Some advice about croup please!!

[alibobins]

Ds sounds a little croupy but i'm not sure.

We have got steriods at home to give incase of severe croup but the question is do I give them now to try and stop it progressing or wait and see what happens tonight.

The hospital prescibed the steriods as ds gets severe croup on a regular basis and this is to try and stop a trip to a&e.

TIA

from what I understand the steroids act pretty fast dont they, so maybe hold off and try to humidify the air in his room as much as possible and see if that can do? Wet towels on radiator etc if you dont have a humidifier.

but i imagine you know far more about croup than me!

If he has had it before, and sounds like its flaring up, start the steroids now - they take a few hours to work. Airways narrow a little at night anyway so you may find its worse at night even with humidifying room. If in doubt or conditioning deteriorating take him to out of hours service or A&E.

Had a horrible night so i'm off to gp as soon as it opens

Oh sorry to hear that. Best of luck with it to you and ds!

There's always A and E if you dont want to wait until the doctor's opens.

If you've already given a steroid dose in the night and it's not done much, it may be a better place to head for anyway?

Gp sent us to hospital and he was admitted for the night for observation incase he needed more help

Ds was ok just needed a bit of oxygen in the night but was let home at dinner today armed with a three day course of steroids.

Its really getting me down ds has been in and out of hospital these last 3 months and we are not even halfway through winter

My dd has just been prescribed a 3 day course of steroids for croup too, we've had two bad nights so far, and she's not that much better.

Just went out and she was fine walking there - only ten min walk away, then had to carry her back as she is coughing and coughing. I'm on my own tonight with no transport miles from nearest hospital or out of hours dr which always makes me a bit nervous.

Should steroids have made a difference by now, she's had 2 out of 3 doses? This is the second time she's had it this autumn.

I think there should be some improvement by now.

Ds will have had a five day course by the time he finishes.

There could be a secondary infection.

Hospital said nurofen helps because it reduces the inflamation in the airways.

We've just had steriods for dss asthma - it said on the packet not to use with neurofen or anti-inflammatories, so do check the leaflet.

Best of luck with the croup. Ds1 had it horribly, so loads of sympathy coming your way.

Lots of people with asthma are sensitive to the group of drugs that include Aspirin and Nurofen(Ibuprofen) so I would avoid these - they can cause broncho spasm( airway narrowing).

Boco - has your Lo been diagnosed with asthma - sounds more likely than croup - from your post - I would go back to your GP or practice nurse - for review and further assessment and treatment.

Well as I said Bronchospasm is a well known side effect of Ibuprofen which is generally used to relieve musclo sketetal pain and temperature not reduce airway swelling which is the action of the steriods. Ibuprofen is a Non steroidal anti- inflammatory. Hope that answers your question.

Ds has had croup more times than I can count and always needs hospital treatments

He has also got severe asthma which he has been in hospital for quite alot

He has had nurofen without any side affects but it may not be the same for everyone.

It was the hospital that gave him nurofen and told me to carry on for 3 days alternating with calpol.

I was just passing on information that may help.

Fruitymum - it's definitely the barking croup like cough - and in between attacks she never has any wheezing or coughing. She seems to get it a lot in winter then nothing at all in summer. It lasts about 3 nights each time and always when she gets a cold. I have asthma so it's in the family and my older dd had an inhaler for a while. Dr said wheezing is all upper tract.

Sorry to hear how it turned out alibobiins. Hopefully on the mend now?

Confusing about the ibuprofen - dd1 was in hospital for a few days following a chest infection, croup and asthma 3 weeks ago, and on two different wards their policy was different - she went from one where the sister said "ooh no she can't have ibuprofen", then was transferred to a longer-term stay ward where they said it was fine and she had it every 6 hours (agreed by the registrar).

It doesn't help when the medical world can't agree!

He seems much better today

Good