Should I be keeping DD off school tomorrow? Please help!

[PFB1]

She's my eldest so I'm not entirely sure what the protocol is with this sort of thing.

DD has had a bad cough (only at nighttime) for the past couple of weeks. I've been sending her to school each morning as she's been her normal self in the day although admittedly more tired having been up coughing through the night. She's been fine at school but when she's got home she's been tired. Particularly tonight.

Anyway, I've put her to bed and she's having a coughing fit every 30 seconds. It's awful for her. I know that tomorrow morning will come and I'll need to wake her for school as I have every morning for the last couple of weeks. She'll be tired but will get on with the day at school. In my heart of hearts I feel it's unfair on her if I send her again tomorrow and think she'd benefit from a day of resting and possibly a visit to the GP.

My mum would only keep me off school if I was at deaths door so I'm not sure if I'm being too cautious in considering keeping her home. She's already had 1 day off since starting school in September for a sickness bug which came on one weekend. Really grateful for any advice. Thanks.

My daughter had something similar last year when she was in reception, I kept her off school for a day just to get her well rested again

@PFB1. That's good news OP!
I hope.she feels better soon XXX
Asthma is rotten sometimes when it gets exacerbated and so is this winter (cough) virus.

You sound a lovely mum !

I'd pop her to the GP tomorrow

Didn't read the whole thread 🙈 hope she is feeling a bit better'

Also @PFB1 - This is exactly what MN is great at! - other parents being there when you feel alone and unsure
(Obvs PPs have also been saying this is what we know and do but ask (24 hours) 101 service or your (or OOHS) GP ).

If it helps - all my ventolin inhalers say "inhale two puffs as needed " on instructions but GP gave me guidelines that started conservative (2 puffs 4 hourly ) and went up v. quickly after first two asthma attacks that I was hospitalised for! Also same for my DCs...

My son was asthmatic from 16 months old (he's 16 now), he's spent many an overnight in A&E or on ward . And DD3 was diagnosed at 9. She's the one that went up most rapidly to 'up to 10 puffs in emergency but call ambulance' (in one go... Not over the day as on bad days she can have easily 4 puffs every 2-4 hours for part of the day..) but GP will know and be talking to me on phone about her asthma crisis within 4 hours of it starting that bad.

Rule of thumb definitely is - that ventolin should last 4 hours in effectiveness (whether 2 or 4 puffs) and if it isn't, something is up.

I'd definitely recommend getting aerochamber (tube like see through blue ended thing) on prescription from GP if you haven't already . It really helps get all of medicine, in easier way, where it needs to be into lungs rather half of it hitting back of throat or coughed out. Crucial for children ( but also us wheezy adults too!)

This link is a great one to show you how to use aerochamber.

GP will prescribe it if you ask.

She's coughing quite a lot again. 2.5 hours since she had 4 puffs. She's sort of sleeping through the coughing, if that makes sense. I think I'll have to keep her off tomorrow and get her to the GP. She'd no doubt be fine for the day at school but it doesn't feel like we have this completely figured out yet. An update with the GP is probably the best next step.

Do you think I'd be doing the right thing to keep her off and take her to the GP? Or do you think maybe just send her in since she's sleeping through the coughing and she's probably going to be fine in the day tomorrow?

OffToBedhampton lots of info there, thank you. I'll give the video a watch.

I’d keep her off. Her asthma isn’t well controlled enough. I’d make another go appt to, and tell them how much you’ve used the blue inhaler and ask for an asthma plan for your dd to take to school. She needs to rest, get over this infection, get the asthma under control.

Ds had viral asthma, diagnosed at 5. Now at 11 he’s grown out of it.

Hope your dd is better soon.

*GP appt tomorrow

Yes they can check oxygen levels and listen to her chest and give you a plan (not sure how easy it is to get appts but I reckon a practice nurse would do as well)

I can recommend the ease of use of the aerochamber too. That's the one I use,so much easier than just using the inhaler

All the best to your daughter.

