Fairly consistent gaspy coughing coming from kiddo’s room tonight. Worried she has a sinus infection on top of the #allergies and #asthma. 😮💨 I gave her some puffs of her inhaler which has worked almost instantly to quiet the cough. Except now she’s so quiet I need to creep in the doorway to make sure she’s breathing, because I’m anxiety-riddled.
@MotherDucker Understandable 😔 I hope she gets better soon!
@MotherDucker How’s your little one (if you don’t mind sharing). I hope she had a better day today ❤️
Thanks so much for asking. She had a much better night, we only needed her rescue inhaler once then she slept soundly through the night.
Got her to a doctor yesterday. She thinks it’s an upper respiratory infection. She wasn’t majorly concerned. Just said to stay on top of the cough with her rescue inhaler.
We are still new to the Asthma thing. It can be daunting. I feel like I’ve been trying to solve the same riddle since August: Is it allergies, a virus, or asthma?
@LnzyHou thanks, this is great advice. We have a HEPA filter built into the HVAC but it doesn’t feel like enough sometimes. We also have little HEPA filters in each bedroom but probably not a powerful enough one for her bedroom. I’ll seek to remedy that.
I have lung disease and found the BlueAir does a great job cleaning the air that the HVAC filter doesn't do well enough and so does the Levoit @LnzyHou recommended.
It really makes a difference. And it's lightweight enough to move from room to room if needed.
I hope she feels much better soon!
@LnzyHou @MotherDucker I also have allergies that unfortunately got pretty bad. Now I take a “maintenance spray” just one inhale in the morning and at night and it’s helped a lot. I still have my emergency inhaler but I rarely ever have to use it now.
I know it must be scary but hopefully having a diagnosis will help come up with a moving forward plan
My pulmonologist prescribed two hits/day of Flovent. Also have emergency inhaler too but never use it. My HEPA filter is a workhorse that keeps me well.
Best advice I can give on the rescue inhaler is "Who cares why?". It's only purpose is to make breathing easier.
Maintenence inhalers are a different thing and increased use of rescue inhalers may affect how they are prescribed, but puff away.
Keep a record so you know if usage is increasing (tho refills show this as well).
I had to learn the inhaler journey due to covid and the FNP that said, "Honey, if you can't breathe, suck. We'll figure out why later." was a game changer.
@Cosmichomicide this is very helpful and I appreciate you sharing. 💛
There’s so much fear in parenting of getting it wrong, overdoing it, under-doing it… it’s enough to make my head spin.
@MotherDucker @Cosmichomicide
FYI... At my latest yearly... The Nurse Practitioner asked me how often I used my rescue unfortunately
Inhaler... Told her couple times a day...
She was shocked.. told me if it's more than 3x/month I need better control off my asthma...
She prescribed Breo... It's been 19 days inhaling it at bedtime and it seriously had changed things for me...
Nothing like feeling impotent as a parent... From experience...
Good luck. Be well...
Yep - if you use a rescue inhaler regularly, it's time for a maintenance inhaler.
That's how I moved to mine - rescue the first year post covid, then Symbicort when I was eating rescue inhalers.
I also experienced the same when I went to a maintenance inhaler - OMG, breathing all day long again!
I have a rescue in my car, purse and office and I'll pull them out now and then. But definitely better not to need them.
Weird fact - I lost 44 pounds when I started Symbicort. It's not a normal side effect - apparently only a very small number of women taking it experience weight loss.
The first freaking positive side effect EVER! Yay, go me! 😜
Oops - and in the #NewsYouCanUse category - ask if your maintenance inhaler is available in a generic. Several are now and the price difference (and in some cases formulary entirely) is dramatic.
I had the same fear with myself. Emergency inhalers can be used every 4-6 hours usually (check your prescribing instructions). If that doesn't help the breathing, see someone. If it does, yay for sleep. 💤
@MotherDucker
Diagnosed couple years ago with late onset asthma, my pulmonologist ordered HEPA filter (he said best I could afford). I run it 24/7 during allergy season. It makes all the difference in the world.