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Original poster

Recurrent Bronchilitis Any Advice?

16 replies

kathrynharriet · 02/01/2008 23:24

Hi just hoping to hear any advice that may help with my 18week old daughter.We have been admitted to hosp 4 times in the last 9 weeks with severe wheezing, poor feeding and very pale. Twice she has been in the O2 tank and tube fed and she is wheezing again! Seen GP and not worried at the mo, just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences. Thanks very much x

OP posts:

Original poster

kathrynharriet · 02/01/2008 23:26

OP posts:

Monkeybird · 02/01/2008 23:33

not sure mate but I'm feeling for you. Mine are persistent coughers and have started this with chest infections early on. Has she been treated for bronchiolitis?

I can't really advise as not quite the same in my case but have found ignoring the cool room advice works a bit for mine (but obv this is against most health advice so you have to take responsibility for it) Mine cough less if the room is much warmer than advised...

Good luck - maybe we need a 'coughers' thread....

Original poster

kathrynharriet · 02/01/2008 23:38

she has been treated as having bronch probs every time but each time i have been told that she wouldn't get it again! Theres nothing that has worked so far, but hoping that she will just grow out of it! They just sound so awful! breaks your heart just listening to them doesn't it. Hope your LO's are well soon!

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maturestudent · 03/01/2008 08:57

Probably not what you want to hear but DS got bronchiolitis (althought rsv neg) at 14 weeks, and was hospitialised for 4 days at the time. He had a few more wheezy coughing episodes after, then was ok through the summer. This winter though he started in september, and has been in hosptal countless times since, with wheezing etc. Every single virus goes straight to his chest. We have been admitted 3 times over xmas alone . the respiratory consultant said he hopes he will grow out of it but may not be until he is 6/7
You have my sympathies, tis terrible.

Monkeybird · 03/01/2008 20:38

RSV negative? That's a new one for me: are they supposed to be tested for it? Both my oldest were diagnosed with bronchiolitis but post-hoc IYSWIM... We have been in hosp a few times with each also.

Youngest is STILL getting over his chest virus now and I know he's gonna be a cougher/wheezer too...

Oldest completely stopped coughing about 4... Middle one is still coughing at 3 and baby is just starting. Sigh...

cktwo · 03/01/2008 20:42

HI, we have a wheezy Whinney too. Every virus and cold DD1 gets goes to her chest and we tend to end up in hospital too (twice in November but nothing in Dec/Jan so far .

No advice I'm afraid, although it does get easier to deal with the older they get. Also the more often it happens, the quicker you can see the symptons developing and can take action. DD1 is 3 next month and often we know more about her treatment than some of Doctors we see in hospital.

DD1 was put on preventative inhaler at 18months which has helped alot and we are seen every 8-12 weeks by the Paed.

Monkeybird · 03/01/2008 21:32

cktwo - do you have ventolin or summat else?

My oldest two have had ventolin but I was told by one of the many paeds we've seen that it doesn't actually work anyway until they're a bit older as the receptors in lungs are developed...

You know what, I might start an ongoing support thread to pool advice for those of us who have coughers/wheezers (but not apparently asthma...) What do you reckon?

I'd be very grateful also to keep up with others' experience of this, especially treatments and home interventions that work and perhaps if people find out stuff from doctors/hosps/research as and when they pick it up?

crapcook · 03/01/2008 21:51

I had a similar experience with DS when he was 5wks (it was over the New Year last year actually ) He was in hospital for 5 days but his oxygen was fine - he just wasn't able to bf properly as his heavy breathing and wheezing was making him work so hard that he didn't have the energy to feed as well.

I really feel for you kh - must be hard seeing your little dd go through all this.

He has had it a couple more times and when we have taken him to A & E, they gave him an Atrovent neb and he calmed down a lot and we were given an inhaler to take home with us. This Winter he has been really affected with his viruses on his chest. The hospital have given him a salbutamol inhaler as well now and that seems to work. The doctor seems to think he has asthma now.

