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Original poster

Parents of Asthmatic children lets chat here...

127 replies

Nemoandthefishes · 06/10/2008 19:16

As we all know now tends to be when the asthma kicks off worst so thought we could all have a thread going where we can chat about different things...

My dd1 is asthmatic and is 2.9yrs old, started with breathing issues at 3wks old and was officially diagnosed last october.She has been admitted too many times to remember from asthma attacks/respiritory issues. She is currently on 4mg montelukast, 5ml cetrizine antihistamine, clenil modulite 100 2 puffs morning and night, salbutamol when required

OP posts:
Bridie3 · 06/10/2008 19:24

Actually now isn't the time my children's asthma is bad. It's June and then August,when they cut the crops in our our house. I long for cold,frosty days.

Original poster
Nemoandthefishes · 06/10/2008 19:29

bridie ok was jsut trying to chat but forget it..now is the time my dds asthma is horrendous and we are already one hospital admission into 'winter' yet june-sept shes great.

OP posts:
AllieBongo · 06/10/2008 19:51

i've just had 3 weeks of crap with dd. I'd say her time for episodes is the same as your dd. she has brittle asthma caused by viruses and colds, not atopic, we had all the allergy tests etc. she has been refusing prednisolone as it has made her vomit the last couple of times, so we have been trying pulmicort through the neb, but it's not as good. the montelukast gives her night terrors so we only use that when she has a cold. she has seretide 125 twice a day and a bucket load of ventolin when needed! she has a fabulous child's asthma nurse at addenbrookes hospital who we could not do without (oh and my GP is fab too)we thought we'd finally got her stable, but i think we may have to give her the singulair daily through the winter. she is 3.9. it's nice to chat to other people who have similar experiences

pointydog · 06/10/2008 19:54

what's teh deifnition of 'brittle' as opposed to atopic? I'v enot heard of it

AllieBongo · 06/10/2008 19:56

i believe (and this is probably wrong) atopic is caused by an allergy related thing, like pollen, dust mites etc. when they say her asthma is brittle she can deteriorate very quickly, so they aren't really opposites, you could i spose be both! dd's is caused by viruses and colds etc

gigglewitch · 06/10/2008 19:58

afaik 'brittle' is what my ds2 has, pretty much that it is triggered hugely by the cold viruses, the rest of the time it is manageable.

glad you've started this thread. The little two of mine (you've met) have asthma, and just to be awkward there's a summer one (DD) and a winter one(DS2)

AllieBongo · 06/10/2008 19:59

thanks giggle, i get so confused with all the different terms etc!

Original poster
Nemoandthefishes · 06/10/2008 19:59

DD1 is another with brittle asthma..can go to bed ok and wake up tugging and unable to breath due to some unknown trigger.
Allie have seen quite a few of your posts about dd being admitted etc

OP posts:
gigglewitch · 06/10/2008 19:59

hey Allie, we're both right
look at this

pointydog · 06/10/2008 19:59

so a child can have 'brittle' asthma (triggered by colds) but be a very atopic child (eczema, hayfever, rhinitis etc)?

AllieBongo · 06/10/2008 20:00

i used to get on here much more! she has been well for about a year now, but was awful this week. it doesn't help that I am 7 months pregnant and trying to rest due to my blood pressure.

AllieBongo · 06/10/2008 20:01

i expect so...

Original poster
Nemoandthefishes · 06/10/2008 20:03

bridie am sorry for snapping am in a bad mood tonight and shouldnt have snapped.

Have seen a lot of threads from parents of children with asthma lately particularly preschoolers so thought would be nice to have one area of chat regardless of when their asthma is triggered or how.

OP posts:
Original poster
Nemoandthefishes · 06/10/2008 20:05

dd1 must cover both aspects then..lol typical
as she has hayfever but it is managed, eczema and can go from being very well to very ill within an hour.

