Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To disagree with my GPs diagnosis

51 replies

degroote78 · 10/02/2012 10:39

Last October my daughter caught a really bad cold and has been coughing at night since then. She has been on two courses of antibiotics and since then the doc has decided it's childhood asthma (no test have been done to check this). I have given her the asthma medication for over 8 weeks now and its not making any difference at all. I keep going back and they keep upping the dose. She's only two so can't do the asthma test as she doesn't have the co-ordination yet. I really don't want to keep giving her these meds as they are steriod based and many of my friends with kids have told me a lot of children are mis-diagnosed. I'm not a medical professional but I do know my child and know these meds aren't working. I'm interested to know how the other mums on here would handle this situation or if you've experience anything similar with your own children as I'm worried firstly about giving her meds she doen't need and secondly that it is somthing else completely that isn't being treated!

OP posts:
altinkum · 10/02/2012 10:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DrWispalove · 10/02/2012 10:46

As a medic, I can say it is really hard to manage childhood asthma. It's not unusual though for this approach to be taken. You can ask for a referral to a paed at your local hospital. It may well also be with seeing an allergy specialist. But YANBU, you know your child better than anyone. But I don't think the GP is being unreasonable either. Do you have a good HV? or practice nurse? You could always chat it through with them. good luck and do trust your instincts!

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 10/02/2012 10:53

I would go back to the doctors and explain the meds aren't working and rather than just upping the dosage could they perhaps do a bit more of a work up. Once doctors have made their minds up about something u usually have to be pretty persuasive in order to get them to reconsider x but I totally understand the reluctance to keep giving medicines as I'm totally the same. It might be that other things need to be done ie changing to hypoallergenic bedding etc. I would ask for alternatives and if its possible to get referral to asthma clinic for some better advice x like u said u know ur child and truss ur instincts as a mum and if u have severe doubts about the course of action then don't be afraid to say and explain that ur not dissmissing their advice u just want to be sure u r 100% certain that it's the right thing to do x good luck hon I've been in the same boat before and it can be hard to get doctors to listen but keep trying x x

cestlavielife · 10/02/2012 12:14

ask for referral to asthma clinic/specialist asthma nurse

ragged · 10/02/2012 12:41

We used to live in the English place with highest incidence (nationally) of asthma -- supposedly. DH's GP was "the" local asthma expert. When DH had a chronic cough he was duly diagnosed with asthma by this GP. DH's coughing was so bad (day & night) that we could barely hold a conversation.

Funny how DH's "Asthma" went away completely when he was diagnosed by another GP, a few weeks later, with pneumonia & duly treated with antibiotics.

That was ten years ago. So put me in the cynics camp. BUT I think the main problem is how bad is the little girl's cough, is it just frequent or is it chronic & debilitating? I would plan my strategy based on how her life is affected by her symptoms.

Good luck.

dikkertjedap · 10/02/2012 12:45

Ask to be referred to a paediatrician as soon as possible. Otherwise if you can afford it go private (Portland Hospital in London might know a private paediatrician near where you are). Hope she gets better soon.

c0rnsilllkrunninglikealaydee · 10/02/2012 12:45

you may not be administering the inhaler correctly or she may need another inhaler in addition to the one you have. This was the case with my ds. I also doubted the Gp's dx of asthma - I was wrong. See the asthma nurse.

dikkertjedap · 10/02/2012 12:47

Out of interest which types of anti-biotics did the GP prescribe? It took my dc to collapse and rushed to hospital with severe pneumonia after almost six weeks 'it is just a virus, stop wasting valuable NHS time'. Sometimes a specific anti-biotics is needed rather than the general stuff. So, do persevere, don't let them brush you off, she shouldn't be coughing this long.

SarahStratton · 10/02/2012 12:47

What medication is she on?

DerbysKangaskhan · 10/02/2012 12:51

Can you get a second opinion? My son was 'diagnosed' with asthma after very similar issues, but after one very bad night he ended up in hospital and was then diagnosed with having a classic case of croup which the previous had discounted because he was "too old for that". After they saw to him and gave us advice on how to handle it, he became clear within weeks.

I hope something comes along to help your little one feel better soon!

wastedwaist · 10/02/2012 12:56

This exact same thing happened to me. My son has quite severe asthma and has been hospitalised a few times with it.

When my daughter started coughing especially at night, so hard sometimes that she would be sick, it was an easy diagnosis to say she had asthma too.

The ventolin thery gave her did not ease it, the increased dose of ventolin, nor did the salbutamol (steriod) inhaler they put her on next. This went on with her losing weight, not sleeping, me ferrying her back to the doctors every week for about 3 monthes when in the end and in desperation I took her to A & E one night. The paediatrician listened to her cough, listened to her chest and diagnosed her with whooping cough (despite the fact that she was up to date with all her immunisations) he prescribed antibiotics. She was like a different child after a few weeks.

