Re: Kids and exposure

[Guest guest]

,

When it comes to kids and sickness, there's little you can do to avoid

it entirely. Especially as the winter months approach, kids will pick

up colds and flu. Sure, schools and day care are vectors that increase

the probability, but adults carry them and gets sick, too.

[insert standard hand-washing advisory]

In our experience, Prednisone is both a blessing and a curse. The

immune system is lowered, so has been more likely to get sick,

and it takes her longer to recover. A couple of times, she was sick

with a cold for a month or more.

OTOH, the anti-inflammatory effect of higher-dose Prednisone make

whatever she does get not as serious. Last winter, my wife and I were

hit, I mean smacked, with a bad cold that knocked us both down for the

better part of a week. got what seemed to be the same thing

(similar symptoms and timing), but didn't even miss any school.

That's an anecdote, YMMV.

They advised us that everyone in the house should get the flu shot

while is on Prednisone, including . It's not an active

virus type vaccine, so it's safe to give to people with compromised

immune systems (or on Prednisone). Unfortunately, this year supplies

of the vaccine are limited, so it may be tougher to get it.

Ralph

> I'm facing a little bit of a dilemma here with my daughter, Mattie

> and her reduced immune system.

>

> Last year, before she developed any signs of JDMS, she had a nasty

> bout with bronchitis, and possibly pneumonia. She has always had

> severe reactions to colds, and we have always been careful with her

> exposure to other children who we knew to be sick. After the

> pneumonia, we were ready to be almost fanatical about it.

>

> Now that she's on te myositis drugs, we feel it is our

> responsibility to keep her away from any children who might be

> sick. The pede confirms that she shouldn't be around other sick

> kids.

>

> So the dilemma is, as a parent, how much should I do to keep her

> isolated? How much makes sense? And how have other people dealt

> with this situation?

>

> My family memebers have always been more lax than I about kids and

> colds. Their attitude was always " it's just a cold and they're

> going to get sick eventually anyhow. " Under normal circumstances,

> that's almost reasonable since there is no way to avoid illness in

> preschool which is sometimes a glorified daycare for parents who

> don't want to stay home with their sick kids. Now it is a much more

> serious matter. I don't want Mattie to have bronchitis in her

> condition.

>

> I suppose I am rambling now, with no really clear question. I just

> want to hear anything anyone helpful people might have from their

> experience in this matter.

==========================================================

Ralph Becker http://www.ralphb.net/

Will Juggle for Food. RKBA!

[Guest guest]

,

You might be right. 's Dr. is always emphasizing

that even though appears to be a physically

healthy child, not to forget that he does have a

serious disease and probably doesn't feel as well as

he looks. She is very conservative and always takes

the extremely cautious approach. What you wrote makes

sense. She wants him taken to the Dr. for every

sniffle. At first we did that, but for the cold he

has now, we are treating it at home with just a phone

call to his pediatrician. It is too hard and

stressful for him to go to the doctor more often then

he already does. Also, the worst place for him to be

is a Dr.'s office with a lot of sick kids!!! We often

take him through the back door and we are allowed

right into a room.

Thanks, Cari

orach.--- " P. Burke "

wrote:

> Cari:

>

> I am a little bit confused. Since the inflammatory

> symptoms are what

> cause the most discomfort in a cold, I should think

> that prednisone

> would reduce the discomfort somewhat. It doesn't

> make it less of an

> infection, any less of an illness or any less

> serious. Perhaps your

> doctor is simply trying to say that even though his

> symptoms are

> reduced, don't treat him like he doesn't have a

> cold? <shrug>

>

> That makes sense.

>

> -

> --

> J. P. Burke .... drmomentum@...

> Epinions profile:

> <http://drmomentum.epinions.com/user-drmomentum>

> " Rest in reason. Move in passion. " - Kahlil Gibran

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi Cari,....makes sense to me as a cold or flu are pretty inflammatory

conditions. I've also heard that taking cold medications usually prolong the

colds and don't cure the symptoms, but masks them. Our immune systems are

set up to fight the viruses that cause colds and flus, and the symptoms we

feel; like fevers, aches and pains are actually the immune response. So it

makes sense for people who are immune compromised, or who have over- active

immune systems to be sicker than the norm. I would think that being on the

pred. would keep him from flaring too badly with the jdm.

