Is there anything else I can do to help DD, 1, with her cough (possible asthmatic)?!

[MeadowHay]

She's been on Ventolin for a few weeks now...maybe a month even? She has two puffs in the morning and 4 puffs before bed. The GP said to do 1 puff a few times a night or whatever but after speaking to asthma nurses through Asthma UK we increased it before bed after a week or so. We saw huge improvements, hardly coughed at all anymore whereas before was having coughing fits every hour or so at night and then getting distressed and crying so hardly sleeping. But yesterday evening the coughing was a bit bad again and she woke up and coughed quite a few times in the night but didn't disturb her too much. Then today she's been coughing a bit again and since trying to get her to bed she keeps having awful coughing fits. We finally managed to get her asleep half an hour ago (which is late for her) and already she is up screaming after having an awful coughing fit. DH says she can't have any more of her inhaler. She's already had paracetamol at 6.30ish as well as we think she has a sore throat. And we've put her to bed on a small pillow too in case raising her would help but obviously it hasnt. She is seeing paediatrician for the first time on Tuesday morning but in the meantime surely there is something we can do so we don't all have another two horrendous nights of next to no sleep and screaming every hour and her suffering with coughing? :(

DD (2 years) has recently been prescribed Montelukast and it's an absolute life changer!

She's gone from coughing herself awake throughout the night to sleeping, she's got more energy, she's not coughing all day...

We tried everything for her: ventolin, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, antihistamines, gaviscon, vicks on feet, raised bed, Physio...

I hope you get it sorted soon.

Another suggesting Monkekelust if you can get some! Absolutely game changer when DS1 was younger

Ventolin is a reliever not a preventer so it needs to be given when she is having symptoms, it won't stop the symptoms from appearing.

Also you need to try to work out what is triggering the asthma - is it worse when she goes to bed - could be dust mites, mould spores, pollen, drier air. If you can work out the trigger then it will help the conversation with the paediatrician.

Also you don't mention whether you are using a spacer with the inhaler - much easier to get the dose into a small coughing child with a spacer.

I am asthmatic and have a severely asthmatic brother and father. My DD looked as though she would have asthma too as a small child but she seems have grown out of it - she just had very narrow airways as a baby.

What about humidifiying the air? And an air purifier?

Does she have cotton bedding? And pillows?

Honey in some warm water for her to drink if she's coughing her throat sore?

Hope the paed has some good ideas.

My daughter suffered from a constant cough from the age of 18m (4 now). After much backwards and forwards with the doc and paediatrician over 2 years and trying different things, what finally worked was the brown inhaler. Just one puff at bed was enough to stop the cough from starting.

We were prescribed montelukast, but never took it after reading the amount of horrendous side effects. For example, very common side effects include diarrhoea, tummy pains, headache, vomiting and respiratory infections.

I have this with my DS. Recently prescribed a sinus rinse, which gave him headaches. He has another doc appointment in the morning, as I think his coughing is related to asthma. Is the Monkekelust available over the counter?

I have asthma but I'm an adult. Things that trigger me are:
-dust, I need clean linen or at least a clean pillow case regularly. Especially in hay fever season. (Also clean pjs)
-pollen, I take antihistamines early on in the season to help. If I don't I get wheezy.
-scented candles, or anything heavily perfumed. I can't go in a lush shop :( it makes me cough horrendously.
-smoke, smokers, bbq, bonfires.
-change is temperature, this is more in winter time when i go in and out of buildings.

Things that help, avoid all the above. Take a preventative inhaler regularly. Airing my house out and hoovering daily helps a lot. I also find regular gentle exercise helps a lot. Not helpful now but when you dd is older, swimming is brilliant for asthmatics because you have to learn to control your breathing and it helps build lung capacity. I notice the difference when I don't swim.

Sorry that doesn't help right now but food for thought for the future.

My mum has terrible asthma and has recently been to see the asthma nurse as it's really bad atm especially at night. She was told there is a tablet that can be taken at night to help settle coughing attacks. Perhaps this would be an option for you? No harm in asking?

Good luck xx

Oh I also forgot to mention, ibuprofen is a terrible trigger for asthmatics. So stay clear of that. No one told me and I always had attacks when I took it. Then another asthmatic told me and it clicked how awful I felt when I took it.

Thanks everyone. My brother is asthmatic and a trainee pharmacist so been talking to him as well. Gave her another two puffs and she didn't cough for 20 mins and calmed down then she cried a bit due to being so tired and then coughed a bit more but he said give it half an hour and then give two more puffs if still bad but she stopped and finally got in her bed about 10 mins ago. It's awful seeing her suffer.

We know it isn't a preventer btw but the symptoms are worst first thing in the morning and at night so that's why GP and asthma nurse recommended them times and it has had a massive difference until last night. She just coughed on the monitor ughhh.

She has a viral infection I think which is what's set her off or possibly could be due to hay fever as she has hay fever. She seems to have a sore throat and she has a snotty nose a bit. Not sure which it is. DH has a cold so may have caught it from him but could just be hayfever.

I'm not keen on the idea of montelukast tbh cos of the side effects but then nor am I keen on steroids cos of risks of stunted growth etc! But obviously she needs something as she can't go on using ventolin twice a day every day.

I would try a humidifier and an antihistamine.

I've recently started taking montelukast too and it is an absolute life changer.

