Need advice on a mommy instinct....

This may come out all jumbled, I apologize if I don't make sense... :give_rose:

Today I took my dd in to the peds because I thought she may have broken her arm (we're waiting for those results, but it's pointing to yes she did ) Anyway, while we were in the office Angie started to cough, it's a dry cough. She's been coughing, but getting better, for about four weeks now. The doctor started asking me about this and I told her that she's not coughing as much, mainly when she runs around alot she'll start up and at night a few times she'll start. I haven't been worried and knew they wouldn't give me anything as I took my son in about three weeks ago for his cough. SO she starts throwing out that she's got asthma and gave me a nebulizer (not sure on the spelling), albuterol and one other thing that I don't remember. I kept telling her that my son has the same thing going on and yes, I understand that both can have asthma but what are the chances they both start up a week after one another?? Unfortunately I didn't get to ask any questions, she caught me off guard and now I don't want to give my dd any of these meds. Why? I don't want to just do it because the doctor said. I do plan on calling in the morning and asking about this, but if any of you have kids with asthma, is this how it started? From a cold? Would you give your kids these meds with not much info from the doctor on them or anything?

sorry this got long.

 

I have a nebulizer and albuteral for 2 of my kids...for when they need it. Now, my symptoms of needing it are when they are struggling to breathe...not for a cough. Not any kind of cough (except sometimes a real croupy cough...but I use the cold air or hot steamy bathroom first). I would question it, too.

 

Well, usually asthma isn't diagnosed that quickly. That said, those are typical signs of a kid with asthma. My DD actually got RSV at 18 months old with pneumonia and from that point on had a difficult time anytime she got a cold. She did a lot of coughing at night, more of a dry cough. Her pedi wrote a script for a nebulizer and albuterol with instructions on how and when to use it and to follow up with an asthma/allergy Dr. That Dr. then ran tests, questions, family history, etc. She was first diagnosed with Reactive Airway Disease which then led to asthma. So, I'm not saying she has asthma, but I'm not saying she doesn't as some of those symptoms are key symptoms. I'm just surprised by how the Dr. reacted so quickly. I'd probably follow up with the Dr. and also ask that if he/she felt it was asthma that you would like a referral to a asthma specialist. Did they do a pulse ox in the office? Can she catch her breath when she's having the coughing fits? I'd probably hold off on giving her the meds until you had more info.

 

I'm not sure what a pulse ox is. :blush: As for catching her breathe, yes she can catch her breathe now. When she was in the thick of her sickness (about two weeks ago) she couldn't catch it as quickly, but it wasn't so bad that I'd worry.

Thank you ladies. I'm definitely going to hold off until I talk to someone. :hug:

 

Mine had this. They said it was allergies and put her on OTC loratedine and it went away. I was worried it was asthma because DH has asthma, but it wasn't.

 

My daughter got croupe/pneumonia at 7 months old, and since then she's had a combination of the both of those AT LEAST 5-6 times per year. She'll be 3 in January. She has NOT been diagnosed with asthma, though DH thinks she has it and he was a really bad asthmatic as a child.

She does have a hard time breathing if she starts running around a lot and we just tell her to calm down.

She does have a neubilzer, but she only uses it when she has an obvious issue breathing. I wouldn't give it out just for a dry cough...

 

Liz - Abby has the same thing as well as snores like a truck driver - I questioned the doctor to whether or not she had asthma as well as tonsil/adenoid issues and he wasn't worried - said if she hasn't grown out of it by the time she's 5 we'll worry...she may have small air passages...

that said I wouldn't do albuterol willy-nilly like that....good luck

and how did she break her arm?

 

Fell off the kitchen bench. <_< After I just finished telling her to sit still. Oh well, lesson learned, right? :nea:

I've heard the albuterol makes them :crazy: and that's why I was hesitant to give it to her just because she might have asthma.

 

I could go either way on it. But I have treated all of my kids with a nebulizer and Zopenex (same med at Albuterol, but it is supposed to have less of the jittery effects). We thought that Leah was showing some signs of early asthma. She had a cough and really seems to get more irritated during the seasonal allergy time. We started Claritin chewables twice a year for about 2 months during the seasonal allergy period and her drippy nose and cough have gone away. No need for nebulizers or inhalers.

We treated Tyler with a nebulizer with Pulmicort and Zopenex for some respiratory issues. He had a lingering cough. He was diagnosed with Bronchiolitis. We did 2 months of treatments and he hasnt needed a nebulizer in over a year.

So, just because she handed you a nebulizer, doesnt mean you will have to use it forever. Personally, I would use it to give her some relief. And if it works, great.

