Dreading tonight already as I know I'll be up all night with DS asthma

Air purifier is game changer - just make sure you get decent one. Our paediatrician explained some recirculate air and do more harm. Keep windows closed in evening, clothes not hung out, Vaseline around nose when outside, sunglasses on. Make sure you change clothes and shower before going into bedroom. It’s awful, you have my sympathy, not that it’s much help with sleep. If it’s grass pollen allergy, discuss the use of desensitisation with doctor, it may be suitable.

*nurse not nursery

You must speak to a GP or asthma specialist, not take the words of a single nurse.

I don't know about the drug but if you are not seeking a possible medication that you know could help then you are withholding it - the GP needs to advise you about this drug and how often he should be taking it.

That's an incredibly irresponsible thing for the nursery to tell you. If he needs it he needs it.

I would highly recommend making an appointment with a GP tomorrow for something to relieve this bout, and then with your asthma nurse to discuss the right treatments and see which antihistamine she suggests. It might be worth taking it long-term. I agree with a pp that Piriton isn't ideal, but it might help tonight.

It's rubbish managing asthma OP, I sympathise. I usually end up sleeping in my son's room on a chair so I don't sleep too deeply. I do find a humidifier helps too.

No disrespect to nurses but I would not take the opinion of an A+E nurse on the long term management of childhood asthma.

Also struggling to see how steroids would scar his lungs when the whole point is that they reduce inflammation and allow you to breath.

There are other reasons to try to avoid lots of courses of steroids but ultimately breathing comes first.

@asthmawasthma That nurse was hugely mistaken!! It doesn’t have that effect at all. Anaesthetist here who treats lots of patients with asthma!

Uncontrolled asthma is more dangerous though!

a lot of pred isn’t good (although I don’t understand the scaring the lungs bit!) but it is only prescribed when it is needed.

my son has adrenal issues caused by taking prednisone a lot when he was younger but without that he wouldn’t be here now so it is what it is.

Antihistamine is a great idea (I love cetirizine). The home nebuliser idea is insanely dangerous. If a child is ill enough to need a nebuliser, they need proper medical assessment. Home nebulisers encourage parents to keep children at home who need to be admitted. I have seen casually acquired home nebulisers result in preventable paediatric intensive care admissions.

The GP will tell you when he has had too much, if he needs medication you must speak to the GP. Don't withhold medication except on medical advice.

Our nebuliser WAS prescribed. We were trained how and when to use it and to speak to our asthma nurse as soon as possible if we had to use it. You can't just go and get one and you definitely can't just buy the medication to put in it! The decision was made after ds was hospitalised.

Home nebuliser is a terrible idea, it makes people feel safe at home when actually they are seriously ill.

Anti-histamine for the whole of hayfever season and possibly just every day. I tried coming off mine in December and was so clearly worse that I started again and just have it year round.

Finally get a better antihistamine than Piriton. Piriton is very old-fashioned, causes drowsiness and doesn't last all day. Plus you are just paying £££ for the brand, the actual drug costs pence.

please don’t get a home nebuliser without one being prescribed that’s a really daft suggestion especially in a child and there’s lots of info here as to why not to do that
https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/symptoms-tests-treatments/treatments/nebulisers

Get the hayfever really controlled - showers and clean clothes are a great suggestion as is not drying any bedding or clothing outside. Keep any pets that go outside out of the bedroom (fur is a magnet for pollen).

Home nebuliser is a good suggestion. I have one for when my asthma is bad and it does help.

Agree you should ask about prednisone - I find that works and I need it at the end of every cold I get in order to shake off the cough and the wheeze.

Something that helps me though is really cold water. I put it in the freezer and take it out just as it's starting to freeze. It sort of dampens everything down.

Agree with this too. Ds is actually part of an NHS trial into air purifiers at the moment and for him it has really helped the night time issues.

Have you tried an air purifier for his room? Sending sympathy, it's grim.

We bought a home nebuliser after a dash to the surgery to use theirs one morning. That was back in the days when you could actually turn up and see the nurse. It is an awful condition to manage.

Ive been there op and the dread is a lot! Definitely go and get some liquid piriton. Even without hay fever it has a cough suppressant effect. I ended up sleeping propped up in bed with dd propped up between my legs. Hope the night isn't too bad.

I hear you, OP. Everytime DS got sick, he was the same, regardless what meds he took (montelukast, highest level of preventers, then a week of oral steroids with 3rd hourly salbutamol and regular ipratroprium). It was just exhausting, constant and so, so stressful, because of course your child is just breathing well enough to keep them out of hospital, and not well enough for them or you to be comfortable sleeping.

And then the driving to hospital when sleep-deprived when DS's sats were really poor and trying to explain the history to tired junior doctors.

The only thing that worked for DS was a year of Omalizmab injections. Five years of well-controlled asthma 😊.

All the best tonight, OP. Hope he turns the corner.

Yes, absolutely this.

Olbas oil on tissue?

Sleep slightly more upright.
Stay hydrated to keep snot loose

Can you get to a pharmacy tonight? They should have liquid Piriton which might help.

We have a single dose of prednisolone at home ready for nights like this - I would recommend going back to your asthma nurse and asking for more options, because it doesn't sound like his asthma is well controlled.

Go and buy Piriton now. Honestly he'll feel so much better.