Dreading tonight already as I know I'll be up all night with DS asthma

[asthmawasthma]

DS (5) has asthma, he's on lots of medication for it but generally when he picks up a bug or his hayfever is bad like it is today it really affects him at night. I've been up most of the night for the last four nights with him due to constant sneezing and blocked nose from hayfever which was making him uncomfortable. Now he's started with the dreaded cough. It always starts off with a croup sounding cough and means he will be up all night hacking away. Which means I'll be up all night consoling him and giving inhalers etc.
I know I'm moaning and it's not fair on Ds as obviously it's not his fault. But I feel so rundown and poorly myself at the moment just from over tiredness and burnout that I don't think I can cope with another night of no sleep! DH is useless and even if he agreed to help he would sleep through it all anyway so there's no point asking! Just needed a moan!

That's not true that there's no point. You do shifts. Wake him up and make him do at least 3 hours. If he's "useless" he needs to practice being a parent until he isn't.

I sympathise, DS5 has asthma too but we split the night duties.

Is he on Montelukast?

DS not DH!

Do you have work tomorrow? Is it possible to call in sick and then you can get through the night knowing you could catch up a bit tomorrow?
Poor little thing. I am glad he has such a good mom that you stay up helping him.
I had childhood asthma and was constantly either ignored or told to be quiet in the night. It really is terrifying not bieng able to breathe properly.

Won’t help for tonight but if you knows it’s setting off is it worth phoning OOH to request some prednisone for him?

I would tell your husband you’re going to bed for a few hours and then you can swap during the night.

You have my greatest sympathy. I think sleepless nights due to kids coughing is torture. It’s the part of parenting that just finishes me off.

Give your dh a massive kick up the arse. Do not let him get away with it. Be the bitch.

I could literally have written this post, right up until the bit where the DH is useless. You have a poorly child with a chronic condition, he doesn’t get to be useless.

Sending Love and solidarity, yes it’s awful. Try to get some sleep early in the night if that’s better.

@Oneearringlost yes he is on montelukast which has made things much better but when he has a flare up of hayfever not much helps!
@andHelenknowsimmiserablenow yes I do have work which is what's making me so anxious I think as I really struggled today with being so tired. There's no way of me having tomorrow off though unless Ds is too poorly to go in.
Thanks for the other comments too. I know it's just part of being a parent and I feel really bad for Ds as he can never catch a break bless him. Tiredness just sucks!

It sounds like his asthma is not controlled. Does his medication include prescribed antihistamines (the good stuff)? You don't say what inhalers he is on, but does his plan change for the hay fever season? Poor him and poor you. It sounds awful.

What antihistamine is he on? Over the counter ones don’t work for DS so he has a prescribed one which helps massively at this time of year

As pp said, short course prednisolone can be a game changer.

@endofthelinefinally we have recently seen a paediatrician and they have put him on double dose of his brown inhaler (clenil I think?) and he has a blue inhaler to help with nights like this. He also takes montelukast. I haven't yet got prescribed antihistamines as this is the first year his hayfever has been so bad. But it's on my list to speak to the pharmacy tomorrow and hopefully get something sorted

Hi op. Shower him before bed. Keep windows shut. Don't dry his clothes or bedding outside and antihistamine before bed.
Poor lad x

Go and buy Piriton now. Honestly he'll feel so much better.

Can you get to a pharmacy tonight? They should have liquid Piriton which might help.

We have a single dose of prednisolone at home ready for nights like this - I would recommend going back to your asthma nurse and asking for more options, because it doesn't sound like his asthma is well controlled.

Olbas oil on tissue?

Sleep slightly more upright.
Stay hydrated to keep snot loose

Yes, absolutely this.

I hear you, OP. Everytime DS got sick, he was the same, regardless what meds he took (montelukast, highest level of preventers, then a week of oral steroids with 3rd hourly salbutamol and regular ipratroprium). It was just exhausting, constant and so, so stressful, because of course your child is just breathing well enough to keep them out of hospital, and not well enough for them or you to be comfortable sleeping.

And then the driving to hospital when sleep-deprived when DS's sats were really poor and trying to explain the history to tired junior doctors.

The only thing that worked for DS was a year of Omalizmab injections. Five years of well-controlled asthma 😊.

All the best tonight, OP. Hope he turns the corner.

Ive been there op and the dread is a lot! Definitely go and get some liquid piriton. Even without hay fever it has a cough suppressant effect. I ended up sleeping propped up in bed with dd propped up between my legs. Hope the night isn't too bad.

We bought a home nebuliser after a dash to the surgery to use theirs one morning. That was back in the days when you could actually turn up and see the nurse. It is an awful condition to manage.

Have you tried an air purifier for his room? Sending sympathy, it's grim.

Agree with this too. Ds is actually part of an NHS trial into air purifiers at the moment and for him it has really helped the night time issues.

Home nebuliser is a good suggestion. I have one for when my asthma is bad and it does help.

Agree you should ask about prednisone - I find that works and I need it at the end of every cold I get in order to shake off the cough and the wheeze.

Something that helps me though is really cold water. I put it in the freezer and take it out just as it's starting to freeze. It sort of dampens everything down.

please don’t get a home nebuliser without one being prescribed that’s a really daft suggestion especially in a child and there’s lots of info here as to why not to do that
https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/symptoms-tests-treatments/treatments/nebulisers

Get the hayfever really controlled - showers and clean clothes are a great suggestion as is not drying any bedding or clothing outside. Keep any pets that go outside out of the bedroom (fur is a magnet for pollen).

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've sent DH out to get some piriton. Prednisolone does normally help but I'm wary of him having too much as he's already had 8 lots of it this year. Obviously if it gets too bad I'll take him to get some. The air purifier sounds like a good plan!