I don't know whether DS is having an asthma issue

omurray

Ugh, we are new to this asthma thing as DS was just diagnosed roughly a month ago.  Our current treatment plan is to use our "rescue" inhaler when there is "trouble breathing, wheezing, cough, tightness in chest".  Okay, sounds easy enough and up to this point, the 3 times we've used it have been due to wheezing.  Well, today DS is having allergy issues.  In the past, his breathing problems have only been induced by colds, never by allergies.  But, like I said, we are new to this.  So, today he has a runny nose, itchy eyes and just started a bit of a cough during his bedtime routine.  The cough has sounded barky a couple times since I left the room (listening on the monitor).  I did listen to his chest before bed and I did not hear a wheeze, nor did his chest seem to be pulling in harder for air.  So, how do I know if this is just an allergy cough that does not need to be treated with inhaler, or if its an asthma cough and he needs his med?  ARGH!  And why does this crap always happen at night when the pedi is closed???

LisaK2b

I know exactly how you feel!  Other times when she got sick and I would hear a cough, I would give her an inhaler (Xopenex) and it never got worst.  Pedi said that since I use it on DD once a month, we need to figure out a preventive solution..so she put us on singulair.  Well..she got sick this weekend and her cough got worst and worst...I didn't think that I could use the inhaler because Pedi mention that it wasn't good to use all the time, and so I didn't.  Then on Sunday, I called and asked about OTC cough meds and she told me that I need to use the inhaler because her cough is most likely wheezing (even though it sounds like a cough).  Sure enough...4 hours after using the inhaler on Sunday, her cough improved and today is completely gone.  Now we're only doing it every 8 hours for one or two more days and we'll stop again...

I'm not a Dr, but I would say to call you pedi to see if you should use it.   

Temp970088312507122

DD1 has asthma. When she was first diagnosed, it was because it was always triggered by colds/illness. That was in the fall/winter. Once spring rolled around, we noticed that her allergies would also cause her asthma to flare up. If she's been playing outside a lot, she starts coughing a lot - sometimes barky, sometimes dry. We always treat that with albuterol and it clears up. I always figured, better safe than sorry. No harm can really come if we end up giving her an unneeded treatment.

Can you call the after hours ped line if you're unsure?

amber*n*scott

Our specalist has us on a 3 step program.  I apologize in advance for the spelling of the medicine....The Albuterol (we have an inhaler now but it can also be used with one of those nebulizers) is 2x a day.  Morning and night to help keep it under control.  If he gets a cold or allergies (even if his nose is just running) we need to step it up to 3x a day and possibly add the second step, Pulmecort.  If the cold hangs on for 2 weeks we need to call and they will give us a prescription for a liquid steriod.  That clears it up right away. 

In his case, any irritation to the lungs (even from a cold or allergy cough) starts the asthma reaction.  If we wait for the weezing, we've waited too long.  This is all according to our Pulmonary Specialist.  I know that they all have different ideas and your child may be completely different than mine.  This is just our experience. 

Thankfully our little guy has been doing very well with the program we're on and we've only needed the liquid steroid once.  Hopefully you'll get through to your Dr. and get the answers you need. 

 Sounsd like you definael