cough needing ventolin..

[Olive]

DH took DD1 to the dr on sat (i was at training so couldnt go) for a persistant couch, its a different sounding one to the ones shes had before, phlemy/coupy wierd sounding one.. any way Dr prescribed ventolin twice a day.
would this be a contagious cough?? we have to take her back this weekend if its not better, but if her chest is clear is it just a viral cough or not viral..
are you confused yet cos i am!!

[RhiChiChi]

I would doubt it would be contagious. Ventolin is usually prescribed for asthamtics....

[Beach Mama]

Jols, as you know Izzy has to have her ventolin for coughs as well (RhiChiChi - coughing in kids can be symptomatic of asthmatic tendencies in kids. DD has a ventolin because she gets horrible coughing fits at night in particular when sick - she doesn't have asthma per se but she gets wheezy and needs the ventolin to stop the fits) and her coughs tend to last for 3 weeks when she gets a cold. I would think that if there is no fever, no green snot and no green mucous being coughed up that she isn't contagious darl. Hope she is better soon

[Olive]

cool thanks tan, no fever, snot etc.. just this awful cough
thanks for explaining that too!

[Olive]

so DD has been on ventolin for almost 2 weeks and although shes not coughing as much the cough is still the same.
should i take her back or leave it longer??? no temp or anything

[Beach Mama]

Me again! If Iz gets a bad one, it lasts around 3 weeks hun. How often is she having the ventolin? Is it just bad at night? Is it still mucousy/phlegmy sounding?

[Olive]

lol tan!!i love your advice!!
its been going on nearly 4 weeks (i think ) shes having it twice a day and yep still mucousy/phlegmy/wet

ETA have just rung Dr to ask whether or not to take her back...not that i can get an appointment til next week

[Junglemum]

Yes you should take her back.
If it is an asthma related cough she might need steroids to clear it up. I can have a cough for months and unless i get a steroid inhaler it will not go away.

The other thing to be aware of with ventolin is that there is a school of thought that you should try and give it as little as possible to children as their lungs can become dependent on it. I have it for both girls, but i try not to give it unless they are either having problems sleeping due to the cough or obviously if their breathing is labored.

[black_rose]

Dd1 needs hers most of the cold weather you may need the steroids or to up the dose up a bit. Keep her warm overnight and first thing in the morning as that's when it will be at it's worst if it's asthma related. Dd has seratide and ventolin to keep hers under control.

[LionsandBears]

Could it also be allergy related? I sometimes need ventolin to clear a cough/breathing difficulties if I have dairy (though I'm still trying to work out exactly what I react to).

[Early Kids]

I only administer ventolin if DS2 is having difficulties breathing or issues with the cough, in my experience (I'm an asthmatic too) ventolin won't clear a cough, it will just help with breathing through them. I would probably take her back, 4 weeks is a long time with a persistent cough.

[Olive]

thanks everyone..dr's receptionist rang back and she needs reviewing, good thing is we go tomorrow rather than waiting til next week

[Catastrophic]

Hey hun,
How are you administering the ventalin? For young kids (actually the studies show it's beneficial for all ages) to have it through a spacer, with my DDs I also use the mask that fits in the spacer. This is helps he ventalin get down into the lungs more efficiently.

With both DDs and the DSs too (but not so much now they are older) they will get a cough that will last for ages (DD 19m has lasted for a month so far, wit a dose of ABs, redipred, and ventalin at the for the first cold) she got rid of it then got another cold and the cough came back and I'm trying to see if it will leave on it's own or need redipred again. Although with my four they generally get a cough that could last on and off through winter

When the cough lingers or if it seems to get worst, try to see your DR. I hope my ramble helped a little.


Love MN ;-)

[Olive]

shes having it with a spacer, thing is she never had a cold, just developed the cough will see with the Dr says tomorrow, though i think she may be getting a cold tonight

[Olive]

ok so we're hoping its just viral, shes on ab's incase its atypical pneumonia (walking pneumonia) or atypical whooping cough now that scares me

[jordainsmummy]

DH took DD1 to the dr on sat (i was at training so couldnt go) for a persistant couch, its a different sounding one to the ones shes had before, phlemy/coupy wierd sounding one.. any way Dr prescribed ventolin twice a day.
would this be a contagious cough?? we have to take her back this weekend if its not better, but if her chest is clear is it just a viral cough or not viral..
are you confused yet cos i am!!

hi olive,
just been reading about your little one having the cough and being put on the ventolin, that sounds just like my daughter, she was 2 when she was put on it 2 times a day plus the preventor, but after a year nothing seemed to change, so i was advised my another docotor to take her to an ENT and see if it was maybe her tonsils or adanoided, turns out thats wat it was, she had over sized adanoides and tonsils, shes 3 now, and she hasnt had the puffers for 6 motnhs.
just thought that id let u know, just another avenue you can look into.
take care