Influenza A & Crohns

[Mehita]

Unfortunately, influenza A has hit our schools hard. Tomorrow is the last day before spring break and I thought we were in the clear. Nope.

DS had his Remi infusion last Saturday and today he's showing flu symptoms. I'm taking him in tomorrow morning. Hoping for Tamiflu.

Any tips and tricks to get through this, especially with his low immune system right now? Or things to watch for with his Crohn's? He's never had anything beyond a cold since starting Remi three years ago,

Bummed.

 

[Maya142]

No tricks, except you're right to show him to the pediatrician tomorrow. If it is the flu, Tamiflu should help.

My girls have never had the flu on biologics - but they have had other nasty infections (CDiff, staph infection, sinus infections).

We just hope that the bug will go away and that they don't flare....:ghug:.

 

[Jenn]

My son got the flu a few years ago, despite having the vaccination, though I think that helped keep it milder. It hit his asthma hard, mainly, ended up in ER at 3am for that. He was put on tamiflu with no issues and was fine in a few days. Hope it's not the flu though! Good luck.

 

[my little penguin]

Also call your GI
Flu was the one thing the GI wanted called on asap
Just like Jenn for ds asthma and flu is far worse and needs steriods etc...

 

[pdx]

Hope that whatever it is doesn't hit him too hard. It's a bummer that it hit right before spring break, but at least he'll have time to rest without worrying about school. Did you guys have plans for the break?

 

[Mehita]

Flu test was negative, thankfully! Just tagged as "influenza like illness".

We're heading out soon and the timing couldn't have been worse. Dr gave us a prescription for Tamilfu to take with us along with very specific instructions on what would prompt starting it. I asked about starting it anyway, preventatively, and he said to just wait, so I guess we wait. GI said to hold off on MTX until after the plane ride (only 18 hrs late).

I do need to vent a little bit. The GP we saw today was not our usual and every time we do see him, he always mentions how "powerful", "strong", and "potent" the drugs are that DS is on as if we're over doing it. Today, even though I told DS I'd hold my tongue, I just couldn't. It's not like we (any of us here) go about these meds lightly and the insinuation really annoys me. Done venting.

 

[Tesscorm]

Glad it's not the flu. But, glad you didn't 'hold your tongue'!! :ymad: How stupid for the doctor to even voice those concerns, let alone imply anything's being overdone! Like it isn't a difficult decision to live with without unnecessary implications! :voodoo:

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Mehita]

Oh, oh, oh... and the other comment, "Does he really need to avoid gluten or can he tolerate some?" Hello??? CELIAC DISEASE. Zero, none, nada.

 

[Maya142]

The GP we saw today was not our usual and every time we do see him, he always mentions how "powerful", "strong", and "potent" the drugs are that DS is on as if we're over doing it.

Uh...maybe that's because Crohn's is powerful and strong and nasty. No one's taking these drugs for fun!!

Glad you didn't hold your tongue. Good for you!

 

[pdx]

Oh man--does he even know your son's medical history? (Or anything about Crohn's or Celiac Disease for that matter?) Hope you don't have to see him too often...

Have a good trip!

 

[kimmidwife]

That doctor sounds like a real a---!!!!!

 

[Mehita]

Help? We are currently on vacation and need to get on an airplane tomorrow. DS has this horrendous, nagging cough that is getting the best of him (day 3 now). I'd say it's "wet", but he hasn't coughed up any phlegm or mucous. It's just constant coughing. We left an activity yesterday because he just couldn't take it anymore. I don't know what to do. He's been taking Robitussin (for the cough and stuffy/runny nose) but it's not doing much. I need something to get him through the plane ride tomorrow. Any suggestions?

I'm going to call his Ped as soon as the time catches up, but I'm not sure what he can do or prescribe?

 

[kimmidwife]

There are prescription cough medications that he could prescribe but it sounds like it could be bronchitis and he might need an antibiotic to clear it up. Hope the doctor calls you back ASAP. Keep us posted.

 

[Tesscorm]

S fought the same thing for weeks (still kinda fighting it)! Although he fights me when I suggest 'home' remedies, he was so desperate he tried and found both of these worked well...

honey with tea (lemon tea if possible)
Eucalyptus oil (IMPORTANT - you do NOT ingest this... just put a few drops on a tissue and inhale)

Not sure how quickly the honey and tea will help but S had lots of hacking cough with lots of chest congestion and he found the eucalyptus oil helped loosen the mucous and clear it out with his cough almost right away...

Awful when this happens with travels! S was at ER twice because of this the week he was leaving for Dominican with friends... (like the trip itself wasn't enough to worry me! :yfaint

He also took some tissue with eucalyptus oil on the plane but keep it in a baggie! But, be warned, it has a very, very strong smell; even in the baggie, his carry-on smelled strongly of it - I was afraid he'd be pulled over by customs!! :lol:

 

[Jmrogers4]

Yuck, Jack finally seems to have gotten over that but it took a trip to doc and a Rx for antibiotics as well as refilling his inhaler.
Maybe even a doc in the box so they can listen to his lungs followed by a phone call to his ped if they say bronchitis or something. We just did that with Jack because we couldn't get in to see ped.

 

[pdx]

We're currently fighting this too--I wonder if it's the same bug for all our kids, or just the time of year? Anyway, E has had a constant unproductive wet cough for 2 weeks. We had a chest x-ray last week that was clear, but then two days later the congestion spread to her ears and sinuses, and she ended up with a double ear infection and sinus infection. She's midway through a course of amoxicillin, but she still has ear pain and the cough.

For the cough, we've been using Mucinex (the one with the expectorant and cough suppressant--same ingredients as Robutussin, I think), steam, and tea with honey. We've also been using sudafed for her sinuses, which seems to help the cough too.

Sorry you have to deal with this on vacation. Hope the plane ride goes alright.

 

[Maya142]

We always use a nasal spray (our doctor recommended Afrin) if we are traveling and my kids have a cold and are congested. We once flew in a badly pressurized airplane and my daughter had a cold - ended up with a perforated ear drum and a trip in an ambulance (in Thailand, no less!). We have always used Afrin when traveling after that (if they have a cold).

 

[Mehita]

Thanks, everyone. Our ped never called back, but my fam med cousin said to use Robitussin DM. I also picked up Afrin and five thousand bags of cough drops. Lesson of the day: not
all cough drops are gluten free.

Just found out we're all in different rows (what's the point of booking seats???), so hoping when DS shows up with a mask and hacking up a lung every ten minutes that someone will want to swap seats with me.

 

[pdx]

Did you make it back home OK? Hope the plane ride wasn't too painful.

 

[Mehita]

We did, thanks for asking, pdx. We loaded him up with meds and cough drops and he was good for 3 of the 4 hours of the flight. He started coughing towards the end, but then sucked on cough drops until we landed.

 

[pdx]

Glad to hear that! Hope that he's over the worst of it by now.