Asthma - possibly caused by brown inhaler

[Piglett]

DS (4.5) has had a persistant night cough since he was about one. This got worse at back end of last year ultimately we ended up with an asthma diagnosis and were given preventer one puff night and morning. Since having this the night cough has generally gone but he has had four asthma attacks and the hospital have siad that this just confirms the asthma diagnosis.

My problem has been that he didn't show asthma symptoms until we started on the medication. We went to a homeopath who thinks that the inhaler has actually caused the asthma attacks - he recommends ditching the medication and changing DS's diet to restrict dairy - his diet is high in dairy as he loves milk and cheese. He has prescribed pulsitila (sp?) for the cought. His father vehmently disagrees with homeopathy and the consultation was done on the sly by me, does snyone have experience - done the same with positive or negative effects? I'm terrified of stopping medication and causing attack but do see link between the start of the medication and the attacks, clever mnetters help please

[M44]

A persistent night cough IS one of the symptoms of asthma.....so no I doubt it is the inhaler...If he has a nasal drip which is possibly what the puslitilla is for then discuss nasal drip/asthma with your GP. I would not stop his meds until you have seen a GP.
OUr experience with homeopathy-waste of of money, especially for asthma.

[elastamum]

I would stick with the inhalers and get a proper diagnosis from a hospital unit. You might want to get him tested to see if there are triggers he is allergic to. The respiratory unit at the local hospital can do this. Then if there are specific thinks that make it worse you can try to reduce his exposure to these.

Does he have reflux? This can also cause a night cough. If you think he might try putting 1 inch piece of wood under the feet at the head of his bed to prob the bed up very slightly as this can help a lot if he is getting reflux at night when lying down.

I wouldnt restrict dairy in a young child without a proper hosp diagnosis. You are cutting out a really useful food group, probably for no good reason. Not a big fan of homeopathy myself - too little evidence IMO

[trixymalixy]

My ds had a persistent cough but docs wouldn't do anything about it as his chest was clear when he was seen. I was convinced it was an asthma symptom and he dud have an asthma attack eventually at which point he was given a brown inhaler which has completely cleared up the cough.

You would IMO be nuts to give up the preventer on the advice of some quack. I think it is totally coincidental that the asthma attack happened when he started on the inhalers.

[mousymouse]

please dont stop asthma medication. my mom did with me and I really suffered. an asthma attack without meds lasts a week! (if you dont end up in hospital first). first thing I did when I was 18 and had my own health insurance (different country) was going to the GP to get the proper meds prescribed.

[activate]

I am asthmatic as are two of my children

a night cough is an asthmatic symptom

you would be foolish in the extreme to stop his preventer medication particuarly to replace with homeopathic bollocks

[misdee]

a persistant night cough is a sign of asthma.

just dont foget, Asthma Kills.

[activate]

no reason not to take dairy out of diet for a couple of weeks to see if it has any impact on overall health

[mememe30]

Please don't stop. A decent homeopath will work along side medications!!!!!!

If you want to go down the alternative therapy route, find a different one!!!!

Well said misdee, Asthma kills. My husband and son are suffering a lot at the moment!!!

[bruxeur]

If you believe in homeopathy you're a cretin.

However, the punishment for being stupid shouldn't really include a dead child.

Get a clue, please, before you actually do some harm.

[ivykaty44]

Please book an appointment with your asthama nurse at your gp's or see your gp and aks for a chat about this and whay and how the medicine works.

Please don't just stop using the medication and see what happnes - apart form anything this could be dangerous.

I have had late onset asthma, I ended up changing gp's to get better asthma care and I have a brown inhaler to have originally 2 puff morning anf night - now though two puff in the morning is fine - but I wnet on holdiay and ran out after three months of pufs - it wasn't good, I started to feel wheezy agian and my hayfever was worse.

I would agree with a diet lower in dairy as the mucus and milk isn't always good mix

[pointydog]

Asthma is too serious a condition to dabble with homeopathy, imo, and it sounds bonkers to suggest that an inhaler has caused attacks

[misdee]

i am the only non-asthmatic in a house of 6 people :(

[spacer]

DO NOT stop the preventers, it will lead to the asthma getting uncontrolled. Asthma can be life threatening. See an asthma nurse or asthma.org. You can also do your own research on the net. The last thing you want is your child going into status asthmaticus. The person who told you to stop is DANGEROUS .

[EightiesChick]

Another saying please don't stop using the inhaler. Asthma can be so dangerous if not treated properly. I would try to get some more dietary advice from a third party to see if you could try out reducing/stopping his dairy but still make sure he gets all the important nutrients. I would not do anything just on the say so of the homeopathic practitioner.

[mousymouse]

my mother still questions my decision to take meds against asthma. I prefer to live.

[bruxeur]

No need for the specificity!

[RubberDuck]

Unfortunately homeopaths recommending the stopping of asthma medication often has very serious consequences - it upsets me that a condition we have such well tested and understood medication for still has a mortality rate associated with it when treated by 'alternative' therapies who rubbish conventional inhalers. What's the Harm website lists many of these cases: whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html

Another voice begging you to ignore the homeopath. I've been asthmatic since I was 8. I wouldn't be here today without inhalers.