not sure on advice

Hi

I went to my GP today as my 5 year old daughter has been coughing for the last 6 weeks and I have been using brown inhaler 3 times a day and blue inhaler several times through the night and no improvement in the coughs.

She can cough continually for 2 or 3 hours at night, when she wakes to turn over she again starts coughing. I didn't know if it is asthma or something else.

He said couldn't label it as asthma until wheezing was confirmed as well, he couldn't hear any when he listened and advised me to listen when she is coughing. I have listened to her a chest with my ear and all I can hear is her heartbeat. Is it possible to hear wheezing in the chest without a stethescope?

Gp advised giving Clenil 4 times a day and Salbutamol when needed 6 puffs at a time every 30 mins if needed. He says if she was on a nebulizer it would be about 10 puffs every 5 mins. Can't overdose on Salbutamol.

Going back next week.

When is bad enough to go to hospital I've never thought about going to Hospital over a cough even though she can cough for 2 to 3 hours and we all have disturbed nights.

Sorry for long post just trying to talk with other people who have been through the same thing and can understand.

[Thomass_mum]

Hi

I don't think what your GP is saying is strictly true. Some people don't wheeze, our respiratory nurse told us you can either have cough, wheeze or both and they are all signs of respiratory distress. I can hear my sons wheeze when he had it without even putting my head near his chest it is quite loud but a lot of the time when he is really bad he doesn't have a wheeze at all. The advice we have been given is if he is struggling we should give 2 puffs of blue inhaler, wait 1-2 mins if no improvement give 2 more and repeat up to 10 puffs if still no improvement to take him straight to A&E. My son isn't even 3 so it can be difficult to tell when he is bad with no wheeze we tend to look for nasal flaring, intercostal recessions (pulling in between ribs) and retractions around his neck.

The asthma UK nurses are brilliant I would suggest calling them they give excellent advice and will answer all your questions.

Jenny x

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Thanks Jenny

Was goign to call the nurses tomorrow just seeing if advice was correct.

Went to GP on previous years as she gets this most winters but this year its at its worst. Each GP previously seen says its asthma.

If I go by this gp I'm giving my daughter 6 puffs of salbutamol nearly every 30 mins and I'm sure that's not right.

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Thanks. She's just continually coughing I gave her salbutamol at 7.20pm tonight and she went quiet and asleep now she's started coughing again only 50 mins later. It will probably go on like this all night, last night when I was going by previous GP's advise of 2 puffs every 15 mins she wasn't reacting or getting better at all.

She also says it feels like there is a hair stuck and she is trying to clear her throat as well as coughing. I just want her to be able to have a whole nights sleep she looks shattered.

[Thomass_mum]

Thomas was discharged from hospital yesterday and had his last day of prednisolone today but is still on antibiotics. He is coughing but is having 8 puffs of blue inhaler every 4hours, once he's had this the cough goes away but starts to come back towards the time when the next dose is due. I have also been giving Thomas calpol which seems to help but he had a query chest infection. To me if the cough isn't being subdued with 10 puffs it either isn't the asthma or like stray says it is really severe. How many puffs did you give her before bed?

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Since coming home from school she has had 10 puffs at 16.15, 17.15, 18.10, 19.20, and she's still coughing now was going to give her more but that would be 50 puffs !

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Hi I don't know where I got 10 puffs from, its 6 puffs I'm giving her. Its taken me this long to get my head right!! Only 6 puffs at a time not 10 ! Still not reacting to it though.

[Thomass_mum]

I think stray definitely right you should try see out of hours GP that is a lot of blue inhaler.

We were told if Thomas can't make it the 4 hours between the reducing doses of salbutamol (8 puffs every 4 hours today) he should be taken back to A&E!

X

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Thanks for all your help and advice.

She seems to have calmed down now will probably wake in about 30 mins or so I'll see how she goes.

Will let you know tomorrow how it went and what asthma nurse advises.

I remember when I went over my daughter having a sore throat this GP ended referring her for urine infections that weren't even an issue with other dr's and not the reason I'd went before.

Is is ok to see another dr if one has asked you to come back.

Anyway thanks everyone for listening to me tonight.

[Thomass_mum]

Tbh I would probably go see a different GP at least then you can get a second opinion x

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Well she's finally gone to sleep on the sofa with me, at least one of us might get some sleep.

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Phoned Asthma nurse and she said the amount of salbutamol was way too much without steroid tablets too. She advised going to Drs asap. Pulled my daughter out of school and we went. Saw a different GP she was great. She was shocked at how much Salbutamol we had been told to use. She has detected a slight crackle and reckons she has a chest infection given us anti biotics and also referred to the pead asthma nurse clinic to get a definite confirmation about it being asthma and also further help.

I'm feeling alot better about it all. She said to give Clenil 4 puffs in morning and just before bed. Salbutamol 4 puffs before bed and if required 1 - 2 puffs only.

Thanks again to everyone.

[Thomass_mum]

Thats good news, hope you can see the asthma nurse soon and get some answers x

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I'm soo glad you've seen a different GP, and that she's recommended a sensible amount of ventolin for a little girl. If you're daughter needs more ventolin than she has reccommended then give her what she needs but phone NHS direct/24 for advice or head to A&E. I hope she's feeling better soon.

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Thanks everyone she sleeping well tonight. Still had the odd cough but dealing ok with it.