Confused about childhood asthma

[janicewheeler]

Is this even a thing, can they grow out of it ? Ds 7 has had what we'd call a weak chest all his life. Since he was 3 months old he was in and out of hospital with bronchiolitus, any viral infection he got went straight to his chest and he's left with this flemmy, persistent cough that wouldn't budge. At 2 he was given reliever inhalers which helped massively. Fast forward to now and he still suffers every single winter, he gets a virus, that goes then he's left with a hacking cough, very mucusy that just won't budge. The last three years he was given antibiotics to shift it.
So off we went to the gp this morning with the same issue, virus 5 weeks ago, horrible cough since. The doctor seems adamant it's asthma and has prescribed him the brown inhaler and told me if the cough goes it's asthma. Is this right ? Is it possible to only have asthma in the winter and brought on by a cold/virus of some sort?
He did peak flow readings last year and they were stupidly low (but apparently not accurate at his age anyways)

Yes, DS grew out of it. He’s 24 now. I can’t remember when it stopped being a problem though, sorry.

This sounds identical to what my daughter has, she's now 17. We've always said it's asthma, triggered by a virus etc. One DR (years ago) was very insistent on calling it a respiratory wheeze; but that always seemed to confuse matters when seeking inhalers or treatment.
It's awful to deal with, every winter she is poorly. The only thing that seems to have helped is that as she has got older she is now v responsible for taking her preventer and making sure her inhaler is with her. However although she can still get v poorly for days at a time; she hasn't needed hospital treatment for a few years now.

I was the same as your DS and my parents were told I would grow out of it but I never did. It's very common for cold weather and viruses to trigger asthma and the preventer/brown inhaler will help stop this, my asthma is very well controlled by medication and although classed as moderate/severe doesn't affect my day to day life. Try making an appointment with the asthma nurse at your surgery, they have the most experience with the condition and are normally very helpful.

Just a though, we always found that propping her up in bed seemed to help her breathe, we used to make her a nest of pillows etc and she loved it. She still sleeps like that now. Also we always made sure her bedroom stayed quite cool, and we hoovered v regularly (I'm sure you've heard this before probably)!

My prem DD grew out of her asthma.
I'm convinced the swimming she did helped strengthen her lungs.

Another thought (Sorry!) if the brown inhaler doesn't seem to be helping, there are stronger ones they can take. My daughter now has a white one for her preventer as we just found that the brown one wasn't strong enough. He might be a bit your to switch up, but it's worth asking

Thank you everyone. We actually had the asthma nurse put him on the brown inhaler this time last year, it was a trial and she said he qualifies for a diagnosis, she rang me a few weeks later I said yeah he's better and she then took him off it covid kicked off and I never heard off her again so I thought, well all must be okay then! And what do you know, it's back again bang on time like it is every year.
So now the doctor has said if the brown inhaler makes him better it is asthma. I'm just confused. I just didn't realise it could be a seasonal thing he's fine in the summer apart from the odd sniffle and sneeze... poor thing is hacking away and I feel terrible now as he's been suffering and I just thought it's a lingering cough from the virus.
He's always seemed breathless when he runs around but not severely so, I know that makes me sound bloody terrible for not really thinking more into it!

DS1 had asthma as a baby until he was about 12. He's 23 now and absolutely fine.

I was fine until I was 23 then developed asthma out if the blue, still have it and use inhalers every day and I'm 50.

Very odd!

Yea happened to me, asthma in childhood and had 2 inhalers, becotide and ventolin. Eventually grew out of it and no longer use the inhalers. I can’t remember exactly when I stopped using them but I think it was late teens/early 20’s

Asthma can come and go. I didn't have it as a child but do have it now.
Cold weather definitely triggers it.

Same story here from toddlerhood, last incident of hospital was 2017 and thought we had turned a corner. Until now. He's 11 and on antibiotics for chest infection and using inhaler regularly.
It seems that episodes are further apart but it hasn't gone away.
We also have montelukast on prescription which helps. Some people have had a bad experience with it, so depends on the child.

