Asthma medication and sleep

[Chairmum]

My 5 yr old daughter sometimes has asthma which is treated with a Ventolin inhaler. A side effect of Ventolin seems to be that she becomes hyperactive and is unable to go to sleep at night. She was awake until 3am this morning, having gone to bed around 9pm. Does anyone have a recommendation of something she could take to help her sleep? I was thinking along the lines of a herbal or natural remedy rather than an antihistmine, as she reacts to those with hyperactivity, too. Also I don't want her to be sleepy during the day.

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Thanks, Robinw. I'm pretty sure my daughter does have asthma, as she's my fourth asthmatic child. It just seems to bother her when she gets a cold and exercise can exacerabate it, too. She has calmed down a bit now today, partly because she's been vomiting up all the gunge that's going into her tummy. :-(

We're going to America next month, so I will look out for Xylitol when I'm there.

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Robinw, thank you for the URL. Two of my children are adult now and have more-or-less grown out of the asthma, thank goodness, so I've just two to deal with now.

My daughter has been given a different drug (Bricanyl) in place of the ventolin. It doesn't seem to make her 'high' but neither does it do much for the asthma, either. Hmmm! The Dr has upped her steroid inhaler, too. She's quite poorly at the moment, ghastly graveyard cough, vomiting, tired, pale, and sporting lovely purple bags under her eyes!

My daughter has been asthmatic since the age of 2, she also developed a nut allergy at 11, we found that out when she collapsed after eating nuts(she's eaten them all her life) blue light to hospital 2 weekends running.

She used to be on Intal and Ventolin, Intal is Sodium Cromoglycate, her asthma has always been well controlled and we thought she had started to grow out of it. It's true, it does seem to go in 7 year cycles. The Intal became ineffective, because she had grown out of it, apparently it is only really suitable for younger children. With much persuasion I gor her onto flixotide, a brilliant drug, and her asthma settled so well she never needed Ventolin. GP's don't like prescribing it because it is expensive, but you ask them what their asthmatic kids take - Flixotide!

Asthma came back with a vengeance at puberty (quite common) I again talked to the asthma nurse and got my DD onto the anti lukatrienin (can't spell it!) Montelukast or Singulaire as it's called, one tablet a day, again expensive but it really works well if you have a typically atopic child.
I would advise forming a good relationship with the Practice/Asthma care nurse at your surgery, they are always up to date on the latest drugs and if they recommend it the GP will prescribe it.

My sister is an asthma care nurse(of the year) and has used my daughter for studies, so I always go in armed with the latest info, but carefully suggest things to the nurse, she's great and we always have a good discussion. I now send my daughter( 14) to see the nurse on her own for her follow ups and her flu jabs. I found giving my daughter responsibility for her asthma from about the age of 5, made it part of her life, not an illness. She never forgets to take her inhaler and epipen about with her, she has also made her freinds aware of her nut allergy and they all read labels etc. and check foods and remind their parents etc.
I let her go away with the school many times to Canada, france germany and Italy with no worries.I am proud of her, she's a great daughter. I am happy to talk about any further info if any one wants to know more about the mediaction for asthma or nut allergy etc.