ASTHMA . Does anyone have a Lo with a purple inhaler? (Seretide)

[princessmel]

Took ds to the doctors tonight. He was coughing quite badly at the weekend.

She's given him a new puffer. A purple one. Not seen one of those before. Its called Seretide. Meant to be stronger etc.

And he has a 5 day course of steroids to get him back on track. Soluble prednisolone Tablets.

She said he was wheezy (she never normally says that about him) and his peak flow was only 80. It should be 140 for his height and age. (5yrs, 110cm)

I think he's got worse generally. Coughs more after activity etc.

We have to call her on thursday with an updated peak flow reading.

Just wondered how common the purple ones are.

Yes Seretide is salmeterol (green long acting blue) and fluticasone (orange steroid like beclometasone brown)

Thanks jennster. was I right though? ds doesn't have orange or green. I didn't even know they existed. Or purple till tonight

Someone said that these steroids can affect their growth , is that true at all?

x posts. thanks.

Poor thing ali. When did he first have it?

I have a Seretide inhaler - I take it every morning and hardly ever need to use my ventolin. I find so much better than when I was on a brown inhaler - I still often felt wheezy but now I hardly ever do.

Was chesty from birth really and they put it down to a difficult birth, then to mucus and at about 6 weeks he had his first chest infection and it went on like that.

Saw consultant at 6 months and we now see him every 6 weeks and my own gp every week

Thanks binkie and flip. I feel really positive about it. I'm very glad I took ds tonight. I hope it works for him.

See ds has never been described as 'chesty'. nurse/gp always says his chest is clear.
I don't get it.

I have been hospitalised a few times in the past with my asthma but since starting Seretide my asthma has been better than it ever has been since I developed it 25 years ago-ish. Truly, it has completely revolutionised my asthma - I used to be on becotide twice daily, salbutamol 4+ times a day and nebulisers and steroids once or twice a year. I now take one dose of Seretide a day (rather than the recommended two doses) and haven't needed my Salbutamol, nebuliser or steroids at all since I started taking it 18 months ago. I hope it works as well for your son

Inhaled steroids in low doses are highly unlikely to affect your lo's growth. Short courses of steroid tablets will not affect his growth either. I'm afraid I don't have a BNF on me so can't check the dose, but Im pretty sure the pharmacist would have done it at the time of dispensing and it sounds like your GP did too. You do need to use them regularly for them to be effective though. Don't stop giving them when he seems better. Inhaled steroids also take a few days before they kick in so that is why he has the tablets too.

The combination inhaler you have is very useful because it means less inhalers for you to administer to a lo. I'm guessing it's an aerosol inhaler and you also have a spacer?

Well hopefully the prednisolone should get him back on track and the seretide should stop it happening again.

Good luck

The dose of steroids in the combination inhalers (e.g. purple) is lower than that in the brown (becotide) inhaler - as they work more effecitively in combination.

Thanks everyone. You are all so clued up about this.

Yes he has a spacer and mouth piece. He's very good at taking things. Luckily.

Not mouth piece, I meant a face mask.

that's good. I'm sure he will be fine. Goodluck.

Off to bed now. Night night.