Asthma in a nearly 3 year old - are we doing the right thing?

[scampidoodle]

I just wanted to see if anyone has any advice or if we should be taking some other action... DS is nearly 3 (6 weeks away) and has suffered with wheezing whenever he has a cold since he turned 1. He now also wheezes after doing a lot of running etc. After being admitted to hospital at 18 months he was given a ventolin inhaler and he was given a preventer inhaler about 3 weeks ago, to use morning and evening every day.

He developed a cold over the weekend, had ventolin a couple of times then yesterday got worse. By the afternoon he needed it about every 45 mins, then every 2 hours through the night. This morning it was 45 mins again (1 or 2 puffs) but has now gone over an hour and seems to be getting a bit better. It's really difficult to get him to sit still for long periods of time but when he does he starts to get much better.

Do I just keep giving him the ventolin whenever he needs it? How long do I do this for before we need to try something else? Would he only he need other treatment if he was constantly struggling to breathe and the inhaler wasn't having any effect? Sorry for all the questions!

I feel like we've never been given any proper advice on how to deal with this and I'm worried I should be doing something more.

Thank you.

Someody more knowledgeable will come along, but I think I would want to get him seen by a doctor today - that sounds like a lot of ventolin. He might need more of the preventer inhaler.

And when you see the doc, ask them to advise you about what to do when he isn't well, when to seek help, etc. i hope he feels better soon.

Whenever he gets a cough or a cold, up the becotide, but this takes a while to take effect. I would take him to the GP if you're having to use the ventolin so frequently.

Thank you. I've rung the surgery but can't speak to a doctor till 12.30. They will then decide if they need to see DS.
He's definitely getting a bit better, gradually.

Thanks Earnshaw - yes, I feel like we need a plan of action for when he's ill but the last time this happened I was made to feel a bit stupid as no one had told me I could give him ventolin more often than every 4 hours and they obviously thought if I'd been giving him it more frequently he'd have been ok. I will try and get some more advice when I speak to the GP/see him.

Apparently upping preventer Inhaler is no longer recommended certainly not something to do without medical advice.

You can give more ventolin - DS is 3.5 and has up to 10 puffs at a time but again although this is safe I would talk to your GP and get a proper action plan together.

The rule of thumb we have been told to follow is if he needs more than 10 puffs in 4 hours to get him checked in a and e. at times he has 10 every 2 but only on medical advice.

The Asthma UK Advice line is very good.

OP, my DD (17) has had asthma since she was a toddler and it is an awful condition to deal with. Ventolin should only be given every 4 hours so if you are needing to give it more frequently, then it suggests that he is not controlling the asthma properly.

I agree with previous posters - I would get him seen by the doctor today - he may need to increase the preventer until his asthma is under control again and the gp will be able to advise you as to the correct dose. It does take a few days to take effect, so the sooner you start the better.

DD at this age also had the allergic response in her nose as well as on her chest. She was prescribed a nasal spray which made a huge difference in a couple of days. If your son has had a cold then it is possible that he could have this as well, so your gp will be able to help.

It sounds as though he has 'exercise-induced wheeze' too - so his asthma is triggered by viruses and exercise (and maybe other things too). It is so hard to keep them still when they are little, but would he be interested in some stickers or perhaps 'helping' you with some small jobs that would stop him from running around?

Good luck it is horrible when they are ill.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I've spoken to the GP who says at DS's age, using a spacer, not all the ventolin is taken in so you can give them what would otherwise seem like a very large amount. He said if I need to give it more often than every two hours I should get DS to the GP/OOH as oral steriods might be necessary (we've had those on a couple of occasions but not for quite a while).

We're seeing the GP in a couple of hours just to get DS checked out - he thought it was best to check. I will ask about the nose thing.

Thanks for the Asthma UK link. I didn't realise there was a helpline or I would have rung yesterday (when I was trying to find info on their website). I will defininitely keep that number handy.

I managed to get DS to sit and colour for a bit then go for a lie down. I'll dig his stickers out for when he wakes up!

Thanks again for the advice.