constant night cough- could it be asthma

[krisskross]

hello
DS is 4. He has a tendency to get rotten coughs when he gets a cold and has had antibiotics for chest infections several times and used to get croup when he was a baby.

Since mid nov he has had a night cough on and off and since late dec he has had it every night. in nov the GP prescribed a blue inhaler which does help a fair bit.

on dec 30 he woke in the night completetly breathless and gasping for breath. the inhaler helped but did not totally get rid of it so DH took him to A and E. They said it was a viral wheeze and gave steroid medication.

So- since late dec we have been giving him the inhaler every night before bed and once in the night when he wakes. And the coughing is really bad- once he gets a fit he cannot stop for ages and it goes on all night unless he has inhaler.

went to GP in jan who said it was viral and would go in a week.

could it be asthma? he has intermittant cold symptoms but he certainly has not had a cold since November. Other info- i have eczema and he had a bit when a baby- and when i was a baby they said i had baby asthma.

we are at wits end- he is exhausted now and it just seems to be getting worse.

Any advice appreciated.

ps we use a humidifier which used to work but is not touching this one!

It does sound like it could be asthma, especially if the blue inhaler is helping.

I would go to the GP and discuss starting a brown inhaler and seeing if that helps

It definitely sounds like it OP. i would get him seen asap - if you are giving the blue inhaler that regularly he needs a brown (preventer) inhaler. And I would get someone to check his chest again - he may need a short course of oral steroids to dampen down the inflammation. It sounds miserable for all - don't be fobbed off! Good luck..

Ah I see he did have steroids in dec - get him checked though, he shouldn't be coughing every night.

thank you. feel like i am going mad- doesnt seem right to be giving it every night and again in the night but its the only thing that helps.

DH mentioned asthma to the gp but was fobbed off- but surely several weeks of virus is odd??. will get another appointment.

it does sound lke asthma and it sounds like it is time for the brown inhaler (preventer).
def get him seen by the gp, or better even the asthma nurse.

Even if it is a virus trying a brown inhaler for a few weeks won't do any harm. When he is settled they can try to wean him off it and see if the cough returns.

thanks everyone

could be asthma but it could also be reflux related... worth mentioning to your gp to also rule out

i am asthmatic and had a cough for ages which i was trying to treat but saw gp and after some reflux medication it went

Hi my daughter was the same until recently she has asthma on blue, brown
Inhalers and singular tablets. But each night she would cough for hours. Our gp put her on 2 courses of steroid tablets thinking it was her asthma playing up but when we went to see her paediatrician he diagnosed a viral condition called para-purtussis which is part of the whooping cough family and can sit in young children's systems for up to 3 months. He was right as she had it for 3 Mths then it disappeared as quickly as it came!! We tried everything to clear it up but we had to admit defeat and let nature take its course!! So although it feels like your being fobbed off a virus can go on for a while - just what you wanted to hear NOT!!!

Could be reflux? I say that because when my DS was 3 he had the same problem with coughing at night even when he didn't have a cold. I felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall with the doctors, they kept saying it was asthma, yet all the inhalers and meds did nothing to relieve his symptoms. I kept saying to them that if it is asthma, why are all the inhalers and meds not working, especially as he was on the maximum dose of everything. To cut a very long story short I kicked up a very big fuss in the doctors surgery and eventually got him referred to the Brompton hospital where they specialise in chest problems. He underwent a broncoscopy and turns out he had silent refux. It wasn't severe, yet it was bad enough to cause the constant night time coughing. He was put on reflux meds for a few months and then was gradually taken off them as his stomach flap started to strengthen. He's been fine since!

You say this cough is at night? My ds6, only gets a cough at night, coughs up phlegm, (sorry tmi) has breathing problems. Took him to doc, and its a nasal problem, over producing mucus, which drips down the back of his throat, causing his discomfort. He prescribed beconase nasal spray, which has been fantastic! But did take a few weeks to get into his system and start working. Worth a try for your ds, although it does sound like asthma if I'm honest.

hi there hippy
well- tbh its really bad at nigth but still happens in the day but not at all as badly.

went to gp who said he has got loads of thick phelgm which is not coming out- she has prescribed antiobiotics so hopefully thats it- sounds like your ds.