Predmix....

[Beach Mama]

Both kids have been sick with high fevers, they went and are back again and both have ear infections so are on AB's.

Izzy also has a bad cough and because she is so wheezy and the Paed said although she doesn't have asthma she has asthmatic tendencies when sick, so the GP has prescribed Predmix, 2mLs in the morning and 1mL at night. I've been googling Yes I know, and I don't like the sound of some side affects and behavioural changes that can occur with kids.

Im on the edge right now as it is with 2 kids who have been sick for 2 weeks now, work stress etc. and I really don't need this on top of it, having said that, I know it will help her with her coughing at night.

Anyone have any experience with Predmix would be appreciated muchly for this worried, stressed mama.

[~MummaBear~]

i do have alot of experience with predmix but i really dont think you will want to hear about it
My 4yr old Ds has Athma and he has been bad enough to need Predmix 5 times this winter and he turns into a horrible aggressive non sleeping child from about day 2 of taking it till about 3 days after he stops it is horrible but it helps him breath and he needs it. He is on a higher dose of 5Mls tho so not sure if that would change it. I really trust his Dr though and if he prescribes it Ds really does need it so that is why we continue to use it.

I hope your DD improves quickly. I found i did sleep a little better when DS was taking it cause when he did sleep he wasnt wheezing and coughing and spluttering so i was able to relax enough to sleep

Hugs!!

[*Ali*]

I have used it, and didn't really see too many behavioural changes- but we didnt need to use it long term. For me though even with the risks of the side effects, it far out weighed the heart breaking coughing and listening to my child all wheezy. It is such a tough one! Could you give the mornign dose, and leave the evening one and see if they wake up in the night needing it?

[KimmyF]

The dr prescibed predmix for my DS when he has croup just after he turn 1 we only had to use it for three days, and it helped him dramatically! i didn't experience any negative side effects but i do remember the dosage was incredibly low. He also had antis at the same time for an ear infection.
Good luck hun, hope your kids feel better soon.xxx

[~me~]

The GP put DS1 on predimix when he had suspected croup. He has had it twice now. He was only on it once a day for 3days and very small dose of 3.5ml. I mixed it with a little of DH's gatorade to make it drinkable. The GP suggested even mixing it with undiluted cordial as it very bitter. We had no side effects at all. It took immeadiate effect with regard to the croup and within and hour or so of taking it, he was back to his bouncy self and the croup cough had all but gone.
Hope your kids feel better soon

[black_rose]

Both my girls had it before they turned 1, unfortunately it didn't work and they needed different treatment but all it did was keep them awake but the cough and wheezing didn't help with that anyway.

[diannescruffy]

DD9 is asthmatic and had predmix many times over the years with no side effects. She would only have the one dose a day for 3 days and the relief was pretty much instant.

Regards,
Dianne

[Janie]

Yeah, no good stories here Tan In fact, the second time DS1 had it (for severe croup, again) he had a severe hallucinatory reaction (in the middle of the night of course) and as a result is longer allowed to have it, unless we're talking life and death. But it must be very hard for you listening to poor Izzy, such a hard decision to make. I guess if you think you're at the end of the road, you'll be seriously considering it......but if you think there might be other options you could look into them? I dunno hun, but good luck

[Fleur]

DS2 has a tendency to asthma when he gets sick, we have used predmix a few times over the years & never noticed any side effects.

Hope your little ones are better soon, it's horrible when they're sick.

[Beach Mama]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I am literally exhausted after 2 weeks of all of this and just couldn't risk it. Thank goodness her cough although still there and not great hasn't been as 'hacking" as it has been and I have been giving her the ventolin and spacer which she had before bed and she hasn't started up yet - (touch wood) I think i will keep the heater on overnight on low as well to help her as the air has been cold and I don't think that has been helping.

If it ends up keeping her and us up later in the night I will consider giving her the 2mL in the morning for the 3 days.

Thanks again all.

[Janie]

Sounds like a good plan darl . From memory, it takes either 4 or 6 hours to take effect, and that goes for side effects starting up too. So if you're just giving a morning dose, things may well have settled down by bed time. Hopefully some warmer air does the trick though, it has been so cold at night! You must be very glad it's hols, so you can get some rest

[Beach Mama]

I know Sez I'd be literally going nuts otherwise! Another wise wonderful women (thanks Enchanted!!) linked me a great page with natural therapies that I might try, if nothing else the house will smell nice!!

[*Beema*]

We have had alot of experience with predmix unfortunately, and we have side effects, but DD has had a lot of it, I think that it is affecting her growth (height), she was on the 25th and is now below the 3rd %ile, she has had four-courses this year, ranging from 3 days out to 7 days, last year she had 3-4 courses of it as well. But if we don't use it she would be in hospital every few weeks.... She has issues with her right lung and has asthma, requiring Flixotide twice daily and Venotlin as needed. But her treatment plan has kept us out of hospital this year just And as much as we don't want to do it, we also don't want her in respiratory distress and often it is more dangerous for her then to enter the hospital environment because of the exposure to extra bugs. So we have an excellent GP who we can even see on the weekends who knows DD and her lungs.

The other which is really a side effect is the eating that comes once it starts working, DD suddenly eats us out of house and home generally after not eating for days, but that is one of our indicators that she is doing well again

You don't have to give three days worth, sometimes one dose can be enough to give it a kick, so you could try just the single dose and then make a call on whether you go ahead with another dose or two.

[Liz]

We've used it a few times with no side effects. We don't seem to have side effects from ventolin or flixotide either.

From memory, it takes either 4 or 6 hours to take effect

Not sure this is right.. as the dr told me it's very quick and the best way to get things opened up again if he's not responding well to ventolin.

The times we've used it the dr has said to give one dose a day for 2 days and then use my judgement from there. But I've used my judgement after the first dose too and found we often don't need any more. But I keep up the regular ventolin for a couple of days.

We've had a really good run so far this season tho. Not sure whether he's growing out of it, or if it's the preventer once a day, or both. Haven't used the predmix this year.

Hope it all settles down for her. I'm inclined to relieve the coughing as it's very tiring and stressful for them. Your instincts will tell you when she needs it or not.

[Janie]

That's what I was told Liz, but Drs have been wrong before . I just remember that we needed to give him a dose, for croup, at something like 4pm so that it kicked in at bedtime.

[DaintreeDream]

I also have alot of experience with premix due to DDs severe obstructive sleep apnea, we always have some on hand. For me it has worked wonders, no behaviour changes and it has worked quickly (I always give it to her before bed and it is working within half an hour).

I haven't read the other replies just wanted you to know that it was a positive step for us

[Janie]

Hey Tan, there's alot of people with no side effects to report, hope that makes you feel better

[Beach Mama]

Thank you for all the replies everyone! We had a really good night, no drawn out episodes of coughing at all, just a few small ones, so I think I will keep up the ventolin and vaporiser and see how we go. I think we are lucky it isn't really severe and I can get away with not giving it at this stage. xoxox