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Children's health

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Advice re possible asthma

4 replies

TripleRock · 21/04/2012 11:03

My nearly 18mo DD has an 8 month history of respiratory issues including shortness of breath, croup X2 (last one very nasty) and viral and bacterial chest infections. She also has a niggly night time cough which won't go away. She has had 3 overnight stays in hospital in the last 3 months and we have had to call ambulances etc on numerous occasions, all for breathing problems of one kind or another.

Strange thing is, she never wheezes, even when she is very short of breath and is showing other symptoms of respiratory distress such as chest recessions.

She has had a Salbulamol blue inhaler for a few months, which seems to have little or no effect. We have now been prescribed a Beclometasone brown inhaler which she is using morning and night.

I suffer from asthma, had childhood excema and both DH and I have hayfever so there is a family history.

Her weight gain has faltered (although she is still gaining) and she has dropped 2 centiles in the last 8 months. This is believed to be possibly connected to respiratory issues and I have been asked by the GP to get her weighed on a weekly basis.

We have seen numerous hospital doctors (well into double figures), some of whom have been excellent, however we have very rarely seen the same doctor twice and I just feel like no-one is really taking this seriously. I am considering going private, not because I am unhappy with the quality of care, just that there seems to be no continuity. Does anyone have any advice or experience of this?

We have ordered a humidifier and air purifier for her bedroom, I have blitzed her bedroom and removed all clutter and attacked any mould in the bathroom. I already wash her bedding at 60 degrees and she has a mattress cover. Does anyone have any further advice or tips for things we can do at home to alieviate her symptoms?

I'm sorry this is so long, I just don't know what to do :(

OP posts:
Sirzy · 21/04/2012 12:03

Have you been shown the right technique for using the inhalers?

I would push for a refferal to a proper specialist. Ds has had major chest issues but his care has been great. It has been a long road to get the treatment which works for him tbough!

TripleRock · 21/04/2012 12:08

We have tried a few different techniques with the inhalers.

We use an infant spacer. Currently she breathes in and out normally with the spacer mask over her mouth and nose whilst we count slowly to 10. Which seems to the most effective way so far.

Does that sound right?

OP posts:
Sirzy · 21/04/2012 13:43

That's right as long as you only do one puff at a time

TripleRock · 22/04/2012 10:03

Yes we are doing one puff at a time.

When this technique was described to me I thought it will never work but it did, really well.

Just hate the 'wait and see' approach, it doesn't seem to be working very well at the moment

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