Parents of Asthmatic children/ Absurd medical advice!

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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I nor anyone in my fmaily suffers from asthma, however a lovely dominican family i know have a daughter of five that is suffering badly. What concerns me is the advice they are being given by their own doctor.

I ahve been aware that they have been suffering as a family for a long time with their daughters condition, but learnt only today that their doctor advised them to buy a Chihuahua and to let it sleep on the bed with her as it would breath in the toxins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now i have heard some pretty shocking wives tales here in my time but that one had me floored. They did indeed buy one and yes it has been sleeping with her. As i said i dont suffer from this illness, but i do know that keeping cats, dogs and birds as pets can be extremley harmful to anyone with asthma.

I have suggested they buy a hypoallergenic mattress cover and pillow and get rid of any stuffed toys that could retain dust and dustmites which common sense tells me would be the correct thing to do.

Can anyone help who suffers or thier children suffers about medication, treatment or steps to help this poor child who is missing out on school and her life come to that due to ridiculous advice from medical professionals that her parents take for gospel. Are inhalers expensive here? Nubulizers?

It makes me so angry that doctors give such idiotic advice. A friend who has been disgnosed with Osteoperosis was told by her doctor that it is Cancer!

My mother in law suffered from a stroke and when returning for a check up a few weeks later the doctor asked if she had suffered anymore episodes, to which she replied "no". He said that was not good news as it means that the "bad stuff" was not coming out of her brain!!!!!!!!!!!

Give me strength!
 
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Nov 25, 2008
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I myself have heard of the chihuahua remedy, ignorance is what holds people back from getting well, if they are from a poor family then....... but if they have 2 cents for brains, and understands the medication Advair, Cingulair... cleanliness, then its just
ignorance
 

SKing

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Nov 22, 2007
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My daughter saw a Doctor here in Santiago that specializes in Asthma. She is on singulair every day and has an 2 inhalers for rescue (each with a different function). I bought the inhalers a while back so I cannot remember how much they cost but I do not think that they were very expensive. Her Singulair is about 3,000RD per month.
I worry about some of these doctors....I am in the medical profession but I do not let them know that when I take my children for a checkup or when I go for myself. I want to catch them telling me some stupid sh*t like that so I can show them the difference between science and folklore. I was very impressed with the doctor that I took my daughter to, he told me all the same things as her doctor in the US and never mentioned any crazy wives' tales.
Please tell them to get rid of that dog, it is going to make her asthma worse.
SHALENA
 

SKing

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I guess for a poor family, actually the inhalers and medicine will be quite expensive.
SHALENA
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Mr C's inhaler costs RD$2000 - about a third of the minimum wage - so a great chunk out of a low-income family's budget.
 

La Profe_1

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Oct 15, 2003
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I am asthmatic as well. I don't use an inhaler but am maintained on a bronchodilator. I have no idea, however, what would be appropriate for a child.

When my asthma was first diagnosed, my primary care doctor sent me for allergy testing because asthma is essentially an allergic disease. If you can locate an allergist, the doctor can test for "triggers" that will set off the wheezing. Dust is a common trigger, but there are others such as food and insects.

Sometimes an allergist can desensitize a patient by repeated exposure to the "triggers." I am not sure, however, if a doctor here can do that.

BTW, according to my allergist, I am the only asthmatic patient he has ever had who is NOT allergic to dogs or cats!
 
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Thandie

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Nov 27, 2007
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What concerns me is the advice they are being given by their own doctor.

I ahve been aware that they have been suffering as a family for a long time with their daughters condition, but learnt only today that their doctor advised them to buy a Chihuahua and to let it sleep on the bed with her as it would breath in the toxins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It makes me so angry that doctors give such idiotic advice. A friend who has been disgnosed with Osteoperosis was told by her doctor that it is Cancer!