I like this website for stuff
Keep Kids Healthy-Asthma

Sorry about Angie's arm. :hug: Will she have to wear a cast?

 

Just wanted to add.....

Albuterol is a rescue inhaler like pp's mentioned. However, it can be used for chronic cough too. It is not that unusual for it to be prescribed for chronic cough. I, do, however think (if the doctor only heard the cough and didn't listen to her chest with a stethescope) then she may have jumped the gun a bit...as far as diagnosing with asthma. I certainly do not think waiting until tomorrow to ask more questions will be harmful. Unless, she begins to have an acute attack. Chronic cough is sometimes the only symptom for adults diagnosed with asthma. However, with kids the diagnosis is usually a little bit harder to make because of their small airways. That is why doctors will often say kids will out grow it....usually they get the diagnosis as reactive airways before actually being labeled an asthmatic.

 

My son with reactive airway disease does get a persistant dry cough - I think it is called cough variant asthma. He was not diagnosed or given the nebs based on the cough however, I noticed he was wheezing when he had a cold. The pulse ox is the little red light strap they put on the finger that measures the % of oxygen in the blood - it shows if the lungs are effectively doing their job. If she is not able to sleep due to persistant cough I would do the neb.
Did the doc listen to her lungs?
Good luck

 

Usually they don't like to peg children with asthma until the age of six, that being said there are circumstances when they may. My boys have had ventolin inhalers since the summer that I give them when they start getting sick because if I don't it progressivly gets worse very quickly and then we have to resort to the flovent and the ventolin and do inhalers and nebulizers. They have told me that my boys do not have asthma but that they have a harder time recovering once they get sick. My boys have not had any jitteriness from the meds yet but some can. I would suggest that if you are going to give them then you should try first in the day time so that if she does get excited it doesn't hinder her sleep. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

Two of my kids use a nebulizer. It started with Liam and it was when I could see him breathing from his belly and breathing very loudly that I brought him in. (I have a boatload of nieces and nephews with asthma). Now when he gets a cold it settles in there and the nebulizer is one of the only things that help relieve the cough. Nolan was diagnosed with pneumonia last winter and now he gets the same thing when he gets sick. Liam sometimes falls asleep while doing a treatment, so the albuterol does not make him crazy.


Most recently they gave me pulmicort with the albuterol. It takes several days before it starts working and tends to be expensive. We have an amazing prescription plan (I pay about 50 cents for 30 800 mg Ibuprofen), but I still paid $40 for the pulmicort.

I would double check with the doctor. Have you used a humidifier in their rooms at all?

 

My son was misdiagnosed with asthma at 3 years old. He had constant uppper respitory infections and then had a consistant cough. It was horrible at night and he snored horribly. His cough would often lead to him gagging and then throwing up. Well they did the allergy tests (he was clear) and then the asthma route, but it didn't help. We then were referred to a Ear Nose and Throat doctor and they did a ct or mri (sorry can't remember) and his adnoids were HUGE!!! They ended up taking him in and removing his adnoids and tonsils and put tubes in his ear since it turned out he had lost 50% of his hearing in his left ear (we had no idea). It worked wonders and he hasn't had any issues since.
Needless to say I think that some doctors do jump to asthma but I was hesitant as well. We tried it twice I think, both times were in the middle of the night during a coughing fit, it didn't work.
I don't really have any advice, just trust your mommy gut and maybe talk to the doctor some more.
Good luck! I hope the arm isn't broken and she heals quick!

 

Did they check her ears too? We just took Ian in for similar reasons. He's been coughing about three weeks. He seems to have some allery(post nasal drip) that and when the cough hangs around he ens up with an ear infection.
He ha pnemonia at 18 onths and every fall if he ets a cold if the cough stays a littl etoo long, he gets an infection

 

Liz! I'm so sorry about Angie's arm. Poor little sweetie! :hug:

As for the meds, I don't have a lot of asthma experience but I would say that you can never go wrong by asking questions. And if she has had the cough this long & is getting better, then 1 or 2 more days without meds while you ask your questions & get some info aren't likely to hurt her. And if she should get worse, you've got something to give her.

:hug: to you too Momma!

 

Liz~ No asthma experience, but like Heather said, we have the nebulizer and Albuterol and Xopenex (like Doodle). Albuterol makes Lauren figgity and ill, so we generally try to stick to the Xopenex for her. The Albuterol comes out if it is really, really bad. Again, we only use it when they are have a cough that makes it difficult to breathe or a croupy cough. :hug: