4 year old who seems to be constantly ill

[Jem188]

My 4 year old has had around 13 colds this year and takes around 3 weeks to recover from each, she ends up having to have time off school as she’s up most of the night being sick from coughing and not getting any sleep, her breathing when she is ill isn’t great she’s very wheezy, she has a brown and a blue inhaler which don’t seem to help. The change of air from inside to out doesn’t help as it makes her 10 times worse!
I’ve contacted the doctors every time she is ill and it’s always a phone appointment and they tell me it’s a viral infection which her asthma isn’t helping.

Has anyone experienced anything similar to this and could give any advice on things to try!

Don't settle for a phone appointment.
My dd 3 has had 5 lots
Of antibiotics since September and I demanded she see a dr this week. She's now having blood tests and stuff to determine why she's had 5 chest infections in 12 weeks

It might be a good idea to ask the GP to review her asthma meds as well as checking on any other possible causes. I used to be on the brown inhaler (is it still called becotide/beclomethasane?) and it never really helped me. I was constantly unwell as a child because of my asthma and hospitalised repeatedly with it from late childhood to early adulthood. In my mid twenties I was lucky enough to meet a recently qualified GP socially who also happened to be an asthmatic and she recommended a different medication. I asked my GP about it and my prescription was changed and my life has been so, so much better as a result. I went from someone who spent £££ on blue inhalers, spent weeks recovering from every cold, and completely unable to exercise to being able to forget, most of the time, that I even have asthma. I won’t mention the medication itself because I don’t know if they prescribe it for children and this was over 10 years ago so there may be something better now. But please do push for a review. It makes me sad to think of my childhood self struggling and debilitated by a condition that could, with the drugs now on the market, have been so much better managed.

is this her first year in school? i.e. has she been to nursery or pre-school
previously?

if no, unfortunately it's abdolutely normal. the children's version of fresher's flu.

but it's a good idea to see the gp to see if something else is going on.

what you can do:

• rest/sleep
• nutrition, including a vit d3 supplement
• exercise, at least one hour a day, preferably outside

It's shit. It does get better. But with the asthma complications, I'd keep on at the gp, maybe something needs tweaking.

Do you give her any supplements?

@Lolly34h I’ve rang this morning and have got a face to face appointment next week, I’m going to be taking some videos of her breathing and coughing at night as they don’t see that side so fingers crossed they may listen!
I hope that you find the answers that you’ve been looking for!!

@purplesequins She went to nursery from the age of 3 for a year at the school she attends now, she is now in reception and it’s just not getting any better. When she was in nursery i did think it was normal for her to be ill so much being exposed to so many new things and people, but it’s not got any better. The school also don’t help they ring when she is off and tell me her attendance is bad but if I send her in they just send her home an hour later!! She doesn’t take any supplements but I am going to start her on some vitamins and hope they can help a little!