Wheezy baby - advice needed

[Wallace]

Ds2 (6m) has a cold and a cough. I took him to the doc yesterday and she said he had a wheeze and prescribed him an inhaler(1 puff four times a day).

He is still very wheezy, but is smiley, alert and feeding fine apart from struggling a bit because he is so snuffly.

I was told if I gave him a puff of the inhaler and it didn't seem to be working, to give him another puff. How quickly should the inhaler work? I gave him a puff almost an hour ago and he hasn't improved yet.

Also, if he doesn't improve over the weekend, is there a point when I should start to worry? He does seem happy enough at the moment, and has been only a wee bit more grumpy than normal.

Sounds similar to what my DD has got at the mo with snottiness and phlem in the throat. She was a nightmare Thursday night until my DH suggested me sitting in a hot-ish bath with her and filled the sink up with boiling water and vicks. She was splashing around within 5 mins. This was at 4am and she had been crying non stop since 11pm! The direct heat of the water seemed to ease her chest.

thanks, that sounds like a good idea. i did try running a hot bath earlier for the steam, but dh had used all the hot water i have the booster on so will have hot water if we need it.

how is your dd now/?

Hi wallace,
Hope your ds has improved. His symptoms sound kind of croupish to me. My ds2 also 6 months stared on wednesday morning sounding very hoarse but it progressed to whease wednesday evening. I took him to the doctors on thurs morning and they gave him a subutomol inhaler. I tried it 3 times at 4 puffs through spacer but it made no difference. Rang Gp back and they told me to ring an ambulance. So I drove him to a and e and spent the night on infants ward following 2 lots of dexamethasone (steroid). He's still ill but much better he was breathing very fast(60 resp per minute) and his pulse was racing (188 beats per min) But other than that he was smiling The info sheet says to go to a and e or call 999 if

Your child has trouble breathing, goes blue or pale in colour
if your child goes floppy or sucks in their breastbone when breathing
If your child has a high temperature, looks sick, is restless, dribbles nonstop and refuses to eat/drink

Hope he's better soon I've learn't that I'd rather be at a + e with over reation than at home with under reaction!!! and I'm a nurse!!!!

I don't want to add any advice as there is plenty of good avice here already.

However there is one serious inaccuracy

YOU CAN OVERDOSE ON SALBUTAMOL - symptoms of this include muscle shakes and tachycardia (fast heart beat). Which in extreme cases can be very serious.

Giving an extra puff or two however would be within an eccpetable limit. The muscle shakes would occur before the more serious effects - so you will know when to stop.

I think 1 puff theough a spacer is actualy quite s low dose anyway. When my DTDs were using it I think they were using 4 puffs through a spacer - although they were probably a little older.

I still maintain you couldn't mistake true croup. imho this does not sound like croup (although obv difficult to tell when you can't hear the baby's breathing). The fact that he responds to salbutamol indicates that it is not croup. Croup is only responsive to steroids, not bronchodilators like salbutamol.

Also second what slightlymad said.

I hope he's better soon

Thanks all. He has been a lot better today, but still a bit wheezy (it seems to come ang go)

I'll see what sort of night we have, then maybe pop to the doc tomnorrow.

just to update. Went to the doc today (couldn't get an appt yesterday) and the doc thinks it prob was bronchiolitis. He is still wheezy and crackly, but is getting better. doc wants to see him next week to check his chest.

The doc also mentioned that even though asthma cannot be diagnosed at this age, given that dh has asthma and ds2 has a wheeze, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if ds2 went on to develop asthma

Anyone have any experience of wheezy babies that went on to develop asthma, or not?

Wallace my ds between 6 and 18m had continual chestiness, night time cough, infections, wheezy spells. He kept having antibiotics but I pushed for him to have a steroid inhaler as we have a strong history of asthma in the family. Eventually they gave in and he improved within a few weeks, then he deteriorated a bit after a few months so went onto tablets as well which were brilliant. He had regular asthma clinic monitoring at the surgery, has gradually improved and reduced meds and since April last year when he was four and a half he has had no meds .

I do understand why they are reluctant to diagnose asthma in under twos but without that working diagnosis ds would have struggled for even longer.

Glad to hear your ds is getting better.

We know that he may get worse again in the future but for now are enjoying the good times!

Thank you. Glad your ds is doing well

Blimey that last line in my last post sounded highly melodramatic, wasn't meant to!