Support thread for asthma parents

[Schulte]

Hi. I was wondering if anyone is interested in one of these? I find it’s easy enough to access medical advice for DD’s asthma, but her condition and trying to manage it affects us mentally as well. The worry and anxiety, the constant effort of staying on top of her treatment, the sadness over things she can’t do, the helplessness, the occasional sleepless nights. The ‘why her’? It can be draining.

Anyone else finding this? Come and have a moan, let’s support each other through it all.

Hi!

Ds is 12 next week and was diagnosed with asthma at 6 months. We have had lots of ups and downs over the years I’m with you on the constant worry side of things!

It’s draining, isn’t it? You can manage quite nicely for weeks and then suddenly there’s a flare up… and DD’s flare ups can take weeks to clear. In year five she missed so much school that I got a letter saying social services would get involved!

And now it looks like she’s got another one of those impossible flare ups that just won’t get better

I think this would be good for sharing experiences and info etc. I have 2 kids with asthma

Hi @Cloudandsunshine . How old are your two? My DD is 12 and was diagnosed at 7.

Hi Schulte, my 6 year old has had it since 2 and my 8 year old since 6. He was hospitalised this time of year last year and the year before so I'm on high alert at the moment but his inhalers seem to be working well. 6 year old has just finished a course of steroids. I hope she grows out of it!
What triggers your dad's asthma and has it changed over the years?

Sorry your dd not dad!

I can imagine it’s a stressful time for you, my heart always sinks when autumn approaches too. DD’s asthma changes all the time but overall seems to have got steadily worse. Especially since she has started puberty. She used to manage just fine on two puffs of the brown inhaler each day, now she’s on an adult strength combination inhaler plus Montelukast plus daily antihistamines for most of the year. She has allergies to dust, pets, some pollen. Smoke seems to trigger her asthma sometimes but not always (camp fires, candles blown out, fireworks). Cold viruses can make her worse but often she sails right through a cold. Sometimes I wonder if the weather affects her, most recently I’ve wondered about autumn leaves! It’s so totally unpredictable. I think that’s the worst bit, not knowing what her asthma will do next.

Sorry to hear about your son’s hospitalisations, that must have been difficult!

Ds is struggling with PE since moving to high school, obviously the step up in intensity is too much for his lungs

@Sirzy

Ds is struggling with PE since moving to high school, obviously the step up in intensity is too much for his lungs

Could it be that his preventers need to be changed or increased? The cold damp weather won’t help, can you speak to his asthma nurse or GP? Are the teachers understanding?

Asthma mum here too! My 5 year old currently has a chest infection and I'm just full of anxiety about him just constantly watching him and then the guilt of being off work and him missing school and making my eldest go to school with friends so me and him can stay in all day and rest. He hates his antibiotics so I'm also stressed that I can't get them down him and it will prolong his time being poorly! It's just absolutely awful I could have a full on meltdown the way I've been feeling this week

Hi my 7 year old ds is really struggling this year on monteklast, pink inhaler and needing the blue constantly his school have actually contacted our gp for a full asthma plan as he’s so out of breath at playtimes and pe after a chest infection a month ago he now has a constant cough. His consultants just referred us to a respiratory specialist and we’re waiting for that appointment.

Does he have blue inhaler before PE?

Asthma parent here, I hate this time of year! DD’s asthma is triggered by viruses, cold, damp and exercise (esp in old weather) plus various allergens (she also has eczema and oral allergy syndrome)
We didn’t do too badly last winter, due to bubbles, social distancing, etc, but I do wonder what this winter will bring
DD is on 2 puffs of her steroid inhaler, twice daily and had been on monteleukast since she was 3 ( it definitely helps). She also takes antihistamines. She has prednisolone during a flare up
She takes salbutamol as and when, but we also use it prior to exercise in the cold and it seems to help
I hate the worry, she’s a stoic little thing and I worry that she’s not being totally honest about how she’s feeling.