So I'm confused.....???

[Salli]

So Archie has another cold which has gone to his chest. I left it
about 5 days to see if he could get over it on his own but after
talking to his pediatrician he is on antibiotics again. My doc is
always quick to put him on antibiotics. He says if he has a wheeze
(which he does with every cold) and a moist cough it is better to
get him on antibi's as he will get over it quicker and will avoid
getting a bacterial infection. However, I read that many of you
leave you little ones to try and beat it on there own before for
about 1-2 weeks before starting antibiotics. I don't want to pump
Archie with antibiotics every time he has a cold but it seems this
is what is suggested by his doc. Can you guys give me some advice
on what you do? I have had the same cold and it is a yucky chesty
bug so most likely he would have needed them this time but do
you think it is right to put him on them every time he has a moist
cough?

 

[Salli]

So Archie has another cold which has gone to his chest. I left it
about 5 days to see if he could get over it on his own but after
talking to his pediatrician he is on antibiotics again. My doc is
always quick to put him on antibiotics. He says if he has a wheeze
(which he does with every cold) and a moist cough it is better to
get him on antibi's as he will get over it quicker and will avoid
getting a bacterial infection. However, I read that many of you
leave you little ones to try and beat it on there own before for
about 1-2 weeks before starting antibiotics. I don't want to pump
Archie with antibiotics every time he has a cold but it seems this
is what is suggested by his doc. Can you guys give me some advice
on what you do? I have had the same cold and it is a yucky chesty
bug so most likely he would have needed them this time but do
you think it is right to put him on them every time he has a moist
cough?

 

[Salli]

So Archie has another cold which has gone to his chest. I left it
about 5 days to see if he could get over it on his own but after
talking to his pediatrician he is on antibiotics again. My doc is
always quick to put him on antibiotics. He says if he has a wheeze
(which he does with every cold) and a moist cough it is better to
get him on antibi's as he will get over it quicker and will avoid
getting a bacterial infection. However, I read that many of you
leave you little ones to try and beat it on there own before for
about 1-2 weeks before starting antibiotics. I don't want to pump
Archie with antibiotics every time he has a cold but it seems this
is what is suggested by his doc. Can you guys give me some advice
on what you do? I have had the same cold and it is a yucky chesty
bug so most likely he would have needed them this time but do
you think it is right to put him on them every time he has a moist
cough?

 

[JazzysMom]

It is possible for a CFer to just have a cold & the antibiotics wont help the cold. I do know that its a fine line between the cold & a CF flareup & that is probably what the doctor is trying to avoid. I suggest just stepping up on treatments to help move all the junk out of him & if doing that still leaves him with difficulty then consider giving the antibiotics. Meds serve their purpose, but so do treatments. If you help get the junk out of him then the less chance of needing meds. Unfortunately there is no straight across the board answer so you really need to learn your child & follow your instinct even if goes against what your doctor would normally recommend.

 

[JazzysMom]

It is possible for a CFer to just have a cold & the antibiotics wont help the cold. I do know that its a fine line between the cold & a CF flareup & that is probably what the doctor is trying to avoid. I suggest just stepping up on treatments to help move all the junk out of him & if doing that still leaves him with difficulty then consider giving the antibiotics. Meds serve their purpose, but so do treatments. If you help get the junk out of him then the less chance of needing meds. Unfortunately there is no straight across the board answer so you really need to learn your child & follow your instinct even if goes against what your doctor would normally recommend.

 

[JazzysMom]

It is possible for a CFer to just have a cold & the antibiotics wont help the cold. I do know that its a fine line between the cold & a CF flareup & that is probably what the doctor is trying to avoid. I suggest just stepping up on treatments to help move all the junk out of him & if doing that still leaves him with difficulty then consider giving the antibiotics. Meds serve their purpose, but so do treatments. If you help get the junk out of him then the less chance of needing meds. Unfortunately there is no straight across the board answer so you really need to learn your child & follow your instinct even if goes against what your doctor would normally recommend.

 

[wanderlost]

As a kid, my mom rushed me in to the clinic for every sniffle and I usually was put on amoxicillian or something right away. In fact, to this day if I have a cold she immediatley says, "Why don't you get an antibiotic?" It's annoying - but I digress.

