Aspergillus-keep home or not?

V

VickiN

New member
<P>Hi,</P>
<P>My daughter 14 has been being treated for nocardia for the last 8 months and got better and now has been going backwards. Well we are now going to stop treatment of the nocardia and start treatment of aspergillus. They are thinking that the nocardia is gone and it is the aspergillus that is causing the problems. She has had aspergillus for a few years and it has not been a problem till now. We start treatment today. I guess my question is... Do we stay on the safe side and keep her home from school for a week or so until the antifungal kicks in? We are thinking that we DO NOT want her to pick up anything else, cold, flu...., and maybe keeping her home for the next week (then she has Christmas break for a week) might be a good idea? But is that overkill? I am not sure what to do and just thought maybe I could get some advise on what you would do. Thanks for any thoughts.</P>
<P>Vicki</P>
<P>Mom of 2 with cf...18 and 14</P>
 
V

VickiN

New member
<P>Hi,</P>
<P>My daughter 14 has been being treated for nocardia for the last 8 months and got better and now has been going backwards. Well we are now going to stop treatment of the nocardia and start treatment of aspergillus. They are thinking that the nocardia is gone and it is the aspergillus that is causing the problems. She has had aspergillus for a few years and it has not been a problem till now. We start treatment today. I guess my question is... Do we stay on the safe side and keep her home from school for a week or so until the antifungal kicks in? We are thinking that we DO NOT want her to pick up anything else, cold, flu...., and maybe keeping her home for the next week (then she has Christmas break for a week) might be a good idea? But is that overkill? I am not sure what to do and just thought maybe I could get some advise on what you would do. Thanks for any thoughts.</P>
<P>Vicki</P>
<P>Mom of 2 with cf...18 and 14</P>
 
T

tammykrumrey

Guest
Hi Vicki! My 13 year old daughter suffers from ABPA. She has been treated with VFend for 15 months now. When her ABPA flares up, she also has to go on Prednisone. Her FEV1 will drop down into the 40s when it flares up, but after treatment, it goes back up to normal, which is in the high 80s-low 90s.

The only times that I actually keep Kayla home from school is when the Aspergillus mold counts are high. I get email alerts from the Pollen and Mold Alert from the National Allergy Bureau, a service of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. It gives me updates on our local area on a daily basis. But I also watch trends. We know that the mold counts will go up on days after it rains. And they sky rocket when it rains, and then gets hot the next day!! And those are days that I may or may not send her to school, only because she gets to where she cannot stop coughing when the molds are high. I also keep her inside during those times.

I don't think that Kayla catches things easier when she is having ABPA flare ups. It is just that she feel horrible during those times. Her cough gets harsh, and her wheezing kicks in. It makes her more nervous, than anything.

I don't think I really answered your question, but I do know that Kayla goes to school right after starting her VFend treatment in October 2010. We didn't keep her home <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Good luck with the treatment!! We just tripled Kayla's VFend dosage about two weeks ago after blood work came back with levels near O! So, apparently she was taking it for over a year, and not getting the dosage needed to help combate the Aspergillus! Hoping that the new dosage will help keep it under control!
 
T

tammykrumrey

Guest
Hi Vicki! My 13 year old daughter suffers from ABPA. She has been treated with VFend for 15 months now. When her ABPA flares up, she also has to go on Prednisone. Her FEV1 will drop down into the 40s when it flares up, but after treatment, it goes back up to normal, which is in the high 80s-low 90s.

The only times that I actually keep Kayla home from school is when the Aspergillus mold counts are high. I get email alerts from the Pollen and Mold Alert from the National Allergy Bureau, a service of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. It gives me updates on our local area on a daily basis. But I also watch trends. We know that the mold counts will go up on days after it rains. And they sky rocket when it rains, and then gets hot the next day!! And those are days that I may or may not send her to school, only because she gets to where she cannot stop coughing when the molds are high. I also keep her inside during those times.

I don't think that Kayla catches things easier when she is having ABPA flare ups. It is just that she feel horrible during those times. Her cough gets harsh, and her wheezing kicks in. It makes her more nervous, than anything.

I don't think I really answered your question, but I do know that Kayla goes to school right after starting her VFend treatment in October 2010. We didn't keep her home <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Good luck with the treatment!! We just tripled Kayla's VFend dosage about two weeks ago after blood work came back with levels near O! So, apparently she was taking it for over a year, and not getting the dosage needed to help combate the Aspergillus! Hoping that the new dosage will help keep it under control!
 
H

Havoc

New member
A few years ago I had a bout with ABPA. I asked my docs about an antifungal and it turns out there's a bit of a debate over whether or not they are effective enough to justify the potential risks. Fungi colonize the lungs just like bacteria, in the mucus. The allergic response of ABPA comes from contact with the colonized mucus. Oral antifungals will help treat any cells that have been infected, but does nothing for the the fungi in the mucus. Some docs err on the side of treating, even though it probably will not be terribly effective. My docs chose not to, and I supported their decision.

The best treatment for ABPA is removal from the environment where one is being exposed to aspergillus.
 
H

Havoc

New member
A few years ago I had a bout with ABPA. I asked my docs about an antifungal and it turns out there's a bit of a debate over whether or not they are effective enough to justify the potential risks. Fungi colonize the lungs just like bacteria, in the mucus. The allergic response of ABPA comes from contact with the colonized mucus. Oral antifungals will help treat any cells that have been infected, but does nothing for the the fungi in the mucus. Some docs err on the side of treating, even though it probably will not be terribly effective. My docs chose not to, and I supported their decision.

The best treatment for ABPA is removal from the environment where one is being exposed to aspergillus.
 
T

Treble

New member
If I was your kid, and you told me to take a week off from school which would lead into christmas vacation so I could keep resting until I wasn't feeling so crappy anymore, then I'd be like yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! lololol.<br>That's just me tho. I've always felt it to be very important to allow yourself the time needed to rest and recover when it comes to my CF related issues.<br><br>
 
T

Treble

New member
If I was your kid, and you told me to take a week off from school which would lead into christmas vacation so I could keep resting until I wasn't feeling so crappy anymore, then I'd be like yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! lololol.<br>That's just me tho. I've always felt it to be very important to allow yourself the time needed to rest and recover when it comes to my CF related issues.<br><br>
 
M

MCGrad2006

Guest
If she is 14, that means she is in high school? I would say if she feels ok to go to school. At her age, that is going to be a lot of work to make up. If she starts feeling crummy at school, she can probably be dismissed. I HATED missing school as a kid and finding the motivation to do all that work would not be fun...
 
M

MCGrad2006

Guest
If she is 14, that means she is in high school? I would say if she feels ok to go to school. At her age, that is going to be a lot of work to make up. If she starts feeling crummy at school, she can probably be dismissed. I HATED missing school as a kid and finding the motivation to do all that work would not be fun...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top