Son just diagnosed - how do you deal with colds?

[cre]

My son has recently been diagnosed with Crohn's and I'm curious how do you deal with the common cold and/or sickness? I hope you get over this and start feeling better soon!!!

 

[theOcean]

Hello, just moved your post to its own thread in the Parents of Kids with IBD section. I hope you get some responses soon!

I find that as long as my Crohn's is under control/treated appropriately I don't really get sick on top of it. Just try to get him to wash his hands often, maybe even carry around hand sanitizer, and be careful around other people who are sick.

 

[Jmrogers4]

Push lots of fluids and rest. I will do a couple of drops of essential oil in a scentsy if he is really congested. Tylenol is okay for pains and fevers but we try not to use to often. We've used sudafed with no problems but mostly just fluids and rest.
I agree with the Ocean, he really doesn't get sick more often but we do push the handwashing a lot and he does carry hand sanitizer in his back pack but how often that happens while he's at school, who knows- he's a teenager and really thinks he is pretty invincible.

 

[DanceMom]

To prevent illness we are very careful to wash our hands often or use sanitizer or hand wipes if a sink isn't available. I also wipe down shopping carts before using them. My daughter knows that she is not to eat/drink after anyone or allow anyone to get in her face (little girls seem to have no personal boundaries, lol).

If she is sick she rests and drinks more water. We aren't big on cold meds and I only give Tylenol if she is uncomfortable with a fever. If her throat or ears hurt we always make a Pedi visit just to be sure an infection isn't present.

 

[CrohnsKidMom]

Welcome to the forum! We have 2 boys, my oldest (9 yo) has Crohn's. We do our best to prevent viruses-hand washing, sanitizer, etc., but don't find he gets any more flus or colds than my 7 yo does. Our GI said that because he's on an immunosuppressant, he may get hit harder with viruses or take longer to get over them, but thankfully we have not noticed much of a difference. We use Tylenol when necessary, but no ibuprofen. He takes a multivitamin, but no extra cold-prevention products. We'll also run a humidifier in his room at night if he has a cough, which seems to help a bit.

 

[my little penguin]

Three years of elementary school no extra colds...
Just lots of fluids
Stuff for his asthma is more concerning than crohn's stuff in terms of colds .
We just watch for things like strep since he can't have humira shots if he has an active infection ( unless he is on an antibiotic ).

 

[SupportiveMom]

I do gatorade, soups and sleep. Tylenol if fever comes, but otherwise its all I can do. That, and clean everything so she doesn't get it back again and we don't get sick to give it back to her.

 

[AZMOM]

The "common" stuff like a cold or a 24 hour stomach bug is hard not to freak out over but you'll find that when things get to a new normal - most kids don't have these more than any other kids. My "healthy" kid has had more upper respiratory infections than the immune suppressed one!

Do fluids, tylenol, tlc and you'll always be looking sideways to be sure that IBD stays quiet!

 

[SupportiveMom]

Good one on the sideways comment Azmom!

 

[Farmwife]

Hi and welcome.
My Grace was dx at three and after starting humira and mtx, she only has had one major virus. I think that's good since she also has asthma.

Can I ask what meds is he is on?

 

[Mehita]

My son caught a cold just before spring break. It was his first since being on Remicade and I didn't know what was safe to give him. Of course it was a Friday night too. Everything happens on a Friday night. Anyway, I didn't want to call the on call GI over a cold, so with the advice of the fine parents here, we pushed liquids. Lots and lots of liquids... like several gallons over the course of two days. By day three he was completely fine (but then the rest of the family caught it). Oddly, pushing liquids didn't work as well for the rest of us, but I was very happy it did for DS.

 

[cre]

So young they are. He is on methylprednisolone (we are tapering now), remicade infusions, a protonix, calcium, vitamin D and probiotics. Was it also a long process for a dx for your Grace? i just love that name btw.

 

[malorymug]

Sorry about your son's diagnosis. You have a great question and I've enjoyed reading the answers since I have a newly diagnosed boy too. Part of the reason we found out about Crohn's in my son is that he was sick soooooo often this winter. We received a GI consult because of weight loss and and Ear, Nose, and Throat consult because of the monthly strep infections. GI saw us first, ENT is next month.

I'm happy to hear that even on immunomodulators, the CD kids are holding their own with the colds.

 

[VeganOstomy]

How old is your son?

My kids are 9 and 12 and we don't get colds very often and we generally just use good hand washing and eat as best as we can. I think the only cold I've had in 3-4 years was when I was in transition from predisone to humira, and I don't even think that was a cold, but likely just another wonderful side effect.

You might consider gargling if you're prone to colds:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-gargling-prevent-the-common-cold/

 

[cre]

My son just turned 3. He was just diagnosed 6 weeks ago and since we have taken him out of daycare and not been in public much due to the steroids and doctors advice. I don't at all want to keep him totally confined but just worry that without a "normal" immune system he wouldn't be able to fight a sickness as well as others.

 

[VeganOstomy]

I don't at all want to keep him totally confined but just worry that without a "normal" immune system he wouldn't be able to fight a sickness as well as others.

That is a valid concern. Other than making sure his hands are clean and he doesn't stick them in his eyes/nose/ears/mouth after coming in contact with stuff while out in public, make sure he's eating healthy and avoid processed foods (especially sugar) as much as you can.

 

[Farmwife]

So young they are. He is on methylprednisolone (we are tapering now), remicade infusions, a protonix, calcium, vitamin D and probiotics. Was it also a long process for a dx for your Grace? i just love that name btw.

Grace did have a long road to get dx and she still has some unanswered questions but is getting the care she needs, so I'm happy.

How long has your little one been ill?

 

[cre]

Grace did have a long road to get dx and she still has some unanswered questions but is getting the care she needs, so I'm happy.

How long has your little one been ill?

Very noticeably since December 2013 but thinking back he has never had what we now know is normal bowel movements. December is when the throwing up, cramping, high fevers and bed ridden started and then other things in the months to follow. it breaks my heart knowing how terrible he was feeling but i try not to dwell on that and be thankful at the progress he has made in the past few weeks. I am happy to hear Grace is getting the care she needs but I also hope you get those other questions anwered, clarity always makes me feel better.

 

[DustyKat]

Ditto to all of the above…hand washing, fluids etc. I do treat any painful side effects, thinking head/sinus ache and/or sore throat, with things like Panadol, Cold and Flu tablets, gargles or lozenges.

My two have been on immunosuppressants for 8 years and 3.5 years respectively and I have found they haven’t come down with things more often than others nor any worse.

Dusty. xxx