Tell me it gets easier/ better asthmatic child

[roweeena]

DS1 turned two in September (3weeks before DS2 was born). Since then it feels like he has only had a few weeks where he has been wheezing, we just get it under control and then he gets another bloody cold.

He has had two hospital stays and now in hospital again. He is on reg brown inhaler now but always seems to go down so quickly when he is unwell. First time he was in hospital he needed IV meds and a three night stay.

We also have 10 week old and no family close by to help. Just feel exhausted and like he just seems to always be ill. Please tell me that we just need to tweak his medicine & he will get better and have less admissions & get it under control.

Oh I feel for you, so sorry you are in hospital now.

My DS (2.9) has asthma and there was a period where I felt he was always ill / at the GP / in hospital. It has got better for him but only when his dose of the brown inhaler increased to adult levels. I'm lucky in that my mum is an asthma specialist so I can always take her advice with me to the dr.

It may not work for you but if his current dosage isn't keeping his asthma under control then maybe a dose increase, at least for winter, may be worth a try? The other thing I do is as soon as he starts to get a cold I automatically give him 2 puffs of the blue inhaler before his dose of brown inhaler. Some asthma nurses believe that this helps open up the airways so that the brown inhaler is more effective.

Sometimes a dose increase is necessary to get on top of the asthma, after which it can be dropped back down.

Other things i have tried to do which may have helped is to reduce allergens in the house. So no feathers, lots of hoovering / dusting in his room, minimal soft toys and washing bedding at 60 degrees.

Hope some of this may be of help!

It will get better the problem is finding the right combinations of medicine.

For DS the brown inhaler even at very high doses didn't work. He is now on seretide high dose which is controlling him better still not perfect but better than it was. He also take montelukast, a daily anti histamine and regular ventolin. I am lucky he is under the care of a very good consultant

Perhaps ask about something like montelukast?

I know the feeling all to well. Hang in there. My son just turned 3 and we had countless trips to A&E and hospital stays since 14 months. It is very hard and very tiring and it does get more manageable. This time of year is very tough and I've been at home the last two days as he has another chest infection and on his 6th course of antibiotics this year. As all the others have said it is vital that you get the right combination of medicine. He is under consultant care and it's made all the difference. He is on adult dose brown inhaler, montelukast and has his blue inhaler every single night. We stay clear from dust & feathers and I replace his pillow every 2-3 months and wash his bedding at 90 degrees once a week. We also have a stock of steroids at home to administer to needed to cut down on a&e visits. It's hard but once you get the meds right it can make all the difference. Good luck!

Go back and ask for Singlair / Montelukast which is amazingly effective in small children with asthma. The NHS don't like to prescribe it because it is expensive (around £30 per month) and it is annoying that doctors do not see that the cost of hospital admissions for uncontrolled asthma cost far more. If your doctor won't give it to you insist on a referral to a paediatric respiratory consultant who may be more willing to prescribe it.

Good luck. I hope your DS is feeling better soon.