It definitely sounds as though your ds needs more than the ventolin

My son is asthmatic and has ventolin for when he is wheezy and a steroid inhaler morning and evening- 1 puff. He uses a spacer.

With inhaled steroids, so little goes into the body so it's very safe. It's not like taking steroid tablets. In fact, improperly treated asthma is more of a risk.

He hardly needs his Ventolin, which is how it should be if the asthma is well controlled.

The fact yours needs Ventolin every day means she needs to step up treatment.

Make an appointment to see the asthma nurse and ask for a spacer and preventer

You absolutely should not need a reliever every day except in a bad flare up.

If you are it shows you need the preventer. You may not be keen on them but not giving a child potentially life saving medicine is madness. Lpok at asthma uk website. Inhaled steroids are not the same as steroids you think of. However if my duaghters asthma was so bad we needed blue inhalers daily she'd probably have the dose of steroid tablets they give you to calm it down.

Absolutely if they are having an attack you dont ration the reliever. If the reliever isnt working you seek more help.

We realised montekulsat was making my daughter wet the bed. Still better than asthma, but the brown inhaler had worked wonders.

People dont say to diabetics "hmm not keen on giving them insulin."...

My asthmatic child is one of the talest in the class. Id be more worried about risk of death from uncontrolled asthma (google the stats) or effects of lack of sleep (adhd-like symptoms, memory etc) or on the lungs from uncontrolled asthma (needing reliever daily is uncontrolled) than inhaled steroids which so much of the population need!

Ooh sorry, think I've given the wrong impression here - absolutely will be pursuing the appropriate treatment for her, be it steroid inhaler and/or montelukast! Did not mean to give the impression that I wouldn't! Apologies for confusion. The only reason things are as they are is because she saw the GP about a month ago and they said the first step would be a trial of ventolin - and given we have a pre-booked paed appointment this week GP agreed to do the ventolin trial until we saw the paed and then if it had helped we would get steroid or whatever from the paed. Absolutely do not intend to continue giving her this unsustainable amount of ventolin and I know how dangerous asthma can be, as I say my brother is asthmatic. It's all scary for me too as I remember his asthma attacks and hospitalisations as a child :( since 7pm she has had 10 puffs of ventolin now and still coughing and struggling to sleep. This is the worst it's been and a bit stumped now as don't think she can have any more ventolin. Next time she wakes we are going to try cough syrup altho I know there's not really any evidence that helps. Will offer her water again too but she refused it the last two times.

Actually mortified people are thinking I'm like the anti-asthma medication version of an anti-vaxxer, that really could not be further from the truth! Apologies my communication isnt very good

My asthma nurse said don't worry about giving too much Ventolin as all it will do is make them shaky.

Could you call 111 for advice?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/16/doctors-putting-100000-uk-asthma-sufferers-in-danger-says-charity

Have a read of this. I'll know three people that have died of poorly controlled asthma. One was a child, the other two left small children without a parent. Asthma is such preventable death and a really horrible way to go.

You should be using a reliever inhaler that often. it puts her a risk of not being about to get on top of a flare up, and it escalating to a critical point.

Ring 111 if you want advice. You never leave a child with an asthma attack - its either more ventolin or out of hours help. Cough syrup wont help am asthma attack.

Ours is called cough variant asthma (mine was the more stereotypical wheezing) but not being able to sleep due to asthma attack warrants help.

And yes we've always been told to give more ventalin if theyre having an attack but contact a profesional.

Good luck. Its scary when your child is ill x

I have an asthmatic daughter.
If your dd isn't improving after 10 puffs I think you might need to have her seen tonight.
The scariest attack my dd has had was when she coughed and coughed and couldn't get relief. She went downhill quickly.
It was scarier than the usual silent wheeze attacks we were used to.

It sounds like she's having an asthma attack if your using it that much and it not working. I think you need to seek medical advice ASAP.

I had asthma in childhood and remember the horrible sleepless nights. One thing that I found worked for me as a teenager was sleeping next to an open window, regardless of the time of year. Hot, dry air made me cough so much more (and my parents, doing what they thought would help, had always left the heating on all night and piled on the blankets when I was having coughing fits).

I'd ring 111 for advice too. Dcs had asthma. 10 is usually the most recommended at one time and after that maybe hosp for treatment( we had overnight admission with ventolin through a face mask every 2 hours then was issued with a stronger inhaler) Hope you get the help you need for her. Hospitals are used to dealing with asthma in a n' e. I wouldn't wait till Tues tbh.

Im not sure if it's an asthma attack as in between coughing bouts her chest sounds much better - DH been listening to it with stethoscope which he is qualified to do. And DF is a doctor and doesn't think she needs seeing otherwise apart from obviously keeping very close eye on her for now so I'm satisfied on that score. I mean he is a quicker version of calling 111 essentially. She is asleep again now. She is in our room still at our heads so we will keep a super close eye on her. And I can contact DF at any time if I need advice or obviously 111. Or 999 if breathing difficulty, we know when they would be necesswry like the signs. Well DH does anyway, again he is trained to know them. Thanks for all your help hopefully we will all get some rest now but if not please rest assured there is no way DH would miss any signs that she needed urgent medical treatment via ambulance so she will be definitely be safe.

People don't always associate a cough with asthma. It's underestimated. OP - just pop her to a n'e. Don't wait. All the best.