wheezing

[Zionsmummy]

My 2 year old has started wheezing again. He has had really bad episodes of wheezing in the past, doctors have given a nebuliser with a preventer pump and a blue pump called salbutamol he uses the brown pump daily but I've taken him off the blue pump as they have not diagnosed my son with asthma and I don't want him to rely on it also it makes him extremely erratic and angry. I really don't want to put him on the blue pump again as he has not had it for a while, are there any suggestions for a more natural way of relieving him from the wheezing.

Thank you
Zionsmummy.

[Sirzy]

If he is wheezing he needs to take his prescribed medication. If that doesn't work he needs medical attention

[SmallGreenBouncyBall]

agree, if he's wheezing he needs his salbutamol inhaler. you are not 'making him dependent' but giving him necessary, potentially life saving medication.
poor thing, hope he's better soon. not being able to breathe properly is miserable

[SmallGreenBouncyBall]

apart from removing his triggers (dust/mold/allergens) there is nothing 'natural' you can do.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

op, I write scientific articles about asthma for a living. The blue pump is called preventer medication, and it works by doing just that - it prevents attacks. All the brown pump (reliever medication) does is relieve symptoms when they occur by widening the airways (bronchodilation). However if the attack is severe enough then the brown pump may not be sufficient to relieve it.

What you are doing is DANGEROUS - people (including children) can die as a result of an asthma attack, and you are deliberately not letting him control it. Even mild asthma can cause death if poorly controlled.

If your son is reacting badly to the preventer medication you have, then there are others available - please go to your GP and ask about alternatives. Ask specifically if your practice has an Asthma Nurse, as he/she will probably be more informed and able to advise you on what to do next than the GP.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Sorry, just realised I have mixed up the colours of the pumps (we don't see the colours in my line of work!) - blue is reliever medication and brown is preventer.

You MUST let him have both, refusing to let him have his reliever during an attack is madness.

[Jibberjabberjooo]

No, no there isn't. Please give the inhaler.

At 2 years old they won't diagnose asthma until he's older. Please don't play around with your son's breathing, asthma can kill.

[Zionsmummy]

I was told to give my son the blue pump when he has a cough,and this is quite often so decided to just give him the preventer pump twice a day I have not refused to give him blue pump during a wheezy episode because he has not had one I have given him the salbutamol and will be going to gp to look at alternative pumps.
Thanks

[drinkyourmilk]

The blue pump accelerates my heat rate, and can make me feel quite jittery -depending on how much I need to take. However it's the only thing that opens my airways at home. The one time I was pig headed (low O2 = out of character behaviour ) I ended up in hospital for a week and having some sort of iv in A&E which was quite unpleasant.
I can see you've given the salbutamol now, but can understand your concerns over behaviour. Hope the asthma nurse (better than gp in my opinion, and my gp is great) can suggest an alternative.

[SmallGreenBouncyBall]

if you need to give the salbutamol more than 3x a week your dc's meds need a review as it seems the preventer is not working properly and he might need a different regime.

[marzipanmaggie]

Seconding what everyone else has said here. I have a 5 year old with asthma and I also loathe the effect salbutomol has on her but its far better than being hospitalised or worse.

also the whole concept of there being a "natural" alternative is delusion.

Please don't f* about with your son's medicines. Give him what he's been prescribed for his own health's sake. The doctors may be able to recommend an alternative but I promise you salbutomol is better than the alternative.