Does this indicate weak immunity?????????????

Hello everyone


Last May, my son had a cold and after taking the porper medications he was left with a cough that continued with him for more than a month. During his cough, he was on Zyretec, Claritine, cough medications and every possible thing until it was gone.

Just few weeks,( begining of July)  he started coughing again. After repeating all anti-allergy medicines, the doctor suggested giving an antibiotic cause the cough started to affect the chest too and after almost three weeks it was gone but at this time we added Ventoline syrup to the anti-allergy medications.

Then he developed a really big pustule that had a very severe bacterial infection that required using antibiotic shots for three days and then we continued with a syrup antibiotic for another 5 days and two days later he started coughing again till now

Just yesterday, he developed fever that required antibiotic too because the doctor said it is affecting the vocal cords (cause his voice changed a little bit ) and it is important to get rid of the infection. So we started the antibiotic today in addition to the Ventolin and the Zyretec.

To sum up, from July he took four times antibiotic including the shots in addition to the cough that takes a really long time until it disappears.

The doctor (not his hematologist)  here says that it seems that he is having a weak immunity and told me that this cough suggests that he is suffering from asthma (allergy). Actually when i was shocked the doctor said that any cough that exceeds ten days after a cold or a flu is defined as allergy or asthma. He told me that his chest is clear but he is having an allergy which could be due to being anemic or to family history (this reason exists too )

As i am still out of town, i didn't check the CBC from July but  thanks God during all the past time he is active and looks normal to me.

Could the hydroxyurea be the reason for lowering his immunity that much? I really don't know. We started it last Januarey. Should i consider him asthmatic. I try to avoid strong odours like smoke, cooking vapours, perfumes,...but there are things that i can not avoid like humidity and actually i don't know what triggers this coughing. One thing the doctor pointed out was that when my son sleeps he sweats alot ( his father and his sister and his grandmother are the same) no matter the temperature is even in air conditioned rooms so this sweat is kept on his chest making it easy to get the cough. This what the doctor says could be a reason and i have nothing  but to try to chnage his clothes during the night once or twice.  But again he used to be like this before but wasn't having all this cough


I know there is no blood test that measures the immunity but how could i know if the hydroxyurea has anything to do with all of this?? Any suggestions???

Sorry for the long post

manal

Manal,

I cannot find any reference to hydroxyurea causing weakened immune system, allergies other than skin allergy, or asthma when used in thalassemics. Allergies are an overreaction by the immune system to an outside stimulus and don't necessarily mean the immune system is weak. There is no infection in his lungs. The cough is asthmatic in nature, so he should probably be examined for asthma. I have asthma, and a long list of things set it off, including, dust, pollen, molds, mildew, perfumes and cigarette smoke. I think this is likely due to an allergy and as you said, the sweating may be a contributing factor. If you don't run a dehumidifier, it may help. Asthma is fairly easy to test for and allergy tests might also be considered.

I'm about to post the results of a recent study about hydroxyurea. All in all, it is a very positive report.

Manal,

I am sorry to hear that you are going through all of this.  Sometimes things seem to happen this way, one thing leads to the next.  When your body is busy fighting one thing it may have a harder time defending itself from the next and you end up with overlapping infections.  I think that the best thing you can do is to try to assist his immunity naturally - lots of chicken noodle soup, lots of water, green tea with a little bit of honey.  

Lil A went through something similar when he was 5, doctors thought that he may develop severe asthma because a cough suddenly started.  Until then he had never even had a real cold, but suddenly he got one after the other with persisting cough.  I began giving him green tea and also this mixture that an auervedic doc told me about.  Place 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 lime (including the rind), small amount of honey (1/4 tsp), grind fresh ginger with the peel - all into a pot and boil.  Let this cool and give him a teaspoon at night for five nights every month.  I was surprised at what a difference this made for his immunity and his cough.  

I wish you luck and I hope that our little Ahmad does not have any other issues,

Sharmin

Andy

Allergies are an overreaction by the immune system to an outside stimulus and don't necessarily mean the immune system is weak.

Actually this information is new to me
Thank you so much for re-assuring. I will be waiting for the study, so eager to read it.