My mother in law suffered from a stroke and when returning for a check up a few weeks later the doctor asked if she had suffered anymore episodes, to which she replied "no". He said that was not good news as it means that the "bad stuff" was not coming out of her brain!!!!!!!!!!!

Give me strength!

I have asthma and I am very disturbed by the advice this doctor gave.
But more disturbed that the family did not question such advice...but not really surprised.
It is a serious disease and if not treated properly can be fatal.
The poor little girl is suffering and missing out on school, my heart goes out to her.
I have heard the scariest medical advice from DR doctors. Beyond old tales. I met a Cuban doctor who was working in a hospital in DR and he was in utter shock at at the level of medical knowledge the typcal doctor had.
My biggest fear was getting sick in the DR. I brought all my own medicines. And yes inhalers are expensive for the typical Dominican and I gave the extras
I had away.

They need to isolate her triggers in her living envirnoment, food allergies, possible household chemicals, etc.
Tell them to get rid of the dog and that doctor too!
Do not wear outside shoes in the house.
Dust and clean often with non chemical based cleaners (vinegar and baking soda) and get rid of things that are dust magnets such as stuffed animals.
Clean bedding in hot water.
Hypo alergenic mattress and pillow cases covers are very important, for dust mites, a common trigger. But are not that cheap.
Mold could also be her trigger. With the excessive amounts of rain and dampness this winter I had mold growing on some of my clothes hanging up in my closet. She could have mold growing in her room/house, (in the walls/ceilings for example) and they are not aware of it.
 

ExtremeR

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Mar 22, 2006
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I had asthma when I was a kid, and resurface once a year every year, or when I am in the states for a long time and then come back. When I was 10 my grandma tried to cut a piece of my hair and put it in a tree, and she told me that while the tree was growing my asthma would be disappearing, I let her try that because it would do no harm in my way except in the way I would look after the haircut lol.

But once a couple from El campo (this one is a crazy tale) told me and my mother to drink my own urine mixed with some tree leaves and flowers, once they finished telling my mother the recipe I was turning the corner running for my life, no way in hell I would be drinking my own urine. Thankfully my mother told that couple to take a hike.

I tried everything, clenbuterol, albuterol, etc, those worked, but only for 3-4 hours and then it came back but worse, creating an addiction in my system. My mother going nuts tried the last resort she had. She started getting Aceite de Calamar(Squid Oil) from Miches and Aceite de Bacalao (Cod Oil), and would give it to me every day after wakeup and before sleeping, that did the trick (or maybe I grew up and my body became more resistant) and never again I had constant asthma aside from the occasional attack once a year. 6 Months ago the scheduled attack arrived and I tried with Liquid Albuterol, that would solve the problem for 3-2 hours to then come back worse.I stopped it entirely and waited for it to heal on its own, I have found that medicine really addicting, and I have never seen anyone dropping their inhalers, once you start inhalers you will die with an inhaler next to you.

About the Chihuahua thing, I've never heard that one before, but I would think it would worse the child condition. Tell the parents to lose the dog, or dont let the dog sleep in the same bed as she.
 
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laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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I have been talking to the father today and he said when they were advised strongly to get a damn chihuahua he was taken aback, but many neighbours backed up the theory. The wife who was my housekeeper is even more gullible i cant tell you how many times i have heard her talking about rubbish wives tales.

I have a medicine cabinet in my home and i keep all medicine labelled in english as to what it was or is used for so as not to get anything mixed up. A friend suffering from back pain who stayed with us recently told me this woman told her to take two pills from my cabinet and said it would clear her back pain in no time. One was an antibiotic the other was metronidazol used for killing parasites!! When i checked nearly all my packets of pills were empty, so she had been popping pills not knowing what they were for and offering them to other people.

I am tired of hearing about mothers especially not having basic medical knowledge and common sense. I am not in the medical profession but i know the basics to protect my family. I have story after story as i suspect many other DR1ers do about insane advice and it makes me really angry!

