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@Cherrybee: I didn't read too closely to all the replies… but here are my thoughts… Whenever my DS gets a cold he usually gets the wheezing and cough and that can stick around for awhile. We tried an inhaler with spacer but found that he wasn't getting enough medicine in that way so the Dr switched it to a nebulizer and that always works! He gets some screen time while it runs to get him to stay still but it always helps with the coughing and wheezing. The first time it happened the Dr diagnosed him with croup. They told us cold air helps and it was the dead of winter so we would take him outside when it was bad and that did work well too. I am thinking you should try for a second opinion and maybe you could try a nebulizer with her. We started ours at every 4 hours and then wean it down as he is getting better. Oh, his cough always sounds "asthmatic" but the Dr said they don't like to diagnose it this young but it just seems that when he gets a cold or sick his body reacts with that wheezing and cough. I hope you can get some answers soon and LO gets better! It is exhausting when they are sick for so long!
ETA: we rub coconut oil & eucalyptus oil on his chest and feet too
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No advice, I just hope she feels better soon! I would definitely seek out a second opinion and follow your instincts.
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Sorry, no advice, but I hope she feels better really soon!
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@ValentineMommy: @looch: @creativemomma15: @Mrs. Jump Rope: @London Mama: and everyone else you replied (thank you). I just wanted to post an update:
So, we took her back to the doctor today, after giving her as much steam as we could fit in, giving her the liquid salbutomol asthma medicine and trying to give her the inhaler through the spacer device (which she fights off) - none of which worked. He pretty much said that there is nothing more we can do and we need to persevere with the inhaler. I said that there MUST be more that can be done - different ways of administering the drugs to babies, different drugs - and asked for a referral to a pediatrician. Well my doctor flew into a rage. He said that he has many years experience and there's nothing a ped can do that he can't. He said that Peds don't like using salbutomol (but GPs do, apparently, because they see it working?) and a ped will only take her off all the medication and say there's nothing he/she can do at all - then we will in an even worse position. He then wrote our referral furiously. I asked afterwards about our interim care plan because daycare have now excluded her until we have a "care plan" in place. He said (angrily) "Our care plan is to refer her to a pediatrician and see what they advise" and dismissed us. DH had to see him afterwards about his arthritis and he raged through that appointment, too, snapping at him constantly. It was awful. I ended up in floods of tears in the car - and DH is really angry with me for "calling into question the doctor's capability", which is considered very rude here!). It's just awful.
I'm doing the right thing, right? There HAS to be a way to help her?? If the inhaler and spacer device isn't working, there has to be another way to get the medicine into her? Nebulizer, perhaps? What is triggering this "asthma"? Indeed, is it even asthma at all?? DH thinks I'm being ridiculous and if the doctor says there's nothing more he can do then there clearly isn't......
..... but as the daycare lady said to me on the phone today (as she excluded her until a care plan is in place) - "not to alarm you but babies die of asthma" (helpful, huh?!).
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@Cherrybee: in spite of how your doctor made you feel, you are 100% doing the right thing by getting a second opinion. Worse case scenario, your doctor is right and the pediatrician can't do anything--- oh well, then you'll know for sure. Best case scenario is that there's something the Ped can offer that will help you.
Hang in there, mama!
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@Cherrybee: you did the right thing. You need to advocate for your baby. Good job being a great mama bear!
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@Cherrybee: your doctor sounds like a real jerk! Are children not normally seen by a ped where you live?
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@Cherrybee: You definitely did the right thing! Hope the pedi has some ideas as to how to treat the cough. The nebulizer works wonders for us and usually the cough gets better after a couple of days. Maybe the pedi can prescribe you a rental device so you can try it out. (We don't run any meds in it just NaCl 0.9%). Poor, poor E for being so sick but lucky E for having such a lion as a mum!!! Big hugs across the channel
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@Mrs. Jump Rope: Nope. Everyone here has a General Practitioner (GP)also known as the "family doctor". Peds, along with all other specialists (dermatologists, gynecologists etc), are based at the hospital and you need a referral from your GP in order to see one. The GP will only refer if it's something he/she can't deal with (eg cancer, heart surgery) or if their treatments have not worked (eg skin conditions that haven't responded t treatment). You see the specialist then they send a letter to your GP with the medications you need on it so they can put it on a repeat prescription. Diabetes, asthma, childrens health, eczema - you name it, it's dealt with by your family doctor who isn't a specialist in anything. Like I said, my doctor felt that asking for a referral to a ped was suggesting he was bad at his job....
