Any asthma experts around today?

[VeraSquonkTheBeerGuru]

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?)

sidge. Thank you.

That was what I thought, I have rang the asthma clinic and they don't have any appointments till the week after next, so I shall give him the cough medicine and keep going with the blue inhaler and we'll see how we get on.

(spoke to dp, and he said that he doesn't know what I'm worrying about as it's been ages since ds has woken in the night wonder whether he wonders why when he goes to bed there's only me there, and when he wakes up, there are four of us there....)

LOL at your DH Vera - it's like the dads who say "wow the baby slept all night" as their bleary eyed wife sits beside him...

If it is asthma cough medicine will do diddly squat but might soothe a sore throat from coughing. I would give the blue inhaler quite regularly, ie every 4-6 hours (not usually how it's used but I think the situation warrants it). Definitely give it before bedtime, it has an action of about 4 hours or so so may help him have a comfortable stretch of sleep. And you can give it again in the night as needed. Do you have a spacer? If so you can even give it when he's asleep!

Hope it gets sorted for you (and him).

I'm don't really have anything to add to what Sidge said, but I'm really surprised at the GP. I work in asthma research, and when I read your post about lost sleep on the other thread, I thought it sounded like classic childhood asthma. I'm sure Sidge will be able to correct me, but he might just have 'wheezy baby' syndrome, and he may well grow out of it.

Asthma nurses always know more than the docs, IMO

I think that any specialist knows more about that particular area than an all-rounder like a gp.

It's just that I thought I knew what I wanted, and naively expected the doc to just say "um... ok then" and give me what I asked for!

Tis good to hear from you guys that I am not going round the twist, and perhaps I was right after all.

Thanks.

Squonk, always listen to your own instinct!!

I was the reverse actually, ds was hospitalised twice by the time he was 12 months for breathing problems at night time. His dad smoked, and ds had a cold at the time. Naturally his airways were tiny and had difficulty taking in air.

I got his dad to stop smoking in house, and was vigilant when ds had a cold. He had no other problems at any other time, so I resisted the HCP's urge to label him asthmatic. I don't believe he ever was and now that he's older that label has been removed from his medical records.

YOU'RE the mum, they must listen to YOU.