To not agree with the nurse practiser's view that my DS has asthma and to think a diagnosis should come from a doctor?

[PolkadotCircus]

Soooo my v healthy but skinny boy 9 has had a nasty winter virus that he has had problems shaking off,symptoms involve a cough that won't go away.Loads of other kids and adults have had/got it here.

The same happened last year and our fab doctor gave him temp inhalers to calm his airways down which worked a treat and were never used again.

His grandad is the same(very skinny and some times gets a chest infection in winter it takes a whole to shake off) but still cycling 16 miles a day at 80.

Anyhow dtwin 1 keeping dtwin 2 awake so tried to get an appointment with our fab GP but because he is so fab it is nigh on impossible so was offered an appointment with a nurse which I reluctantly accepted as all I wanted were temp inhalers and ds better ASAP.

Anyhow after a very lengthy appointment when his puff was measured,history looked at,records filled in,weighed etc she finally gave us some inhalers.Puff was poor(errr yes he has a virus and a temp) and we were told to come back for a follow up asthma review.I said but he doesn't have asthma only to be told well this happened last year etc,etc.

So we went to the review puff beyond normal now and very good,virus over so no surprise.Nurse then said as he had asthma she'd like to see him again,keep him in her records,how many inhalers did he have etc,to keep him topped up when tight in the chest etc etc.

I said very firmly he doesn't have asthma and never gets tight in the chest.She then asked if he had eczema or hay fever.He had eczema as a baby and gets a bit sneezy in the summer ahhhh then they are linked so he does have asthma.Me-no he doesn't he just gets a cough he can't shake some winters.
I don't want asthma on his records unnecessarily.We politely agreed to disagree.

So aibu to think a)he doesn't have asthma and b) a diagnosis should come from a doctor.

[Cornycabernet]

YABU

[goodygumdrops]

It sounds to me like she is giving very thorough care and keeping a close eye on him which is a good thing. But you would not be unreasonable to request a GP appointment to discuss it further.

[Totallymum]

YABU

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

I think the Dr should confirm the diagnosis, yes. But just because a Dr hasn't confirmed it doesn't mean that DS doesn't have it. Yes, there should be a review done. Undiagnosed asthma can be really dangerous, life threateningly so.

I don't wheeze, ever. I cough. I have asthma.

[BanjoPlayingTiger]

On point a) YABU- My dd was diagnosed with asthma by a GP because of persistent winter coughs. She grew out of it after a few years.

You can always get a second opinion from the GP if you are unsure though.

On point b) I am unsure, as I have no idea what medical training a nurse practitioner goes through to qualify.

[blondieminx]

1. YABU.

1. Nurse practitioner, not nurse practiser!

[MousyMouse]

yabu (a tiny bit)
asthma at the surgery we go to is monitored and diagnosed by the asthma nurse. they are usually well trained and tend to be cautious, you know how awful it is to have breathing problems.

[amistillsexy]

I agree with goodygumdrops. You should make an appointment to see your gp and see what he thinks.

What is your objection to him having asthma on his medical record, by the way?

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

Oh and BTW, DS has bad asthma that rarely if ever shows on regular tests unless he is ill but has been proven otherwise that he absolutely has it.

[cansu]

You sought medical advice but disagree because you saw the nurse and not the doctor. I think Yabu but the only way to be sure is to see the doctor. However I am sure that it is possible to have asthma which only causes an issue when you have a bad cold or infection. Lets face it it isn't normal to need an inhaler every winter if you have a cold. Many people have winter viruses and never need an inhaler. I imagine that your ds symptoms do point to asthma albeit mild and at certain times of the year. I can't see why him having this on his records could ever do him any harm. It can only be positive in terms of keeping a closer eye on his health when he has an infection. Why are you so anti having asthma on his records?? It isn't a shameful thing!

[kelda]

It sounds like she is doing a very good job. Whether he has asthma or not, he obviously needs the follow up.

Why are you so scared of having the word 'asthma' on his medical records?

[teacherandguideleader]

YABU

I have asthma. Day to day you wouldn't know, I don't use inhalers on a daily basis. However, occasionally I get a cough I can't shake off and I need my inhalers to prevent an attack. I was diagnosed after a virus and we had no idea what would trigger an actual attack.

We did eventually find my trigger for an attack - I was soooooo glad I had inhalers to hand.

[MousyMouse]

and oh yes, many asthmatics don't wheeze.
I only wheeze when it's really bad. I cough and sigh.
my asthma was treated with homeopathetic sugar pills untreated as a child which left me with permanent lung damage.
your poor dc, I hope you start treatment sooner next time.

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

Banjo, DS' Dr was sure he had grown out of it because all the regular office tests don't show it but a special test done at the hospital proved otherwise. Be careful.

[CotherMuckingFunt]

That could have been written about my son. He doesn't have asthma in the sense that running will bring on an attack but he does have it in the sense that any illness will go straight to his chest and he'll need inhalers until he's better.

So yes, your son sounds like he does have asthma, but as with many conditions there is a very broad spectrum.

YABU and you should be grateful that your son is being cared for as well as he is.

[NotADragonOfSoup]

Well, the diagnosis shouldn't come from you which is what you seem to be doing.

[ShowOfHands]

I was diagnosed with asthma. I grew out of it. It was likely my immature immune system, how tiny I was and prolonged viruses. I also had excema which IS linked to asthma so strengthened the case for it. IMO it was better I was monitored for potential asthma, the diagnosis giving me access to a clinic which DID help my symptoms over the winter and then the diagnosis retracted once a clearer picture was gained.

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

Mousey, I don't even wheeze when it gets really bad.

You wouldn't know I had it probably either. It gets bad when I get a cold or virus though.

[Trazzletoes]

Nurse practitioners are qualified to diagnose and prescribe so YABU.

[iliketea]

YABU - if she had ignored the wheeze and had sent you away with no follow up, you would have complained no doubt. What you describe can be symptoms of asthma - it's surely better to be montiored and it documented that dc doesn't need an inhalor other than in the winter. And what is the problem with having "asthma" on his medical records - it can be removed again, and may also mean you get inhalors more quickly infuture - at start if a virus rather than waiting weeks for the cough to go away.

And normally nurse practitioners who can prescribe, have also been trained to diagnose, so it may be you get the same diagnosis from the GP.

[mercibucket]

Maybe it will help to think of it as 'asthma like symptoms' that require an inhaler during upper respiratory chest infections?
Anyway, yabu, but go and see the GP if you would like to talk it through. Better over-caution from the nurse than a blase attitude to something like asthma imo

[ithaka]

YABU and you're son is very lucky that you saw such a conscientious nurse practitioner. The level of care that you son received would have prevented by daughter being blue lighted to hospital after her GP failed to diagnose asthma. She doesn't wheeze, she coughs and her asthma is triggered mainly by viruses.

You can visit your GP to have this confirmed, if you wish, but it is likely that the follow up care will be handled by the nurse practitioner in any case as they probably have the specialist training in this field.

[ipswichwitch]

It may be worth asking for respiratory function tests to be done at the hospital, but I wouldn't write off the diagnosis just because it came from a nurse practitioner. They are able to diagnose a good number of conditions and prescribe certain medications - I had my (unrelated) condition diagnosed by one, which had been missed by drs for many years.
Yabu to not want it on his record. If its there, even if it turns out to be wrong, there's no harm in hcp's keeping an eye on his breathing. Asthma is fecking scary if you develop a full blown attack, and they quite often come out of nowhere

[diddl]

Well if he´s only 9 & can´t shake off a cough & during that time his "airways needed calming down"-what does that suggest to you, OP?