When my kids were in school, they would bring everything under the sun home,

and with me being sick anyhow, I caught it much worse and for longer then

they did. Since they are grown and away now, I haven't had too many colds

or flu's for awhile. I don't take the flu vaccine myself because I've heard

varying negative remarks about it flaring people who have auto immune

illnesses, but I ask that people who live in my home do take it. So far

that's worked out for me. I also stay away from large crowds, any place

where there are close contacts, like theaters, restaurants, and I wash my

hands with antibacterial soap, and always use a tissue to open doors, turn

on faucets etc. when I'm out. That may seem to be extreme, but if anyone

watched the OPRAH segment she did on GERMS, it would make you think twice

about touching some of the areas she mentioned. She even uses tissues to

open doors too, so I know I'm not being overly obsessive. LOL..........

Smiles, Jax

Cari Dorsey wrote:

and Ralph,

> It is my understanding that prendisone doesn't reduce

> the effects of colds, it masks them. The prendisone

> actually " hides " some of the symptoms. We have been

> told that is probably sicker with his cold then

> he appears. Where I would feel lousy with a slight

> cold, he feels really, really lousy with a slight cold

> because his slight cold is actually a bad cold. Am I

> making any sense here? If a virus would normally

> cause him to run a fever, the prendisone will keep him

> from running a fever, however that doesn't mean that

> he doesn't still have the same virus. Confused?

> Having a hard time saying what I mean. We have been

> told to remember that 's illness are being

> demagnified. There, I think I said it.

> Cari

>

> --- wrote:

> > Ralph,

> >

> > I think we are a lot alike. I'm a big hand-washing

> > proponent and am always

> > trying to stress with my friends that simply

> > learning to keep clean is one

> > of the biggest advances in medical history. Not to

> > the point of

> > obsessiveness, of course.

> >

> > Great to hear that prednisone might reduce the

> > effect of colds. I didn't

> > know that. I hadn't considered it and it only makes

> > sense.

> >

> > As we do every year, we'll be getting our flu shots.

> > They provide them

> > cheap here at the university for employees and

> > Mattie is on the short list

> > at the pediatrician.

> >

> > -

> >

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Jax,

You are definitely not being overly obsessive. We are

big hand washers here and the girls always get a

lecture about handwashing when they return to school.

They sell little individually wrapped anti-bacterial

wipes now. I send one with them to use before lunch.

Schools are definitely breeding grounds for germs!!!

Can't be too careful.

Take Care,

Cari

--- Jackie Hanan wrote:

> Hi Cari,....makes sense to me as a cold or flu are

> pretty inflammatory

> conditions. I've also heard that taking cold

> medications usually prolong the

> colds and don't cure the symptoms, but masks them.

> Our immune systems are

> set up to fight the viruses that cause colds and

> flus, and the symptoms we

> feel; like fevers, aches and pains are actually the

> immune response. So it

> makes sense for people who are immune compromised,

> or who have over- active

> immune systems to be sicker than the norm. I would

> think that being on the

> pred. would keep him from flaring too badly with the

> jdm.

> When my kids were in school, they would bring

> everything under the sun home,

> and with me being sick anyhow, I caught it much

> worse and for longer then

> they did. Since they are grown and away now, I

> haven't had too many colds

> or flu's for awhile. I don't take the flu vaccine

> myself because I've heard

> varying negative remarks about it flaring people who

> have auto immune

> illnesses, but I ask that people who live in my home

> do take it. So far

> that's worked out for me. I also stay away from

> large crowds, any place

> where there are close contacts, like theaters,

> restaurants, and I wash my

> hands with antibacterial soap, and always use a

> tissue to open doors, turn

> on faucets etc. when I'm out. That may seem to be

> extreme, but if anyone

> watched the OPRAH segment she did on GERMS, it would

> make you think twice

> about touching some of the areas she mentioned. She

> even uses tissues to

> open doors too, so I know I'm not being overly

> obsessive. LOL..........

> Smiles, Jax

>

> Cari Dorsey wrote:

>

> and Ralph,

>

> > It is my understanding that prendisone doesn't

> reduce

> > the effects of colds, it masks them. The

> prendisone

> > actually " hides " some of the symptoms. We have

> been

> > told that is probably sicker with his cold

> then

> > he appears. Where I would feel lousy with a

> slight

> > cold, he feels really, really lousy with a slight

> cold

> > because his slight cold is actually a bad cold.

> Am I

> > making any sense here? If a virus would normally

> > cause him to run a fever, the prendisone will keep

> him

> > from running a fever, however that doesn't mean

> that

> > he doesn't still have the same virus. Confused?

> > Having a hard time saying what I mean. We have

> been

> > told to remember that 's illness are being

> > demagnified. There, I think I said it.

