Frustrated Mum!!

After listening to my daughter coughing and with lower than normal peak flows since last week,she has a cold. I tried to walk her to school this morning she was unable to walk downhill and talk at the same time, something that is not normally a problem (her tongue is glad of a rest at bedtime) I took her to the GP. I had never met this GP before so was suprised at his approach, no introductions. Her chest is clear!!(I've heard it so many times before) He checked her temperature, listened to her chest agreed she was using a lot of ventolin 14 puffs in 2 hours and decided to prescribe her steroids. No peak flows or saturation check although he did ask her about her breathlessness. He then tried to give me a prescription for 20mg for 5 days! I told him that was too low, she is 9 and she usually has 40mg. He then offered me 30mg and I looked at him & told him her consultant says she needs 40mg a day, he then read her notes. I got a lecture about 40mg being a very high dose for a young child and being a high dose for an adult. Wonder when the last time was he read the latest set of guidelines on treating acute episodes in children!

I am so annoyed, if I hadn't been confident enough to challenge she would be on a low dose with no chance of reducing the inflammation & a higher probability of a longer course & feeling ill for longer We have been known to give 3 weeks worth of steroids to get her under control, and her normal is usually 10 days. Still I will give the 5 days and go back at the end of the week if she is not better. Sorry for ranting but the moral to the story is push until you get what you want. We shouldn't have to but we do know our children best.