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 06/10/2008 20:05

Well, my DS is in the winter wheezer group. He's not allergic to anything, but the slightest sniffle, and he's hacking and coughing away like an old man and then the wheezing starts. Bless him, he's 2.4 and he already asks for his blue puff when he feels wheezy. Last week I had a bad chest infection, and he was delighted that I ended up with an inhaler and spacer of my own

Every time we go to the GP they cheerfully tell me that most toddlers grow out of it. I soo hope he does ! No admissions so far, but its been a bit close

pointydog · 06/10/2008 20:16

I've looked up brittle - a type of very severe asthma. Lots of info on Britush Lung Foundation.

mspotatochip · 06/10/2008 20:52

My DD is 22 months, wheezed with horrific night time cough all through her first winter and sniffed may -july (? hayfever). Was controlled on pulmicort from july to now but the coughing and wheezing has started again in last week. Came close to pushing panic button a few nights last winter, really hoping this year will be better.

We're seeing an allergy doc soon as her dad has a peanut allergy and we want to know whether when and how to give her nuts and she seems to react to eggs

I've had gp describe her as brittle asthmatic and horrible hospital doc give me a lecture for calling her asthmatic because "it impossible in under threes" grrrrr

SmugColditz · 06/10/2008 20:55

Oh Gawd I am glad it's not just me.

Ds1 was horrendous a couple of weeks ago, I had to get prednisilone for him (which always works but the child's gained no weight for a year and I'm concerned about stunted growth)

SmugColditz · 06/10/2008 20:56

Ds1 is virus triggered too, I'm afraid he's 5.6 and it's actually getting worse every year, as is his eczema

suedonim · 06/10/2008 21:00

Lots of sympathy to all parents of asthma-sufferers. All four of mine are asthmatic but ds2 was the worst of the lot. He had brittle asthma until he was 17yo and it was such hard going with h, especially when he decided to have migraines as well! I really feel for you - Asthma.Org is also a good place for info and support.

hazeyjane · 06/10/2008 21:28

dd1 (2.6) was diagnosed with asthma, when she was about a year old. She had a series of chest infections, a really bad night cough and wheezing. She has been up the last 3 nights, coughing and tight chested. She seems to get the worst symptoms after a cold, but also seems to be allergic to dust (like me).

So far we have tried Singulaire(had to stop due to nightmares) and Ventolin(made her hyper). At the moment she is having terbutaline, piriton (when she is bad) and an atrovent inhaler.

We haven't had to go to the hospital, thank god, and I'm hoping she grows out of it (I have).

Do any of you find that your lo's become hyper alongside the wheeziness?

Saturn74 · 06/10/2008 21:32

Great idea for a thread, nemo.
DS2 (10) has asthma that appears to be mainly triggered by allergies, and he is currently going through his second prolonged attack this month.
He seems to be getting worse as he gets older.
He's fed up, grumpy, hyper from the steroids and exhausted.
We are considering buying shares in prednisolone.

Jojay · 06/10/2008 21:37

Yes! My ds (22 mths)gets hyper too! My GP says it's a side effect of Ventolin.

So glad you've started this thread - thanks Nemo! Ds's attacks are virus triggered, and he had one last Tuesday, combined with his first bad cold for a while.

He has 2 puffs of Beclazone 50 twice daily, and 1 puff of Seravent twice daily. Last week he ended up on lots of Ventolin, prednisilone and antibiotics for a chest infection but he's over it now - the cold is still lingering though.

He was much worst when he was outside - the cold air seemed to make him cough, so I kept him in for a few days - he seems to cope ok now though.

My sympathies to all asthmatic children out there and their worried parents - it's grim isn't it?!

gigglewitch · 06/10/2008 21:38

hazeyjane - yes, hyper dcs!! I have this suspicion that the ventolin sends them [more] bonkers - what is the consensus out there?

Bridie3 · 06/10/2008 21:39

Is it not allowed to say that some children are very sick with asthma in summer, then?

I have had bad times with both children this summer and am thinking of moving back to the city--it can't be as bad as living in an arable area.