Anyone asthma mums/dads around for a quick asthma opinion?

[40shadesofgreen]

DD is 7. Asthma well controlled for past year on Seretide and Singulair.

She has a cold and cough. In the past this would definitely have meant OOH doctor and usually a trip to A&E but she has been much better in the past year and has had coughs and colds that we have gotten through with Ventolin as needed.

At the moment her cough is very chesty and she is a bit wheezy at times but no recessions or blueness or obvious difficulty breathing.

Trying to decide if she needs OOH doctor tonight or to keep up the Ventolin and see how it goes.

What do you think?

When you say 'at the moment', how long has she been chesty and wheezy?

How often is she coughing?

Is she coughing constantly ?

Any fever?

No fever. Not coughing frequently and when she does it is quick. She had the cold/runny nose since Friday - the cough since last night.

I suppose what I am thinking is that non-asthmatic children sometimes get coughs so I need to learn not to panic at the first signs.

Don't worry if I thought for one minute she was in difficult or any distress I would take her in.

She has been fine today. Eaten as normal etc.

Our hospital and gp said if you are having to use the inhaler more frequently than 3hrly than they need to be seen - as more than that puts too much strain on the body and they will often need nebuliser to give a boost - you can give up to 10 puffs- holding the spacer on for 10 breaths at a time -

So if you are doing that and the wheeze comes back worth going to children's a and e to check Sats etc -

Thanks everyone.

I think we'll take her in.

Not in the UK. The system here is OOH til midnight and after that it would be a 45 min drive to the next centre or similar drive to A&E.

It's unusual for her to have an audible wheeze. She is usually a silent wheezer and when she has an attack it is very obvious.

This cheerful, wheezy coughing child is new to me.

We let ds go down to (10 puffs) every 2 and a bit hours. However we only live 10 mins away from a +e.

After an a+e trip we are usually released from hospital when she gets back to 3 hourlys, so I am happy to keep her at home until she starts going below that.

If you are worried, go in, no one would ever criticize you for going in.

Cross post.
Given the distances you are talking about I would certainly take her in now.

Thanks thenurserycryme, she seems fairly well right now and it is bedtime. I think I'll put her to bed and make a judgement in a couple of hours.

I always find it easier to judge how she is when she is resting.

I feel we are a bit out of practice since she has been so well lately.

A couple of years ago we could do this in our sleep.

Sounds like its best to take her in - although for us ooh is useless as they always need to send to a and e cause they have no sats machine - last time we went my smiling happy baby was playing/destroying the ooh room and the gp was saying 'well I'd just take him home cause he looks happy' but we agreed on getting sats checked and within 2 hrs he was admitted and went from 2hrly nebuliser to 1hrly to then needing IV salbutamol - so even if they say 'oh just a happy wheezy' just insist if your mothers instinct tells you something different.,.

I think if in doubt get her checked.

With DS we have been told if 5 puffs doesn't last him 4 hours to get him checked in A and E but thats because he goes downhill so quickly. He is currently on 5 puffs every 5 hours so hoping that lasts!

Hope she is ok

Just a quick update. We took her to the doctor and although she has a chesty cough there is no sign of infection and her breathing isn't laboured or causing her any issues at the moment.

Advice is to give Ventolin every 3 hours and wait and see how she goes.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

40shades... massive hi jack if you are still checking in ....

Firstly ...glad your dd is okay...ds1 has been admitted 3 times now and I have always been told never to take the chance never to get it checked out .

DS 2 has been prescibed singular...but how do you manage to give it !!???

I/he do not seem to have a window at bedtimeish of 1 hour before or 2 hours after food !!!...My ds never has an empty stomach !!!...how do you time it !

Thanks !

bizzey. I had the same trouble. DD has her tea around 5 ish and goes to bed at 8 so we give her the tablet around 7 and then she has a small snack just before bed. Its the best we can do with the timings.

It was harder to find a good time when she was younger and going to bed earlier. I'm sure her stomach was rarely empty when taking it.

Thanks !!....Think we will aim for the 8ish mark and hope for the best ....stupid tablets to give children ...in fact anyone !!!

Last time we saw the consultant I asked about the timing of tablets. She just laughed, said it wasn't possible to get it perfect, but just do the best we could. Tablets on a full tummy was better than no tablets at all.

40shades - glad to hear things seem to have been ok. I know what you mean about being out of practise. At one point we could pack an overnight hospital bag, wake and dress a child, sort out childcare and jobs, and be out of the house within 20 minutes!