Using brown inhaler - Night terrors

[KathrynBis]

Hello all,

I have never posted on here before but felt compelled to after the past few weeks experience of my 8yo using the brown steroid inhaler.

taking you back a few steps, he has had the blue inhaler following a bad cold 18 months - 2 years ago, that Sat on his chest & caused his oxygen levels to dip. But he’s never been diagnosed with asthma or had an attack. However for school PE would always have to take his inhaler with him as I had completed the forms to say he had an inhaler.

Fast forward to 8 weeks ago & we started an asthma review to get a diagnosis now that he is 8, after 4 weeks of taking peak flow morning & night the asthma nurse suggested he try the brown steroid inhaler to regulate his peak flow.

2 weeks in and no issues however then 3rd week he began to have nightmares the first 2 nights (never had one before), these escalated quickly to night terrors (full on screaming seeing things, out of his bed, shaking, sweating & no recollection of it the next day).

These went on for another 3 nights progressively getting worse. Thanks to this forum & others I read that others children had the same issues linking to the steroid inhaler. So I didn’t give it to him that night & for the first time in a week he slept soundly! I haven’t given it to him since (2 weeks now) and still no night terrors!!

It was very unsettling seeing him like that & I wanted to share for others out these.

Have you been back to the asthma nurse to discuss this? He may need an alternative preventer medication.
The amount of steroid in an inhaler is very small and goes directly to the lungs, so they don't really cause side effects in the same way that higher dose steroid tablets do (which can cause bad sleep disturbances). The effects of steroid inhalers build up slowly over a week or two, so I wouldn't think that stopping the inhaler would have such an immediate effect on sleep.

Hello

Yes I did update the asthma nurse & she advised that “sleep disorders” are a side effect and that it is too coincidental to ignore (2 weeks later & still no more night terrors).

But when I spoke to a friend who is a GP she wasn’t surprised & said it’s not the first time she has heard of it affecting children in this way.

I have to say I was surprised, but very relieved that they have stopped and wanted to share it on here as it was only from reading it on here from a previous thread that I was able to put the two together.

Obviously I am not saying that this will be the case for all children, but I would have liked to have been made aware that it is something to look out for.