ds is wheezing - help!

[vivie]

Ds is 19 months and was diagnosed with asthma recently on the basis that he has eczema and allergies (is obviously atopic) and that whenever he gets a cold he coughs and coughs for ages. I've never heard him wheeze - until just now. He has had a very runny nose and has been coughing since yesterday, and he's had a busy afternoon running about in the park. I noticed him wheezing when he was having his tea, and although he seems cheerful enough, ate loads and is playing well with dh, his breathing is quite laboured and I'm getting worried.

If it was during the day and during the week I wouldn't hesitate to take him to the GP, but as it's Saturday evening I would have to take him to A&E to see a doc, and I think he might do better having a nice bath, some Calpol and an early night. Am I doing the right thing? PLEASE can I have some advice! Thankyou.

Does he have an inhaler if he's been diagnosed? If so I would try him with it and see if things improve. If not I'm afraid I would take him to A+E. Calpol isn't going to help with wheezing. Sorry, not what you wanted to hear, but I don't think it's worth taking risks with laboured breathing.

Ds1 (4yrs) is asthmatic. Even if there are no other obvious signs I know that it's time to get him to a doctor if his shoulders are going up and down as he breathes. Do you have a blue inhaler and a spacer? If not I would say to take him to A&E.

Thanks for responding so quickly, we took your advice and went to A&E. They gave us volumatic thingie and salbutamol (which ds didn't really like but I think we got some in him) and we're back home with ds asleep. Fingers crossed for a good night's sleep and an improvement tomorrow. Doubt I'll be able to sleep though...

I know there are problems with the NHS, but I think it's wonderful that I can get my poorly child seen and treated so quickly. There are many families who aren't so fortunate and occasions like this always make me think about them.

Well done vivie, I'm glad you got it sorted. I bet you'll get more sleep than if you hadn't gone! I've had this dilemma many times myself, so I can completely relate to it.

Glad to hear he's okay. Hopefully he'll soon be back to his usual little self.

He woke up very upset at about midnight and absolutely refused to take any more of the inhalor - he seemed terrified by it and got hysterical whenever dh or I brought it anywhere near him. We thought that the distress might be making his breathing worse so eventually we left him and he went back to sleep after some more cuddles. I've been pacing up and down most of the night, and he doesn't seem to be as bad now (he's still asleep) although his breathing seems light and quick rather than long deep sleeping breaths and he's coughing a lot and I'm still pretty worried.
Do you have any advice for getting him to use the volumatic? Bedtime / middle of the night is the wrong time to try new things but we had no choice and maybe he'll feel more confident this morning? If I can't get him to have any more medicine should I take him back to see the emergency docs? How long do these things normally take to clear up? We've got the buiders in and the house is really dusty, could that be causing the problem? Sorry for all the questions, but this is all new and it's really scary. Thanks vivie xx

hiya. try again to give him the inhalor. try giving it to his favourite teddy/toy first then pretend that u and your dh need it too. turn it into a game. if after he takes it, he doesnt seem better then take him back down a+e.
my dd1 had a bad attack when she was about 2yrs old. she ended up being adnitted the 2nd time we took her to a+e in one day. she needed a nebuliser and they mointered her overnight. hopefully this wont be the case with your ds.

Vivie, you poor thing. I would agree with misdee, if you can get him to take it then great, if not he may need a nebuliser. You just have to not worry about wasting people's time (I'm assuming you feel the way I do, which may be wrong!) and take him back. The breathing/coughing you describe sounds pretty asthmatic, and from what you say about the dust I wouldn't hesitate. He'll be fine, honest, but do take him back if he won't use the inhaler. Do you have a mask aswell as a spacer? I found that easier when mine were small, they don't have to cooperate as much.
I'm thinking of you.

I agree with the others. If he really won't tolerate the inhaler then I would take him back to the docs. FWIW ds1 used to scream the place down when he first started using his inhaler. When the nurse said that they all seem to start that way but that ds1 would soon be using it with no problems I thought she was completely mad. She was right. On the rare occasion that someone forgets his morning/evening inhaler ds1 actually asks for it!

