Hi, my five year old daughter has been suffering since she was only a mth old with respiratory problems. She was constantly wheezy and always had a rattle on her chest. As she continued to get older I noticed she began to snore in her sleep very loudly and would get to the point where she would wake herself up everynight cause she could not breathe properly. I was very worried and brought her to a peditrician who brushed it all away saying she was a "happy wheezer" and would grow out of it. Well by the time she was two she had a nebulizer and two puffers she took twice a day.
She is constantly sick with a chest cold, it never seems to completely clear up. And recently the doctor told me he thinks she has allergies and recommended I give her a over the counter allergy medication.
My problem is, what do I do next? The doctor doesn't seem to want to test her for anything... such as asthma or allergies, although he agrees she more than likely has both. I'm afraid that all these medications, without a proper diagnosis, are going to affect her in the long run. She is still taking her puffers, and whatever other meds he decides to give her that month for the supposed chest infection, flu cold or whatever it is he decides it is that month. The steroids have taken a toll already, shes only 5 and about 87 lbs last time I weighed her, and shes now taking notice of this and getting self concious.

I guess I'm just getting frustrations out, but if someone has any idea any feedback would be great. I cannot take her to a different doctor cause I live in a small area where no doctors are taking new patients, so we're stuck with what we have ( and very lucky as I know many ppl who cannot get a docto and end up in emergency every time they need to see a doctor ).

If anyone needs any more details to help or give advice, just ask, I am really looking for other possibilities or other things to ask the doctor to get him to send her for testing or something.

I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I have a four-year-old "happy wheezer," so I totally sympathize.

My totally opinionated advice: Find a pediatric pulmonologist and get a good, workable asthma action plan for your daughter. It's worth making a daytrip, if you have to!

Also, you may want to see an ENT for the snoring. We've learned that it's common for asthma kids to have chronic sinus infections as well, and that enlarged adenoids could be causing the snoring. (Been there, done that...see my other posts...)

I know we're incredibly spoiled -- we have two top hospitals within 30 minutes of our home and we're able to see the peds. pulmonologist without a referral whenver necessary. But it just shouldn't be a luxury!!!! Asthma kids need specialists. Pediatric asthma can be very subtle and many pediatricians just don't "get it" 100%.

Keep me posted on what happens....

Also: here's a great resource -- http://www.breatherville.org. It's the official site for Mothers of Asthmatics. There's a nurse, Nurse Christy, you can call for advice. She's wonderful, and so's the site.

Thank-you angry asthma mom, I will definitely look up the site, and I will definitely ask for a peds. pulmonologist referral. I only wish I had pushed the doctor years ago to do the testing. I had my daughter very young and was always told the doctor is always right and do as he says never question, well I'm learning differently now. It's just so very frustrating and I get so angry sometimes lol. I see her suffer and just wish I could take it all away for her.
I will keep posting updates as I learn more, it just takes so long here to see a specialist, most have 3 - 4 mth waiting lists.
I am seeing an ENT myself next week so maybe I will see if I can get her in that way. I did not know that, my doctor never really explains anything, just keeps handing out prescriptions. I do know that she has chronic sinus infections. You've helped me more in that one post that my doctor has in 5 years. Thank-you.

Oh, and what exactly do you mean by workable asthma action plan?? sorry

Oh! Glad you're still here!

An asthma action plan is written document that outlines your child's asthma care. For example, if your child is fine, she takes the following meds. At first sign of a cold, add this/these. If wheezing, do this, etc.

It's a key component in managing asthma. You and your pediatrician or peds. pulmonlogist would work this out together, and this way, there's no panic or emergency run to the pharmacy if your child has an attack. You've already outlined your next move.

Here are some links to sites about action plans:

The FDA: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/203_asthma.html

And some samples: http://www.getasthmahelp.org/actionplan_components.asp

Bear in mind, action plans for the little ones are a little different than the samples above, primarily because those are based on results from a peak flow meter, and our kids are really too young for that. Although your daughter, if she's able to follow directions well, *may* be able to use one effectively. My son still can't.

So glad I could help. Please feel free to email me....

Aimee

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Thank-you so much, you have given me a new light in my daughters care. I will definitely look at those sites and see about implementing an action plan. And thank-you so much for offering so much help, I will keep in touch just to keep up to date on the progress.
My daughter is horrible at following directions, so I doubt she would be able to effectively use a meter.
Its so bad how children so small can suffer so much.

With any luck, we'll get them through this -- and they won't even remember it!

Aimee

Just an update - I managed to get my daughter an appt. to get the tests for asthma done. My GP finally broke down lol. I guess he finally sees what I see, its just so hard sometimes to make these doctors understand. He also upped her puffers and wrote me new prescriptions for them.
Its a slow process though lol. There should be some sort of miracle cure. O well, it could be a lot worse I guess.

Thanks for the update. Let me know how the tests go. Hopefully, you'll finally get your action plan!

Aimee

How is your little one doing?

I am also setting up an appt for my daughter to have an allergy test done as bad allergies run in my family and I think that could attribute to the her problems. I have started eliminating stuffed toys and such from around her bed to try and control the dust in the air when she sleeps. I am hoping this will show some improvements.

Thank you so much for your help. I have finally begun to lose my anger about this, and am alot more focused into pushing for a proper diagnosis. I find doctors can be so ignorant on times though.