Monte-Air for Chesty Toddlers

capd

capd

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My 19 month old was hospitalised for RSV at 6 months. The specialist paed mentioned that Monte-Air may be necessary especially in winter to help with lung function and to reduce the likelihood of developing asthma, being synonymous with RSV. Also because asthma runs in my wife’s family.

He’s been quite chesty and wheezy this winter, and on & off the neb with saline solution, Budoneb and Duolin. He has just completed 8 days of these, as well as Monte-Air sprinkles for a persistent wet cough. He’s 9.5/10 better now and the GP/paed has suggested a 3 month course of Monte-Air to get him through winter.

Are there any parents here with experience with this? What are your thoughts? As a non asthmatic I just want to give his body a chance to fight things off and recover on its own, but accept the 3 month course of Monte-Air if it’s necessary in getting him strong and hopefully able to fight things off on his own.
 
capd said:
My 19 month old was hospitalised for RSV at 6 months. The specialist paed mentioned that Monte-Air may be necessary especially in winter to help with lung function and to reduce the likelihood of developing asthma,
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Don't think there's any evidence it does this?

It's for managing asthma, not preventing it.

Also, reading between the lines you don't actually have a diagnosis of asthma in the first place, so it's probably premature to be treating it.

The potential neuropsychiatric side-effects are worth factoring in as well.
 
Tomtomtom said:
Don't think there's any evidence it does this?

It's for managing asthma, not preventing it.

Also, reading between the lines you don't actually have a diagnosis of asthma in the first place, so it's probably premature to be treating it.

The potential neuropsychiatric side-effects are worth factoring in as well.
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The way I understand it is that babies/toddlers who get RSV have a high chance of becoming asthmatic. The specialist paed went on to say that if he struggles the next (this) winter, a 3 month course of M-A is recommended to control inflammation in the lungs. Which is what our current issue seems to be (hopefully mild) but which is basically asthma, if I’m not mistaken, as well as considering the occasional wheezing/tightening of the airways. It looks like we are on the road to asthma. His lungs are slightly enlarged (the shape of a bell at the RSV X-rays and which the GP-paed can currently see/hear/feel) and overproducing mucous leading to a persistent wet cough for the past three weeks. We aren’t going to try antibiotics as yet.

I’m definitely not a fan of the side-effects and he seems to be coping well after this 8 day course. He’s a big, strong chap. Googling M-A mentions prevention and treatment.

But my gut is telling me to stop here given that he’s 9.5/10 better, with very little remaining lung inflammation, and give him a chance to heal on his own. Before embarking on 3 months of it.

What would you do? At the same time I don’t want to make him regress, if the M-A can indeed help him longer-term. Unfortunately I have little faith in much of the medical fraternity, and don’t want to do anything that will make him dependent on pumps and other medication later in life.

But if M-A can prevent that, I’m willing to continue. Again, I have little faith and usually find that these treatments lead to other issues and dependence on other products.

I have no asthma on my side, and I’m really hoping he inherits that from me. I don’t want to lower the chances of this happening.

We live near the sea so air quality is good. Our home is very clean. An air purifier has been suggested, and we use an oil fin heater at night to keep room temperature up, as his chest definitely plays up when the early morning temperature drops. I’m naturally interested in more holistic approaches if something is causing his issues, in hopes it not genetic.
 
I think I'd err on the side of your gut, also sharing a bit of your skepticism about the health industry.

They tend to have a strong bias towards action/treatment that suits a worried parent just fine, but often "doing nothing" is legitimately the best long-term strategy - obviously not for a compound fracture, or for full-blown asthma, but certainly for many viral illnesses and their symptoms, and probably for most mild allergies.

Everything I see about Montelukast is about controlling symptoms. Have you seen anything that talks about prevention/cure of asthma specifically?

I would personally give it a break and see how things go over the next year. Kids change rapidly. They grow out of stuff. They grow into stuff. Unfortunately there's a lot of money to be made from parents' fears along the way. RSV can be nasty and hospitalisation with breathing issues must be terrifying, but with tiny kids it's pretty normal for things to happen once and never again.
 
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Had a severe lung infection years back and needed to be on this for a few months, go with DRs recommendation or second DRs opinion not here.

I am also non-asthmatic
 
I am asthmatic and on the adult version (10mg) as part of my chronic meds.
I don't take it as prescibed though and only start taking it when the season changes and al throuhout winter since that's when my asthma seems to start acting up.

I have a 5yo also asmatic and before being diagnosed, got admitted with chest issues way too many times.
He hasn't been back since we got him on the right meds.

Also have a 1yo who was recently prescribed a 3 month course of monte-air after being admitted with a bad chest.
We ended up giving it for 1.5 months, stopped when he was completely fine and then just keep the rest since it really does help when they end up being very sick.

I'd follow the Dr's advice and use it.
Most of the times it was prescibed for my kids, it really helped.
 
My older kids were on M-A from 2 till 6. It helps. However, it does affect some children's characters - so you have to be careful. I have weaned the older ones off the stuff now. It did help in winter, as then the flus were not that hectic. I also suggest removal of adenoids and inserting grommets. These stop ear and upper nasal infections. The worst is having to be in hospital with a child that has bronchitis. Been there, so I am ruthless with prevention.
 
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