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Original poster

Any asthma experts around today?

30 replies

VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 10:49

Went to doctors today re: ds coughing in the night

Doc had a listen to his chest and said that she couldn't hear anything so therefore it wasn't a chest infection, and it also wasn't asthma.

Now, am I right in thinking that if it was asthma that was making him cough in the middle of the night (but not during the day) then she wouldn't be able to hear anything in his chest 8 hours later?

She prescribed some cough medicine and said that he can take his blue inhaler when he is coughing but I walked out feeling as if the entire visit had been a bit worthless really.

Was she right to tell me that it is not asthma that is making him cough?

What should I do now (other than giving him the cough medicine that I suspect won't work, and giving him his inhaler like I have been doing?)

OP posts:
Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 11:47

I would appreciate any advice

OP posts:
Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 11:57

or anyone who has a vague idea about asthma... you don't have to be an expert...

OP posts:
RubyRioja · 09/04/2008 11:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TeriHatchetJob · 09/04/2008 12:01

My son has mild childhood asthma - it's getting better all the time over the years.

When it was worse when he was younger however, it would be the nights that caused most problems.
He could just have a sniffle during the day but come nighttime the old wheezy cough would set in.

We went through a time of using the brown preventer inhaler when he seemed to be suffering more often than not but after a year or so when things got better we just used the blue one.

Often he would seem right as rain during the day but the nights would just bring on the wheezy cough.

Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 12:01

I thought so too.

Do you think I should ask for an appointment at the asthma clinic and see what they say?

OP posts:
TeriHatchetJob · 09/04/2008 12:02

I would, yes. I did and they did blow tests and charts etc. It all helped in confirming the asthma and the treatment.

Boco · 09/04/2008 12:03

My dds have both had periods of bad night coughs, and at various times have been prescribed steroid inhalers.

DD1 had one from the age of 1 on and off - but I don't think she has asthma, she just seemed to grow out of it and now at 5 hasn't been to the doctor for a cough for a couple of years. They were pretty vague about whether or not it was asthma - they said it could have been. It's very hard to get definite answers.

With dd2 she gets frequent croup so has a night cough for weeks at a time. She's also been prescribed steroids at various times, but they don't think it's asthma - it seems she's just prone to narrowing of upper tract tubes and viruses.

So, that long muddled post is to illustrate that it can all be a bit woolly. Helpful yes?

Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 12:04

thank you.

I don't want to undermine what the doc said, but I just didn't feel 'seen to' iykwim.

I think I will ask to see the asthma nurse.

OP posts:
Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 12:05

thanks, boco twas tres helpful. (I think )

He has been diagnosed with asthma. He wheezes and has a blue inhaler to sort that out, which works. The coughing is a new symptom and it's what my current worry is about.

OP posts:
BetteNoir · 09/04/2008 12:15

Does your DS have a peak flow meter at home, Squonk?

DS2 has asthma, and often has symptoms, but the doctor can't hear anything in his chest.

The peak flow meter is a good indication of whether DS is starting to struggle, and we have to up the inhalers.

I think an appointment with the asthma nurse would be good.

KerryMum · 09/04/2008 12:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 12:43

no to both questions.

He's only 2, so his definitive diagnosis consisted of "use this inhaler, if it works, it's asthma" - and it worked, so we're assuming it is asthma.

I am sure it is asthma - my cousin has it (and has since he was a baby)

Not sure he could blow into a peak flow meter, but he wasn't given the opportunity.

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 09/04/2008 12:49

When DS was going through his really bad coughing, we were told that it couldn't be a chest infection as they couldn't hear anything. Of course, it eventually turned out (GP decided to get an xray just in case it was an inhaled foreign body) that he had a partially collapsed lung as the mucus had plugged it up and infection was going nicely behind it. Things moved fast after that - but it took us 5 months to get them to that point.

Asthma in littlies is very different to that in older children and adults as apparently its more to do with mucus overproduction than spasming airways, so needs different diagnosis and management (from Ds's consultants handout).

Be firm and demand to go to the asthma clinic

Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 12:53

I shall, CMOT. Sounds like you had a scary time! five months? sheesh!

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mspotatochip · 09/04/2008 12:54

I think the title "asthma" or not is a bit of a distraction. If a child is coughing and or wheezing at night to the extent of distress repeatedly it needs treated. My dd is on ventolin and pulmicort (preventer) for a constant wheezy night cough. She is also very prone to chest and upper respiratory tract and ear infections. No-one knows if its asthma as shes too young (14 months they need to be old enough 3? to blow into peak flow meter) for definitive diagnosis.

Docs have repeatedly told me if you are worried at night call out of hours doc. If they take too long go to A&E.

Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 12:56

He's not coughing so much that he struggles to breathe. It's just that he is coughing for an hour or so, which wakes him up, which wakes up his sister, which means not a lot of sleep for anyone!

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ScienceTeacher · 09/04/2008 12:58

If his blue inhaler makes a difference, the it may be that your DS has a nocturnal wheeze, or perhaps is airways are narrowed.

But coughs are almost always worse at night in almost anyone - that includes asthma sufferers who are not having an attack. This is because gravity is not helping out when you are lying down.

There is no harm giving normal dose cough medicine and ventolin inhalers. If either of them work, then be happy.

Klaw · 09/04/2008 12:59

How warm is ds room at night? Do you use blankets or duvet?

Change to sheets and blankets, keep the room cool (cold even!) and allow the option of layering so that you can keep an eye on how hot he is.

Overheating may exacerbate asthma, even though you might not see it as overheating, even a little extra warmth might make all the difference, iyswim?

cmotdibbler · 09/04/2008 12:59

It was not a good time - from when DS was 6 months he just coughed and coughed. Most nights he ended up on my pillows to get him a little sleep.
We were very fortunate in that as the shadow on his xray didn't resolve after the first lot of strong antibs, we got referred urgently to a fab consultant (who looks after one of my colleagues DTs who was in NICU due to severe lung infection), and he got all the tests possible done very quickly, and gave us a treatment plan - antibs for weeks, chest physio, inhalers (prescribed at a dose that made the pharmacist ring him to check) - the lot. And loads of info on managing asthma, and what to expect in the future.

We didn't realise how bad he had been till he stopped coughing !

Now he wheezes too, but since starting the steroid inhaler is much more stable

Original poster
VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru · 09/04/2008 13:02

It's strange that you should say that, klaw - dp insists that their room is not warm enough and wants me to put a heater in there, which I have been resisting.

His room is as warm as it is iykwim - there is no heating in there, so he has sheets, blankets and a quilt, which I put on his bed dependent on how warm it is on the day.

OP posts:
mspotatochip · 09/04/2008 13:04

just read whole of previous thread. DD and I are stuck in ireland cos she got an ear infection on a weekend visit and we were advised not to fly. Anyway its turned into a whole head infection (best way I can describe) and shes coughing and coughing to sickness and her chest is clear (irish docs v sceptical about her being on inhalers but thats a different post). We have been loaned a nebuliser to use JUST with water. Its magic. Steaming just as effective I suppose but I'm afraid of scalding and we've been loaned the magic toy. Going to buy a cheapy when i get back to uk

ScienceTeacher · 09/04/2008 13:05

Read more of the thread now.

My DD (6) has been in and out of hospital with quite brittle attacks. In the time between ages 1 and 4, she had episodes of being very poorly and requiring life-saving treatment. She never really had a night-time cough during that time.

Now her symptoms are mostly night-time cough - I quite often hear her coughing in the night so I get up and give her a couple of puffs which do the trick. She is often free of wheezing once she gets up, although can still appear to have laboured breathing (ie upper respiratory problem).

Basically, symptoms can change as they grow.

BTW, my DD has never officially been diagnosed with asthma - they call it a wheeze associated with viral episode - WAVE - ie she may get wheezy with a cold. For convenience, occasionally the word asthma slips out, but it has never been official.

marymoocow · 09/04/2008 13:08

No expert, and only just learning myself, but our doctor told us that ds 4 was too young for a peak flow meter, and that if the inhalers worked it was a good indication. However, as i said, we are still only just going through this, which has reminded me that i need to make an appointment at the asthma clinic for a review

Bridie3 · 09/04/2008 13:11

It's very hard to diagnose asthma in young children. My son's was diagnosed as tonsilitis and croup. He may actually have had both these two things at the same time--clouding the diagnosis.

Sidge · 09/04/2008 13:14

In children a night time cough can be the ONLY symptom of asthma. I think the GP was a bit vague to say that it's not asthma - you can't really tell asthma from listening to the chest (especially where there is no wheeze) and especially where a night cough is the only symptom.

Peak flows can't really be done under 5, and you need a 2 week diary to confirm nocturnal/diurnal variations.

In a 2 year old I would go on symptomology (I'm a practice nurse) and would give you a blue (salbutamol) inhaler for when he is coughing, and a brown (steroid) inhaler to use regularly. If you then see an improvement within 2-4 weeks you can fairly easily assume it's asthma (or an asthma like condition).

My DD was diagnosed with asthma on that basis when she was about 2.5 - her only symptom was nocturnal cough and she responded really well to the inhalers. I would advise you to make an appointment with the asthma nurse (they often know more than the GPs about asthma!)