Quick question about brown preventer inhaler...

[Reesewithafork]

When you're taking these, do you still get coughs with viral infections and colds? Or does it completely stop the coughs coming? DS (Toddler) is on one morning and night, but has picked up another cough and was just unclear as to whether this meant the inhaler was having any kind of affect or not. I don't fully understand how they work, it's been prescribed as a trial and we don't have an appointment review until we have been using it for six weeks.

It won't stop them picking up viruses and coughing. It works by opening the airway to facilitate good breathing.

Yes you can still get coughs but the preventer is there to prevent the restriction of airways that asthmatics have

Ah that makes sense I was worried the inhaler wasn’t working properly because he’s picked up another cough.

i saw a few posts of people saying it cleared up coughs completely so wondered if ours should be doing that

The daily use of the brown inhaler essentially helps to strengthen your lungs so that you wouldn't have to use the blue emergency inhaler as often.

When I was young my doctor tried to prescribe it to be for my asthma but my mum wouldn't allow it as she was worried about it being steroids. I would find myself in hospital at least once a year having an asthma attack that the blue inhaler couldn't help

I have found that since becoming an adult and able to use the brown inhaler i find i don't have to use the blue inhaler anywhere near as often and am a lot more stable. I haven't had to go to hospital for asthma related issues in several years.

I think it could help coughing if the coughing has been due to difficultly in breathing from the asthma, but it wouldn't help take all coughs away.

Hope that helps :)

The blue inhaler, usually Ventolin, opens up the airways. The brown inhaler, a steroid works by reducing the inflammatory response in your lungs.

Neither inhaler will prevent you from catching a virus. However, a brown inhaler will help to stop the lungs from becoming inflammed and the blue inhaler will still open up the airways. This means that a viral infection is less likely to become a bacterial infection, i.e. a chest infection, requiring antibiotics. Some people need to increase their use of the brown inhaler if they catch a upper respiratory virus, i.e. colds etc.

The very best person to advise you, would be the practice nurse who specialises in asthma.

*Some people will also need to increase their use of their blue inhaler, if they catch a cold etc.

This. I definitely have asthma issues after being ill.

This is really helpful thank you! I suspect he might need to up the brown inhaler when he has an upper respiratory infection, they really seem to cause an awful mucuousy cough that makes him sick (I think because he doesn’t know to bring it up and tries to swallow it back).

he does have hayfever yes, and eczema. I’m using Benadryl for him but I don’t think it makes any difference tbh.

Often when he’s been sick he then stops coughing for a bit, it’s so frustrating I wish there was a way I could just get all the gunk in his throat out for him!

Would the preventer stop wheezing? Or is that still likely to happen? The cough has developed a bit of a wheeze on the first intake of breath in each coughing fit today. I would speak to the GP or asthma nurse but can’t get an appointment until the end of the week.
I had a look on asthma UK but wasn’t clear.

When mine gets bad enough I do wheeze loudly which terrifies my husband but the blue inhaler is there to help that. It really only happens like that for me if I've been overly energetic during the day and if forgotten my inhaler at home.

You do need to make sure that the inhaler has enough doses left in it though as trying to use an empty inhaler is more than just frustrating.

I would say that if your ds continues to wheeze hardly even after the blue inhaler (and using the brown inhaler daily) a trip to the hospital is what I've always done. That does sound scary but most of the time the blue inhaler will stop any further attack from happening at that time.

If you find the daily brown inhaler isn't enough to stabilise his symptoms then he might need to go to back for an asthma review for something stronger maybe. I had a colleague whose asthma was controlled by pills and blue inhaler.

I’m an asthma nurse.
if he is wheezing, use the blue inhaler with his spacer. If it’s not lasting him 3-4 hours you need to see a Dr same day.
The preventer inhaler takes 4-6 weeks to work fully. Keeping a symptom diary in this time would be helpful for your Dr/nurse. Do t forget to rinse his mouth after using the brown inhaler so he doesn’t get a sore throat/oral thrush.

@Wearpantsffs thank you. Today he’s had his brown preventer inhaler this morning and evening, two puffs each time plus his ventolin three times throughout the day at two puffs a go.

it’s a very slight wheeze - DH can’t hear it but I think I can - when he breathes in but only during the coughing fit. He’s had a cold for a good week now, very very snotty with a constant running nose but no fever so I wasn’t unduly worried about infection.

he’s had a fan on in his bedroom the last week as it’s been so hot and we’ve turned it off as I think it might be irritating the cough.

im going to phone the GP first thing. He’s now sleeping, we’ve propped him up, and he’s not breathing fast or sucking in, he just seems to have coughing fits that take hold and then he can’t shift them.

Also my dd (older) started to find that the brown inhaler didn't work as well even at a high dose and we are now under consultant care - she has found tidal breathing way way more effective than the way she was taught by the asthma nurse . Just in case you aren't already doing that. It's been a real game changer for dd

The preventer inhaler takes a few weeks to work - I need to step mine up to my max dose as soon as I start to feel like I'm getting a cold, and then gradually move back down to my lowest maintenance dose when I'm totally better + a few days.

If he's wheezing then he should have his ventolin inhaler and that should stop the wheezing for at least 3hrs or go to dr same day (as told by my asthma nurse - don't know if it's different for young children..)

I find a fan/pollen and high or low temperatures can set off mine, so anything over 25/26 degrees ish can give me a cough.
antihistamines massively reduce need for ventolin though..

@stillherenow whats tidal breathing? DS is only two and a half so it’s tricky to get him to breathe in any particular way although he does take the inhalers really well now

Our dc with asthma is older than yours but they use a flutiform inhaler (which is preventer, like your brown one) via a spacer twice a day and also have a chewable tablet called montelukast at night. They very rarely use their blue inhaler

this is in conjunction with fexofenadine in the morning and eye drops and a nasal spray morning and evening for their hayfever.

None of this stops the usual cold viruses but ti mean that they’re as well as they can be to deal with anything extra. That’s usually when they need their ventolin.

It sounds as if your lo needs to see the asthma nurse or GP asap.

The brown preventer is good but pink one Fostaire is preventer and reliever all on one.

@Reesewithafork have a look at asthma uks website there is a video. You might
Already be doing it as it's basically natural breathing instead of the big suck in and hold.

@wowthisisstrange i think the ventolin is helping as he’s not wheezing and coughing constantly. He seems to have a little coughing fit after he’s had it then it settles for a bit.

he went to bed at half six, had the ventolin at half five and the coughing really ramped up about half an hour ago.

air con seems to make it worse for him, so I think change in temperature does affect him.
it feels like such a minefield I’m trying to get my head around it to make sure I’m looking out for the right things and doing the right things for him.
im wondering if he needs a course of oral steroids as he can’t seem to shift the cough, we have a week to two weeks where it improves and almost completely goes then it’s back again! Can’t be fun for him.

Agree with montelukast that is very important for dd and helps with coughs

@Muchtoomuchtodo yes I think so, I’ll call the GP tomorrow and see if he can see him. I have a feeling they’re going to tell me he’s just probably got a new cold/viral infection and to wait it out and that it’s normal as he’s not long started nursery (April) but I’ll ask about other things we can try.

I think you might find with montelukast that the cough gets better.

DD wasn't diagnosed until she was 8 (she's 14) and she had coughs for weeks and weeks and used to be violently sick with them. She missed a whole half term of reception with one. She never gets coughs now .

@stillherenow ah yes we do that, ten natural breaths breathing slowly with the inhaler - he likes to count!