Asthma - self help

[Lonelymum]

I think ds2 has asthma. He has had a number f mild wheezing attacks when he has found it mildly difficult to get his breath. Today, he had a similar attack when running round the garden and needed to sit down for a bit. I can't get him an appt right away with the GP (need to ring tomorrow!) and NHS direct online doesn't answer my query which is this:

Given I have no access to drugs at the moment, what is the best thing I can do for him if/when he has another attack. They are really very mild but cause him some anxiety and I don't want to exacerbate his condition. Is sitting him quietly the right thing to do? Should he try to breathe slowly? Does it help to breathe with him? Anything else I could try? Thanks.

I know what you mean. It is just that I fed ds1 for 7 months (OK, not that much difference) and dd for 12m and ds3 for 14m so, in comparison, I did less for ds2 than the others. Also, I suppose I feel guilty because a part of me has always thought the benefits of b/f were probably baloney - I mean, I didn't really believe that by b/f I was reducing their chances of getting asthma - but now it looks as though I was wrong.

hugs

For what it's worth, I think there's probably a lot of factors involved in asthma - not least the amount of pollution and central heating etc. I really honestly think that you can be proud of giving all your kids a really excellent start.

I know at the first diagnosis asthma is really scary, but it really DOESN'T affect my day to day living and it sounds like the symptoms your son gets are far far less than I did at his age - so it sounds like he's got it fairly mildly.

Plus, while I'm fairly negative about the health profession on some things, one area I can really sing their praises about is their knowledge and treatment of asthma. The drugs (particularly becotide and ventolin) have been used for years, have few side effects and are very effective. All surgeries are very hot on regular appointments and check ups. There's some fantastic information on the net. In general there's a hell of a lot of support and resources for asthma sufferers.

Yes you are right. There are many worse things out there.

Sometimes knowing that doesn't help though, does it?

Is he feeling a lot better now he's on the becotide, do you think?

I wouldn't say he is feeling a lot better, for two reasons:

1. he has a bad cough/cold at the moment and it is difficult to see beyond that

2. he wasn't that bad before he started the becotide. But he has only had one occasion to use the ventolin in 5 days, so.....

TBH, apart from late last week, I couldn't see much wrong with him. He had one or two wheezy attacks and in between he kept complaining of his inability to breathe properly, but with no outward signs of difficulty IYSWIM. That was why I was interested when you said the other day that the wheezing is only one part of the difficulty: I wasn't sure if he was just being an attention seeker.

When the cough has gone, I will be able to get a clearer picture I think.

nod definitely. I find that it takes about 2-3 weeks for the becotide to build up in my system and really start to make a difference too so that's worth bearing in mind.

Hope he feels better soon.

lonelymum, hope your ds is ok ? sorry not been intouch been to work! If your son uses a spacer volumatic then when you squirt one ventolin he should take 10 breaths through the volumatic then another squirt of ventolin and another ten breaths i knw when i have to give ventolin more often than every 4 hours that my ds is not responding and needs further treatment. sorry if i worried you re hospitals etc this is rare and he is normally under control also as an asthmatic think it is very hard to fake an attack as my own attacks i rarely wheeze! good luck

Can I ask another question re asthma? Does this mean we shouldn't/can't get a pet cat? Is it the case that all asthmatics are made worse by cat fur? I ask because I have long promised my children some pet cats and, in the house we are renting at the moment, there are some cats who belong to the people who used to live here (now round the corner). All the children have fallen madly in love with them, but none so much as ds2. He says the cats are the only good thing about our move. I desperately want to be able to buy him a cat of his own but now I don't know if I should. Any opinions?

Sorry for the delay in response - was away yesterday.

Hmm. Tough one. I am highly allergic to cats and ds1 has already been informed that he is not going to get anything with fur or feathers in the house until he's got a home of his own!

That said, to be asthmatic, you aren't necessarily allergic to pet dander. When I was diagnosed my dad was lucky enough to be in a job which provided health insurance at the time. So I got proper allergy testing and found out many of my triggers in one go. But I've also found some triggers by trial and error. What I don't know is if you can get allergy testing on the NHS?

The other things I've heard is that certain cat varieties are less prone to fluff than others and are more appropriate for allergy sufferers than others. I've also heard that you can train kittens to get used to having regular baths to reduce allergens (although the thought of giving cats baths doesn't sound too appealling to me!!!)

Might be worth having a google?

So allergy to cats and asthma don't necessarily fo hand in hand then? I shall ask the GP about allergy testing when I see him on Thursday although I don't hold out much hope. I am allergic to an antibiotic - presumably, but never confirmed as penicillin. It is a real bore finding something suitable to take when I need ABs but no doctor ever takes me up on the suggestion of finding out for sure what I am allergic to.

Not as far as I know... but I do think it's one of the common ones though As is dust mites.

