Asthma medicine sleep disruption.

[teacher54321]

Lovely ds has had dreadful sleep for the whole of half term. He was originally waking for 2 hours in the night because he was horribly wheezy through a virus. Then we got the medication and it's sent him INSANE. He normally sleeps 7-6.30. Last night he slept from 8-4.15 and he's been completely hyper when awake. However the wheezing has now stopped. I am broken. Does anyone have any experience of this?

Is it predniselone?

I think this is a known side effect. How old? Can you stop the meds? We've had the same stuff but was only temporary.

No, salbutamol. He was put on a very high dose (5-10 puffs every 4 hours) have googled and apparently side effects are most common in toddlers and include sleeplessness and 'excitability' which totally fits with our current status quo. I suppose I just want reassurance that things will go back to normal!

He's 2 1/2. Dr didn't give me any indication of how long to continue with the meds but he is no longer wheezy. It's been 48 hours.

Is he still on that dose?

It can make your heart very fast and make you feel very jittery.

High doses can also cause a drop in potassium which causes leg cramps - which can wake you up at night too.

Hope he is better soon! :)

I would say that is a high "rescue" dose for when struggling. Do check back with dr today but I suspect if he is no longer wheezing then you can drop down to a lower dose - maybe 2puffs every few hours, maybe then to 2 puffs morning and night.

Depends on what Dr wants though but if wheezing stopped then it is unlikely will still want him on that high a rescue dose. :)

That's interesting to know. Thank you for all your responses. Lovely dh has offered to take ds to grandma's tonight so I can have a good night's sleep as I go back to work tomorrow . I'll give the asthma nurse at the Drs a call and see what she says re: dosage. I think he was given such a high dose as he was very distressed at the Drs and ended up on oxygen . He's been much better at home and I certainly do t think he needs that high dose anymore.

Get a follow up appointment - we were told to and then discussed reducing doses.

our son had a night in hospital due to not being able to breathe because of asthma

we were told to do the high dosage every 2 hours, then four, then six and lower the puffs so after a week he was down to nothing

as a long term strategy he now have brown inhaler every morning and night which is so easy and means when he gets a cold its not a trip to hospital

do call your asthma nurse for a follow up

I'll try and get a drs appt today to discuss this. His appt on Saturday was at the walk in centre and was a hideously stressful experience (2 hour wait etc) and he became very very distressed. He's not wheezy at all now, just a bit bunged up. Think the virus is just working its way through his system! Thank you all

have you seen the parents of asthmatic children thread?

Ooh-no-will have a look .

If he was given oxygen at OOH I am amazed they didn't send him to a and e and probably admitted for a nights observation.

Do get him to your GP today to get a proper plan put in place.

DS is on constant high dose ventolin and never sleeps! Whether it is that causing it I don't know.

He was borderline being admitted but I asked not to as he had become so massively distressed at the OOH I didn't want to subject him to that level of stress when he had been fine but wheezy at home. He calmed down and the Dr agreed that more stress wouldn't be helpful at that point. I've been sleeping in Ds's room etc to keep an eye and would take him to a and e immediately if there was any worsening. However the wheezing has now stopped. He's been ok in himself throughout-eating/drinking/playing as normal.

Have been to the GP and she was lovely. His chest is now clear and she has said he only needs the inhaler at bedtime and that the medication will have indeed sent him bonkers! So here's hoping for a good night for all of us!!!

good