New here - (almost) 4yr old daughter query asthmatic

Hi everyone,

Our nearly 4 year old daughter has been ""query asthmatic"" for about 2 years now. She's currently on daily clenil 50 (1 puff morning & night when ok and up to 4 puffs morning & night during flare ups) and ventolin when needed.

We managed to wean her off all inhalers over summer and she started back on clenil about 6-8 weeks ago. She only ever has flare ups if she has a cold (no matter how mild). And during colds, it's really bad. But only ever during the night (until this cold).

Our family doctor has always told us, if things get bad in the night we should phone NHS24 for advice, they always send us to our out of hours, and the doctors there always make me feel like crap, make me feel I am wasting their time. Last week I was told at 3:30am ""take her home and put her to bed"". As if I want to take my child out at that time of the morning, in the freezing cold. We do what we are advised. Anyway, rant over lol!

What I'm looking for is a place I can post with people who understand. None of my friends have children who have the symptoms my daughter has, so I feel so isolated. I know doctors don't diagnose in under 5's, so we are still in the dark as to whether our child is asthmatic.

I know this is long-winded, I'm just glad to have found somewhere with people who can relate.

[Hidden]

My little was man was a query asthmatic from about 11 months old, (hes 4 now) but our gp said he was almost certain it was asthma due to our family history of it. He was on clenil from 11 months and is now on seretide and montelukast. We have had a pretty solid diagnosis since he was 2 as he is asthmatic all year round particularly worse in the winter they suggested when he was coming up for 2 that we reduced the amount of clenil he had and the symptoms came straight back. Like most kids he really struggles with colds and this week is on steriod tablets. It is annoying when they make you feel like you are wasting their time, but mums always know best!! Consultant advised us to stay at home with our son give as much ventolin as he needs within reason usually 10 puffs does the trick but I do always seek advice if it carries on for more than a few nights x

[angievere]

Hi Fiona, welcome to the forum. Unfortunately asthma is very variable and can be difficult to treat. I am a life long asthmatic and my son (15) has had 'difficult asthma' since he was about one. I took my son to out of hours doctor recently who more or less told me I could have started him on steroids at home and not brought him out. Yet our own GP has told me many times not to hesitate to contact medical services if I'm not sure. So even a seasoned asthmatic like me can have problems with doctors giving different advice! But at the end of the day, I'd rather err on the side of caution.

Colds are also the main trigger for me and my son. We take vit C which I think helps. The last cold my son had did not go on his chest, although he felt very rough for a week or so and had to miss school. Things have gradually improved for him over the years and he has learnt to manage things better. It is hard when they are small.

[Hidden]

Thank you for the welcome. I am hopeful that she will grow out of it as she managed fine through colds in the summer with no clenil or ventolin, which was fantastic. Last year she was on the clenil/ventolin all year around. So it's a bit more positive this year. She was on soluble steroids for 3 days last week which helped. She struggles mostwith the lack of or disrupted sleep, with all the ""asthma"" last year, she's only just started sleeping full nights. She's been so tired this week.

I read a post here about a child with viral induced asthma so I googled and it sounds just like my little girl as her trigger is most def the cold.

I started her on a kids multi vit about 2 weeks ago, I figured it won't hurt but may help!

[Thomass_mum]

I really feel for you no one should be made to feel how you did for seeking advice for a child with breathing difficulties.

My son is almost 3 and has been diagnosed with asthma he takes quite a lot of medications for it now. Although before July he was managing on just his ventolin having previous to this only using clenil during the winter months (oct-mar). Any time he has caught a cold or virus since July he has been admitted to hospital.

Don't let this one doctor put you off seeking advice whenever you are concerned. I had one in A&E make me feel crap once an it made me more apprehensive about going the next time when he had similar symptoms and then got told I shouldn't have waited and should have bought him straight in. Now I don't hesitate my sons asthma gets bad very quickly so always if I am concerned take him to GP if not straight to A&E.