pertussis in unimmunized person
Tim and Maureen
Hi
I have been lurking and have a concern. Wondered if anyone has any experience with this.
I have a friend with a 9 year old unimmunized boy who now has pertussis. She of course went through the guilt shame routine at the doctors and although has very thoroughly explored her choice to not immunise she is feeling some guilt and fear that she could have prevented this. Her son is highly uncomfortable and now has pneumonia and now her 4 year old looks and sounds like he too has it. The doctors have told her that the immunisations have changed greatly over the years so to be safer so she is interested in revisiting her decision to not immunise. So she is looking for up to date info as she is pregnant as well and she also wonders if anybody knows of some things she can do to get her boys through the nights more comfortably as she is not getting a lot of sleep and these guys are coughing to the point of vomiting and pain.
Maureen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I have been lurking and have a concern. Wondered if anyone has any experience with this.
I have a friend with a 9 year old unimmunized boy who now has pertussis. She of course went through the guilt shame routine at the doctors and although has very thoroughly explored her choice to not immunise she is feeling some guilt and fear that she could have prevented this. Her son is highly uncomfortable and now has pneumonia and now her 4 year old looks and sounds like he too has it. The doctors have told her that the immunisations have changed greatly over the years so to be safer so she is interested in revisiting her decision to not immunise. So she is looking for up to date info as she is pregnant as well and she also wonders if anybody knows of some things she can do to get her boys through the nights more comfortably as she is not getting a lot of sleep and these guys are coughing to the point of vomiting and pain.
Maureen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Heidi Wordhouse-Dykema
Hi, Right up my alley.
I'm on week 7 or 8 of pertussis - and I was vaccinated, so don't let the
docs tell you that vaccinations will protect everyone. In our household,
where three people came down with whoop (and one didn't), 100% off the vacc
folks got the whoop, but only 50% of the unvacc. did. It's just
annecdotal, but still... Please tell her to lay off the guilt, and that
vacc's aren't protecting a lot of folks and are almost always completely
gone after 7 years. Wouldn't have helped her older son in the least to
have been vacc'd. If that doesn't help her guilt complex, we have friends
who's kids (vacc.) got it too and we've heard stories of dozens more.
There is supposedly no 'cure' for pertussis besides time, but there are
things that can make life a little more comfortable. At least they helped
me out some.
#1. When they start to whoop, CLEAR their noses of all snot, mucous,
etc. Sometimes it helps limit the gagging/barfing at the end of the attack
or can help keep them from immediately going into another attack. SUCTION
it out if you have to, don't wait to get them to blow their noses (although
if they're older and FAST, that will work.)
#2. Meds you might want to consider, but they are all fairly intensive, so
consider well...:
My doc put me on a specific antibiotic (which just makes sure I'm not
contagious, doesn't help with the symptoms), Albuterol (for short term
airway expansion), Advair (for long term airway expansion, but it has
steroids!), Cherrytussin with Codeine (to help me sleep through the night,
although it didn't always work) and BEST of all, Flonase (to keep nasal
drip/congestion from aggravating the cough reflex.) The Flonase and the
airway expanders seemed to be the most helpful. The Flonase cut my attacks
in half and let my throat heal up (it was SO raw!) (although they think I
have a cold riding the tail end of the whoop, so maybe it wouldn't be as
effective for her.) I'd feel an attack coming on, spritz a little
albuterol and sometimes the darn thing went away! (okay, mostly it didn't
but still, even once is a blessing.)
#3. If they begin to feel a whoop attack coming on OR feel a lot of mucous
in their throat, start to swallow. Swallow a LOT. You're trying to get
any mucous that's in your throat down into your stomach before the attack
hits. Calm Swallowing can help limit the number and/or severity of the
attacks. (Be prepared for some BIG burps.) (grin) Drinking SMALL sips of
water can also help clear matters. Large drinks of cold beverage can bring
on attacks. I don't know why. So be attentive with this.
#4. Know the puking is normal for whooping cough. It's the main
difference between viral bronchitis and the whoop. If they puke up mucous,
congratulate them for a job well done. They're getting better! (mucous
with the whoop is usually clear and very sticky, sometimes with white bits
in it, so don't discount it just because it's not 'colored'. It's just as
nasty to have inside.
#5. Teach them to spit and blow their nose in a nice hot steamy
shower. It's fun, something to do, and sometimes you can clear out a LOT
of 'stuff' so you don't suffer so much later on. It's also the place to
have the most productive 'attacks', so if they know how to trigger an
attack, tell them that's the best place to do it.