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@Cherrybee: I think you did the right thing. His protocol wasn't working and instead if suggesting a new regimine, he said there's nothing else he can do.
I would really try to get to the bottom of her triggers. Asthma is scary, especially in such a little kid who can't tell you that they're having an attack.
Even at age 2 I'm not sure id willingly had Chloe tested for allergies. Instead, I'd remove any trigger I could think of. For me, it's dust/mites and certain animals. We ripped carpet out of our house (one room left!) and and put in new flooring. My quality of health is like night and day. I haven't used my inhaler or nebulizer in a year, and I was using them multiple times a day.
Did they suggest allergies? Is it humid where you live?
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@Cherrybee: I'm a little late to this party, but I've been dealing with wheezing and a cough in Xander. Our pediatrician originally suggested it might be asthma related, but turns out it's pneumonia and broncholitis. Did your doctor do a chest x-ray at all to rule out pneumonia or anything like that?
We have to give Xander an inhaler every 4 hours, and it's definitely rough. I usually end up laying him down, sitting on him, and holding the mask over his face with both hands. He HATES it, but it does seem to be helping. He's also on antibiotics and a steroid for the pneumonia. And we got a cool mist humidifier for his room and run it at night.
I really hope when you see the pediatrician, you'll have better luck and they'll find a treatment that works for you!
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@Adira: @Cherrybee: I forgot about bronchiolitis, aka RSV. Our LO had that in January and it took a good 2-3 months to totally clear up but her daycay couch still persists 5 months later.
Has your doctor ruled out bronchiolitis? We had to give our LO breathing treatments for about a month there and we always did it when she was asleep. We would just let her sleep on our bed and then would hold the mask close to her face (but not touching) for the 10 or so minutes of the treatment.
I'm sure an inhaler is different--is there no way to do it while she sleeps?
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@Anagram: @Cherrybee: Bronchiolitis is USUALLY caused by RSV, but not always! Xander doesn't have RSV or the flu, so we think just a random cold caused his! But that's a good point - did your LO get swabbed to check for RSV? Xander had to get a booger swab to test for it.
You can do the inhaler while sleeping, but we found it challenging. Xander tends to sleep on his stomach and you need to make a seal with the mask, so I always had to roll him over, which woke him up. Hubs managed to do it once though, so I know it can be done, haha!
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Saw your GP didn't appreciate you asking for a referral, his feelings may be hurt but it's not your job to bolster his ego. The current course of treatment isn't working for your child and you are definitely right to ask for further assessment by a specialist. Did the GP write the referral in the end?
How is LO doing now?
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So you have the referral in hand? That's good news, I think!
You've done the right thing.
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@Adira: @Anagram: She has had no tests at all - no swabs, no X-rays, nothing. He just saw the family history and said asthma.
@Mrs. Jump Rope: The doctor dismissed my questions about triggers, claiming that asthma is purely genetic. We have two small, fluffy dogs and I would rehome them in an instant if it would help but I would need to be certain it was them she was allergic to. I read that even sending them away for a few days won't give us any clues because it takes around a year for dander to degrade in the home. Apart from that, we have laminate floors throughout and I'm a clean freak. It's not humid at all where we live (wet yes, humid no!!). I also wondered about dietary triggers - maybe I should start a food diary. Hmm.
@London Mama: Well he sat there with a piece of paper, writing furiously, scowling and the only time he spoke during that time (at least 5 minutes) was to confirm that the cough had lasted for three months. I think that was him writing the referral?? Now we just wait for a letter, right?
@looch: Thank you.
You all make me feel so much better. Thanks.
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@Cherrybee: Wow! I'm furious for you that your doctor didn't even do any tests to really determine the cause of her issues!!! That's absolutely horrible! I'm soooooooooo glad you got a referral and will be seeing a pediatrician!!!!
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@Cherrybee: You are right on to be questioning the croup diagnosis- as we learned the hard way at our house, the word 'croup' can describe any thing that triggers the swelling and narrowing of the upper airway. The croup cough is a seal like bark from the narrowing of the airway, not the phlegmy one people always say sounds 'croupy'. So, I agree, get an x-ray to confirm there is no steepling. Your instincts are right!
Uh, I don't know how you feel about it, but the nose frida has helped us a lot and reduced respiratory infections and hospital stays. Often when my LO has a chronic night time cough it is drainage done the back of her throat., so even if she doesn't sound super congested if we nose frida her + decongestant spray (lil remedies) the cough diminishes and she sleeps. Good luck!
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I'm a worrier but "steam" as treatment would make me think about changing pedis (after 3 months!)
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