Help me make my childs asthma better and get rid of his cough!?!

Hi,

I need some help my son is nearly three and has had a cough for the last three months, at first we thought it was just a chest infection so my wife took him to our doctor who prescribed antibiotics. The antibiotics didn't clear the cough so again my wife took him back to the doctors and again he gave us more antibiotics! This continued for about a month, until his breathing got so bad one night we had to take him to hospital where he was put on a nebulizer, after this his breathing improved. They told us they thought he had asthma and said to get an appointment at our doctors so he could be referred. We did this and once again our doctor gave him antibiotics and didn't refer him! The doctor just kept missing the point that throughout the last two months my sons cough had been so bad that he was coughing himself sick, this was happening about five in seven nights!

To me this was severe and I was starting to get very annoyed with our doctor, after what was another bad night we again had to take him to the hospital. This time the hospital was really helpful and gave us a prescription for an inhaler after putting him on the nebulizer and giving us some steroids. I took the day off work and took my son to the doctor he tried to fob me off but I wasn't having any of it. I told him I wanted him to refer my son to a specialist and the doctor had the cheek to get annoyed with me for asking him to refer my son! He tried to tell me that his cough would go away when it was ready!!!!!!!! He then went on to patronise me by telling me he knows how concerning it can be for parents to see your child sick, but yet he wasn't prepared to do anything to help my child. Anyway at last we have an appointment to see a specialist but it isn't until the 30th March, in the mean time does anyone have any good ideas on how to help with his coughing???????? Last night was a really bad night with him being sick twice, not only is that the problem but he also doesn't get a good nights sleep because of his coughing!

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Sorry your son is unwell. Without him being seen by a specialist or an asthma nurse who can look into his history and give him the right meds, the only thing I can think to suggest other than keep giving his inhalers, (and you may have already done this) is getting all anti allergy bedding. Also keep a diary of symptoms to show your specialist, it is always hard to remember everything in appointments and it is good to have it all wrote down so you don't forget anything. Sorry I cant help anymore, hopefully some others may have some good points for you, and hope he is feeling better soon.

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Thanks we're gonna start to keep a diary from tonight, and I think we'll give the bedding a try. His inhaler has helped but not enough, I think he probably needs a stronger inhaler.

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Hi I know how worrying this is, especially in a child this age. My daughter was just 3 when this coughing started with her. Could you call the appointment line at the hospital and try to get a cancellation on an earlier date? Otherwise I'd take him back into A&E if the coughing is uncontrolled.

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Hi there, this is worrying. I am a parent of an asthmatic 3 year old and have also in the last two years developed chronic asthma myself and know what it is like to be constantly coughing.

My son was diagnosed at 7 months old he too had been given loads of courses of antibiotics, when we took him to hospital we were given a spacer and inhaler by the SHO who diagnosed virus. However, we only got to see the Consultant by repeatedly taking him back to the hospital when we couldn't get his breathing/cough under control and politely persisting in requesting to see him. I often felt like if we didn't stand up for our son no one else was going to and that it was a battle to get the right treatment. When we got to see him we got him to write a letter for our GPs to tell them to treat our son as asthmatic.

When we moved house and our new surgery was very good and sent him to see a Respiratory Paed Consultant who upped his meds immediately. I would do all you can to reduce allergens in the home, boil wash allergy bedding, teddies etc.. we actually had to remove all soft furnishings - cushions, curtains, soft toys that couldn't be boil washed and carpets and we also have ionisers when necessary. However, if you can't get his cough under control with salbutamol and spacer the advice our hospital gave us was always to bring them in. A child coughing until he is sick and not responding to meds needs to be seen. The hospital staff will always prefer you took them than waited too long. Next time you take him to hospital ask their advice as to when to bring him in.

Good luck, you are not alone in struggling to get the right treatment but I would be persistent.

Take care

x

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Hi. This is exactly the same as what is happening to my 3 year old son. He is on 4 sprays of salbutemol 4 times a day and 2 sprays of the preventor inhaler twice a day. You are lucky to have been referred to a specialist. My GP has refused to refer Jack despite him being admitted to hospital 3 times. I would be really interested to hear what the specialist has to say to you.

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Thanks I appreciate all your advice. I've been told by a friend of mine who is training to be a doctor that they don't tend to diagnose asthma in children under 5! Which is probably why we've all had so much trouble in getting the correct treatment for out 3 yr olds.

Once we've seen the specialist I will post the advice and recommendations in hope that it will help others going through the same problems.

Thanks again.