Nemoandthefishes · 03/01/2008 21:54

DD1 from being 3wks had constant coughs and colds then when she was 4mths he was admitted with bronchilitis. She has spent pretty much last 2 yrs in and out with recurring bronchilitis and asthma. She is now at 2 getting slightly stronger and not getting as bad although she has also been put on steroid inhalers which I think helps her a little. Bronchilitis is viral and once they have had it they are more susceptible[sp] to it recurring as it is in their system.

cktwo · 03/01/2008 21:59

Monkeybird - Hi, yes we have Ventolin too. When that stops working I always whizz off to the A&E (it always seems to happen at 2am!) with DD1. She has had oral steroids a couple of times and also the nebuliser.

The inhaler helped loads last winter - we didn't have one admission. We've had two this year so the Paed has up'd the dosage on the brown inhaler.

Original poster

kathrynharriet · 03/01/2008 21:59

Mature student we have been rsv neg each time to! (rsv is the most common cause of bronchilitis) She has been given a ventolin inhaler which doesn't seem to have any effect. They have now given us a green inhaler, atrovent to see if that helps. So far nothing has showed any major benefits. We've had her at the GP today as she was very wheezy/coughing and her milk intake went right down to 2oz a feed and screaming inbetween as she couldn't suck. But thankfully her last three have been much better, 4/5oz every 3/4 hours. So fingers crossed we don't need to go back to the hospital today. Monkeybird, sounds good to me as any advice new things to try are always welcome!

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Elibean · 03/01/2008 22:27

My sympathies to all those with LOs suffering from bronchiolitis (RSV +ve in her case)...tis horrid. dd2 had it at 4 weeks and spent 5 days on the HDU, and another couple of days on the normal childrens' ward after coming off c-pap. It was very scary. Amazingly, she barely coughed at all afterwards and hasn't had any problems at all - though she's caught all the nasty coughs, colds, and assorted bugs from her big sister this winter. Fingers still tightly crossed for next couple of months though - if she does catch it again, she's at high risk of hospitalization as she has a floppy larynx that isn't hardened yet at 13 months.

dd1, who sailed though RSV last winter without more than a pale face and nasty cough, has had 3 chest infections in two months and has finally been given the brown inhaler as well as the blue: when she catches a cold now, we use both - blue first, followed by brown - and so far this seems to be working. She's borderline asthmatic, so all her colds were going to her chest, apparently.

FWIW, dd2 has slept with a humidifier in her room pretty much constantly since the autumn, also with head of bed raised, and it does definitely help her with breathing/coughing/congestion. Though I can hear her wheezing and squeaking away now

Original poster

kathrynharriet · 03/01/2008 22:36

Elibean, that must of been awful, this has been going on for around 10 weeks now and it is so tiring as we just feel so bloody useless as it keeps happening. We haven't got a humidifier and will look into getting one. Heres hoping for a peaceful and non wheezy nights sleep!

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Monkeybird · 03/01/2008 22:48

OK for those of you who'd like to contribute to an ongoing discussion about how to manage coughing/wheezing that isn't necessarily asthma, I've kicked it off here

Will post my own exps/suggestions etc on shortly but if you want to add, please do and let's try and build up some shared info we can all refer to when the next bout is bad!

bubblepop · 03/01/2008 23:37

hiya, my ds2 had this as a 6 week old baby. we spent 7 days in hospital,oxygen tent,that tube that sucks the mucus from their little nose, the alarm that kept going off every time the sats fell below a certain level...awful time i sympathise.

although it was'nt reoccurent, following that as he grew, every cold and sniffle went straight onto his chest, and consequently we used an inhaler which really worked. he did grow out of it all by the time he reached school age, and now at the age of 8, never has need for the inhaler,infact, he hardly ever gets a cold! there is light at the end of the tunnel.

cktwo · 04/01/2008 10:21

Elibean - I may be telling you stuff you already know but the brown inhaler takes a while to give protection so if you start it at the beginning of a cold it may not be having any impact. Was this what the Docs recommended to do?

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