I personally always try natural and homeopathic remedies first - taking extra zinc, raw garlic, homeopathic meds....quite often these work and my cold never gets into an URI and I go on my merry way. this might be a bit trickier with a little one, but you can get a lot of vitamins and herbs in a tincture that can be added to juice. ALso you could try emergen-C or something (but I don't know of small kids can take that or not actually). I use these same remedies with my own kids, and so far they have worked pretty well. I personally think it's a thin line with Cfers whether or not to do an antibiotic, but I prefer to let my body fight on its own for a while, and I do the same for my little ones. As Melissa said, your instincts will tell you when it's time for an antibitotic no matter what your ped says.

 

[wanderlost]

As a kid, my mom rushed me in to the clinic for every sniffle and I usually was put on amoxicillian or something right away. In fact, to this day if I have a cold she immediatley says, "Why don't you get an antibiotic?" It's annoying - but I digress.

I personally always try natural and homeopathic remedies first - taking extra zinc, raw garlic, homeopathic meds....quite often these work and my cold never gets into an URI and I go on my merry way. this might be a bit trickier with a little one, but you can get a lot of vitamins and herbs in a tincture that can be added to juice. ALso you could try emergen-C or something (but I don't know of small kids can take that or not actually). I use these same remedies with my own kids, and so far they have worked pretty well. I personally think it's a thin line with Cfers whether or not to do an antibiotic, but I prefer to let my body fight on its own for a while, and I do the same for my little ones. As Melissa said, your instincts will tell you when it's time for an antibitotic no matter what your ped says.

 

[wanderlost]

As a kid, my mom rushed me in to the clinic for every sniffle and I usually was put on amoxicillian or something right away. In fact, to this day if I have a cold she immediatley says, "Why don't you get an antibiotic?" It's annoying - but I digress.

I personally always try natural and homeopathic remedies first - taking extra zinc, raw garlic, homeopathic meds....quite often these work and my cold never gets into an URI and I go on my merry way. this might be a bit trickier with a little one, but you can get a lot of vitamins and herbs in a tincture that can be added to juice. ALso you could try emergen-C or something (but I don't know of small kids can take that or not actually). I use these same remedies with my own kids, and so far they have worked pretty well. I personally think it's a thin line with Cfers whether or not to do an antibiotic, but I prefer to let my body fight on its own for a while, and I do the same for my little ones. As Melissa said, your instincts will tell you when it's time for an antibitotic no matter what your ped says.

 

[Ratatosk]

We usually see how things go for a few days. If he gets a fever or sounds chesty then I usually contact the clinic. I guess there's a certain sound of his cough that makes me think there's something more going on... Sometimes it's just a head cold, with a post nasal drip kinda cough and it runs its course. And when he was younger and wheezed, his doctor told us to "beat that cough out of him" -- so we increase his beatings from 3 to 4 times a day, increase the amount of time. His doctor constantly stresses to us to learn his cough. Sometimes it's just a swallowing wrong or really excited, overexcerted kinda throaty cough.

Last spring he got a head cold and started to cough --- sounded like when I got bronchitis several years ago --- Kinda like there was thick stuff in his upper chest. And he wasn't himself. More lethargic. Timing wise, happened to be around his regular CF clinic, and his doctor put him on cipro for a few weeks.

 

[Ratatosk]

We usually see how things go for a few days. If he gets a fever or sounds chesty then I usually contact the clinic. I guess there's a certain sound of his cough that makes me think there's something more going on... Sometimes it's just a head cold, with a post nasal drip kinda cough and it runs its course. And when he was younger and wheezed, his doctor told us to "beat that cough out of him" -- so we increase his beatings from 3 to 4 times a day, increase the amount of time. His doctor constantly stresses to us to learn his cough. Sometimes it's just a swallowing wrong or really excited, overexcerted kinda throaty cough.

Last spring he got a head cold and started to cough --- sounded like when I got bronchitis several years ago --- Kinda like there was thick stuff in his upper chest. And he wasn't himself. More lethargic. Timing wise, happened to be around his regular CF clinic, and his doctor put him on cipro for a few weeks.

 

[Ratatosk]

We usually see how things go for a few days. If he gets a fever or sounds chesty then I usually contact the clinic. I guess there's a certain sound of his cough that makes me think there's something more going on... Sometimes it's just a head cold, with a post nasal drip kinda cough and it runs its course. And when he was younger and wheezed, his doctor told us to "beat that cough out of him" -- so we increase his beatings from 3 to 4 times a day, increase the amount of time. His doctor constantly stresses to us to learn his cough. Sometimes it's just a swallowing wrong or really excited, overexcerted kinda throaty cough.