My son has asthma along with eczema and food allergies which apparently are very common together.

In truth we honestly wouldn't know that DS had asthma unless he gets a cold (straight into his chest) or laughs a lot which makes him wheeze. It can come and go and the severity can change. He hasn't needed a brown inhaler for about 2 years now but through the winter will use the blue one fairly regularly.

You need to see a paediatric respiratory consultant. He's probably had post viral wheeze and now querying early onset asthma but there diagnosis takes time and GPs should not generally be listened to as they talk the most unbelievable nonsense about it. Get him in front of a paediatric respiratory consultant (your GP should NOT be diagnosing it in that cowboy fashion!) and you will then get a treatment plan, preventative and what to do when he is sick. Be should then be reviewed six months or yearly by that specialist. We've also heard some of that nonsense from the GP. They're a liability with childhood asthma.

Sorry for typos

Our consultant prescribed brown inhaler but this didn't at all mean an automatic asthma diagnosis. That's a GP urban myth.

Yeah I grew out of it as well. Although I do very occasionally still get a bad chest during a heavy cold or virus

My ds is exactly the same.. finally have an appointment with the asthma nurse at the end of the month but he has now tested positive for covid!! So I'm guessing that appointment will now go out of the window.. the go we seen a couple of weeks ago says he has what's known as a viral wheeze?! It happens with out fail every time he gets poorly! He has had pneumonia x2 and he is only 7.
I was surprised when he tested positive as he had no symptoms, fast forward a week and he has a terrible cough. So far so good though and is coping fine.

My 8YO DS is exactly the same. My DH has asthma and he is the same.

It's recommended to take the steroid (Brown) inhaler morning and night in the winter. When we do this, DS does need his reliever.

*Doesn't even.

Is this even a thing, can they grow out of it ?

DS kept asking us this - and more than two GP at two differnent practise have said no - it's very unlikely as it will always be there though it may get better day to day. (So he'll always need to carry a blue inhailor just in case)

Oddly though I've spoke to many adults who do seem to have outgrown their asthma.

Ds is also like me stupidily overdue an asthma review - but couldn't book even before covid happened and no chance since.

He was diagnosed at 3 which is really young apparently- had first attack - though had some issues before and bad eczema- though turns out cold that trigger that also badly affected a section of my family in similar way but they weren't declared asthmatic.

DD1 PE teachers insisted she get checked at 14/15- and it looks like winter and colds she is but with very low dose brown inhailor she's much better. I wonder if she was like me - GP who digonsed me said it sounded like I'd always been boarder line but having children,damp house and some viruses had pushed me over.

They are both teens now and keep diary of peak flow and you can see when they start to come down with a cold as there's a dip often before any other symptoms.

They both take brown inhailor - DD1 very low dose DS slighty higher and rarely have any problems even with colds.

I've read some studies find vit D, magensium and zinc may be low in asthmatics - and they're supoddildy good for cold/flu prvention/shortening durationas well so may be worth if you haven't already trying a child vitamin with them in for winter months.

I have asthma. Cold weather is a major trigger. So are allergies, secondhand smoke, and once a hairdresser's salon because of the chemicals. When I have a trigger I increase the brown inhaler for a few days and when I am good I decrease it to one puff per dose. Your doctor can prescribe a peak flow reader so you can check daily whether you are good or at risk of an attack as it isn't always easy to tell (it took me years to realise a certain type of stomach ache meant an attack was coming). I'm surprised they took him off the brown inhaler if it helped as it's usually a recurring prescription.

So is the gp talking out her arse then ??

Regarding the brown inhaler getting rid of the cough means it's asthma

My DD has asthma. I knew she had it because I have it, and cold weather as well as viral infections and sport exacerbate it. Hers was diagnosed by taking peak flow over a period of time with and without both blue and brown inhalers separately

Swimming does help though, I think.