Op my son has mild asthma but had a brown inhaler one year too. I am sure the GP said that the brown inhaler needed to be used every day, but will take 2 weeks to kick in, as it needs to build up in the system. I am pretty sure that you must then keep using it every day. DS had it for a winter, when his asthma had been bad. He didn't use it the following year, as he was much better.

When you see the GP or nurse on Monday, do check that out. You have a lot to learn when you start, and your main focus has been, quite rightly, on getting your dd used to the blue inhaler.

Hope that she feels brighter soon

Do you think I'd be doing the right thing to keep her off and take her to the GP?

Yes. If she's not well enough yet and ventolin isn't lasting 4 hours, then take her to GP in morning. She doesn't sound like she's sleeping well, cough is disturbing her sleep and she's too tired to fully wake up. Is she breathing ok though? If you think she needs inhaler after 2.5 hours, then that's a sign asthma symptoms not under control.

If GP tomorrow ultimately says she's fine, you can always take her into school afterwards.

But meh, ... after GPs, I'd just put her back on sofa with a blanket all curled up and let her body have time to recover and stay in as- bless her -she's not even not sleeping properly.

Ehen my DCs asthma is out of Even if my DC seem bright eyed & fine at home in the warm of your house, when asthma is bad they can flag quickly outside walking in cold and at school. So I drive them (teenager too) when his asthma isn't great.

You have a long walk to school, temperatures are due to drop sharply in UK tomorrow due to incoming cold front. She's only Year R / early primary age? She won't really miss anything crucial for few extra days off to fully recover and have a better night's sleep.

Don't feel you need to overjustify to school, "seeing GP first due to virus / asthma symptoms not yet stable " is fine reason.

Sorry about edit fail mid post at start of paragraph.

yes.

do keep her off school.. she will be exhausted andxreally needs to rest.

hope you get to grips with the inhalers and YES absolutely take her back to see the doctor.

DO NOT MESS WITH ASTHMA

Has she got a mask to fit on the spacer device? My daughter is an adult now but always uses her spacer and when she is really poorly she sometimes resorts to the mask as well.

How has she been OP?

My DC didn't require aerochamber mask past 2 & half y.o. and were better just with aerochamber. But every little bit of advice and information from all PPs is useful to help decide what might best help your child X

Hi all, sorry to bring this thread back but I've made a bit of a mistake.

Obviously the doctor said it seemed DD had viral induced asthma. I used the inhalers and I also was later prescribed montelukast to give for 30 days. The cough completely cleared up and I stopped giving her the montelukast after her taking it for about 10 days as I assumed the viral infection would be gone and she hadn't been coughing for about 5 days. Anyway, that was about a week ago and now the persistent cough is back. The blue inhaler just isn't kicking in as quickly as I'd like. I feel awful for stopping the medicine. I've just been quite confused by the information I've been given by the GP's so thought there was no point in giving her it if she was better. I feel so stupid now though. Is it likely this is more than just viral induced by the sounds of things? Feel awful for her to be coughing so much again

Don't worry about the medicine. What's done is done. How is her breathing now?

Keep her off bless her. Has she just had the flu inhaler at school by any chance?

Ghoul her breathing sounds okay but she's coughing every 15 - 30 seconds at the moment. It's just not letting up.

The cough is no where near as bad sounding as it did that first night. It's just a very persistent dry cough.

Poor girl, I still get coughs like that at night where I get no sleep and did as a child. I had/have asthma (very mild now as an adult) but the coughs tended to be dry and irritating like you describe.

If she's only in reception you can't give many medicines I guess? One thing that works a little bit is rubbing Vicks vapour rub into the soles of the feet, covering with socks and rubbing some on her chest too. Also prop her up as much as comfortable and discourage her from sleeping on her back as that only makes it worse.

Poor little. I would take her back to doctors tomorrow and get them to check to make sure no infection and review her asthma medication.