NOW CLOSED Do you have a child with asthma? Please share your experiences with Lloydspharmacy and you could win a £100 John Lewis voucher

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

Lloydspharmacy would like to hear how Mumsnetters and their DC with asthma manage their symptoms and where they go for advice. Here is what Lloydspharmacy says about why it's working with Mumsnetters: "One in 11 children in the UK has asthma and it is the most common long-term medical condition for children. During April and May, Lloydspharmacy is blowing the whistle on asthma - we'd love to hear your views on how your DC cope with their asthma. We're also offering a free asthma check-up where we?ll take the time to discuss your concerns and advise on how your child can get the most from their asthma medicines."

So if you have a child with asthma, Lloydspharmacy would like to hear your thoughts on the questions below. We know that asthma can range from very severe to mild, so please only answer the questions where you feel comfortable doing so.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.
~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?
~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

Please feel free to add any other comments you may have on this. Everyone who adds their comments to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 John Lewis voucher. Please note that your comments may appear in an email MNHQ will be sending out.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

Three of my four children have/had asthma. DD1 appears to have grown out of it completely (she's now 18). She had two bad attacks when she was 6/7 which panicked her at the time, but we were taught some good techniques to help prevent/reduce severity.

DD2 (17) has mild to moderate asthma and is also a dreadful hayfever sufferer. She manages her asthma with preventers during the (long for her) hayfever season and occasionally needs her reliever at other times.

DD3 (3) has very recently been diagnosed with asthma. She spent a week in hospital two months ago with a bout of pneumonia which was coupled with several asthma attacks requiring quite severe medical assistance - perm oxygen and hourly nebs for 5 days. She was surprisingly good at coping, though I suspect this was because she was too poorly to give a damn... Bit too early with techniques for her as she is so young.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

DDs 1 & 2 manage/managed their own inhalers themselves.

DD3 is getting quite good with her inhalers. She needs preventatives twice a day and, at the moment, she's having relievers once daily. It's still a game with her, she pretends she's playing a trumpet and is almost able to 'do' it herself. Monitoring is not really needed as she is so young, so I am in charge...

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

DDs 1 & 2 don't have any monitoring to speak of anymore. DD2 sees the asthma nurse once a year, but that is it really

DD3 has been to the hospital today to see her consultant. This is the second appointment since her discharge 7 weeks ago. Very useful as he explained things that I was unsure of. I am not massively happy about her having steroids daily, but he has explained the whys and wherefores in much better detail for me. He x-rayed her just to make sure the previous infection has cleared (it has) and will review her again in 3 months

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

I did, years ago, when DD2 was poorly. At the moment, with DD3, I would be unlikely to see a pharmacist, until I am more comfortable with helping my daughter manage - it is still very early days and she is a much more severe asthmatic than the other two girls

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? Reasonably well with the brown inhaler, only really needing the blue if he has a cold

How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Fine, he will tell nursery if he needs his inhaler. Being in hospital was pretty distressing though.

Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms? Not really

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? He's only 5, so we tell him he hasto have his inhaler.

How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? I give it to him, so no need to monitor yet.

Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? We used to pretend that it made a darth vader noise!

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why? He is seen every 3 months. I find it a bit of a waste of time tbh. They just ask me if I think his level of medication is working and ask us to demonstrate inhaler technique.

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not? I would be happy talking to a pharmacist, but so far the consultant and GP have answered all the question I have had.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma?
better now he has inhaler for attacks.
he has allergys which trigger his astma as well as cold/flu.
How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms?
well i know when his wheeze is bad and he has started asking for his breathing thing. at first every cold he had or start of one i was up the doctors asking them to check him but they would say its just a cold, took a trip to a&e when he was almost blue, 4 hours after leaving the doctors who said it was cold, for them to say it was astma. very strange to see a toddler playing smileing wheezing and blue, one of the other parents insisted they look at my child before theres they were so concerned by the sound.

Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
my son is happy to try and press the spray down being three we supervise but he some how knew from being a tiny that it helps when he hurts. theres a great book about inhalers for kids that he thought was funny. Why Is It So Hard to Breathe?: A First Look at...Asthma (First Look at Books)

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler?
when its needed now he dose not need much incurace ment when he was smaller one of us had to hold hime while the other gave him the inhaler. having the spacer helps.

How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not?
Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.
he cant just take it we have to give it to him but its easy to get when needed we watch the spacer in between puffs to see that hes breathing it through.

