asthma in 16 month old

[kittypants]

been told today ds may have asthma.how do they treat a 16 month old?

[Nemo2007]

they give you a reliver inhaler with spacer but wont give anything else until over 2. IF he has an attack then it is a trip to a+e for nebuliser/steroid treatment if inhaler doesnt work. DD1 has been classed as 'weak chested/asthmatic' from 3mths old. She is now 16mths and we are waiting for our preventor inhaler which she can have when she is 2.

[kittypants]

thankyou!

[singersgirl]

DS2 was given a steroid preventer from 13 months, and from 20 months was given a couple of other non-steroidal preventers, after his second hospital admission. But we were living abroad, so perhaps they don't give them before 2 here.

[Nemo2007]

singersgirl wont give anything here or it is extremely rare as in would have to be at the hospital a couple of times a week I would have thought as at the min we average once a month at A+E and every fortnight between gps and walk in centres.

[emkana]

I am really surprised that you say they won't give a preventer inhaler? Ds has had a preventer inhaler since he was five months old!

He's also on Singulair/Montelukast and preventative antibiotics He's been weak-chested since birth

Why won't they give you the preventer inhaler?

[kittypants]

tell me what its like having a child whos asthmatic?thought i knew about asthma but realised i actually dont

[Nemo2007]

emkana alder hey keep saying they will wait and GP says because she is under alder hey his hands are tied so bounced from one to the other. It has been an ongoing struggle to the point where I was taking her for nearly every episode in an attempt to get them to give us something but they just give her 5 day courses of prednisilone and antibiotics.

[emkana]

Ds has not actually been diagnosed as asthmatic yet, he just has the treatment.

He is too young yet and investigations are still ongoing.

So sorry, kittypants, I can't help you very much.

Nemo, isn't it odd and infuriating how different things are handled? We're at Bristol Children's Hospital and there they are willing to try out everything really. They started with just hte relievers, then added the preventer, then Montelukast, then the AB's.

Have they discussed Montelukast with you? It's supposed to work wonders for some children (not for ds unfortunately)

[Nemo2007]

emkana no they havent literally all they do is we have salbutamol inhaler which she has 3 times a day and then if shes having an episode then we go to A+E who give her the nebuliser then say she needs the ADs and Steroids. Then we finish the course have a good week then we start again. Bloody annoying but am now just biding my time until she is 2 as Gp has said he can definetly give her the preventor then. Cant even take her to walk in if she is really wheezy as they are not allowed to give nebuliser to under 2s so end up phoning an ambulance.

[emkana]

Have they given you a reason why though?

[singersgirl]

That sounds so frustrating, Nemo, and worrying too. I would have thought all those trips to A&E and admissions would be much more expensive than a preventer or two - assuming of course that the preventer would control the asthma. Poor you and poor DD.

[Nemo2007]

They keep saying she is too young for official diagnosis and her lungs are not developed enough so they are reluctant to give her a preventor inhaler..because of course giving her courses of steroids is sooooooooo much better for her. Even when we went a couple of weeks ago to a surgical consult for umbilical hernia the consultant said "oh I recognise you and little DD1 from A+E shes asthmatic isnt she"

[misdee]

i cant belive they wont give you a repventer till over 2, thats awful. dd1 has had one since she was a baby.

whats it like havign a child with asthma? well the last weeks events are blogged but thats with a newly diagnosed 4yr old

[emkana]

Nemo, so for you.

Surely it would be better to inhale the steroids where they can work locally? Or am I missing something?

Must be so difficult for you, all these admissions, esp. with having two other children.

Kittypants, sorry for the slight hijack.

[Nemo2007]

Have been moaning about this for a year now at least we should be closer to getting to the other side..lol I do agree localised steroid in a lower dose would be better IMO but obviously I am not the 'medical professional'.

yes sorry kittypants it is by no means linked to how bad it will be for you. If the gp has given you a reliever inhaler then make sure you have more than one and more than one spacer. I have one upstairs,downstairs and one in my bag so always covered if I need one to hand. If you have an episode where the inhaler is not relieving any wheezing/cough within 20mins then go to gp or local medical professional.

[singersgirl]

DS2 only gets asthma with a cold, so technically some doctors prefer to call it 'viral wheeze'. But he still needs the preventers to lessen the severity of the attacks. When does your DS get wheezy, Kittypants?

[kittypants]

misdee,thankyou,although older very useful.i took ds to gp as hes had cough that wont dissapear,mostly later on in day.he really struggles sometimes and sometimes ends up being sick.gp says fairly certain asthma ,has prescribed antibiotics and back in a week to listen too again.

[misdee]

if you dont see any improvement ask for a spacer and reliver inhaler.

dd2 started to get releif from the inhaler immediantly but then the coughing fits would start again 2-3hours later even during the night. The gp perscribed a steroid inhaler on tuesday, and with both inhalers she isnt as wheezey. still has the gasping foer breathe moments, if no improvement in a few weeks then will go back to get a higher dose of becotide, atm she is on becotide50. dd1 is on becotide100 though.

as dd1 has had it for so long, i had forgotton those first scary days.

[Nemo2007]

you do forget a bit how scarey it can be as it becomes the norm. However never think you are being overly paranoid as would rather be a pain in the ass than regret it.

[alibobins]

Ds is 2.2 and he's had breathing problems since being really little. He was put on a preventer at 5 months and is now on alot of other medication

Sometimes he will be very breathless and have no energy to run other times he is full of beans.

The way a child copes varies but ds is really good and copes well with all his medication and hospital visits.

Ds is a severe asthmatic. Every child is different.

[colditz]

ds2 has a steriod preventer, and has done since 11 months

[Nemo2007]

arghhh so why will neither gp or hospital give one to DD1????

[emkana]

I find it baffling tbh Nemo.