Sharmin

Thank you so much for your reply, i will definetly try what you said, i am very interested in these natural remedies. But does ''1/2 lime (including the rind)'' mean ''half lemon with its skin'' want to be sure


manal

Manal,

I am so sorry to hear what Ahmed and you have been going through,do try that remedy,i am gonna try that too,my son who is a non thal gets cough easily,just yesterday night he had mild fever and there was so much congestion in his chest,i talked with my cousin who is a doctor and she also said that rather then giving antibiotics again and again,keep giving him these natural remedies and let the cough come out and clear his chest,she said antibiotics and cough syrups just suppress the cough in there and its necessary to get it out,she also suggested honey and ginger powder,almost similar to what Sharmin told.

Good luck with the remedy and keep updating 

Zaini.

Thank you Zaini for your wishes 

I am sorry to hear about your son too... i  just hate cough so much. 

Today, Ahmad's chest developed more and seems that there is congestion in the chest cause the doctor added and changed some medication.

I hope these  natural remedies will help Zaini, wish you luck too my dear

manal
 

Dear Manal,

I hope that Ahmad is better soon.  It is not uncommon for boys to present with cough at this age. 

But does ''1/2 lime (including the rind)'' mean ''half lemon with its skin'' want to be sure

Use 1/2 a lime (the green one as it is more effective than lemon in this remedy).  First juice it and then grind the peel into the mixture as well.  I also grind the ginger, including the skin into very small pieces and add it in.  Once everything is boiled together give a teaspoon of the liquid each night for five nights.  Keep doing it every month for about 6 months (or longer if you wish). 

Zaini, sorry to hear that your little guy has this as well - do try this remedy.  Also, you may wish to try decaffeinated green tea with honey. 

Also try saline solution in the nose as nasal drip makes cough worse. 

Hope the boys are both better soon,

Sharmin

Another question please Sharmin, Does this remedy has to be fresh daily or i can do it once and keep the rest in the fridge for the the rest of the 5 days?

Also should we give it warm or cold??

Thanks

manal

Manal,

You can keep it in the fridge after you make it the first day.  I gave it to him cold after the first day. 

Sharmin

Hi Manal

I have the same problem with my son.  I am also using ventolin, cough syrup, saline solution and ketotifen (antiallergy). 

He may be well during the day but at night the cough starts.  I have also dusted his room, his pillow, his mattress but he still has it.  Even the cough syrup does not work nowadays. 

What I do now and it seems to work a little bit if I strictly stick to the regime is to give him in the morning a brew of orange juice+crushed ginger+honey.  Whenever I hear him with mucus in his nose, I wash his nose with saline water and I give him his anti allergy medicine at night.  I also keep him well covered (I have him wear long sleeved and high neck shirt below his t-shirt) be it at night or during the day.  But should I miss any of these, there comes the cough.

And if the cough persists, I boil crushed garlic(little) in milk, the taste is not great but still he drinks it.+ the medicines ie ventolin etc

Also I have shown him how to blow his nose whenever there is mucus ( be it 20 times a day if need be).  I do not allow him to keep the mucus in his nose otherwise it will go down in his bronchus and that will be greater trouble.

I hope they both get well. 

Let me know if there is anything else you find.
Take care
Jade.

dear manal, zaini, jade

sorry to hear about your little babes.  my boys were the same when they were much younger.  they were okay during the day but at night time as soon as they lay flat the coughing used to start.  i also used to give then salbutomol and ventolin inhaler and honey water before  sleeping.  my older one used to be more chesty and wheezy.  they have gradually grown out of it as they have gotton older and i phased out them having to take the inhalers about the same time.  i found that raising the head, instead of one pillow using two, helped to relieve their coughing quite a bit. i hope that your children also ''grow out'' of it too.

take care
Emby   

forgot to add that their doctor said that it was not actually asthma but 'night cough' which has the same sort of symtons as asthma but not as severe and he advised to give them inhalers once in the morning and once at night every day even when they do not have a cough but as i said they eventually stopped.  the gp said that it was quite common for young children to have this and that most do come out of it as they grow older.

Emby   

Thanks Sharmin

Jade and Emby, thanks a lot my friends for the advice. Seems that the combination of ginger, honey and citruis is efficient. We definetly have to try this remedy. I hope all our children will be well inshallah

manal