Is this normal?

My 10 yr old dd was seen by the doctor for a chest infection last friday. She's completed her amoxicillin and he'd given us the option of either taking her seretide 50 up to 3 puffs twice a day or to give four hourly ventolin. We went with the ventolin which she is still taking 4 hourly.

On Monday with lots of coughing and breathlessness (even with the four hourly ventolin) we spoke with another doctor who gave her a five day course of 60mg pred. The surgery were kind enough to arrange to have another doctor check her over the following day because, they said, by then she'd have almost finished the antibiotics and have two doses of the pred on board. The doctor that saw her checked her weight and height and told us that her peak flow should be around the 340 mark but she'd be happy if we can get it to 300 in the next two weeks. At the moment it is hovering at 250. She listened to her chest and said it sounded clearer but, because she is still needing the ventolin between the four hourly does to take the seretide up to three puffs twice a day too.

So now we are on day four of the pred but only saw any noticable improvement yesterday. She is still coughing a lot (night and day) and breathless climbing the stairs from time to time (once of twice a day). But she seems much brighter in herself though she's very tired. Her cheeks have pinked up a bit and she's no longer got that white, almost translucent palour of recent days.

However, we've only got tomorrows pred before the course is finished. I expected the cough to be gone and the breathlessness to have stopped by now. Am I expecting too much? It's only been a day or so on the increased Seretide:~/ Perhaps it just needs a little longer? She describes her chest as still feeling gunky (""stuff feels like it's moving when I breath"") and it feels a tiny bit tight ""But not tight like I need my inhaler."" I've said to take the inhaler regardless. Tight is tight!

Should I give it another day or two and see how she goes?

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With her only have 1 more dose of pred I would take her in to see the doctor again tomorrow if no change. She might need another ocurse but a lower does o nthe preds. I have 3 more doses of pres to take and I am better than I was. My hubbie even took this afternoon off work and has informed them he will be coming in tomorrow either as he is not leaving me with our 2 year old son at all. Well he has right know as 2 year old was sleepin gbut I have been told in no terms at all am I to carry him while he is out. He has bump down the stairs and walk. If I still gunky on Monday then I am going abck to the doctors. Chest infections are so hard to get rid off and recover from quickly in children. Is she going ot school? If she is I would say keep her off school tomorrow and get her to rest and sleep as much as possible tomorrow as I have found sleeping on my side seems to be helpin gme breathe a lot easier and after just a hour sleep here and there I feel a lot more energived and better in myself for a little while. Hope you daughter starts to improve very soon it is so hard to see our kiddies struggling with there asthma. My 8 year, well 8 in 4 days but whats 4 days, has to see the doctor tomorrow but if he wake sin the night like he did last night then I am taking him to the hospital as I think he has the chest infection I have and I want to try and avoid his spreadin gto his broncilus as otherwise he is n't going to feel like enjoying or joinin gin at his party on Monday.

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Hi Asthmafamily

Thanks for your reply. I wasn't very happy with her this morning as she's still saying her chest feels gunky and a bit tight and she was needing 2 puffs of reliever an hour after the morning puff and the three puffs of seretide on top of that. So we went back to see a doctor. He listened to her chest, declared that there was no wheeze and no crackles to be heard and advised us to keep taking the 3 of seretide but to stop the ventolin altogether unless she really needs it. I did point out that she isn't a wheezy asthmatic for all that means to him:~/ It makes no sense to me but I'm happy to give it a try. She's now missed two doses of the ventolin that she would normally have had today and already I can hear her coughing a little more. But, and I know this sounds like very bad parenting, but she'll either be fine as he says or she'll deteriorate in which case we'll present at casualty because I really don't feel we're getting anywhere with the doctors:~(

She is home schooled so is able to rest as much as she needs and we're working her education around that. She's so terribly tired and her eyes are a horrible deep red colour. Poor kid looks as though she's been pepper sprayed!

We'll plod on and see what transpires.

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Your daughters asthma is just liek my son's he doesn't wheezy unless it is a really bad attack and today I informed that they needed to follow his infection asthma action plan but they didn't follow it and tonight he is worse than ever. We have taken action and started him on step 3 of his infection plan and completely missed step 2. He has a fun day tomorrow at school so I have todl that we will see how he is in the morning and if the meds work he can walk to school with me and his sister and see how he is when we get to school. I am going to have to demand that they follow the infection action plan to a T tomorrow otherwise they are going to be puttin ghis haleth in risk. Hope the new treatment starts working soon but by the sound of the things I think the asthma is deterating with the sound of the cough getting worse. Fingers crossed you don't need to casulty it but if you do I would recommended 999 it and they will start treatment on route to the hospital instead of delaying it. Good lucka dn poor little girl hope she starts perking up very soon

[yaf_user681_23350]

Hi Jacqui, hope your Daughter feels better soon, it's such a pressure when you can't trust the doctors.Chest lovely and clear!!, I could scream every time I hear it.

Take care

Kate x

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Rattles (Kate) what do you do when they keep telling you the chest sounds clear but you can see that your child clearly isn't right??

We've stopped the ventolin as the doctor said and while she is coughing more it isn't as bad as I thought it might be, but it has only been 12 hours:~/ She's now complaining of lots of nausea which could be the pred. I've certainly seen some roid rage type bahaviour today:~(

I'm so sick of banging my head against the same brick wall I may start taking it apart and start throwing the bricks back at the buggers!!

[yaf_user681_15459]

Jacqui - so sorry your going through this. Hope your daughter feels better very soon,

Id be interested too how people cope when the dr's say ""oh nothing wrong, chest lovely and clear!""???

It drives me MAD! We as parents know how are children are and they are often clearly not well!

[yaf_user681_23350]

Hi Jacqui, if your Daughter not seen a consultant, I suggest getting referred to one. We have a letter we take in to hospital which states that Matty has severe and difficult asthma which is labile (open to change, so I've been told!!)if he shows up at the hospital this needs to be taken into consideration. If that doesn't work I get bossy. It's the only reason he got into hospital with pneumonia, the doctor missed it. The paramedic was hovering, I could see he didn't want to sign my Son over to the doctor (speaks volumes!)Unfortunately asthma has damaged my Son spine, when he's very ill his ribs on the left stick out, if the asthma gets too out of control it throws his spine out of alignment as well.I make the doctors check his breathing (look at his chest)We also have a letter for ambulance transfer to the respiratory clinic (80 miles away) they then realize as I've turned up there I can no longer cope and we need help. If they still don't get it, that's when I say we are not leaving.We have had 2 years trying to prove it's asthma. It's a bloody nightmare, all because of no wheeze. I only wheeze when my asthma is mild, when severe I don't wheeze at all.

Good luck, I'm thinking of you

Kate x

Good Luck