#6. No milk. No cheese. No ice cream. No smoothies. Please. I don't
know why, but I always had the worst symptoms for several hours after
eating these. It was hell.
#7. Put a spit towel on the floor next to their bed. It will let them
just lean over after/during an attack and spit out all the nasties they
coughed up. That way, they can stay in bed. Make it a doubled-over
towel, though, able to hold liquid. Needless to say, boxes of their
favorite tissues next to them, so they can clear their noses!
#8. Don't look like you think they're about to die. It always freaked me
out that my kids would come running, as if to see if I was still breathing
at the end of an attack. (kind of sweet, but freaked me out!) Be
comforting, but matter of fact that they can handle it, eh?
#9. Remember that it will end. (I have maybe one or two attacks a day
now, none at night.)
#10 Unless it was really thick, steam didn't seem to help me much.
#11 Herbatussin tea was very soothing. I also liked the Throat Coat
tea. I don't think it stopped or limited the attacks, but it was lovely
with honey and made me happier.
#12 Don't do anything to make them laugh. Laughing can bring on
attacks. Smiling is okay, but laughing hurts when you whoop.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but if I think of more, I'll write
it in later.
Good luck to her and her kids!
HeidiWD
by the way,
http://www.whoopingcough.net
is a pretty good site.
At 09:32 PM 3/25/2003 -0800, you wrote:
I'm on week 7 or 8 of pertussis - and I was vaccinated, so don't let the
docs tell you that vaccinations will protect everyone. In our household,
where three people came down with whoop (and one didn't), 100% off the vacc
folks got the whoop, but only 50% of the unvacc. did. It's just
annecdotal, but still... Please tell her to lay off the guilt, and that
vacc's aren't protecting a lot of folks and are almost always completely
gone after 7 years. Wouldn't have helped her older son in the least to
have been vacc'd. If that doesn't help her guilt complex, we have friends
who's kids (vacc.) got it too and we've heard stories of dozens more.
There is supposedly no 'cure' for pertussis besides time, but there are
things that can make life a little more comfortable. At least they helped
me out some.
#1. When they start to whoop, CLEAR their noses of all snot, mucous,
etc. Sometimes it helps limit the gagging/barfing at the end of the attack
or can help keep them from immediately going into another attack. SUCTION
it out if you have to, don't wait to get them to blow their noses (although
if they're older and FAST, that will work.)
#2. Meds you might want to consider, but they are all fairly intensive, so
consider well...:
My doc put me on a specific antibiotic (which just makes sure I'm not
contagious, doesn't help with the symptoms), Albuterol (for short term
airway expansion), Advair (for long term airway expansion, but it has
steroids!), Cherrytussin with Codeine (to help me sleep through the night,
although it didn't always work) and BEST of all, Flonase (to keep nasal
drip/congestion from aggravating the cough reflex.) The Flonase and the
airway expanders seemed to be the most helpful. The Flonase cut my attacks
in half and let my throat heal up (it was SO raw!) (although they think I
have a cold riding the tail end of the whoop, so maybe it wouldn't be as
effective for her.) I'd feel an attack coming on, spritz a little
albuterol and sometimes the darn thing went away! (okay, mostly it didn't
but still, even once is a blessing.)
#3. If they begin to feel a whoop attack coming on OR feel a lot of mucous
in their throat, start to swallow. Swallow a LOT. You're trying to get
any mucous that's in your throat down into your stomach before the attack
hits. Calm Swallowing can help limit the number and/or severity of the
attacks. (Be prepared for some BIG burps.) (grin) Drinking SMALL sips of
water can also help clear matters. Large drinks of cold beverage can bring
on attacks. I don't know why. So be attentive with this.
#4. Know the puking is normal for whooping cough. It's the main
difference between viral bronchitis and the whoop. If they puke up mucous,
congratulate them for a job well done. They're getting better! (mucous
with the whoop is usually clear and very sticky, sometimes with white bits
in it, so don't discount it just because it's not 'colored'. It's just as
nasty to have inside.
#5. Teach them to spit and blow their nose in a nice hot steamy
shower. It's fun, something to do, and sometimes you can clear out a LOT
of 'stuff' so you don't suffer so much later on. It's also the place to
have the most productive 'attacks', so if they know how to trigger an
attack, tell them that's the best place to do it.