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?
Last review was in january when the doctor checked his cheast and said he sould not have astma much longer, has he had a cold lately... yes oh then most that sound must be that then. grrrr. last time we went was aparently 2 years ago, im sure we were there more recently, must have had refills from the hospital then. they grudgingly gave him repeat perscription. we have yet to see a astma nurse.
~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?
only when getting treatments for other things such as head lice or chickenpox. was told to check with lice killer as some have alcohol in them.

How well controlled is your child's asthma?

Pretty poorly. Her asthma symptoms often exceed her safe dosage. This has led to problems with her adrenal glands in the past.

How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms?

Extremely well, she has never let it hold her back, she's a swimmer at county level and has competed in triathlons for the region.

Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

I'm asthmatic, my DS is also asthmatic I think we've just tried to make them see that lots of famous people have asthma and provided they are sensible they can do anything they want to do.

How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler?

Her symptoms mean she regulates her self, she knows that without her meds she'll be in hospital.

How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not?

I don't need to now but when she was small it was just a part of our daily routine. Get dressed, breakfast, peak flow readings, inhalers, teeth. Then at night time bath, peak flow readings, inhalers, teeth, bed.

Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

No real tips it was just what we did every day.

When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

Last review was three weeks ago with her consultant, very useful as they've suggested a new regime and will start her on new antibiotics very soon.

Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

Not really, her asthma is very difficult to manage so we usually rely on the consultant, the GP often asks the hospital for advice as she is following an unusual medication regime.

I have a 3 and a half year old with asthma.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

It is mostly controlled. He copes ok. I am a wreck because I ad it as a child and remember the horror of not being able to catch a breath. I try to keep his mouth covered in cold weather and use a humidifier and air purifier in his room for sleeping. I put him in bed between us when it gets bad at night so we can monitor him and treat immediately.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

He takes his inhaler without fuss because he knows it helps him. Peppa and George stuffed pigs also have asthma at our house and need puffs through theirs (an old chamber and empty inhaler case) each day. He watches their symptoms closely

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

It took ages to get a diagnosis. It is still a constant battle. I am told he will outgrow it soon and to wait it out. I'd like them to spend a night with him when it's bad.

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, and I often do at our local pharmacy. They give me better tips and advice than my GP and paediatrician.

*had

God, yes Mitasuki, having to hold down a screaming toddler :(

We've just got through that with DS2, e,who got his inhalers 6 months ago.

How well controlled is your child's asthma?

Pretty good now. After a couple of admissions to hospital with severe attacks, two years or so ago, she was invited on an asthma trial. Her medication was changed - she's now on Flixotide and we were given more information about using salbutamol as a preventative measure and she is coping fine at the moment.

How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler?

It has just become routine. She takes the Flixotide am and pm when she brushes her teeth usually. Sometimes I suspect she does forget as I can tell from her accuhaler how many doses she's had but certainly not for any sustained length of time.

When did your child last have a review with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

She had a review with the asthma nurse at the surgery about six months ago as part of her repeat prescription malarkey. It wasn't particularly useful but then she's not been having trouble so it was just a routine appointment.

Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so why? If not, why not?

I haven't. Pharmacies round here always seem really busy. And our local Boots one, where unfortunately I seem to have got embroiled in a repeat prescription scheme with, can barely get my daughter's prescription ready when they say they will, so I can't be faffed to waste any more of my time in there asking advice. I have noticed the posters at the Lloyds pharmacy about asthma advice but the environment isn't conducive to be asking health advice, in my opinion. It just feels like shop counter, not a surgery.

My DS (11) has asthma. He has a both a preventer(brown) & reliever (blue) inhaler. I ensure he takes the preventer daily - we notice the difference if he misses it for a few days.
He plays a lot of sport & we encourage him to have a go at everything. He knows that his inhaler is in his pocket at all times and will use it if he feels out of breath.
He is able to recognise the signs himself now - it just takes time :(
When he is short of breath at home, i will take over with the administering of the inhaler. We use an aerochamber and generally this works well. Telltale signs for us are the hunched shoulders, clearing of the throat, sniffing a lot.
We have a review every 6 months. Happy with this. Would be happy to speak to our pharmacist about his asthma. They are friendly & always take a minute or two to explain your prescriptions.

