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Original poster

Brown inhaler causing cough ?

23 replies

janicewheeler · 28/01/2022 21:07

My ds has seasonal asthma, gets a virus in the autumn time and it then goes to his chest which kicks it off. Happened again this year as usual and he was prescribed the brown inhaler again. Started having two puffs at night and the cough cleared up. Then it started coming back so the gp said to up the dose. This was around two weeks ago. The last few days he is coughing constantly, mainly at night, now I know nighttime cough is an asthma symptom but this is ridiculous, every few seconds he's coughing. Blue inhaler doesn't seem to help it. He's fine in himself otherwise and he had a negative pcr come back on Monday. Could the higher dose be causing irritation ???

OP posts:
9ofpentangles · 28/01/2022 21:11

I find the brown one irritates my throat

NannyR · 28/01/2022 21:15

It's good practice to use a spacer and rinse your mouth with water after using steroid inhalers.

Windinmyhair · 28/01/2022 21:15

Do you use a spacer? my brown one was too much to take without a spacer.

Are you lateral flowing? Could be the PCR was too early...

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Ilikecheeseontoast · 28/01/2022 21:20

Watching as I’m having similar issues with my daughter

ilovebagpuss · 28/01/2022 21:21

I and my DD use the brown inhaler 2 puffs at night 2 in the morning. No irritation noticed but as others have said spacer would be better. It may be that he isn’t taking it well and it’s not doing what it should which a spacer helps with.
I would go back to the GP if the night coughing is still bad as I would have expected the steroid inhaler to have helped in 2 weeks.

Original poster
janicewheeler · 28/01/2022 21:24

Sorry should have mentioned we use a spacer and he rinses his mouth after every use! Honestly it's never been this bad. And yes did a lateral flow tonight

OP posts:
AssignedBlobbyAtBirth · 28/01/2022 21:29

I got a terrible cough from a reliever inhaler. It was a cheaper version of my usual and the GP insisted it wasn't the inhaler. I stuck with it for months until the GP agreed a trial of a different one and my cough went
Go back to the GP and ask for a different reliever

AnnaMagnani · 28/01/2022 21:32

Back to GP if he is still night time coughing.

I can be perfectly 'well in myself' during the day and still have poorly controlled asthma with a night time cough.

It took until I was an adult for me to be able to verbalise what my asthma actually felt like in my chest - I can now tell you I'm not alright in the day but just getting by but as a child I just got on with it.

CurbsideProphet · 28/01/2022 21:35

Is it definitely the same brown inhaler?
I was given a slightly different one to try and that gave me a terrible night time cough.
Does he have a peak flow to use at home? I was prescribed one and I log the results in a free app, so I know that if I'm consistently low to ring for an appointment with the asthma nurse.

Original poster
janicewheeler · 28/01/2022 21:43

I will definitely call the gp Monday as it's gotten so bad and it's strange how at first it completely cleared it up but now it's constant. He was prescribed it at the start of December too so not like this has all happened in a short period of time.
Just been to check on him, fast asleep but even coughing in his sleep. I've had him in my bed the last two nights so I'm close to him.
Definitely the same inhaler, I was just told to up the dose. Don't get me wrong he does the odd cough during the day but it always seems to start about 4-5ish and gets worse and worse, literally coughing every few seconds

OP posts:
Original poster
janicewheeler · 28/01/2022 21:44

Yes he's got a peak flow and the readings were stupidly low on them, the gp said not to bother as he's only 7 and basically shouldn't be used for his age 🙁

OP posts:
Sparklykins · 28/01/2022 21:46

If it's beclometasone, you could see if he can be prescribed Qvar. It's the same stuff but smaller particle size so you can't feel it in your throat.

CPGyellowwallpaper · 28/01/2022 21:49

@janicewheeler the inhaler may not be the cause of his cough and my just be coincidence. It is possible that having had a virus it has triggered a worse round of asthma and in turn other triggers are now irritating. Do you have pets? Does he have a lot of dairy particularly before bed?

Asthma flare ups at night are very common. Ask your gp about montelukast. It is a 5mg (for kids) tablet that acts to help alleviate he night time I cough. Dd has it when hers is bad and I take the adult dose when I have a chest infection etc.

Alternatively his asthma has become resistant to the brown inhaler due to the higher dose. It may be that you need to continue the higher dose or use a different inhaler. Does he have an asthma nurse? It may be worth requesting a full asthma review.

CPGyellowwallpaper · 28/01/2022 21:52

Is your heating on @janicewheeler? It could be that he is getting too dry. If so try either using a vapour plug or keep a bowl of water near the radiator to keep the air moist. Alternatively keep the window on vent to keep air circulating. Being in a very dry environment kills my asthma (especially air con air).I can literally be fine all day and then cough constantly fro. The second I walked out of work til 2-3am drives me mad

Coffeesnob11 · 28/01/2022 22:12

Both my son and I have asthma and we both have a virus. We have been coughing a lot at night with it. We both take the brown inhalers with spacers but it is definitely a virus (I have had several negative lateral flows and put tests) could it be a virus?

topcat2014 · 28/01/2022 22:13

I changed to a different type and got better.

user1471517095 · 28/01/2022 23:39

This happen to me, the Dr changed my prescription to Seretaide 50. A Lilac one, 2 puffs morning and evening and I've had no problems since.

StrangeAddiction · 29/01/2022 00:57

Could it be reflux? I had a terrible night time cough and was prescribed an inhaler which just gave me a hoarse voice for months and didn't stop the cough. I now take lanzoprazole for silent reflux and it's stopped the coughing.

ThisisMax · 29/01/2022 10:26

I think technique is wrong and its landing in his throat. happens to me if I take it with wrong breath.

tiredanddangerous · 29/01/2022 10:44

My brown inhaler irritates my throat but a drink of water sorts it. I agree that you should call your GP.

user1460571583 · 29/01/2022 10:54

Me and my husband have asthma though we are on fostair not brown and blue inhalers. We are having a terrible flare up at the moment, coughing at night keeping us awake and low peak flow but we feel well in ourselves. Negative for covid so I think it's just a nasty virus that's lingering on, I'm definitely better than I was after 5 weeks so hopefully your son's symptoms will start to ease soon.

Original poster
janicewheeler · 30/01/2022 17:40

Just an update I stopped giving ds the two puffs in the morning yesterday and the cough is gone !! Like not one cough at all, amazing ! So definitely was the brown causing it. I will call the gp in the morning to explain. I was going to leave it a few days and then start start giving him the extra two puffs again to see if it comes back, just to confirm

OP posts:
Reesewithafork · 28/06/2022 10:00

Just wondering what happened with this @janicewheeler my little boy has just started a brown inhaler but he coughs when he takes it and his cough seems to be getting worse

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