Reactive Airway Disease?

A

anonymous

New member
Hello,

My husband and I found out during my second pregnancy that we are both CF carriers. We had my second child tested through amnio and found that he is not even a carrier of cf. Yay!

My question is about my older son, who is four. We had a sweat test done on him when he was very small (8 months, I think) that came back negative. On our most recent trip to the doctor with a cold she said he had reactive airway disease. Is this related to cf? Should I not trust the sweat test that was done?

I'm feeling very uneasy these days. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Laura
 
J

julie

New member
I am not sure of a relationship, or quite honestly what the medical characteristics of "reactive airway disease" are.

If I were you, I would have your older son tested via blood. Since you and your husband are both carriers, both of your genes have ovbiously been identified so a blood test will give you a clear answer as to whether or not he is a carrier or a CFer. Sweat tests are NOT the most accurate way to test for CF (anymore) and your particular situation/diagnosis will be very simple because you and your spouse have identified mutations.

CF does "mask" as other diseases and I have heard many doctors "try" and diagnose an array of medical conditions and most often, the bottom line is that it IS CF.

Additionally, there is current research being conducted about symptomatic carriers of CF mutations. There have been reports of people who are just carriers but have some classic yet very mild CF traits (chronic athsma, digestive/weight gaining problems, lung scarring without an explanation...). Nobody is sure about this one, but I have heard it being talked about that it is a hot topic in the CF community right now.

Hope this helps, please feel free to come back with more questions.....
 
A

anonymous

New member
My daughter was 8 years old when she was diagnosed. She had a cough that lasted months and no medications seemed to help (alergy, ...) They had mentioned Reactive Airway Disease as a possibility. Basically I think that they give this diagnosis when they can't figure out the cause of the cough. CF was mentioned later at being at the bottom of the list so they had to test her to rule it out and the sweat test came back positive. We then had a blood test that confirmed it. As we look back (and now know the symptoms of CF) she has had mild symptoms since birth, but had remained healthy so CF was not tested for until she was 8. I am reading that sweat testing can be done incorrectly (like not collecting enough sweat) so it may be wise to have him tested again for CF.
 
A

anonymous

New member
When my oldest daughter (no cf) had her first asthmatic attack at the age of four, they classified it as reactive airway disease. We were told that they use this classification until a pattern is established that indicates asthma. My daughter has since been diagnosed with asthma and takes daily meds for it.

She has been sweat tested (negative) but not blood tested. I believe she is probably a carrier. Carriers can be "symptomatic" and have asthma or sinus problems. If you are worried, try the blood test.

Maria (mother of three daughters, the youngest, Samantha w/cf)
 
A

anonymous

New member
Thanks so much for the advice/information. We have a second sweat test set up for mid-November.
Thanks again,
Laura
 
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