Joined: 12 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 5857 Gender: Female
Posted: 21 May 2007 at 8:48pm | IP Logged
Right then, where to start... I have asthma, as does DH an there is excema on both sides of the family. Asthma and Excema are linked to the same gene, so its very much in our family. Ella has slight excema and currently has an inhaler for a cough.
Diet first - have you tried Ed's on Goats Milk? I put Ella onto it as its less mucous producing and is said to be good for people with asthma, excema and allergies. After about 6 months, I thought oh she'll be ok now and went back to cows milk - and she got a sinus infection! I don't know if its linked, but she's back on goats milk now and so far so good. Personally, I think it helped Ella and its won't do any harm to try. It has all the same nutritional benefits as cows milk.
Inhaler - Ella has the same one and the spacer (aero chamber) with teddies on. Just a hint if he starts to get fed up with it. Get an empty toilet roll, put it to your mouth and say "toot!" in a silly voice. Eds will laugh, you will feel silly! Then get the spacer, do a puff or 2 puffs into it and tell him to say "toot". He has to breathe in 1st and will get the medication. You can safely put 2 puffs into the space for him to have in 1 go, if thats the dose you've been told.
Asthma - I'm a member of Asthma UK and they have loads of information leaflets (all free!) which you might find handy. I got most of their collection as they do everything from what to do in an asthma attack, childhood asthma to asthma in pregnancy. Definately worth a visit. They also have a phone number and an email address where you can ask an asthma nurse. Really handy for those times when you don't want to bother your GP. I found them to be really helpful in my pregnancy and since. Visit them HERE
Finally, smokey atmospheres will probably aggravate his asthma and could make him worse. Smoke of any kind is a trigger for asthma and in some cases can bring on an attack. One tip I would suggest is to make sure you carry his inhaler and spacer with you when you're out. I know they're not small, but its best to have it to hand just in case. When you go back to the doctors, if you ask he will give you another prescription so that you have a spare - always handy with inhalers to have a spare!
Sorry this is going on a bit. I did a lot of research when Ella was 1st given an inhaler! We don't know if she's asthmatic yet as its one of those things that you can't easily diagnose. There are a few other things you might be interested in such as the grobag airfree from bump to 3. Its not cheap at about £140, but I found they really helped my asthma, and I've just moved it into Ella's room. Also if his cough is worse at night times, a room humidifier may help.
With childhood asthma, there is a very good chance that he will grow out of it too so fingers crossed.
Joined: 14 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 2421 Gender: Female
Posted: 21 May 2007 at 9:38pm | IP Logged
aww madz, i totally sympathise with you...Liam was diagnosed with moderate asthma when he was about 6 months old...He is having an asthma review when he turns 1 to put him onto the proper inhalers as his doesnt really ease it anymore. He has a little spacer with teddies on it and a little face mask, which he hates! It's not the end of the world, at least they can still lead normal lives.
My dh has asthma, and i have asthma, and most of my family have it or have had it as a child so we expected it to come out somewhere...but poor Liam has had everything in one go! We just try n make it all a big game when he has his doses!
We too are hoping he grows out of it, but hes forever grunting, wheezing and "fizzing" lol so i doubt it will be for a while!
Joined: 13 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 8803 Gender: Female
Posted: 21 May 2007 at 10:38pm | IP Logged
Thanks!
Dizie dont apologise - that was really interesting. I have already found Asthma UK and had a hunt and I was planning on getting their leaflets.
Eds has the spacer with the teddies. He needs it 4 times a day and the first twice he was great but the last time, before bed, he just didnt want to know. I really didnt want to force him as I dont want him to hate it but night times are by far the worst. DP was home and we tried to make it fun and in the end he got the dose. He's on Benilyn Cough and Cold for his Cold too and tonight he actually seems ok with his cough so far but we'll see.
My mum suffers from bad Excema which I didnt realise was related and dp and I both suffer from other types of rashes. I have Hayfever and my brother had childhood asthma (although this was due to my mum not giving him MMR and he got Whooping Cough).
Sam I'm sorry Liam has it too, it must be tough when they are so young. I hope once he is on a proper dose it controls it better for him.
I'm slowly getting over blaming myself. I kept going through all the what if's and when I looked in the books and they all say most 2 year olds with Asthma only show a persitant night time cough as a symptom I felt I should have noticed earlier but I never thought it would happen to us.
Thanks for your support and I may be calling on those of you with experience with more questions soon. I hope you dont mind!
Joined: 14 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 2421 Gender: Female
Posted: 21 May 2007 at 11:42pm | IP Logged
aww madz it is tough but its our new life...Liam copes better than i do with it lol! It stresses me out listening to his laboured breathing when he gets excited...but he isn't that bothered!
You couldnt have predicted it, or prevented it, it just happens! I was told asthma is an allergy and its triggered by an allergy, so it could be something simple. In Liams case we think it could have been triggered by his lactose intolerance.
Joined: 02 May 2007 United Kingdom Posts: 214 Gender: Female
Posted: 21 May 2007 at 11:59pm | IP Logged
Don't blame yourself Madz it sounds like you did all the right things!
I say on BBC teletext news that they now encourage mothers to eat apples when pregnant to stop asthma? But hey who knows what causes allergies etc.
My wee boy has urine reflux (shoudl grow out of it) and I blame myself but no-one can give us an explanation to why this occurs and we wouldn't be mums if we didn't blame ourselves eh?
Joined: 17 June 2005 United Kingdom Posts: 3849 Gender: Female
Posted: 22 May 2007 at 9:57am | IP Logged
I think that sometimes doctors are too quick to throw inhalers at
children without a full investigation. I found out that most of my friends'
wee folk had been offered inhalers at some point!
Emilie was given one a while back when she had a persistant chesty
cough and wheeze, but I found that she just needed antibiotics and time
to get over it. I, like you, have a history of excema and Stewart has
asthma, but Emilie got over the wheeze and I don't need the inhaler for
her. I hope Eds gets over it too, and if you do find out it's asthma it's
not the end of the world. You did everything right and it could have
been much, much worse if you didn't. Don't blame yourself.
Joined: 22 November 2006 United Kingdom Posts: 1595 Gender: Female
Posted: 22 May 2007 at 12:15pm | IP Logged
I have a slight asthmatic wheeze due to damamged caused by my chemo. I'm always terrified about Ben getting asthma too, and like you Madz, I know I'd blame myself even though I've never smoked and bf him until he was 2! I think thats just instinct! I hope the inhaler helps Eds and he'sa feeling better soon
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Topic: Edward might have Asthma
