Appointment with Pediatric Asthma DOctor tomorow and really nervous.

[IlanaK]

My 5.5 year old has hit rock bottom and my GP is not managing him at all so we decided to see a private asthma specialist (thank god for insurance!)

Anyway, the appointment is tomorow and I don't know what to expect. I have pinned all my hopes on this on the one hand, and on the other hand I am worried he will just think I am being an over worried mother and think it is all trivial.

Not sure what I am asking about really - just wirintg down my worries I guess.

Ilana- sorry you were disappointed with the consultants attitude,but good news that it's not asthma.
My ds has been on singulair for 3 months now and his asthma has improved a hell of a lot.
Have you thought of trying homeopathy,my ds has had some remedies for various things ,mainly asthma and excema related and albeit not a cure all they did improve things.There is certanly no harm in trying it and most practitioners will treat alongside conventional treatment.

IlanaK, it is possible that your ds really does need that much sleep and does need a nap during the day and that that is just normal for him. My ds is 6 and regularly sleeps 11 hours a night. And if he wasn't in school would probably take naps a few times a week. During this past summer, if he was in a car any time around midday he would fall asleep and stay asleep for around 2 hours and then still sleep his normal 11 hours at night. My dd (who is 4) on the other hand regularly sleeps at least an hour less a night than ds and gave up regular naps at 2. The last time she had one was when she had a fever of 103.

And is it possible that your ds realizes that your are concerned and sensitive about his health and working it a little....Dd and I walk my ds to school every morning (10 min)and the list of excuses she has for why she can't do the walk back (much less interesting when ds isn't there to torture)...She has cried, screamed, begged complete strangers for a ride home and then made a miraculous recovery when offered the bribe of something nice at the end of the journey.

Maybe you might want to switch GP's. Misdiagnosing asthma is pretty basic. I was told by several uk gp's and an american paediatrician that asthma sounds completely different from other types of breathing. And I think it can be bad for your lungs to be using asthma inhalers if you don't have asthma.

My DS's asthma manifests itself as an incessant cough and there is no noticeable breathing problems until suddenly he can't talk or breath properly. Asthma is not alwyas a classic wheeze. Coughing is a symptom too.

drosophila, my understanding is that a doctor with a stethoscope should be able to hear the difference in coughs that an untrained ear can't.
By the way, I had the same type of asthma as your ds as a child. This was a very long time ago and long before doctors knew as much about managing it as they do now. My mother used to manage it by giving me an antihistamine the second I showed any signs of getting a cold. It did seem to help a little, but I remember many breathless nights. The good news for you/your ds is that I grew out of it by 10 or 11. The bad news is that it came back again as full blown triggered by everything asthma when I was in my early 20's. However, at that point I was living in new york city and as it turned out (after testing) my asthma was triggered by damp molds which you get a lot of in New York. Now that I am living back in California where it is very dry, I only get attacks a couple of times a year (generally triggered by the wildfires). I also had a terrible time of it when I was pregnant (but I suspect your ds won't be encountering that problem!).

Just an update: 3 days of singulair and he is a different child. His energy is coming back and he is so much happier (without the need for naps I might add!). Hopefully this is the answer, though I still feel very angry that it has taken 2.5 years for someone (a private doctor) to realise what the problem is.

That's great news!! I hope that this continues for you both.

Great Ilana,but yes it should have been prescribed by your gp .Ds' was prescribed by the asthma nurse.

The asthma nurse specialists at Asthma UK are brilliant. You can call them for free from a landline mon-fri, 9-5. Their number is 0800 121 62 44. They are very knowledgeable and really friendly - cannot recommend them enough.

My ds has been on singulair for about 4 yrs now, worked wonders for him and still does.
Glad your ds is better ilana.