How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
It is well controlled, he uses his preventer daily and rarely has to use his blue inhaler - it tends to be seasonal with hay fever and leaf mould seasons so we are more alert to it at these times

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.
He is 11 so generally manages it himself. He has had an inhaler since he was 2 so he has never known any different, it is part of our daily routine - always does the preventer before he cleans his teeth morning and evening

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?
Last month - he has an annual review, it has been more useful in the past when his asthma was worse. It is useful just to have confirmation that we are managing it effectively

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?
No I have not. It has never come up, also because the asthma medication is prescribed by a doctor, it seems more logical to talk to them about it

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
DS only gets wheezy when he has a cold or in cold weather, then he remembers to take his brown inhaler morning and night, and brings a blue inhaler to school.
~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.
We ask him if he's done his inhaler, and DD says if he's been lying.
~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?
He goes to asthma clinic once a year to review his medication. It's no bother, they tend to keep it the same.
~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?
The pharmacist usually looks busy and harrassed when we see her, so, no, I wouldn't add to her workload.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

Ds's asthma is usually well-controlled but due to its nature (virally triggered) can have flare-ups. He knows when's it's coming on, we deal with it as necessary. We don't do daily peak flows but having a meter at home helps us judge when he needs stronger intervention.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

Ds has used an inhaler from very young and has always been good about doing it. When he's in distress we use the full spacer and mask to make it easier, he's working on the techniue for the smaller chamber. When he was little the sticker books were out in force - he decorated everything to his tastes. When his asthma was finally diagnosed as such he acquired a new bear who needed to use a 'puffer' too. Because we've always discussed it with him, he knows when he needs it.

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

Two months ago with our fabulous practice nurse. She's completely up-to-date on the latest asthma protocols and mentions anything new so we can discuss if we needs to modify what we do with ds. I know I can reach her very easily, the surgery will always get her to call me straight back if ds needs anything and as she is now able to prescribe without the GP, she covers every possible service we might need.

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

No because the asthma nurse is as easy for me to access as the local pharmacy.

How well controlled is your child's asthma? Very well controlled with the brown inhaler.

How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Now that it has settled down he manages really well.

Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms? Rather than telling him to stop running around I suggest we watch TV or draw so that he has to sit still.

How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? He takes it every morning when I take mine so it is just part of the normal morning routine

How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? We take it together so it is easy to monitor

Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here. We take ours together and have just made it part of the daily routine.

When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why? We have six monthly reviews and the last was about 4 months ago. I always find them useful.

Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not? I have had asthma since I was small and my son has had it since he was tiny so we have seen lots of doctors and specialists so I have never even thought of asking a pharmacist for advice.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

For DD1, 'under control' means less than 3 trips to A & E in a 3 month period, so it's fairly well under control at the moment.

She has silent asthma, and atypical presentation. She knows that when her heart is racing she is having an asthma attack.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

DD1 is 5 years old, so she has adults who do it with her.

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

DD1 see the respiratory consultant at Children's Hospital every 3 months, and the asthma nurse in between these times. She goes through a whole set of tests and her medication is reviewed, however it's a balancing act between ensuring that she isn't taking too much steroids, but keeping her asthma under control, as if it isn't, she has to to take even more steroids!

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

Absolutely not, at least not for a child, and especially not one who is already under a respiratory specialist as without all her history, it would be guess work.

How well controlled is your child's asthma?
Reasonably good now, unless she has a cold or other infection. She hasn't had to be admitted to hospital for at least 3 years.

How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms?
She is very brave about any type of pain / medical treatment, as she has had eczema, asthma and food allergies from about 6 months old, so is used to the various symptoms / treatment etc. She tends to become listless and quiet rather than distressed, so it is important for us to keep an eye on that in case she is more ill than she seems - last winter she had pneumonia, but hardly complained at all. She will come and tell us if she needs her reliever.

Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
We have encouraged her to take part in activities such as swimming and dance, which may or may not have helped, but in any case we have not let her feel excluded from physical activities by her asthma. Other than that, just being sympathetic and letting her rest when she doesn't feel well seems to help.

How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.
She is only 4 1/2 so takes the inhaler through a spacer with an adult - she therefore has no choice but to take it. She is so used to taking the inhaler (she has had it for 4 years), that it is just part of life for her.

When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?
We see a paediatrician every 6 months. He encourages us to try reducing the preventer every so often, then we discuss what happened at the next appointment. It is of limited use, because we would try to reduce the dose ourselves anyway, and how successful this is depends on whether she gets a cold, and seasonal factors (weather etc). Generally, we will reduce the dose for however long it is before she gets the next cold, then we end up having to put her back on it again.

Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?
This has never occurred to me, because I view asthma as a specialised area, and I wouldn't expect a pharmacist to have the specialised knowledge of symptoms etc that a doctor has. Also, the medicines are prescription only, so I would expect to have to see a doctor to get them.