#6. No milk. No cheese. No ice cream. No smoothies. Please. I don't
know why, but I always had the worst symptoms for several hours after
eating these. It was hell.
#7. Put a spit towel on the floor next to their bed. It will let them
just lean over after/during an attack and spit out all the nasties they
coughed up. That way, they can stay in bed. Make it a doubled-over
towel, though, able to hold liquid. Needless to say, boxes of their
favorite tissues next to them, so they can clear their noses!
#8. Don't look like you think they're about to die. It always freaked me
out that my kids would come running, as if to see if I was still breathing
at the end of an attack. (kind of sweet, but freaked me out!) Be
comforting, but matter of fact that they can handle it, eh?
#9. Remember that it will end. (I have maybe one or two attacks a day
now, none at night.)
#10 Unless it was really thick, steam didn't seem to help me much.
#11 Herbatussin tea was very soothing. I also liked the Throat Coat
tea. I don't think it stopped or limited the attacks, but it was lovely
with honey and made me happier.
#12 Don't do anything to make them laugh. Laughing can bring on
attacks. Smiling is okay, but laughing hurts when you whoop.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but if I think of more, I'll write
it in later.
Good luck to her and her kids!
HeidiWD
by the way,
http://www.whoopingcough.net
is a pretty good site.
At 09:32 PM 3/25/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi
>I have been lurking and have a concern. Wondered if anyone has any
>experience with this.
>I have a friend with a 9 year old unimmunized boy who now has pertussis.
>She of course went through the guilt shame routine at the doctors and
>although has very thoroughly explored her choice to not immunise she is
>feeling some guilt and fear that she could have prevented this. Her son is
>highly uncomfortable and now has pneumonia and now her 4 year old looks
>and sounds like he too has it. The doctors have told her that the
>immunisations have changed greatly over the years so to be safer so she is
>interested in revisiting her decision to not immunise. So she is looking
>for up to date info as she is pregnant as well and she also wonders if
>anybody knows of some things she can do to get her boys through the nights
>more comfortably as she is not getting a lot of sleep and these guys are
>coughing to the point of vomiting and pain.
Rebecca
Maureen,
Tell your friend to take a deep breath, and to NOT decide to hop on
the "guilt-train" the Doc's are providing her a free-ticket on.
I would tell her to contact the following agency and see what info
they can provide -- they are national, and stay on the top of all
various lawsuits, research, congressional hearings, etc.
National Vaccine Information Center
http://www.909shot.com/
Here is there page on "whooping cough" aka pertussis:
http://www.909shot.com/Diseases/whooping.htm
The biggest thing your friend needs to remember is that her children
COULD HAVE gotten this ailment EVEN IF she HAD immunized them
against it to begin with. NONE of the shots are guaranteed
resistance, or even long-term resistance.
Blessings,
Becca
Tell your friend to take a deep breath, and to NOT decide to hop on
the "guilt-train" the Doc's are providing her a free-ticket on.
I would tell her to contact the following agency and see what info
they can provide -- they are national, and stay on the top of all
various lawsuits, research, congressional hearings, etc.
National Vaccine Information Center
http://www.909shot.com/
Here is there page on "whooping cough" aka pertussis:
http://www.909shot.com/Diseases/whooping.htm
The biggest thing your friend needs to remember is that her children
COULD HAVE gotten this ailment EVEN IF she HAD immunized them
against it to begin with. NONE of the shots are guaranteed
resistance, or even long-term resistance.
Blessings,
Becca
Shyrley
Tim and Maureen wrote:
Shyrley
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> HiI took mine too a homeopath when they had pertussis. It made the symptoms less severe and the whole illness didn't last as long.
> I have been lurking and have a concern. Wondered if anyone has any experience with this.
> I have a friend with a 9 year old unimmunized boy who now has pertussis. She of course went through the guilt shame routine at the doctors and although has very thoroughly explored her choice to not immunise she is feeling some guilt and fear that she could have prevented this. Her son is highly uncomfortable and now has pneumonia and now her 4 year old looks and sounds like he too has it. The doctors have told her that the immunisations have changed greatly over the years so to be safer so she is interested in revisiting her decision to not immunise. So she is looking for up to date info as she is pregnant as well and she also wonders if anybody knows of some things she can do to get her boys through the nights more comfortably as she is not getting a lot of sleep and these guys are coughing to the point of vomiting and pain.
>
> Maureen
>
Shyrley
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]