Reducing my son's steroid daily dose and now I'm feeling a bit wobbly....

Now that my son's asthma has been really well-controlled since starting on an anti-histamine a month ago, the resp nurse and I were in agreement that we should try to reduce my son's steroid daily dose of flixotide from 150mcg/day to 100mcg/day (as this was only increased to 150mcg/day because he couldn't tolerate montelucast). At first I was really keen, because he's a little on the young side. But I'm having a wave of losing confidence with the decision, as I don't want him to get symptoms again and get poorly. Has anyone else ever gone through this daily dose reduction and did they feel like this too? Gosh, I'm so blo*dy neurotic sometimes, it does my head in!!!!

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Is your son showing more asthma symptoms? Or is he seeming to be doing well on the lower dose?

Remeber what is important is his asthma is controlled on as little medication as can be. If he is having problems ring the resp nurse but if he is doing well then dont worry just keep a closer than normal eye on him.

It is nerve racking reducing medications because you dont know what will happen but remeber you can always step back up if it doesnt work.

Hope that helps you some what?

Plumie

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plumies post is basically what I'd say, step down if you can, but if symptoms reappear and they usually do within a few days if he can't maintain control on the lower dose, then just revert back to the higher level, and then try in a few months time if you want.

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Thanks peeps. Yes, the symptoms are back so I've upped him again and am giving him ventolin too at the mo until he settles down again. I know that I always say this, but I just find it really difficult because my son's still a bit too young to let me know when things aren't quite right - at the the right stage. He will push on through and has to be feeling proper poorly before complaining. Am confident that I've done the right thing putting it back up. In the last couple of days we've had a reluctance to ride his bike, loss of appetite, coughing in the morning that has almost made him sick, and then last night's clincher was finding him sitting upright on his bed in his sleep. He doesn't wheeze and only gets breathless and chest tightening when very poorly, so not always easy to be 100% confident that it is actually asthma symptoms if he's just getting one of the above. If that makes sense??! That's when I start to think that it's me being neurotic rather than him getting symptoms, because it's all that reading between the lines with my son. Feel much better this morning though. thanks!

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Yeap my son was taken off his green inhaler on Tuesday as even though we had to get him a paremedic last week his chest was clear so the nurse and my hubbie with Ryan's aggreement decided to try him with-out the green inhaler but as soon as his asthma goes pants as Ryan likes to put it then we can go back and they will without hesitating give him the green inhaler back. So far we are on day 3 day of no greenihaler and at the moment he is starting to cough in the night again but it is not disterbing his sleep and he is still his normal hyper self so at the moment he is managing without the green but fo rhow long we just don't know. I was very why mess about with his asthma when it is finally back under control but after these 3 days I am hapy to give him this period of lower steriod and with the knowledge that when it does go pants they will give him the green ihaler back that is also reasuring to know.

[yaf_user681_23350]

Yep do know how you feel, my Son has had his steroid inhaler more than halved but it took a year as he was on 250x4 seretide twice a day, now hes on 125x3 twice a day, it was blippy. Anytime his symptoms seem to be coming back, speak to gp and talk about putting back up a little again.I feel I'm not in control of it all too and then stress whether he's on too much stuff and I wait for it all to crash round my ears.

Good luck with it, it is SO worth it, we have found Matty's asthma is now more responsive to oral steroids when the sh*t hit the fan and now gets off of oral steroids within 10 days (used to be on them for at least 3 months at a time)

Take care

Kate x

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When my son reaches 4yrs old (which is only a few months away) the dose that he just gone back up to (150mcg/day) will be within the prescribing info,. I'd just have preferred him to be medicated ok at a lower dose so that there's always room for increase if needed (don't we all!). It's just because he's still young for the recommended dosing regime for flixotide (which in children only has recommendations for 4yrs+). And I just wish he could do without medication. Oh the irony, as I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 5 years and do not have any averse feelings towards medics and drugs n'all that. But even I feel shaky about giving my son drugs. But I know that I have to. And I also know what they've done for him. And I have also seen what has happened to him without them.

But his symptoms have come back and now I wonder how long it will take to get him back to normal again. He's sleeping upright for the second night running and it's cough, cough, cough all night - which is a new thing for him. I really regret reducing his dose now, but me and the resp nurse both agreed that it was a good idea to try, as the anti-histamine had made such a huge improvement where the steroids couldn't. I just want my boy back! x

[yaf_user681_23350]

Hope thing get easier soon for you. Our Son is emotionally wobbly as hell so having attacks at school which is far from ideal as they still dont know quite how to deal with him. We have started swimming once a week at 6.30 in the morning, yes it sound like fun!, but we go half asleep and wonder what we are doing but feel more awake afterwards than any other time in the week (must have given off good vibe last week as eldest coming too tomorrow and hates any exercise). We are hoping this will help Mattys lungs again. He's so much better than last year but keeps collapsing and needing loads of meds but no where near as bad as before.Good luck, kate x

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Well Ryan is going back tot he doctors on Wednesday with me. He has had issues wit hhis asthma yesterday and today but they have been dueing the long walk to and from school. Me and hubbie have aggreed that maybe that is it and with tomorro wbein ghis last school day for 2 weeks which is goi9ng to mean less walking for a few weeks for him that we will see how he goes with a few more days and if no improvement I will take him to see the lady doctor that has dealt with my asthma this week. Don't know why but at the moment feel she is the best doctor to see regarding asperation in asthm abut sadly she is only in Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings but she is fully booked for tomorrow morning. If possible I amnot takin gRyan to see our male doctor as I am sick and tired of the way he treats me and Ryan when it comes down to our asthma. Does that make sence or is it just me reading into things wrong here. The way I am looking at it is with-in a week I saw this lady doctor twice and on the second visit she gave me preds and stuff and already has a fall back plan if they don't work where as the male doctor just leaves me and tries to say it is just a stained muscle or bruising to the ligaments and that is what is asperating the asthma