Does not really fit your questions but my baby was diagnosed at 10 months and trying to get a small baby to take an inhaler - even with a space with baby pictures on it is not easy and he gets more distressed as we try to use it. Any ideas for a better set up for home use - he also hated the mask and noisy oxygen in hospital - so something quiet and not so constricting on his face would be good. I know I may be asking the impossible but I also have asthama and I worry that if he gets worse we won;t be getting enough medication to him in time.

How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

Reasonably. DD is 4.10 & has brown steroid inhaler twice a day - supplemented by blue as & when reliever needed. Was diagnosed when nearly 3, as a side effect of Pectus carinatum.

Great tip/technique I use - In winter I always send her out with a scarf wrapped round her mouth - school do it too. It warms the air up that she breathes in and seems to really reduce the coughing.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler?

Set times (i.e. on waking & before bed)

How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

I get her to do the counting between puffs - works now she's 4 but I'm guessing that at 8 or so, the novelty will have worn off.

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

We know she will have it quite a while as its linked to underlying condition - which is monitored by GP. Don't specifically review asthma

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

yes - they've given some good tips. i.e leave 30 seconds between puffs as more effective and that the brown inhaler leaves reside on throat so always have a glass of water for her to sip on afterwards.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
Asthma very well controlled, she copes well with the symptoms and manages her inhalers extremely well. We were told at a very young age (

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma?
Now almost 16 years after ds1 almost died from asthma and because of a very 'teen orientated' asthma nurse its the most under control its ever been.

How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms?

Ds1 until recently tended to wheeze and wheeze and then have to be cajoled into using his blue 'reliever' inhaler the brown 'preventer' was rarely used unless he was ill and then Id take over his asthma meds and follow the prescription.

Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

Now after our fantastic asthma nurse drummed it into him that the brown one 'is his best mate' thats the way to look at it.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler?

I remind him of how bad he feels and how much easier it is to use the inhalers and remain asthma free.

How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not?

When he was younger it was a habit a routine and as often as he brushed his teeth he 'brown puffered' and blue puffered under supervision from an adult.

Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here

I used to say the medicine made him asthma free and filled his lungs with medicine almosr making the puffers the 'heros' and the wheeze the 'enemy'.

.
~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional?

In January and it was the best spent hour he ever had!!!

How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review?

The asthma nurse was really 'with it' with the teens,she knew the way to speak to him,the music he was into,even commented on his headphones her technique was fab and she was so on his level,she wasnt patronising or lecturing it was facts clear and simple.

Why
see above
~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

Have done frequently and always found them to be full of great info and very supportive from taking a simple peak flow reading when hes been wheezy on holiday to supplying an emergency inhaler over Easter.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

Very well controlled - he only gets wheezy now during respiratory illnesses. We understand how and when to treat it and what to do.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

Only needs it now and then so not really relevant. By the time he needs it he's ill enough to put up with it.

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

A year ago, totally useless. Would have been a better spent hour playing in the park.

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

Never really considered it - he's only ever wheezy when very sick and is usually under the care of doctors or in hospital at that point.

After two or three hospital admissions and lots of interrogation the doctors finally admitted they were classing my dd as asthmatic. The early stages weren't very well controlled at all due to a severe lack of knowledge of what to be doing. Was basically given a blue in haler and told to use when needed. My dd's asthma is pretty much just viral induced . If she gets a cold it can go to her chest. These days it is pretty well controlled dd can tell me if she needs the in haler and does it herself. And if she's a bit dozy cos it's night time obviously I do it. To start with getting my then 2.5/3 yr old to take the inhaler was extremely hard and often traumatic. In hospital it took three nurses to help restrain her in order to do it although they did give her some god awful two part giant plastic spacer with a mouth piece as opposed to mask to see if that would be easier fir her. In the end we used the smaller ones with the mask on the end. At first it was a restrain job, guess as it wasn't an every day occurrence it took longer to get her used to it. Eventually bribery with buttons or cheerios worked and now it's no problem at all. As far as any referrals go we have had nothing, no real advice or suggestions and no brown inhaler just the blue. The diagnosis we only got cos I'd taken her to get the all clear after a chest infection as a friend with a severly asthmatic dc was due to visit and I wanted to make sure she wasnt contagious. It was then I was informed she was classed as asthmatic ( had I not taken her ......) the inhaler certainly helps as anything that helps avoid the need for the steroid tablets and antibiotic which sends her loopy is a god send. Never had any referrals or reviews or anything like that but that's probably cos it's not a daily thing. I don't tend to speak to anyone with regards to treatment as doctors never said that much do didn't think there was anything more I needed to know. Luckily as she gets older the incidents of needing it are getting less although winter with all the bugs it brings , can be quite a bad time.

