Doctor won't fully diagnose with asthma

[Angelbaby101]

Hi all I'm really looking for some advice as I'm at my witts end and not sure what to do, so if anyone has been in this situation please help. My dd suffers every winter mostly, with her chest. Anytime she gets a cold she is really sick with it and has had time off school because of this. She was taken into hospital with breathing problems last year and was diagnosed with suspected asthma and the nurse there said she was sure it was asthma and a chest infection triggered it. She was given inhalers and steroids. I've had a talk with the asthma nurse to tell her the inhaler is working for her cough and rarely needs the blue inhaler, which to me means it's being controlled well? The nurse said testing isn't accurate in children so they will keep her as suspected but the problem is the school have said they cannot do a asthma care plan for her as she's not got a full diagnosis. Im going to ring gp for a consultation to try and get her diagnosed so she can have help at school. I'm worried that now winter is coming it will trigger the suspected asthma and she'll be back in hospital. The nurse basically said because she's not getting breathless often, only one hospital stay and doesn't use the blue inhaler often means it's probably just she suffers chest infections not asthma which I disagree as the inhaler has helped the cough she has a night. I just don't understand what I need to do. I've been on the phone all morning to the school but they can't do anything without a diagnosis even though she takes the inhaler to school. I'm worried if she's not got a care plan and she's poorly at school she may end up really sick again. The nurse said I can ring gp to ask if he'll put her on asthma register so she'll get yearly reviews but I'm not sure what that actually means. I know when I get a gp appointment he's going to refuse and I don't know where that leaves my dd. The school complaining about her having time off but how can I send her in when she's so poorly? Is there anything I can do?

It's so hard isn't it!

My son is exactly the same, they won't diagnose him properly either. It's their age.

My sons not in school yet till next year but guessing I'll have the same problem.

Will the school still give her the inhaler regardless of a care plan? That would be my main concern.

I would ring GP and tell her/him what the school is saying, even if they can draft a letter saying undiagnosed asthma please provide a care plan until a diagnosis is in place.

Do you have econsult? We can select admin jobs from there.

I think your problem is with the school. It’s completely normal for lots of children to have suspected but not confirmed diagnosis. I would raise it with the headteacher.

Speak to the school nurse. There is one allocated to every school, you might need to go through the gp receptionist to get their details.
I used to be a school nurse and would absolute do a care plan for a working diagnosis of asthma. They can try and persuade the school to get on board.

This. Adjustments at school should be based on need, not on diagnoses, I believe.

Thanks for your replies. It is so hard. I've just spoken to the gp who has said he'll refer to a paediatrician to have her seen there because she's basically only had 1 hospital dash and doesn't use the blue inhaler much. He said he cant actually diagnose and it might be that it was a severe chest infection rather than asthma when she was admitted so that confused me completely. I'm not sure what a paediatrician will do though? I completely understand it's hard to diagnose and they don't want to diagnose her with something she may not have but in the meantime I'm worried about winter looming which is her trigger. It seems because she's not getting out of breath and constantly coughing they don't want to diagnose. The school have suggested I write down what medication she's on and what her triggers are and they'll keep that on file but still can't give a full asthma plan. So I'm not really any further forward with it really until she's sees a paediatrician. I was always under the impression that asthma can be mild where only certain triggers can start asthma not just coughing, getting out of breath with activity and a few hospital stays. I felt like saying to gp so unless she's admitted a few times you don't want to diagnose her? Because that's how it seemed really.