Slo - Phyllin

Hi

My daughter is about to start a trial of this and I am interested in finding out how other people's children have got on with it. Any comments/ information would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

[angievere]

My son is on Nuelin and I take Phyllcontin. I was on Slo-Phyllin for many years - understand it is slow release. They are all the same basic drug (Theophyllin) I think. I cant remember how old your daughter is but my son was about 11 or 12 when he started Nuelin.

It has helped him a lot and he hasnt had any side effects. Common side effects are slight nauseau and raised heart beat - I get these but my son doesnt. He's 14 now and still takes it. It's certainly worth your daughter trying it (she will need a blood test to monitor its efficacy). Good luck and I hope it helps.

[Hidden]

Hi

I'm wondering if I'm too late to advise you but my daughter was 4 when she started this and had severe shakes, headaches and mood swings until she got used to it (several weeks). I found they increased her anxiety and night terrors, which all decreased when she came off it a year later. It did the trick though in that it kept her off the pred and helped get her asthma under control.

Good luck

[Hidden]

Thank you for the information. She started them a couple of weeks ago and seems ok with no side effects so far. Although she keeps asking how long she will have to take them for. She can't swallow the capsules so I am having to open them and put the contents on a spoonful of jam. Still it is better than repeated courses of steroids and the side effects she had from the last course. School are also aware of this and are happy to take her on the residential and open the capsules for her. So fingers crossed she is well enough to go.

[Hidden]

For anyone wondering (as I did at first) Slo-phyllin capsule contents are enteric-coated granules and may be sprinkled on to a spoonful of soft food (e.g. yoghurt) and should then be swallowed without chewing.

Please be aware this may often not be the case with many enteric coated/slow release medications which should be swallowed whole. Please check with your doctor or nurse if unsure.

Good luck and hope it helps with less side-effects,

TJ (moderator)

[Hidden]

Hi, I have just come on here to ask the same question, my daughter is 4 and is on 125 seretide inhaler 2 puffs twice a day, singulair 5mg even tho she is only 4, ventolin, and now slo-phyllin. I was wondering how your child is getting on with it? My daughters consultant wants her on it for 6 weeks to bring her asthma under control again, but he then wants to stop it due to possible side effects, do any of you know of the side effects?? Thanks

[Hidden]

Hi, my son Leo's consultant is thinking about putting him on slo-phyllin because Montelukast (singulair) gave him insomnia to the point that he would still be awake at midnight and then still getting up at 5.30-6am every morning. He is currently on seretide, maintenance preds and ventolin. Whilst I am wary of him taking a new medication after his problems with singulair, I also desperately want his asthma to be under control so we are willing to give it a try.

Let me know how your daughter gets on with it if you don't mind.

Thanks,

Rebecca

[angievere]

Possible side effects are raised pulse/heart beat, nauseau, headache. I have taken Theophyllin nearly all my life (including SloPhyllin for many years) and I still get a bit of nauseau, but my teenage son has never had any side effects, and he takes a bigger dose than me!

I have to say that for me the benefits of Theophyllin/Slo Phyllin more than outweigh the side effects. It really helps me and my son. But everyone is different, and reacts differently, so see how your children get on with it.

[Hidden]

Hi it's funny that you should mention your sons sleep problems on singulair, my daughters sleep has been increasingly disturbed since her dose of singulair increased. She was wide awake at 5.30 this morning but couldn't sleep till 8pm tonight. It might be worth me mentioning this when we see the cons again next month. Third night on slo-phyllin and it's proving to be brill she sleeps soundly without a single cough all night. Bliss for her and us!!

[Hidden]

Hi

My daughter has now been on her Slo-phyllin for 6 weeks and is doing really well. She also takes Symbicort, Montelukast, Ventolin and/or Oxis. She has had a couple of colds since but no steroids since she started taking them today we had a real break through. The hardest part was trying to get her to swallow them, she couldn't so we have been opening the capsules and putting them with jam or yogurt, this morning she looked at them and said she thought she could swallow it which she did so we are both celebrating!!

It is such a relief that she is better than she was and I was very concerned about potential side effects, which luckily she hasn't experienced. All we have to face is the blood tests which I haven't told her about because she hates the dressing for the local anaesthetic cream.

I had got to desperation stage with her asthma, all I need now is to sort the school out and get them to help her catch up where she has missed huge chunks of her education, but don't start me on that! When will the school realise that with the best will in the world I can't prevent her missing school when her asthma flares and there is more to it than sorting out her medication. I can't prevent her getting colds.

Anything is worth a try and I would recommend trying Slo-Phyllin if it doesn't work you can always stop it.