Last spring he got a head cold and started to cough --- sounded like when I got bronchitis several years ago --- Kinda like there was thick stuff in his upper chest. And he wasn't himself. More lethargic. Timing wise, happened to be around his regular CF clinic, and his doctor put him on cipro for a few weeks.

 

[Abby]

I agree with Liza above and it's basically the same thing we do. I've learned to differentiate Abby's coughs. The post nasal drip cough, the dry throat cough, the gunky, need medicine cough. I usually give her 4-5 days to get over the gunky cough on her own. If she's not kicking it or it's getting worse I call the doctor and she goes on Bactrim for 2-4 weeks. I also take into consideration her behaviour. If she's clingy, tired, cranky it's a good bet it's more than extra treatments can handle.

I don't like to medicate too much, but I'd rather do that than have it get bad enough for a hospitalization.

 

[Abby]

I agree with Liza above and it's basically the same thing we do. I've learned to differentiate Abby's coughs. The post nasal drip cough, the dry throat cough, the gunky, need medicine cough. I usually give her 4-5 days to get over the gunky cough on her own. If she's not kicking it or it's getting worse I call the doctor and she goes on Bactrim for 2-4 weeks. I also take into consideration her behaviour. If she's clingy, tired, cranky it's a good bet it's more than extra treatments can handle.

I don't like to medicate too much, but I'd rather do that than have it get bad enough for a hospitalization.

 

[Abby]

I agree with Liza above and it's basically the same thing we do. I've learned to differentiate Abby's coughs. The post nasal drip cough, the dry throat cough, the gunky, need medicine cough. I usually give her 4-5 days to get over the gunky cough on her own. If she's not kicking it or it's getting worse I call the doctor and she goes on Bactrim for 2-4 weeks. I also take into consideration her behaviour. If she's clingy, tired, cranky it's a good bet it's more than extra treatments can handle.

I don't like to medicate too much, but I'd rather do that than have it get bad enough for a hospitalization.

 

[thefrogprincess]

I always go on antis if I feel a cold moving to my chest. In fact it probably saved my life a few years ago when I had the flu. As you probably know the excess mucus is a breeding ground for bacteria. Even if it is a viral infection the antis will help prevent a bacterial infection on top of the virus. I know resistance is always an issue, but I would rather take the antibiotic than loose lung volume from the damage a chest cold can cause. Besides, the few times I didn't go on an antibiotic when I had a chest cold it seemed like it took FOREVER to get back to normal. I'm talking 6 or 8 weeks versus maybe 3 if I took the meds.

 

[thefrogprincess]

I always go on antis if I feel a cold moving to my chest. In fact it probably saved my life a few years ago when I had the flu. As you probably know the excess mucus is a breeding ground for bacteria. Even if it is a viral infection the antis will help prevent a bacterial infection on top of the virus. I know resistance is always an issue, but I would rather take the antibiotic than loose lung volume from the damage a chest cold can cause. Besides, the few times I didn't go on an antibiotic when I had a chest cold it seemed like it took FOREVER to get back to normal. I'm talking 6 or 8 weeks versus maybe 3 if I took the meds.

 

[thefrogprincess]

I always go on antis if I feel a cold moving to my chest. In fact it probably saved my life a few years ago when I had the flu. As you probably know the excess mucus is a breeding ground for bacteria. Even if it is a viral infection the antis will help prevent a bacterial infection on top of the virus. I know resistance is always an issue, but I would rather take the antibiotic than loose lung volume from the damage a chest cold can cause. Besides, the few times I didn't go on an antibiotic when I had a chest cold it seemed like it took FOREVER to get back to normal. I'm talking 6 or 8 weeks versus maybe 3 if I took the meds.

 

[Salli]

Thanks Guys, your advice is always great. I think next cold we will
give it a bit longer before we start meds. This one was a yucky
chest cold and I think it probably warranted the antibiotics. He's
on the mend now - still has a slight wheeze/cough but it is much
better than it was.

 

[Salli]

Thanks Guys, your advice is always great. I think next cold we will
give it a bit longer before we start meds. This one was a yucky
chest cold and I think it probably warranted the antibiotics. He's
on the mend now - still has a slight wheeze/cough but it is much
better than it was.