Constantly coughing DS - ashma? What else can I do to help him?

[GrumpySwivelHead]

DS (5) has been up most of the night coughing....not a chesty cough just a cough-cough, cough-cough, cough-cough with about 10-20 seconds in between each cough.

I've got a humidifier in his room, given him cough mixture, propped up his pillows and treated him with an asthma inhaler the Dr has given me from previoustimes we have been in this situation. This helps for a bit but he's been up 4-5 times last night.

Every time he gets a cold it instantly goes straight to his chest and he ends up coughing all night just like last night (yawn) and on a previous occasion he's ended up in a nebuliser because he was getting so tired breathing.

So I guess my questions are

1. Does this sounds like ashma to you?
2. If it is ashma I've been told he won't get diagnosed until he is 7 or 8' which doesn't sound right
3. Should the go be doing more? Thus is the second time in a month
4. Could I be doing anything else to help him?

Thanks for reading the epic post!

Different docs, seem to diagnose at different ages, but mine and as diagnosed at 2. From what you say he is really struggling and needs preventer inhalers as well as relievers. If your doc won't take it seriously I suggest you see a different doctor this time.

dd was also diagnosed at 3. Have you got a preventer (Brown) inhaler? I find the blue doesnt do a lot.

If you have Brown monitor him over the day, if not I'd go to ooh and demand one.

they try to give only Blue because it's cheap. It's all dd is 'entitled' to on her repeat prescription as her asthma is considered mild (which it is until a cough makes it flare up)

Thanks all. I relented and called ooh. He's got steroids, antibiotics and more blue but still bad :(. I'll keep an eye on him and drag him back to the gp next week to demand brown via the blue isn't doing anything!

Sounds exactly like my son was, the cough at night his only symptom, saw the GP got given the blue inhaler but no other advice except they couldn't diagnose asthma until he is 7. Unfortunately my DS ended up in hospital on steroids as he had an asthma attack although the DRs said it was a viral induced wheeze. After this we were referred to an asthma nurse who did allergy testing and found my son has hayfever and is allergic to dust, bed mites and cats, the nurse gave me loads of advice on how to help him, cleaning, hypoallergenic bedding, anti histamine and eye drops. We have not had a bad night since and don't ever use the inhaler, his cough was triggered by his allergies. We have been advised to use the inhaler when he has a cold to prevent another hospital admission.

You need to go back to GP and ask for a full assessment this is not right that your poor son is like this, I thought we would be like that forever .

Good luck it's so awful to see your poor DS like this.