What can I do for my baby until I get to the doctor...?!
Question: I'm going to try to get him there today but I'm not very sure. I think he has the flu or at least the symptoms of it. He is very hoarse. His nose is running constantly. He cries all of the time. He has a hyrocele(private parts are swollen). His head is stopped up. He spits up his milk a lot. He just recently started keeping his food and milk down a few days ago. He's been sick about a week and a half now off and on. I've been giving him motrin and tylenol for fever. I've also been rubbing Baby Vick's on his feet and putting socks on which I just found out yesterday that they made a Vick's Vapor Rub just for babies. If I can't get him to the doctor today, it will be after the new year's. So I want to know is there something esle I can do for now. He is also on breathing treatments. He takes Pulmocort instead of Albuterol. I mix the Pulmocort with Xaponex(may not be correct spelling).
Thanks in advance.
Answers: I'm going to try to get him there today but I'm not very sure. I think he has the flu or at least the symptoms of it. He is very hoarse. His nose is running constantly. He cries all of the time. He has a hyrocele(private parts are swollen). His head is stopped up. He spits up his milk a lot. He just recently started keeping his food and milk down a few days ago. He's been sick about a week and a half now off and on. I've been giving him motrin and tylenol for fever. I've also been rubbing Baby Vick's on his feet and putting socks on which I just found out yesterday that they made a Vick's Vapor Rub just for babies. If I can't get him to the doctor today, it will be after the new year's. So I want to know is there something esle I can do for now. He is also on breathing treatments. He takes Pulmocort instead of Albuterol. I mix the Pulmocort with Xaponex(may not be correct spelling).
Thanks in advance.
You said he is hoarse - does he cough a lot and does it sound a bit dry and "bark"ish? Could be croup - which is a generic term for an upper respiratory virus.
What you can do right now: Let him sleep sitting up as much as possible (if he's an infant, let him sleep in the car seat or the swing. If a toddler, prop him up on the couch with lots of pillows and you get to sit there with him to make sure he doesn't roll off). Keep a humidifier going in whatever room he's in. If the coughing is productive (if he's coughing up phlegm) take him in a steamy bathroom, set him on your lap, and after a couple of minutes of steam do percussive therapy on his back: cup your hand (as if it had water in it that you don't want to spill) so that you are pounding gently on his back with just the heel of your hand and your fingertips. Don't hit very hard - you don't want to hurt him, just hard enough for the force of the air inside the cup of your hand to make a nice "thud" noise on his back all up and down his ribcage on both sides. This will help looses the phlegm so he can cough it up.
If he's having problems with congestion, get some saline mist made for babies and mist each nostril twice before using a suction bulb to remove nasal secretions. This has to be done frequently - think about how often you blow your nose when you have a cold.
If he seems lethargic, you don't want to wait for your regular doctor. Find a clinic or an ER.
your baby could have pneumonia - you REALLY need to get him to a doctor for a chest xray
You need to get him to the ER or the doctor today, don't wait!
It sounds as though he's either getting pneumonia or may already have it-I don't know how old he is, but have you considered that he may have RSV?
The Vicks needs to go on his chest, not on his feet. Keep him cool, bundle him up if you think he's cold-try not to keep the heat very high. If you have a humidifier, you should be using that every single night. It will really help on the quality and moisture of the air he breathes.
As far as his breathing treatments go, I don't recommend mixing them-it bubbles too much and takes a very long time. Use the Xopenex first and rinse the nebulizer well, then administer the Pulmicort.
call for an ambulance immediately. your son is very ill and needs to be seen by a doctor ASAP! don't wait until the morning...by then his illness could become life threatening. He could have the flu..or it could be the start of something much more sinister.
cwgrrl is right but not for those reasons-it is not recommended to mix Pulmicort with any other medication or even to use the same nebulizer to give it and other meds. If you only have one nebulizer rinse it well in between the Xopenex (should be give first) and the Pulmicort. Xopenex is an isomer of albuterol-it is the medication you are giving instead of albuterol-Pulmicort is a steroid.
The symptom that concerns me the most is the hoarseness. Babies are very prone to airway obstruction. If he is making "crowing" sounds when he breathes I would take him to the ER-his airway could close completely within a very short period. If it seems like he's moving enough air just watch him closely for signs of it worsening.
It really sounds to me like your baby has enough problems that he should be seeing a doctor of some sort soon.
Seek urgent medical attention for this poor child now other wise you could be regretting it.
I would suggest visit the doctor immediately ,
i suspect Viral meningitis..
Don't just wait here for peoples suggestions....GO Now...
cwrrl is right. He may have pneumonia. Babies can crash suddenly, so get him to the doctor or an ER asap. You don't say how old he is but infants are strictly nose breathers. He hasn't learned how to breathe from his mouth yet. Suction his nose often. But, please get him in to see a doctor today. Also, when you take a shower put him in the bathroom so he can breathe the steam from the shower. That will help.
call your MD at least...since your son already has lung issues requiring resp treatments I would be very careful when he gets a cold, flu, etc....how high is his temp?...is he sleeping, breathing ok besides the stuffy nose, color ok no bluish tint or pale skin around mouth when he cries...milk may make congestion worse, give lots of other liquids...a cold/flu can last for over a week, but they also can get associated problems such as an ear infection or pneumonia...does he seem any better?...has his temp gone away yet?...I would feel better if an MD listened to his lungs, looked in his throat and ears....you are doing a great job, but I would not wait another week if he is not getting any better...
Take him to the ER today!!!!! With a history of respiratory problems, he may have pneumonia, & you need to take him to a doctor right away. A week & a half is a long time for a baby to have to endure such discomfort. Please!!!! Take him to a doctor today, not next year. As a mom, I could never let my baby be so ill for that long without being seen by a doctor. Buy a nasal aspirator, like they used on him when he was born, to remove the " mucus" in his nose, allowing him to breathe easier. They sell these at drug stores & at Wal*Mart, etc. Do this at least twice a day or more of needed. It will allow him to breathe easier.
call 911 now!!
clean his dirty nappies....