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Hayfever/viral wheeze and my fears

10 replies

SlagathaChristie · 03/05/2025 10:05

Hello, has anybody else had to deal with being ridiculously anxious after their child has struggled with a respiratory illness? My son, 3, was diagnosed with viral wheeze around Christmas, and he's had a bad run of illness since winter. He had to go to A and E on Good Friday evening with distressed breathing and we've been back to the GP's since, but they haven't been worried, which is good. He did have a really bad night of horrible coughing, which I thought might be croup, on Wednesday (today is Saturday). He sounded much better the next day and the GP wasn't too concerned. I also started to suspect that it was more a combination of bad hayfever and whatever virus he was already getting over.

We put a "pollen protocol" in place: closed windows, air filter, wiping hair, skin and clothes down after going outside, barrier balm on the nostrils, and taking piriteze. He is doing better, just has a snotty nose and a little cough, which I think is partly germs, partly pollen. I'm still giving him his inhaler (blue) a few times a day, but winding it down gently.

The thing is, I'm constantly stressed and anxious. I'm getting scared of letting him outside, or taking him back to preschool (they spend most of the day oustide). I never thought I'd be like this. I think it's worse because apart from having my son, I've had three miscarriages, two lf them last year. I was also made redundant from two jobs. I'm so used to things going wrong, to getting bad news. I can't picture my son just being reasonably well and me being able to relax.

Has anybody else experienced this sort of thing? Any advice about either dealing with hayfever and viral wheeze, or about how I can learn to be less terrified, would be great. Thank you.

OP posts:
defnotadomesticgoddess · 03/05/2025 10:17

Does he have a preventer inhaler? If not you might need to ask about that. If you do have one already you may need to up the dose so that he doesnt have to use the blue inhaler as much. Our asthma nurse told us how much we could increase it by when our dds had colds/hayfever etc. do you have one at your gps? other hayfever tips are get them to wash hair before bed so the pollen in their hair doesnt rub on their pillow then they rub their face in it. Also not drying clothes outside on the line helped alot. 💐

SlagathaChristie · 03/05/2025 10:23

defnotadomesticgoddess · 03/05/2025 10:17

Does he have a preventer inhaler? If not you might need to ask about that. If you do have one already you may need to up the dose so that he doesnt have to use the blue inhaler as much. Our asthma nurse told us how much we could increase it by when our dds had colds/hayfever etc. do you have one at your gps? other hayfever tips are get them to wash hair before bed so the pollen in their hair doesnt rub on their pillow then they rub their face in it. Also not drying clothes outside on the line helped alot. 💐

Thanks, we are drying clothes and bedding etc indoors now too. I did ask the last GP (a few days ago) about other treatments and inhalers but she just said to carry on. She is a member of the "respiratory team". We were given a leaflet from A and E at Easter that says to gibe his inhaler up to every four hours for a few days each time he gets e.g. a cold. No mention of hayfever. I pushed the respiratory GP about hayfever but she just said to use otc hayfever medicine e.g. piriteze.

Hospital say they will book us a respiratory nurse appt, which should be 4-6 weeks from now. I'm now not sure if I should push for a brown inhaler/ask for another appt or what.

OP posts:
Taytayslayslay · 03/05/2025 10:26

My daughter is 6 now but has struggled with asthma since a baby(diagnosed at 5, before it was a continuous viral induced wheeze). It terrifies me every time she catches a cold. Fortunately she seems to have got the correct meds now (we have hospital involvement for Montelukast and A purple inhaler). Push the drs for referrals, make sure your little ones getting preventative medication and takes it daily. No advice other than been there myself and it is as stressful as you feel. Don't let people think you're over reacting or belittle your feelings. Push drs for a asthma nurse appointment preferably at hospital. My little one was born in 2019 first hospitalisation at 6months. Then COVID happened. I still haven't recovered from the anxiety! Thinking of you. 💞 Trust your gut!

Taytayslayslay · 03/05/2025 10:28

Forgot to add my daughter also has piriton and we only use it when the pollens high. Please always trust your gut though, the amount of times I've taken her to hospital after being told I'm dramatic and her oxygen is in the high 80s!!

SlagathaChristie · 03/05/2025 10:43

Taytayslayslay · 03/05/2025 10:26

My daughter is 6 now but has struggled with asthma since a baby(diagnosed at 5, before it was a continuous viral induced wheeze). It terrifies me every time she catches a cold. Fortunately she seems to have got the correct meds now (we have hospital involvement for Montelukast and A purple inhaler). Push the drs for referrals, make sure your little ones getting preventative medication and takes it daily. No advice other than been there myself and it is as stressful as you feel. Don't let people think you're over reacting or belittle your feelings. Push drs for a asthma nurse appointment preferably at hospital. My little one was born in 2019 first hospitalisation at 6months. Then COVID happened. I still haven't recovered from the anxiety! Thinking of you. 💞 Trust your gut!

Thank you. Hospital say they are booking us an appt eith a respiratory nurse which would be 6-8 weeks after his A and E trip, or about 4-6 from now. I did ask the GP this week about inhalers but she didn't seem keen. I'm now thinking that he might well be asthmatic as he has such bad hayfever, gets eczema, and his dad was the same as a child. My sister also had asthma as a child. I don't know whether to wait for the hospital appt or go back to the gp and beg for a brown inhaler. I'm driving nyself nuts trying to read up on everything.

OP posts:
Intranslation · 03/05/2025 10:54

Piriton and Piritese are different. I've never been able to take Piriton and many asthmatics can't.

SlagathaChristie · 03/05/2025 11:03

Intranslation · 03/05/2025 10:54

Piriton and Piritese are different. I've never been able to take Piriton and many asthmatics can't.

Oh, I hadn't heard of asthmatics struggling with piriton. I originally gave him piriton (I did on the Wednesday he got ill) but got him piriteze on Thursday as I wanted the non-drowsy version. I think the GP mentioned piriteze specifically.

OP posts:
defnotadomesticgoddess · 03/05/2025 11:06

my girls had a preventer called flixotide from probably 1-2 years old. We use piriteeze too not piriton. Maybe try chasing the hosp for an earlier appt if the gp wont prescribe? In the early days we had alot of trying what would work to keep their asthma under control. Its shocking how little support some families with asthma get. We were very fortunate our asthma nurse at the gps was great. Keep going back until your happy.

Taytayslayslay · 03/05/2025 11:16

SlagathaChristie · 03/05/2025 11:03

Oh, I hadn't heard of asthmatics struggling with piriton. I originally gave him piriton (I did on the Wednesday he got ill) but got him piriteze on Thursday as I wanted the non-drowsy version. I think the GP mentioned piriteze specifically.

My drs prescribed piriton for my daughter and she has diagnosed asthma. Never heard that either.

Intranslation · 03/05/2025 11:54

It's interesting re asthmatics and Piriton. I was really breathless when I took one for allergy years ago and I mentioned it to the pharmacist who said it wasn't the best antihistamine for asthmatics. GP also said not their preferred for asthmatics

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