wheezy 2 yr old

[SenoraPostrophe]

I'm taking ds to the docs anyway tomorrow, but in the meantime I wondered if anyone knows what the usual treatment for wheezy toddlers is?

ds has had bronchiolitis several times, doc always prescribes some cough medicine and 1 puff salbutomol morning and night. now he's wheezy again (think it's hay fever), but the slabutomol doesn't seem to touch it. He's just gone to bed with what i think is about 1.5 puffs of salbutomol (stupid spacer collapsed after a couple of breaths on first puff), still wheezy. if he wakes in the night like he did last night, is it ok to give him some more? is there anything else I can do? weather humid today so i don't think it's dry air causing it (was v dry before)

[SenoraPostrophe]

anyone?

[Mercy]

Senora, all I know is that for an adult up to ten inhalations in a bad asthma attack is ok until you can see a doctor.

My brother's asthma is always significantly worse when he has hay fever and iirc, salbutamol wasn't much good when he was a toddler. Back massage used to help him though, big swooping movements up his back and down along hte arms.

Your ds may need one of those face mask things and or a preventor.

Hopefully an expert will be along soon to advise, sorry I couldn't be of any help. But I know how frightening a breathing problem can be.

[tissy]

not an expert, but my 4 year old on occasion has 10 puffs AN HOUR for her wheeze. She gets wheezy after a cold sets in, it can last a couple of days and she sometimes needs oral steroids. In between colds she doesn't wheeze at all.

Dd has had this regime since she was about 18 months old, IIRC, so I'm sure it's safe for a 2 year old, BUT I would see your doc before giving this sort of dose, obviously.

Meanwhile, I would say it is safe to repeat the inhaler if he wakes in the night.

Have you tried propping him up a bit? If you put a pillow under the mattress of his cot/ bed, it raises it up a bit and helps air get into the lungs better.

[tissy]

oh, and keep him calm if possible, even if it means breaking "rules" such as no videos at 3 am! Dd's wheeze is 10 times worse if she is crying- mucus etc blocks the pipes even more!

[Nemo1977]

is your ds using a spacer?
AS the prescribed amount with spacer for my dd who is 5mths is 5 puffs each puff being 5 breaths.

[SenoraPostrophe]

thanks. he does stay calm, and it hasn't become really bad, but is a lot more wheezing than I'm happy with.

[singersgirl]

Without worrying at all, you can give 2 puffs every 4 hours. We were also told to go up to 10 puffs if DS2 was bad, when he was 16 months.