Can't decide if dd2 has mild asthma or not

[Polgara2]

In the summer dd2 (9) developed hayfever (itchy eyes etc) and said she was feeling tight chested (my description). Doc gave her antihistamines which helped the eyes but not the chest. Went back gave her inhaler for 'seasonal asthma'. Dd2 said it helped for a bit but then it was hit and miss whether it made any difference. I was unsure whether it was asthma or her panicking because she wasn't feeling well with the hayfever (and she does panic about feeling ill at school).

Anyway she fast forward to winter and she is complaining of chest pain and needing to catch her breath. Now she has been anxious about school this term and has been laid low with a nasty virus a few weeks ago. She looks deathly pale, very tired, her eczema has gone mad and now this. Oh and tummy pain today as well .

My question is (yes I do have one!) can it be asthma with only these symptoms - she doesn't cough and isn't wheezy.

I don't to give her inhaler if she doesn't need it but don't want to stop her if she does need it iyswim.

Thank you if you are still with me.

It would help if she had a peak flow meter. It'll show if her peak flow is reduced or not. It can also be very reassuring if you feel anxious about wheezing but get a normal reading on it and can see how that's different to it going low with a tight chest.

If I were you I would first take her to the GP to check her over for a chest infection or something like that, and to ask for a peak flow meter (you get them on prescription), and maybe an appointment with your surgery's asthma nurse.

Im not speaking from a medical viewpoint here but a reliever will relieve any tightness she may feel either allergically or with asthma and I always think its better to use the inhaler and be comfortable rather than struggle not to be 'asthmatic' iyswim- if you have the inhaler and she feels 'tight' just use it!.

Yes nickschick I have been giving her the inhaler but again she says it is hit and miss on the difference it makes. Although having said that she did feel better after it last night (unless it was the placebo effect).

Gelinkrol - I didn't know about a peak flow meter. I think I will speak to the asthma nurse on the phone first and maybe take it from there.

I do so worry about her though, she always seems to be suffering with something. She even said herself last night 'there always seems to be something wrong with me Mummy, why can't I just feel well' .

One of DD's friends felt like this a few winters ago - she just didn't feel well but particularly couldn't 'catch her breath'. They did all sorts of tests, including testing for anaemia and leukaemia which all came back negative. Eventually they worked out that she was just panicking and feeling worried about school.

The GP taught her some slow breathing techniques and she felt a lot better.

The more she thinks about being ill, the more ill she'll feel, IYSWIM.

I'd start with a full check up at the Doctors if I were you - get him to listen to her chest, check her urine etc just to rule out everything and then go from there.

Well yes she does get very anxious about things as well. I agree about the more she thinks about being ill bit most definitely!

I am going to ring the asthma nurse to get either a definite diagnosis or an elimination iyswim.

Thanks

quick update:

She has been given the brown inhaler to use morning and night with a spacer. The asthma nurse has given her an asthma diary to log her peak flow readings which she is very keen to fill in and is so far not phased by the new medication. Her peak flow reading was only half what it should have been . Time will tell whether this new regime helps I guess.

Thanks all