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma?
Pretty well
~ How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms?
Not very well
~ Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
The daily preventer helps enormously.
~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler?
My son is 5 and I administer the inhaler. He is very good in accepting it and realises that it helps him.
~ How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not?
As above - I administer the inhaler.
~ Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.
It was very hard in getting him to accept the inhaler in the beginning (he was 2 when he first started using it) but as above, he now realises that it helps and has become part of our daily routine.
~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional?
The last time he was hospitalised for an attack - in October 2011
How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?
~ I found it helped as he was put on a preventer when he previously only had the reliever
~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?
Not really as I have always made a GP appointment when necessary and been assisted that way. I feel that for something this serious a GP visit is more appropriate and don't think that a pharmacist can really tell me any more than I already know - they would only direct me there anyway (as they often do with any other issues).

My son's asthma is only triggered by colds and flu so we find it easier to manage.

How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?
Reasonably well controlled although he is unable to participate in any strenuous exercise eg cross country running even with the help of his brycanyl inhaler. My DS always takes his brycanyl turbohaler before any exercise and often during exercise especially when its cold and damp and he starts taking it 6hrly as soon as he gets any symptoms of a cold or a temperature or even diarrhoea and vomiting because all these things will cause his peak flow to drop. If his peak flow has not returned to normal within 10 - 14 days we now start him on a 5 day course of oral prednisolone otherwise he will not have sufficient reserves to fight the next infection/participate in sport in wet damp weather. We only use a large volumatic never the small one whose name I cant remember because research shows its not so effective.
How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler?
How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.
My DS is now 13 he has been asthmatic, although not labelled as asthmatic until he was 1yrs old, since birth. I encourage him to take responsibility for his illness because I don't know how he feels. From a very early age he has known what treatment to take and when. He carries a brycanyl turbohaler with him at all times and uses as he feels it is necessary. He knows how much he can take and when to seek urgent and non urgent medical advise.
When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?
He's reviewed 4-6 monthly by a specialist paediatrician. I am always happy with the review because they monitor his symptom management/growth/and undertake respiratory studies etc.
Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?
I am a paediatric nurse with a particular interest in childhood asthma so don't feel a pharmacist would know any more than I do!! His asthma is quite severe and I feel it would be outside the scope of a pharmacist to manage it the GP does not wish to manage it!

~ How well controlled is your child's asthma? How well do they cope with their asthma symptoms? Have you picked up any techniques along the way that you find help them cope with their symptoms?

My 5yo DD1 has asthma (and I suspect my 2yo DD2 will be diagnosed with it next winter). Apart from one exacerbation just before her 3rd birthday, it is well controlled with just a regular preventer inhaler. We are good at picking up on when she needs to add in her reliever, so she hardly ever has to use it as rescue medication.

~ How do you encourage your child to take their inhaler? How do you monitor if they have taken their inhaler or not? Do you have any handy hints or tips for encouraging/motivating your child to take their inhaler? If so, please do share them here.

When she was first diagnosed, DD1 used a spacer plus mask, and now uses just the spacer and inhaler. She is very competent at doing it (she listens for the spacer clicking so she knows it is working and counts the number of tidal breaths on her fingers) and can do so on her own, though I always supervise to make sure she does it correctly. She is motivated to do so by the memory of how bad she felt when she had her exacerbation, and by her own understanding of how quickly it can get bad and stop her doing the things she wants to do (generally running around like a 5yo ). If things ever start slipping, I use stickers to encourage her. We have made the inhaler part of her toothbrushing routine, so she does it morning and evening and this also ensures any steroid residue is removed from her mouth and reduces the chance of her developing oral thrush.

~ When did your child last have a review of their asthma with a healthcare professional? How useful, or not, did you and/or your child find this review? Why?

She is reviewed once a year by the asthma nurse. It isn't terribly useful as I am a pharmacist, but is the only time she has her height checked because of the steroid inhaler, and her peak flow measured, so that is helpful. I wouldn't wait for the annula check if there was an issue, I would get it seen straightaway.

~ Have you, or would you ever, consider asking a pharmacist for advice relating to asthma? If so, why? If not, why not?

As I am a pharmacist, I don't tend to. But I would if I needed to.