Scared to give 2YO steroids for croup after seeing awful doctor

[Piratepete1]

My 2 year old DS suffers terribly with croup. He had it for the first time about a year ago. It scared the life out of us and we ended up in an ambulance after the OOH doc listened to him struggling to breathe over the phone. A dose of steroids sorted him out. He has had it 5 times in total but only needed the steroids twice so far.

He got it again last night. He was in a terrible state struggling to breathe. OOH doc listened and said to bring him in. By the time we got there at 6am he was still very wheezy but asleep as he was exhausted. Dr sent us home with instructions to go to our surgery this morning to get him checked out and to get a dose of steroids in case it is very bad again tonight.

Dr we saw today with horrid. She basically told me off for going to OOH and said I should have done to A&E if his breathing was that bad. She then said 'well he seems fine now'. I told her that he is fine until he cries, tries to eat, lies down or exerts himself.' She said 'well I haven't heard him cough so it's probably just a raspy cough. I don't really want to give you this steroid as it causes growth retardation but I will as OOH said to.' I did the explain that I do know what a croup cough is and that I would only give him the steroid if his breathing was really frightening me but she just shoved the prescription at me and ignored me then.

Now DS is in the throes of terrible croup. He has been sick 3 times with it. He's honking like a seal, panicking as he cant get his breath very well. DH is carrying him round the garden at the moment as the cold air seems to help. He is cursing me for refusing to give DS the steroid which we have right here but now I'm too scared to.

Thanks everyone for the pep talk! I did give him the steroids when he got particularly bad at 1am. By 2am it was as if nothing was wrong with him and he slept peacefully all night. He's just woken up and is playing happily in his cot. Sorry I was such an idiot. I know doctors don't always get it right but I just felt as if maybe I was putting him more at risk long term by not battling through it without the steroids.

Hoped this was a wind up. I cannot understand the logic behind asking MN for advice on a medical issue for which you've already received expert help and medication. What on earth could we, a group of strangers without (for the most part) any medical training whatsoever, say that would be more helpful than the information you've already been given? And all the while the child is in discomfort/panicking.

Yep because you know better than qualified physicians.

Glad he if feeling bette now you finally allowed him it.

To be fair, it was all triggered by another doctor that scared the OP with stunted growth.
But I suspect that doctor was worried that the mother could just be shoving steroids down her child without a real need.
You do know OP, at this stage, when your child needs them, so don't doubt yourself.

The OP was uncertain because the GP did t want to give the prescription initially. And then said it would stint growth! Not everyone e knows croup is serious and potentially life threatening.

Op had figured out herself that cold air helped, so was using thy while she took to MN for a bit of support and direction. The poor woman obviously wasn't getting it from that GP!

My older brother(by 2 years) had bad asthma and was on frequent steroids. I was taller than him for some years, until he hit 15 and had a huge growth spurt. Didn't see to do him long term damage, and that's with regular steroids.

Much better to have a potentially slightly growth stunted child than one who can't breathe IMO anyway! Hope he gets better soon. Croup is horrible.

Sorry the gp gave you such bad advice and treated you so badly. But glad you gave the steroids in the end. Long term use of steroids can affect growth, but a single does a few times in childhood it's going to, and if the gp is genuinely worried about the affect on his growth, he should be referring him to paediatrics so they can review him. I see kids on high dose steroids every day for years, so what your sons had is fine!
Croup can be a medical emergency and the best way to avoid needing medical intervention is to get steroids in early. Glad he's better now op.