I am looking for advice if possible. my 3 1/2 year old diagnosed asthmatic 2 years ago, is on montelukast, serotide and ventolin, has had tonsils and adenoids removed due to constant infections and apnea, has had every test going, sweat, blood, immunity, all negative. even had 12 week course of low dose antibiotics. He has approx 4 weeks symptom free then starts with a cough, usually constant, wet and productive whcih then results in him being unwell and onto antibiotics, clears up after 4-6 weeks. and this has been a constant cycle for 2 years but he never seems to improve. He is a good height and weight for his age, bright with a good diet. due to start full time school in september which he will struggle with if no improvement in his health as when he is ill, normality doesn't exist.
My son sounds very similar, he always has a cough that never shifts, and it always wakes him up when its bad. My son was put on ventolin at 6 mths old for a cough, he is also on Salbutamol. He was on Montelukast for the past 10 months until I read on here that some other Mums had said their children were bad sleepers on it, my son has been a terrible sleeper ever since being on it and we were pulling our hair out so we took him off it and he now has uninterupted sleep. His cough is very congested, always dribbles, we still steam him in the shower, and I sometimes use a new born baby snot sucker on him.. Other mums tell me they have known him to have a cough more than to not have one. He is always going on anti-bioethics as the cough can hang around for 3 mths and then it goes to his chest with an infection. He was referred to ENT but in the appointment, he sat there with his mouth closed and breathed through his nose (something he has never done, always the way when your in the hospital) so the doctor said his tonsils and andernoids are fine. I think with my son, when he picks up a cold (which is always) it turns into a virus that he cannot shift, which then must affect the asthma as he always come out in a cough. I try and avoid things that trigger, I am always dusting and hoovering his room, avoid house with pets, give him piriton in the summer (when the pollen count is high), cut the grass in the evening, and really wrap him up in the cold (I think he has a weak chest). It is very worrying when they are little and always have a cough, I take him to the doctors all the time and they say his chest is clear, although some say he has a wheeze which is why he is on the ashtma inhalers, I dread the different seasons.
I can relate to you my son is almost 3 and is on seretide, Nedocromil, flixonase, montelukast and ventolin yet his asthma still isn't under control as we have frequent admissions every 4-6 weeks approximately. He went in for his adenoids to be removed but once they had a proper look while he was under the GA it turned out they were normal. So now we have more tests to determine the reason for his problems. We are waiting at the moment for a date for an MRI of his head and pituitary glands and he has a RAST blood test tomorrow as they can get a prick allergy test done because he is ill so frequently. We have the opposite with our son though he isn't a good weight or size he has dropped off his centiles for both weight and height as he is ill so frequently we just can't get him to keep and weight he does put on. Thomas's cough isn't a typical cold cough its because of his asthma and we have been told to give him ventolin whenever this comes on and using the 2 puffs wait 2 mins then 2 more puffs repeated up to 10 puffs if he's still coughing we should take him to A&E. He doesn't wheeze often when he is bad as his airways close up very quickly hence why now we have been advised to take him to A&E as soon as poss as the ventolin just doesn't work once he's this bad.
Is your son seen by a consultant at the hospital?
Jenny
Thanks for replies! Montelukast doesn't seem to disturb his sleeping, when he is well he can easily go 13 hours!! Never tried piriton so will give it a go in the nicer weather as the seasons do effect him too.
Jenny,, yes he is under a respiratory pediatrician and respiratory nurse, only have one of each in my area. Keep saying he will get better but i have kept a health diary for 2 years and no improvement at all. When he is on his 'good' weeks he is totally symptom free,, can last 3-4 weeks. Then we have a bad 4--6 weeks,.
Has he been allergy tested? I know he probably has but is he allergic to things? Has his consultant said what the next step is? Obviously if there has been no improvement you would think they would be doing something. Also, have you tried calling the AUK nurses on here they have been really helpful when I have called.
Jenny
Not been allergy tested but is very weather specific,, doesn't do too hot or too cold and a cold makes him worse too. Did phone help line, nearly an hour later had lots of advice so went back to my gp, explained i had phoned here for help/advice and asked why he was never treated with pred oral steroids and was told he didn't need them. Told me info was generic and not child specific. Now more confused than ever and still have a lil boy with a 6 week history of a cough this time around!
Oh I feel disappointed for you. Do you think it would be worth trying to being his next consultant appointment forwards so you can discuss it with him instead. I find my GPs pretty reluctant to change anything with Thomas's meds. Does giving him the blue inhaler stop the cough? With Thomas's cough using the ventolin almost always causes it to lessen or stop completely.
I am going to phone in the morning to see if i can as don't have a written asthma plan either yet diagnosed 2 years ago. Then at least doctors will have to follow it. It eases it, especially at night but daytime cough is very wet. Coughs on exertion and if very emotional too wen ill. But thankfully is sleeping well at mo, and lots!!
Yeah that's a good, at least then you can get their opinion on things too. I don't have a written plan for Thomas? Should I have?
According to the asthma nurse i spoke to and i know its also now under the nice guidelines, can download one off this site. U should be given one on discharge from hospital according to the guidelines. I intend to get one asap as can't keep battling with the doctors everytime he is ill.
Ah I get a discharge summary with an action plan at the end each time he is discharged. But it's not great cos my GP won't actually prescribe two of the medications as they are not licenced for under 4s so she is not happy to do it. The consultant now gives me them but even last time he moaned that he shouldn't be doing it and my GP needs to start providing me with them, that should be a fun situation to sort! Maybe the consultant can provide you with an action plan.
Yeah, she'll have to as doctor basically told me its not there problem as i have a pediatrician as she wouldn't be prescribing his antibiotics if she had her way and certainly won't give him pred!! Got an appointment for 4 weeks but gonna try bring it forward.
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