New to all this

[Tracybabe79]

Morning.

My lb is 3 almost 4 and has been hospital with croup and a viral wheeze. They aren't diagnosing him with asthma which I understand but I was just looking for some support really.

He's had 3 lots of steroids dexomethasone and (so far) one dose of prednisolone and has a blue inhaler on a wheeze management plan.

We are on day 5 of the wheeze. Day 2 of the management plan and apart from him not coughing at night I'm not seeing an improvement. His oxygen levels in hospital went from 93 to 97. But back home (we have a pulseox meter they've been 93 even after the inhaler. The hospital say his resps are fine. His breathing rate is about 32 bpm.

I guess I feel like he should be showing some signs of improvement by now. We have a brown preventer inhaler to start him on from Thursday.

This has all been a massive learning curve and quite scary.

I just want him to be better.

[Minushabens]

Hi there & welcome to the forum.

First of all, it is increasingly common for local NHS bodies to have a policy of not allowing asthma diagnosis of children under about 7 or 8. However, NICE guidelines say that children presenting with asthma-type symptoms should receive asthma treatment, so it can get confusing.

It sounds like you are seeing some signs of improvement from the treatment though with the reduction in his night-time cough. Asthma treatment can take a while to completely take hold, & there can be a certain amount of trial & error, especially in young children. Once he starts on the preventer inhaler I'm sure that will also support a long-term improvement.

I know it feels hard (I've been there!) but getting things right at this stage will honestly reap rewards longer-term.

Please feel free to share any of your experiences & worries, & let us know how he is getting on

[DeanSamson]

My little boy went through the same ended up in Carlisle hospital twice in 2016 Because of it. Eventually they gave us clenil modulate 50 (brown inhaler) to take through the winder months. Soon as his wheeze comes we start that 2 puff morning and night. Touch wood he hasn't been back since nov 2016.