Dd had an asthma attack, what should I do?

[NeedAHoliday2021]

About 10pm dd2 ran downstairs calling for me because dd3 couldn’t breathe. I ran upstairs, got her blue inhaler and spacer and got control of her breathing. She now seems okay. She’s sleeping in my bed (with dd2) and I’m joining them in a minute but it was so out of the blue. It’s the second attack ever. First was over a year ago and I shoved her in the car and drove to hospital (it’s fairly close and the ambulance service had declared a major incident that weekend). I was close to calling an ambulance this time but the blue inhaler helped quickly so didn’t. She seems okay but was quite scared.

is there anything I need to do?

For context, her asthma got worse over the last few weeks since she had a bad cold early November and we saw the asthma nurse and increased her brown inhaler to the max for her age. I’m not really sure what more we can do but it doesn’t feel controlled. She wasn’t running around, she was trying to sleep when it came on.

post on mumsnet of course!

or maybe take your child to hospital next time they have an asthma attack?

Did you read the OP?

She needs to be reviewed by a doctor within 24 hours, that’s the usual protocol for an attack that you’ve brought under control.

I'd phone 111 for advice

Did it take much ventolin to get her breathing under control? Is her breathing laboured in any way? Is there anything in her asthma plan for parameter for seeking help?

Get in touch with your GP/ asthma nurse. Just because you are at the upper end of the brown inhaler - doesn't mean that there aren't alternative medicines which can be changed/added if it is necessary.

How old is DD? When my DS has attacks we’ve been told up to 10 puffs of Ventolin and to double the dose of his preventative inhaler. You definitely need to speak to GP and get another review of her meds

Monitor very closely, the reliever inhalers do work but sometimes the symptoms return then they take a bigger amount of ventolin each time to bring things under control.

Contact 111 as it seems sensible to get her checked by a doctor as soon as possible.

Keep her calm and distract her, panic will make her worse.

Encourage her to drink water, and get a bit of fresh air if not too cold.

If her breathing gets difficult again tonight, go to A&E.

What a fucking unhelpful reply. You must be proud.

That sounds scary OP. My youngest has asthma and is barking away with the cold at the minute, which always puts him in the danger zone. It sounds as though you handled things really well. I would give the GP a ring on Monday and explain what happened and see if they have any recommendations. It could be as simple as a change of preventer inhaler. It's good that the blue inhaler was so effective so quickly. Hope your DC is OK

It sounds like she might need a different preventer inhaler. The brown one is one of the lowest dose / strength ones. I would seek an asthma review and go from there. The next step up would probably be something like Seretide (although I’m thinking of adults, children might be different- I’m on Seretide 250). She may also need some rescue steroids.

Slow clap. So helpful.

I agree OP you’ve handled this really well.

If your DD seems generally alright tonight and in the morning I’d leave it till the GP opens on Monday. If she’s just a bit off then 111 or A&E if she has another attack. I would want to avoid A&E at the minute unless absolutely necessary for risk of catching something else and your DD loosing out on valuable sleep.

Keep an eye on the temperature of the house (easier said than done I know) but if for example the temperature gets much colder in your DDs bedroom at night because the heatings clicked off that could make her breathing worse.

So far as what else can be done medication wise there are lots of different types of inhalers and or different steroid treatments. If you’re only on blue and green inhalers then there’s a lot that can still be done.

You need to talk to a Dr and have a clear plan. Phone 111 tonight.

She’s fine and sleeping now. Breathing is normal. She had an asthma review Tuesday before last but I know it’s trial and error. If she has a second tonight I would take her to a&e but as we got it under control, sitting on plastic chairs in a cold waiting room when she’s not needing urgent care right now seems unhelpful. I’ll see how she is but if no signs tomorrow I’ll wait for Monday to speak to the gp re moving forwards. She’s 11. I’m sure I’d be less relaxed if she was a baby or salbutamol hadn’t worked.

Thank you for all the helpful messages. I didn’t post until all was fine and controlled obviously, I realise it’s not a case of 999 or mumsnet! (Although that post did make me smile).

In theory you should see a doctor or asthma specialist nurse within 24 hours. If the blue reliever has worked and she is fine tomorrow, I'd be tempted to wait until the GP on Monday (you may need to emphasise the worsening asthma to get an emergency appointment). If any symptoms tomorrow, I'd get an appointment via 111 or walk-in services in case she needs to start steroids.

Asthmatic here. If your DD is breathing ok now, don't disturb her. If she's got a cold though she might find it helps to sleep 'propped' up - so not fully flat. If she has another bad attack overnight I would definitely ring an ambulance; they have oxygen on board and that is essential. Does your DD have a spacer device to use with her inhalers? They are fantastic bits of kit that help ensure the drugs, whether preventative (the brown) or reliever (blue) work properly. Hope she's OK for you in the morning.

I sympathise, OP. My DD also has asthma and we've been to A&E a fair few times over the years. As ventolin was no longer very effective, she's now taking a steroid inhaler as needed. Such a relief! I hope your DD feels better soon but if you're unsure, take her in. Better safe than sorry.

She slept really well and seems to have a cough this morning (not like an asthmatic one and her twin has the same cough so I think that’s what triggered things last night - sneaky virus). She’s okay and we’re having a quiet day. I’ll call the gp in the morning.

Glad to here she had a good night OP 🥰

The ridiculous thing is that I have asthma but not had an attack for about 14 years and it’s completely different when it’s your dc rather than you.

Does she know when she is getting wheezy or her breathing has changed? My DD is a bit older but is still a bit rubbish at noticing changes to her own breathing and we have had to repeatedly tell her to take her inhaler at the very first signs of feeling tight in the chest or wheezy especially when she has a cough or cold. Might be worth getting her to spend some time recognising what is normal for herself and what isn't and reminding her that she has the power to use her inhaler whenever she feels she needs it and that it is best not to wait and see how it goes even if that means getting out of bed in the night.