My middle child has this. He really suffered the first two years of his life but now he's mostly outgrown it. Seems when he starts to get a cold or cough that it progresses faster into wheezing and croup and such. We use the nebulizer just a couple of times a winter now. Always starts in the fall for him. He's fine all summer. Hope your son will outgrow this too. Hope he feels better quickly!

They have alternatively called my DD's problems RAD and URD (upper respiratory distress), always stopping short of calling it Asthma. She was on nebulizer treatments (4 albuterol and 1 pulmicort respule per day) until Oct 2000. We started her on Zyrtec, and have kept her on it since. And we are on the 1 year anniversary of no nebulizer treatments. We figured out it was triggered by some allergen because she always stopped wheezing and coughing when we would leave town on vacation.

My 7 year old was diagnosed with RAD. I asked the doctor what the difference was between this and asthma and he told me there really was no difference. In the last year or so my son has had one serious episode but generally the disease is kept in check by using an inhaler at the first sign of excess coughing/wheezing. As with one of the other posters my son seems to be getting fewer episodes as he gets older. I think it may be related to the fact that as he gets older he is more aware of when he needs his inhaler.

I hope your son feels better.

Mommabear

I realize this response comes pretty late.So your son should be around 7 0r 8 by now.Just wondered how he is doing these days.My DS just turned 6 and has been on breathing treatments daily for RAD for the past 4 and 1/2 yrs.2 wks ago we finally got to the point where he could begin weening off.And we celebrated our first 2 weeks of no treatments last week.But he came down with a cold the end of the second week so he's been back on treatments a week now.So I'm not sure yet if he'll get to stay off the treatments once the cold clears up.I will call the doc tomorrow and find out.I've never been completely sure what the difference in RAD and athsma was myself.Except that RAD seems to be maybe a more severe form I guess.My DS seems to catch colds alot more easily than his peers but he also has other med issues that affect this also.He is also a heart patient and has a history of Cong. hart failure,arrest, and stroke.So we have to be very diligent about the treatments at the first sign of a cold.
Does your son have the eczema that goes along with the RAD or athsma?Mine has only had small outbreaks so far thank goodness.I myself have had more problems than he has as I too have athsma.
The only weird thing is the week before coming down with the cold recently he began to have what I thought was a more severe outbreak of the eczema in the same locations as the usual outbreaks.Only his eczema creams weren't helping.So when I took him to the doctor this week about the cold she said it wasn't eczema but a viral rash and that the same virus that caused he cold caused the rash.I've never heard of this before.But I do know it itched like crazy and we awake one night half the night rubbing his little arms to keep him from clawing them because it was so uncomfortable.The past few days it sems to be getting a little better.Seems like it's always something.
Anyway I apologize for the late response as you can imagine it's difficult to find alot of extra time when your child is doing treatments around the clock some days.I hope your son is doing fine.There are days I feel like a nurse more than a mom.Good Luck from a mom who knows.

I have a little girl who will be four soon. Starting when she was nine months old until right before her third birthday, she had coughing spells only releived by her vommiting up phlem or mucus. The doctors did many tests, for all types of immune diseases, cystic fibrosis heart problems, lung deformities, all types of diagnostic tests. My daughter was put through a lot, and always the same answer when the results came in, we don't know. Shes just sensitive when she gets a cold. But I knew it was more than that. Tired of over the counter cough medicines not working, I kept questioning the doctors. In the meantime I kept a stack of blankets on hand. Whenever she had an attack I helped her through it, she vomitted in the baby blankets (mostly at night) I changed the blankets and just stayed with her until the next cough spell and then we started all over again. It was a long hard ordeal for both of us, but also came a strength not to give up and take what the doctors had to say.
Finaly a medpoint dr treating my child for an ear infection diagnosed her with RAD or asthma (hard to diagnose in children under 4 which is why it is comonly missed) She started 6 times a day albuteral nebulizer treatments for two weeks then twice daily pulmicort treatments and 4x albuteral. Slowly her symptoms began to improve. Now a year later she still takes pulmicort 1x a day and abuteral when she needs it. But I would say 85% of her symptoms are improved. Over the counter cough medicines help her now. It was a long hard road, but it was worth it to see my child finally sleeping, eating, growing, able to play with other kids. Just don't give up, you know your child and you know what is normal for your child, don't be quick to accept your dr's findings if you don't agree with them. Get 1000 2nd opinions if you need to. I am lucky I have a great team of drs ( resident drs overseen by attendings) who were very patient and empathetic toward my daughter. God gave me this beautiful amazing little girl for a reason, and its up to me to give her the best I can.