How long does Clenil take to wear off?

[foncused]

DS (4) has been taking Clenil for 3 months as a preventative measure, as he gets viral wheeze and a horrible cough several times a year. He's just come down with another bout and I'm wondering if this is supposed to happen after all this time on his inhaler... He did take a break for about 2 weeks not that long ago, as he had enough of the taste/smell and refused to let me give it. Would that break be enough to undo any preventative effect?

Hi @foncused

My DS has had the same since he was 2.5. We're no stranger to Clenil lol, and I remember a nurse or doctor telling us that it takes about 2 weeks to kick in. My guess is that if he needed it daily or twice daily then yes the break could have weakened the effect. We've found that the only thing that controls my DS's wheeze is Clenil on a twice daily basis and salbutamol (blue pump) when needed. I hope your DS is not too bad 💐

Thanks @Bubble54. It's awful to watch them struggling, isn't it? I find that the blue inhaler does absolutely nothing, and after this new bout of viral wheeze, was starting to doubt the efficacy of Clenil too.
How old is your DS now? Do you find that the episodes have decreased/stopped since he started Clenil?
I'm not sure how to handle his wheeze now, as it's just getting worse and the salbutamol is useless. It often ends up requiring Prednisolone to kick it, but I don't like having to resort to that.

Aw yes, it's so horrible when they struggle to breathe, but thankfully my DS is a calm kiddo in general and doesn't stress about it. He's 8 now. We had a rocky start since he was admitted to ICU at 2.5 because of his wheeze, and I've lost count of the times we've gone to A&E since. We couldn't seem to get our heads round what we needed to do and when (had conflicting and confusing advice given to us at times which didn't help) but we've finally settled down to a routine of taking Clenil twice a day and if he has a cold, start him on the blue pump, 6-10 puffs every 4 hours. If the effects wear off before 4 hours is up, we go to A&E. They monitor him and give blue pump and sometimes a nebuliser, and usually give him steroids too for a few days.

I don't know if this will help, but we noticed a change once we were advised to give the blue pump at the first sign of a cold/cough, to give it chance to work if needed. We were finally able to control it this way without going to A&E and it was a good feeling!! I was like you, I could never see any results from the blue pump, but once we started giving it before the wheeze came out properly, it made a difference.

In a nutshell, the A&E visits have ended since he was having Clenil regularly. He still gets wheezy and tight, but it can be controlled with salbutamol.

I hope you'll find something that works for you 🤞🌼

That's really helpful. I'm glad I'm not the only one who is a bit confused regarding what to do and when. I thought the blue inhaler was only for when he experienced an 'attack', but what qualifies as an attack?! Some of his coughs are more prolonged than others, but he never experiences what I imagine an attack to be. I think giving the inhaler every 4 hours regardless is good advice and will be doing that tomorrow.

And I'm really pleased for you and your DS that the A&E nightmare visits are over!

Aw thank you 😊 our DS would seriously struggle to breathe when things got bad (what we'd term an attack but could be different for others). Fingers crossed you'll find the best way to manage it 🌻🤞glad I could help a little!

I used to give a dose of blue about 10 minutes before the preventer when my kids were small and I do it now for Fosterling No.1 when they are symtomatic, it helps open up the airways so the Clenil can get to where it needs to go.

My DD never responded well to her blue inhaler and now, as an adult, saves it to use in an emergency. She uses Fostair as a preventer and a reliever.

Thank you @bloodywhitecat. That sounds sensible -- were you advised to do that by a doctor?
I've sent the inhaler to school with DS today and instructed them to give it every 4 hours, so hopefully the wheeze won't get worse and we'll get a normal night's sleep tonight

Yes we were, their consultant advised us to do it. I find that GPs aren't that great with asthma but the asthma nurse at a GP surgery can be much more up-to-date with treatment plans, also the nurses on the Asthma UK helplines are brilliant at offering advice when I needed it.

Thanks for all the advice. I’ve implemented both; let’s see if it helps!
I’ve given up on the GP altogether- this was prescribed a while ago by a paediatrician. Hopefully his advice is up to date.