Also allergies and asthma triggers don't appear to be the same things either, just to confuse things. I've found that I tend to need 2 triggers combined to have a bad asthmatic reaction (although the reactions are getting milder as I'm getting older...)

My triggers: stress, bad cold/flu, aspartame, a certain food colouring or additive in some brands of low sugar orange squash that I haven't isolated yet, fur, feathers, dust, cigarette smoke.

I'm also allergic to: penicillin, erythromycin, a certain catkin or something in hayfever symptom (symptoms only for a couple of weeks in very precise locations early spring) and for a brief period last summer the sun (I'm hoping that was a one off!). Oh, I don't know if you can count obstetric cholestasis as an allergic reaction either! But none of these cause asthmatic reactions.

Gawd... writing that list makes me seem really fragile!! I'm not, honest I'm actually even quite healthy most of the time

Gosh it sounds complicated! Erithromycin is the AB I am possibly allergic too: either that or penicillin (I took 2 drugs in quick succession and it has never been ascertained which one caused the allergic reaction. Do you have difficulties getting AB's if you need them? Once when I was pg and needed ABs, there were none I could safely take and I had to suffer terrible sinusitis for ages as as result.

It does! Hmm, somehow written down it looks terribly complex, lol. It doesn't feel complex.

Apparently I was told (after coming in and sobbing on the GP because I'd been so ill the night before on Erythromycin) that about 25% of people who are allergic to penicillin are also allergic to erythromycin. Very helpful! Wish he'd warned me beforehand!!!

I have been given antibiotics (there are others out there) but I tend to only have them if I can see no other way because of my previous bad experience. I also annoy the GPs like hell by repeating over and over "I'm allergic to penicillin and erythromycin" while they're searching the drug database just in case they forget I think (although I'm not sure how it works) that penicillin & erythromycin are generally acting abs and that they then have to go for more specific (and more expensive!) abs if you can't take those.

I like to keep them on their toes

You sound like me! I am there saying "I am allergic to either P or E...." everytime I need ABs too. (Not that I need them that often but the need has arisen a few times).

Just to counteract what you were told, one doctor told me that it was extremely unlikely I am allergic to erithromycin as that is the AB usually given to people allergic to Penicillin! More of less the complete opposite of what you were told! Makes you wonder what anyone knows about these drugs doesn't it?

I was told like you, however, that P and E are good all purpose ABs and that not being able to take them is not usually a problem but just means the doctor has to use something else.

Just found this page from Cats Protection about cats & asthma. It's a PDF file so you may need to download Adobe Reader to view it (let me know if you do - will give you the appropriate link). Might be of help?

Thanks. Have read it. Was quite happy to see that only 1 in 10 asthmatcis asked in the survey said they were allergic to animals, but not so happy to see the advice that you shouldn't get a new pet if someone in the family has been diagnosed as asthmatic. Ds2 would be really upset if we didn't get a cat.... His asthma is not that bad at the moment and perhaps it won't worsen? Obviously I am going to have to mention this to the GP, hopefully out of ds2's hearing.

The other option with cats - maybe you could speak to a local cat foster organisation where you could trial having a cat for a while? If you say it's due to potential link to asthma they might have a lot of really helpful advice on which breeds are better and how often to bathe the cat. And then if it doesn't work out they could then take the cat back and find another home.

Apparently, allergicness (that's not a word, I know, but I can't think of one right now!) varies from cat to cat (not necessarily tied to breed) so it might take some trial and error to find the right one. It's also important to keep them out of bedrooms.

I think it's worth getting the skin allergen test done. Then at least you'll be proceeding on a position of knowledge.

Another option is a pet that stays out in the garden - a rabbit or something like that?

Ds1 has resigned himself to goldfish when he's bigger, poor mite (but that's as much me refusing to take responsibility for looking after an animal as concerns about allergies...)

We are kind of trialing a cat right now: one of the cats that used to live in this house comes round most days and the children play with her a lot. Of course, ds2's asthma only started since we have been here so I am wondering if being with a cat started it or whether that is a coincidence. I can't say I notice he is worse when the cat is around than he is when she isn't though. Also, the cat doesn't go on his bed as I don't encourage her to make herself that much at home so that might make a difference.

I know what you mean about not wanting to look after the pet yourself. That is why I am so in favour of having a cat as it is the one animal I would enjoy looking after myself when the novelty has worn off the children.

I have a worrying image of ds2 ending up with a lizard or a snake or something, if it turns out he can't have a furry pet!

Erm snakes eat mice, so that wouldn't necessarily be a solution

HELLO LONELY MUM

JUST PICKED UP AGAIN ! Both myself and ds are allergic to cats ! both fine with dogs and guinea pigs etc and rabbits although ds friend is allergic to all. My ds also allergic to penicillan though i am not . Also neither of us has had allergy testing.