I felt cross about it but then the symptoms were quite similar. The cure was not: my son + inhalers= instant relief=asthma. If this is not working then you need to consider other options....and so does your GP.

numbertaker · 10/02/2012 12:58

Could it be whooping cough. You dont always have to have the whoop and alot of older children don't get it, more of a bark. W/C starts as a cold with a cough in the day and then moves to the night. It typically lasts a 100 days, if it is W/C you should be coming to the end.

Yes you can get it if you are fully vaccinated. There is a large whooping cough epidemic in Australia and the US and fully vaccinated people/children are getting it.

You could ask for a test, but it does not always come back positive.

Do you use homeopathy?

I had W/C at 9 years old, I remeber being awake coughing alot, and if I went out into moving air I coughed also.

Original poster
degroote78 · 10/02/2012 20:53

ltinkum - Inhailers - the blue (reliever) and brown one (preventer).

OP posts:
Original poster
degroote78 · 10/02/2012 20:56

DrWispalove - I did ask for a referral to a specialist but they said that wasn't necessary and I tried to discuss alergies with them today but the doctor was quite dismissive. Maybe I'll try the practice nurse. I haven't seen a health visitor since she had her last jabs, so maybe it's worth dropping in at the baby clinc and speaking to them but generally they do just refer to the GP.

OP posts:
Original poster
degroote78 · 10/02/2012 21:01

ragged - her cough is just at night with no other symptoms. It does wake her up sometimes. I was thinking it may be a post nasal drip or something like that. She doesn't wheeze or get out of breath when she runs or cough in the day at all. If it hadn't been going on for so long I wouldn't be as worried.

Wheresmycaffinedrip - thanks for your message. I will try your suggestion with the bedding and see if that helps.

OP posts:
SarahStratton · 10/02/2012 21:04

I assume you've been given spacers, and been shown how to use them correctly?

I think it would be a very good idea to go and see the practice nurse. Often they are far more clued up on asthma than the GPs are. Particularly if they run an asthma clinic.

Original poster
degroote78 · 10/02/2012 21:05

The exact ventilator med she is on is Salbutamol (as needed) and Clenil Modulite (four puffs in the morning and evening).

OP posts:
Original poster
degroote78 · 10/02/2012 21:09

I think reading all the posts I am going to go back and not leave until I get a referral as if it is asthma and I'm administering the ventilators wrong I need to know and if its something else it needs to be treated. I can't really afford to go private but if I have to then I'll just have to put it on my credit card. Hopefully I'll get some joy at my GPs. I might ask to see another doctor there as I've been seeing the same one each time and I may have more joy. Thanks for all your advice :)

OP posts:
HeadyEddie · 10/02/2012 21:12

Degroote, my DD (19 months) is on the same two inhalers as your DD. How many puffs is she on and when? Also, what spacer have you been given?

Once my DD was started on the brown inhaler it took a little while to see an improvement but she was much improved by 8 weeks.

ReindeerBollocks · 10/02/2012 21:13

My DS has asthma alongside other Lung conditions, it can be difficult to distinguish which is asthma based.

However, we only use our steroid based inhaler twice a day, and our salbutamol four times a day, maybe it could be better if they worked the dosage this way?

However, if you aren't happy with the diagnosis and believe it could be another cause then ask for a second opinion, at the local hospital if necessary. My DS does wheeze however there are other symptoms that are indicative of asthma which might be more aligned to her symptoms? There was an asthma thread a while ago which may be of help, but get the second opinion or referral to asthma clinic, that will be the best way to make progress.

HeadyEddie · 10/02/2012 21:13

Also, I second SarahS about seeing the practice nurse, I've often had much more success with mine than with one of the GPs.

ohbugrit · 10/02/2012 21:18

Just in response to your last post - give the blue one a few minutes before the brown one. It works to open up the airways so that the steroid can get right into the lungs.

ReindeerBollocks · 10/02/2012 21:20

Actually ohbugrit is right -we were told to leave a fifteen minute gap between the two inhalers. Good tip ohbugrit :)

Tranquilidade · 10/02/2012 21:21

IT can be very difficult to diagnose asthma in under 5s and hard to use the inhalers. If you are not sure if you are using the inhalers right either the practice nurse or your pharmacist should be able to advise you.

Asthma often links with allergies, the Asthma UK website gives good advice on how to minimise some of the most common things.

Iggly · 10/02/2012 21:32

YANBU

I had an issue with DS and silent reflux when he was a baby (he had it and it took 4 trips to different GPs to sort). I know it's over diagnoses but I felt (sadly) vindicated when come 6 months poor DS had acid coming out of his nose sometimes and at 18 months he still complained of pain after eating certain foods.

Swipe left for the next trending thread