Hand hold needed 3yo DD may be asthmatic

[SassySugarCane]

DP took her to the doctor today as she has had a cough quite badly for few days, it was showing no signs of going anywhere and it was disturbing her at night.

She's been prescribed an inhaler as apparently asthma can present itself as a persistent cough. If this doesn't help she might need to be referred to a specialist.

I'm in bits. DP has got bad asthma and has done since he was 2yo. This has been my worst fear since she was born. I also have another DC, what if in 2 years he gets it too?

I'm terrified.

There is no need to be scared, mild post viral asthma resulting in a cough after colds is very common.

DD had it when she was younger. It's never been more serious than a couple of puffs of a blue inhaler night and morning and very occasionally if running about or doing something very dusty.

She's never been near the hospital.

Just be happy they are taking it seriously. I coughed myself stupid every winter until I was 30 odd and I suspect it's much the same thing, but all I got off the Dr. Was usless cough syrup.

Try not to worry. Ds has had post viral wheeze since 7 months old, been to A&E a couple of times a year (every cold) since, is now 3.5 and they're still thinking he will grow out of it.

He has a persistent night cough that I sometimes have to give the inhaler for, but only if I recognise it as that kind of cough. He has the odd few colds now where he hasn't needed it at all. I am hopeful.

I know how it feels though, the worry. The reality might not be as bad as the fear, and your daughter is getting the right treatment to prevent any long-term damage to her airways, which gives her a much better chance of growing out of it as she gets older and her immune system develops. Try and look at it that way

Don't be scared. Asthma varies in severity so much and it sounds fairly mild atm.

The drugs available these days are fantastic and likely to keep everything under control.

It's very common for children to improve as they get older - my nearly 8 yo is soooo much better now than when he was a toddler.

It's good that the doctors are taking it seriously, but keep it in perspective - it is just a cough at the moment and there's nothing to suggest it's going to get any worse than that.

Hopefully the blue puffer will do the trick and that'll be in the end of it.

The key is that she is being monitored and is getting medication as needed. As long as it is kept controlled then there is no need to worry too much.

Feel free to pop onto the asthma parents thread if you have any questions though!

Thank you all so much for the reassuring replies. DP came home and gave me a massive hug, I tried to mask my upset on the phone but didn't do a very good job, apparently he could hear in my voice I had not taken it well.

I realise obviously these days asthma is not a death sentence but I'd wound myself up in my head about it so much it made it seem much worse than it really is IYSWIM.

Can someone link me to the asthma parents section?

Thanks again guys.

Oh shoot. I keep forgetting, she is supposed to be having the flu vaccine tommorow, the up-the-nose one. Will she still be okay to have that?

If she doesn't have a temp she should be fine to have it but check with the nurse.
You're really over reacting - it doesn't sound like brittle asthma, it might be difficult for a while until they get her inhalers sorted but then I'm sure she'll be fine.

I was only asking 306235388, I am aware I might be a bit OTT, but I'm concerned for my DD's health, a little over reaction is par for the course, np?

no, even

I think it's only normal to worry when your child gets a diagnosis with something that could be serious. And it's normal to worry until it's controlled.

I think the key is to keep pushing the medics until things are controlled

Absolutely it's normal to worry I'm just trying to reiterate the fact that it isn't a disaster. It's good she's being looked after so well.

Quite so. She had her first two puffs yesterday and the cough all but stopped. Today she started coughing a fair bit again today. So she has had the inhaler again. DP is administering it as unfortunetly he is a bit of an expert in inhaler usage iyswim.

I was the one, when DP said she might have asthma before she went to the doctor yesterday, disagreeing, because I thought asthma presented as wheezing. Obviously i was wrong, but today I am feeling better about her prognosis, as it has been said by pp's it is not the end of the world, and treatments these days are top notch.

But thank you all for comforting my irrational worrying :)

My ds always presented as a wheeze, only as a cough very recently (shortly after I posted on here that I didn't think I would give an inhaler 'just' for a cough...you live and learn)

It is worrying, especially with the family history as you just don't know how bad it could get and asthma is one of those conditions that people play down a lot 'oh it's just asthma' but that can get incredibly serious with almost no warning. Best to be on the safe side.

Glad your dd is doing well and you're getting your head round it all a bit now.