Some doctors prey on the ignorance of people to admit them for days in a clinic. A friend of ours daughter was admitted into a clinic for 3 days for a bad case of gum disease at a cost of more than 8,000 pesos!

To be honest i do not know why the insurance companies do not investigate the clinics and doctors more for admitting people or ordering unessesary tests, surely it would be in their interest to save themselves millions.

Anyway i will pass on your advice with regards to the asthma to the family, cleaning products etc and see what happens.
 

Thandie

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Nov 27, 2007
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Some doctors prey on the ignorance of people to admit them for days in a clinic. A friend of ours daughter was admitted into a clinic for 3 days for a bad case of gum disease at a cost of more than 8,000 pesos!

To be honest i do not know why the insurance companies do not investigate the clinics and doctors more for admitting people or ordering unessesary tests, surely it would be in their interest to save themselves millions.
Wow that is scary she could have killed herself or the other people she was 'prescribing' your pills too!
A basic education would fix so many problems....which is so lacking in the DR.
Really a shame and allows for such medical abuse.
Yes I wonder about that too. American insurance companies would not allow such behaviour.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Doctors generally here are competent from what I have seen. however, no doubt there are maybe more borderline ones who got through the system than say in the US. That being said, superstitions are strong here and I have discusses the espama thing with at least a couple of doctors who still believe in it.

My recommendation would be to try to convince the parents about getting rid of the dog and stuffed dolls (or at least washing them thoroughly. I know this won't be an easy task either but sometimes repetition works.

Also, they might check at the Catholic Churched free pharmacy at "Caritas" in Santiago or some other big town to see if they can get an supply of inhalers for this girl.
 

LaTeacher

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May 2, 2008
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Caritas sponsors a lot of Asthma clinics - medical teams come in from the states and do check ups, give out inhalers AND teach the kids to use them. I know that the caritas in Monterrico in Santiago has some nebulizers that families can use during their operating hours for no cost - just have to buy the medicine and oftentimes those same medical teams leave a ton of neb. medicine behind. The worst part about the teams is that a lot of people have no clue that they are in town. They're not well announced.
 

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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Caritas sponsors a lot of Asthma clinics - medical teams come in from the states and do check ups, give out inhalers AND teach the kids to use them. I know that the caritas in Monterrico in Santiago has some nebulizers that families can use during their operating hours for no cost - just have to buy the medicine and oftentimes those same medical teams leave a ton of neb. medicine behind. The worst part about the teams is that a lot of people have no clue that they are in town. They're not well announced.

How or who would i contact to find out when/if "Caritas" are in my area, Higuey or this side of santo domingo?
 

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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How or who would i contact to find out when/if "Caritas" are in my area, Higuey or this side of santo domingo?

I found their website and contacted them in Boston, I enquired about their "por cristo" programme.

Sadly the gentlemen told me they are no longer here and have no immediate plans to return concentrating most of their efforts in Ecuador. I presume funding is an issue. Shame.
 

La Profe_1

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Oct 15, 2003
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How or who would i contact to find out when/if "Caritas" are in my area, Higuey or this side of santo domingo?

Call the Obispado de La Altagracia en Hig?ey. The Caritas offices are usually located in the same building (at least they are in Puerto Plata).

The telephone number is 809-554-2431. Mornings are probably better.

Also, the Bishop of Puerto Plata, His Excellency Julio C?sar Corniel Amaro is President of Caritas in the Dominican Republic and the Director of Caritas in POP is Francisco Col?n. Sr. Col?n's office telephone number is 809-244-4712 and I am certain he can direct you to his counterpart in Hig?ey.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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I found their website and contacted them in Boston, I enquired about their "por cristo" programme.

Sadly the gentlemen told me they are no longer here and have no immediate plans to return concentrating most of their efforts in Ecuador. I presume funding is an issue. Shame.

As La Profe has noted, "Caritas" is run by the Catholic Church here in the DR and not from abroad so they should be found throughout the island.