> > Cari

> >

> > --- wrote:

> > > Ralph,

> > >

> > > I think we are a lot alike. I'm a big

> hand-washing

> > > proponent and am always

> > > trying to stress with my friends that simply

> > > learning to keep clean is one

> > > of the biggest advances in medical history. Not

> to

> > > the point of

> > > obsessiveness, of course.

> > >

> > > Great to hear that prednisone might reduce the

> > > effect of colds. I didn't

> > > know that. I hadn't considered it and it only

> makes

> > > sense.

> > >

> > > As we do every year, we'll be getting our flu

> shots.

> > > They provide them

> > > cheap here at the university for employees and

> > > Mattie is on the short list

> > > at the pediatrician.

> > >

> > > -

> > >

> >

> > __________________________________________________

> >

[Guest guest]

Okay, the resident nurse is going to try to clear up this discussion about

prednisone and the immune system. Prednisone does mask signs of infection,

so you may have a rip roaring infection before you see the little signs and

symptoms that you usually see in the beginning of a cold or urinary tract

infection. Secondly, prednisone suppresses our own immune system and our

bodies are not able to produce the proper amount of white blood cells to

fight the infections that come our way. This is why they tell you to stay

away from anyone sick when you are taking prednisone. Prednisone can reduce

the inflammation that occurs with a cold, but in the meantime you have more

infection than you may know which can be dangerous.

Hope that makes sense. The immune system is so complicated and difficult to

explain.

Gentle hugs,

Fern

[Guest guest]

RESIDENT NURSE.....now that's a good name for you Fern.... I love it. I

can't remember what my doctor explained to me about fevers and

prednisone. Is a small fever more dangerous....or would you even have a

fever? I don't think I said this right. Does it make sense to you

Fern?

Vicki

[Guest guest]

Thanks for that explanation, Fern!

-

--

J. P. Burke .... drmomentum@...

Epinions profile: <http://drmomentum.epinions.com/user-drmomentum>

" Rest in reason. Move in passion. " - Kahlil Gibran

[Guest guest]

Thanks Fern! That is what I was trying to say.

is actually sicker then he appears with this cold. I

have to always remember that. So thankful to have you

as a part of this group!

Cari and still sniffling - JDMS

--- Starflower wrote:

> Okay, the resident nurse is going to try to clear up

> this discussion about

> prednisone and the immune system. Prednisone does

> mask signs of infection,

> so you may have a rip roaring infection before you

> see the little signs and

> symptoms that you usually see in the beginning of a

> cold or urinary tract

> infection. Secondly, prednisone suppresses our own

> immune system and our

> bodies are not able to produce the proper amount of

> white blood cells to

> fight the infections that come our way. This is why

> they tell you to stay

> away from anyone sick when you are taking

> prednisone. Prednisone can reduce

> the inflammation that occurs with a cold, but in the

> meantime you have more

> infection than you may know which can be dangerous.

>

> Hope that makes sense. The immune system is so

> complicated and difficult to

> explain.

>

> Gentle hugs,

> Fern

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Vicki,

The problem is that you may not have a fever and by the time your body does

recognize the infection, you may be so sick that you have pneumonia for

example.

I thought you might get a kick out my calling myself the resident nurse. My

family jokes about it all the time. My mother will call me for medical

advice and then tell me to send her the bill. My step-father doesn't ever

believe her medical opinion until she calls and verifies it with me. She

gets a little irritated with him when she knows she is right, but it is a

very nice compliment that he puts that much faith in my knowledge. He had

an allergic reaction to an antibiotic last week because the stupid doctor

didn't realize that he gave him an antibiotic in the penicillin family. My

step-father is allergic to penicillin. He refused to go to the ER because

he said they might kill him, so he told my mother to call me and I told them

what to do and that if he throat started closing, he would have to call 911.

He trusted me and thank goodness the Benadryl took care of it.

Gentle hugs,

Fern

[Guest guest]

Unfortunately, I had to start talking about colds and now I have congestion,

a sore throat, and started coughing last night. I had been feeling really

crummy for a couple of days, that is why I haven't been on the computer,

just too tired. I was a very good girl and rested. My kids got mad at me

for hogging the satellite TV. We have a TV in almost every room of the

house, but only one has the satellite. Oh well, they watch too much TV

anyway. Dad put them to work stacking wood for the winter.

SCHOOL is back in!!! Can you tell I am excited. I guess that is why I feel

a little better right now. I actually got some sleep this morning after

they left, had the house all to myself for a change. That is the FIRST time

since we went to N.H.

Gentle hugs,

Fern