. I will stay on top of giving him the meds (twice a day until gone).

Jenna has been in and out of the peds emerg because of croup. But the doc never gave me a prescription of steriods. all they did was give her one dose at the hospital and then sent us home when she was breathing better. that one dose helped big time!!! If you are leary what you also can do is make a tent for himt o sleep in at night and in the tent have a cool mist humidifier going and that helps kick the croup!!!! i pitched jennas kids tent in teh livingroom put the humidifier in there and slept in there with her. i had a horrible sleep as i was srunched but she woke up waaay better!!!!!!1

Do they do a test for croup? The doc said Aiden had it a couple months ago but I never went and got the med because I didnt want to put him on that and I didnt think he could diagnosis it when the kid did not cough once when he was in there. So how do they know? Oh and his cough went away a couple days after. Just wondering for the future if anyone knows.

I thought the exact same thing - how could the ped possibly know it was croup from just what I told her. Wesley never coughed in the ped's office. She checked his lungs, nose, ears, the usual, and said they were all clear. Well then she starts writing the Rx for the steroid. I had to ask her a second time if he really had croup, she said yes because of all the symptoms I had described: coughing only in the evening, loss of appetite, general moodiness (clingy), low-grade fever and slightly red cheeks. He also was refusing to drink any milk for a couple days...and although he is pretty much weaned from BF, he was trying to nurse due to a soreness in his throat (I think). So I suppose that was reason alone to diagnose it as croup. Strange, but I trust she knows. I think that's why they always talk about the parent-ped relationship being so important. We need to rely on each other, that's my opinion at least.

poor baby. i hope he is better soon. 2 of mine have been on steroids... orally and thru a mask. it made me nervous too at first but the rate at which he improved was well worth it.

Tanner has had croup several times and each time his doctor said he wont perscribe something because it's viral. Antibiotics are for bacteria. Did they do tests for it? It takes a long time to go away, the cough can last up to 2 weeks or more depending on the severity, but the barkiness wont last that long.

This post has been edited by Boo&BugsMom on Nov 9 2007, 12:15 PM

Croup

What is croup?

Croup is a viral infection of the vocal cords, voice box
(larynx), and windpipe (trachea).

Symptoms of a croup include:
- a tight, low-pitched "barking" cough
- a hoarse voice

You may hear a harsh, raspy, vibrating sound when your child
breathes in. This is called stridor. Stridor is usually
present only with crying or coughing. As the disease
becomes worse, stridor also occurs when your child is
sleeping or relaxed. With severe croup, breathing may be
difficult.


What causes croup?

Croup is usually part of a cold. Swelling of the vocal
cords causes hoarseness. Stridor is caused by the opening
between the vocal cords becoming more narrow.


How long will it last?

Croup usually lasts for 5 to 6 days and generally gets worse
at night. During this time, it can change from mild to
severe and back many times. The worst symptoms are seen in
children under 3 years of age.


How is it treated?

First Aid For Stridor

If your child suddenly develops stridor or tight breathing,
do the following:

- Inhalation of warm mist

Warm moist air seems to work best to relax the vocal
cords and break the stridor. The simplest way to provide
this is to have your child breathe through a warm, wet
washcloth placed loosely over his nose and mouth.
Another good way, if you have a humidifier (not a hot
vaporizer), is to fill it with warm water and have your
child breathe deeply from the stream of humidity.

- The foggy bathroom

In the meantime, have a hot shower running with the
bathroom door closed. Once the room is all fogged up,
take your child in there for at least 10 minutes. Try to
help your child not be afraid by cuddling or reading a
story.

Most children settle down with the above treatments and then
sleep peacefully through the night. If your child continues
to have stridor, call your child's health care provider
IMMEDIATELY. If your child turns blue, passes out, or stops
breathing, call the rescue squad (911).


Home Care for a Croupy Cough (without stridor)

- Humidifier

Dry air usually makes a cough worse. Keep the child's
bedroom humidified. Use a humidifier if you have one.
Run it 24 hours a day. Otherwise, hang wet sheets or
towels in your child's room.

- Warm fluids for coughing spasms

Coughing spasms are often due to sticky mucus caught on
the vocal cords. Warm fluids may help relax the vocal
cords and loosen up the mucus. Use clear fluids (ones
you can see through) such as apple juice, lemonade, or
herbal tea. Give warm fluids only to children over 4
months old.

- Cough medicines

Medicines are less helpful than either mist or drinking
warm, clear fluids. Children over 4 years old can be
given cough drops for the cough. Children over 1 year of
age can be given 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of corn syrup as
needed to thin the secretions. If your child has a fever
(over 102°F, or 38.9°C), you may give him acetaminophen
(Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil).

- Close observation

While your child is croupy, sleep in the same room with
him. Croup can be a dangerous disease.

- Smoke exposure

Never let anyone smoke around your child. Smoke can
make croup worse.

- Contagiousness

The viruses that cause croup are quite contagious.

When should I call my child's health care provider?
Call IMMEDIATELY if:

- Breathing becomes difficult (when your child is not
coughing).
- Your child starts drooling or spitting, or starts having
great difficulty swallowing.
- The warm mist fails to clear up the stridor in
20 minutes.
- Your child starts acting very sick.


Call within 24 hours if:

- The attacks of stridor occur more than 3 times.
- A fever lasts more than 3 days.
- Croup lasts more than 10 days.
- You have other concerns or questions.


Written by B.D. Schmitt, M.D., author of "Your Child's Health," Bantam Books.

Published by McKesson Health Solutions LLC.
Copyright © 2004 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

hey Rae is he feeling any better today??

I hope he feels better