Hi All
Please bear with me while I explain our situation!
Our 22 month old son has been in and out of hospital five times in the last 10 months with bronchitis and RSV virus, the last admission being this Tuesday for four days including a stay in the High Dependency Unit. Consultants have been reluctant in diagnosing full-blown asthma as they want to wait until he's 3 or 4 to do that. They have finally referred him to the respiratory care team for monthly reviewing and sent us home armed with a what feels like a lot of medication. He is currently on:
Salbutamol inhaler - 8 puffs every four hours.
Co-amoxiclav anti-biotic - 5ml three times a day (about 5 days left)
Montelukast granules - one 4g packet to be taken everynight until the end of Spring (he suffers the worst with the infections during Autumn, Winter and Spring and then seems to be fine during Summer).
My question is this: since coming home from hospital on Friday he has gone from being a very placid, calm little boy to a very stressed out, cranky, screaming little boy. Now, I appreciate that being in hospital and coming home is a stressful event for a 22 month old but this seems different. My husband and I are wondering if this behaviour is a result of one or all of the medication? He has had salbutamol before and never reacted in this way so we're thinking it's the anti-biotics or Montelukast. We don't know much about Montelukast despite internet research and asking the Consultant (who just said it's had great results in children of his age).
Does anyone have experience of any of these drugs, especially Montelukast, and if so were there any side effects for your children?
Thanks so much for your help and advice
Sarah
PS I forgot to add that he finished a course of Prednisolone yesterday morning too. Could that cause behaviour changes and do you know how long it takes to leave his system?