Good luck. Hope you and ds are feeling better soon.

My dd has a volumatic and inhaler and used to realy freak out abut it - we would have to hold her down and clamp it on her face which was horrible. Then our GP changed the drug and she's much calmer now - apparently the one she was on just doesn't taste very nice! Also we get her to hold it herself now so she feels more in control, but she is a bit older.
Another thing that really works for her is to have a humidifier in her room. At the first sign of a cough I put it on and it tends to make her coughs much less severe and they don't go on for as long. You can put bit of vicks or olbas oil in it which helps ease any congestion too.
We also switched all her bedding to allergen free synthetic stuff to be on the safe side.
A dusty house will make it worse so try and keep his door closed and sealed as far as possible.

I found running a hot bath, so the bathroom was steamy and putting a Karvol capsule in the bath helped. I came out wet and dripping in sweat but my ds was always calmer and more able to breath without weazing!

Snap beccles, I was just going to say the same thing about steam. It's a good idea for croup but isn't likely to help asthma.

We have just started to it and have been playing the "the elephant game", passing the voulmatic around and counting each time until ten. DS(17m) gets abit uneasy baout he getting an extra "spray" but there have been occassions whenwe have had to force the volumatic and yes it's horrible but there were nto any other options being 3 in the morning and I just consider it natural for DS to fight it but we applied it anyway and he was definitively better.

DS coughing and wheezing is triggered by dust, pollen and... dog hair . So it's all about keeping the house immaculately clean, change the cot sheets every 3 days and put some of his toys in the freezer once a month. The humidifier is routine at night but just for 4-5 hrs.

Good luck

dd used to kick and scream with the spacer, but the deeper they breathe (when screaming!) the quicker the drug gets into the lungs, so if there is no other way, just put up with the fighting- offer stickers or other treats in return for the puffs!

We had to go up to the hospital with dd this week, and after we warned the nurses that she wouldn't like the spacer, she sat there and took 10 puffs like an angel! Since then she has been much better with it- the trick seems to be NOT to clamp the spacer on, but to hold it gently next to the nose, just touching the skin, slope the spacer downhill (important) and distract while they take 5 - 10 breaths. Dd is distracted by counting dad's fingers, but I expect anything will do!

Thankyou all for your kind thoughts and good advice. Ds has been playing with the volumatic this morning and doesn't seem frightened of it any more, although he freaks out when it looks like we're going to spray the medicine into it. So far haven't got him to take any but will try again this afternoon, and will force him to if necessary before bed - we all need a good nights sleep.
I've thoroughly cleaned his bedroom, luckily he has a laminate floor, and I've wiped everything with a damp cloth and have had the windows open all morning. Dh has been outside with him most of the morning, dodging the showers. He's having a nap now and his breathing sounds easier than it has done since I first posted. Maybe things are improving?
I'll let you know how we get on this afternoon. Thanks so much.

If your spacer has a mask rather than a mouth piece you can give it while they are asleep! Other tactics include letting them decorate with stickers, using bubbles to distract / as a reward. Also it could be the spacer which is the problem, my DS now 3 currently has a short metal one which looks very space age which he loves. To be honest age has improved things for us, he now connects taking his 'haler' as he calls it with feeling better and when he had to go to hospital last week for a nebuliser was much better than the last time he'd had one about a year ago. Now it is all just part of his routine he is happy to co-operate, although he still resists trips to the doctors / hospital.

I just wanted to let you know that ds is feeling much better today, he still has a cold but his breathing is fine and he's happy in himself. Having said that, I'm sure we are going to need the inhalor again so I really appreciate all your good advice. Thanks again.

if you got a small bathroom do what my mother used to do with me sit in the bathroom with me and a few toys then give a couple of sqwirts into the room and keep him in there for about fifteen minuites and just let him inhale it naturaly you will find the calmer you can keep him in the room the more he will inhale also have a word with your doctor about a room nebuliser (sp?) you set it up in there bedroom and there supposed to inhale it in there sleep (wanst asmatic just had a lot of chest infections while teething)
hth