My DD (almost 9) has mild asthma which comes on only when she has a virus etc...anyway she has a viral infection at the moment and it is about day 6 - we had her at the Dr today and she is now on redipred as well as taking her inhaler.

Tonight she can't stop coughing...she is constantly coughing to the point of dry reaching over a bowl. It sounds very phlegmy (sp?) and I don't know if it is actually an attic or what?? We have done 6 puffs every 6 minutes a few times now but it doesn't seem to relieve her - should I take her to the after hours?

Yes if you are concerned you should go as asthma can be unpredictable. Are you using a spacer with the inhaler? If so are you doing five breaths per puff? Apparently if it's all puffed into the spacer at once it is harder to breath.

Yes we are using a spacer and doing 6 breaths per spray. I just feel so useless as I have no idea how to spot the differenjce between asthma and a general cough IYKWIM? The Dr did say it was viral rather than bacterial.

Sounds like what Riley has just gotten over. She was coughing NON STOP and dry retching for a few days before she turned the corner. We had to get her a course of redipred and just persist with the inhaler until it ran its course. It's horrible, I really feel for you It's so hard to know what to do or if you need to do anything other than what you are doing.

Probably a silly question but is she in a warm room? We found that by having an oil heater in Riley's room to dry the air out she didn't cough as much.

I know what you mean - I can't tell either. But if in doubt I go anyway because the one time I didn't he ended up being admited to starship with a low blood/oxygen level. I can't even tell with myself lol - my mum's had to intervene and force me to go to the after hours.

The other thing I was just thinking is - is she overly distressed by it all and not able to catch her breath? If that's the case I'd go down to after hours and they might put her on a nebuliser which will help. But if she's not bothered and doesn't seem to be overly struggling then I would just wait for the redipred to help her out and continue with the ventolin in the meantime.

That sounds very similar Angiewawa - thanks! We have a panel heater in her room as well as an HRV system to dry the air - otherwise her room is the coldest in the house!

Distress is a good measure My non-asthmatic also has had this cough about 4 weeks ago. Thought my asthmatic boy would get it for sure so I upped his preventor and that really helped. Does she have a preventor and is she having that as well?

No she doesn't have a preventor. The other thing we find with her is she can over exaggerate things for attention at times so it's hard to know sometimes. I've managed to get her to calm down a bit now and she is coughing less but I think I'll keep a close eye on her for sure!

Thank you so much for your advice ladies! It has helped me calm down a bit too!

Hope she has an okay night and the virus gets kicked in the butt by the redipred

We ended up at afterhours for the nebuliserb just to help her relax. They said the asthma was pretty much under control with what I was doing with the ventolin so that was good to know. She still had an unsettled night but seems better this morning and finally has colour back in her face!

Thanks again!

Good to hear she's OK, hope she gets better soon.

Glad your daughter was better this morning, hope she's still okay and has a good nights sleep tonight!!!