My poor Sprog has had a horrible cough for ages now. I am ashamed to say that I havent really noticed how long she's had it, but its well over five weeks *awful parent*.
I took her to see the Nurse Practitioner last week, who said it was "probably viral", and to leave it and give her Tixylix or Benylin if she needed it to sleep. The problem didn't improve, and the coughing at night wakes her up and leaves her tired in the moning, with disastrous consequences at school :(
This morning we went back to see the doctor...and he said he thought it might well be mild asthma and prescribed Ventolin and an inhaler thingie!! She's had a blast of Ventolin, and the coughing seems to have stopped for now.
I know asthma is fairly common nowadays, but really didnt think that could be the problem. Oh well, its inhalers for us from here on in, i guess.
Not necessarily BFG. ED had a viral infection that caused a cough and shortness of breath, she was put onto the ventolin inhalers. We used them for about a week, and haven't touched it in the last 4 years!
Hope that she feels better very soon.
It could be a response to something too - (are furry cats sleeping on her bed?) - if you track down what it is then you dont' need the inhaler. A couple of days of antihistamines will tell you if it's reactive.
Kids can also outgrow childhood asthma BFG, our Kimmy had exactly what you are describing when she was about 4, she started on Ventolin syrup at first then an inhaler with a spacer. We bought anti allergy bedding and replaced the carpet in her room with Lino, by the time she was 8 it had gone and she has never had any trouble with it since.
My own asthma is entirely enviromental asthma, I react to air freshners, lots of cleaning products, the only two perfumes I can actually wear that doesn't set it off are Eternity and Armani Diamonds! (so you can imagine how little I get of those at Christmas!)
I generally know what to avoid but always carry an inhaler just incase. The last attack I had was last year when some poor girl, who had obviously lost her own sense of smell got on the bus reeking of that Jade Goody stuff and sat right in front of me. I had to get off the bus and even with my inhaler it took half an hour before I could actually breath and then I had to wait another 40 minutes for another bus!
Theres this one perfume this sweet old lady around the corner from us wears, I have no idea what it is but my guess would be that it is something that escaped from Porton Down! If I even see her at the bus stop, I just go back indoors and wait for the next one. She is a really nice old dear too, always has time for the kids and stops to speak to me and Rab but I just don't know how to say 'sorry can't stop to chat because you are killing me!' in a nice way.
Have you noticed if there are any triggers for your dd, things that make her worse? what is she doing when she starts with the coughing, if she is in bed you could try the allergy bedding, hoover her matress, washing her bedding without detergents and see if that helps.
Cath x
I think she's about the same age as Rachel was when she was diagnosed, is she 6?
Rachel hardly ever needs her inhalers, she has had probably 3 really bad episodes with it in 9 years and the rest of the time she's fine! It's a funny old thing.
ursh x
My niece (8) has asthma, but hardly ever needs her inhaler these days. She got diagnosed at 5 and used to use it a lot then, but is now a lot better. At least your Sprog is sorted now, and it can be controlled.
Trish XX
My OD was diagnosed with asthma at age ?, can't remember but it was before she started school and too young for an inhaler so she had some sort of liquid medicine to start with and then inhalers later on. However, her symptom was a night cough which although didn't wake her it did wake me! She used to get this after every cold and the first time it happened I just thought it was the tail end of the cold and so I thought I was a bad mum! She never ever had weaziness. She seems to have grown out of it now, almost 18 and in fact I can't remember the last time she needed an inhaler but probably a few years now.
My SIL had childhood asthma and at 22 she doesn't have it now at all.
I had a late dx of asthma 11 yrs ago.
Glad you got it sorted for her, dont' feel bad I'd do the same tbh.
MD was diagnosed with asthma when she was that age, she never used the inhaler and is fine now so they do outgrow it some times.
Good Luck.
I think it's fairly common for children to get asthma and grow out of it - whereas if it's later onset then it's for life... Mine was diagnosed at 15 and I will have it for life whereas friends children given inhalers at ages 5/6 etc have outgrown it by their teens - poor love, don't beat yourself up about it you've done all the right things, and if it is viral and the ventolin works then it's all good!!
hope she feels better soon and that you are ok. xx
I was finally diagnosed with asthma after DH convinced me to nag the doctor because he was sick of me coughing every night for weeks after I had a cold. I only ever need to use an inhaler if I've had a bad cold as I tend to be left with a cough afterwards. I use it about once every 18 months.
I know nobody really wants their child to have asthma, but on the other hand it's a really positive thing that you have a diagnosis and have the inhalers. I wish I'd been given one earlier, instead of coughing my way through university.
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