Asthma

I was searching high and low for Lunz inhaler the other night. I went to 2 pharmacies and 3 clinics and yet all of them told me they don't sell this inhaler namely flixotide. So, I tried my luck again at a nearby pediatrician's clinic after we left from mum's house. This clinic was closed when I made the ran around trip earlier. Apparently the doctor was there at the counter when I walked in. As predicted, he told me he doesn't sell flixotide and I asked him what other choices that he can recommend to me. He went back inside and returned with a type of inhaler called seretide. He told me seretide was milder than flixotide and that's why we need to give Lunz twice daily, morning and night instead of once a day like the flixotide in order to obtain the same effect. Plus, seretide has two types of medication and flixotide only has one type which gave seretide a plus point. But when he told me the seretide costed RM115.00, I told him I will come back again if I wanted it. It's way too expensive than what I expected and I thought I might as well continued looking for flixotide because I was also afraid that seretide might not suits Lunz.

I told daddy who was waiting in the car with Lunz what the doctor said and we finally made up our mind to get it. So, we went back inside and sought his consultation. I must say that this Dr. Chen is more attentive, professional and informative than the usual paed. where I sent Lunz to. Dr. Chen checked his throat, lungs and nose and said he was fine at the moment. Then, he tried to get the details from us like how long we have been using flixotide, since when the last bottle finished, when was the last asthma attack, how many dose of neubolizer was taken and so on. He asked us to track all these like when there will be an attack, cough, flu, running nose, phlegm and sneeze using a calender. Write it all down for record. What are the suspected trigger factors like food intake, rainy days or played too much? All these has to be noted.

The purpose of jotting them down was for the doctor to analyse based on the records. So, from there the doctor will be able to suggest effective medication to us. Without long term observations and records, it is very hard for the doctor to determine the medication course merely just based on our verbal talk. That's why parents gotta be co-operative and note it all down. Dr. Chen also told us to monitor his health if the seretide inhaler finished. What would happened? If he cough continuously on and off for a few days, he will have to see Dr. Chen again and continue the medication. That is how we have to monitor. Dr. Chen also gave us a bottle of antihistamine for Lunz nose allergy. That one was to be taken 5ml every night until finished and then observed his health. He also thought me how to confirm an attack by looking at the chest bones. If the chest bones rised up high and expanded, the person is breathing loud and heavy with difficulty, an attack has happened. He asked us to send him to 24 hours clinics or hospital immediately if it is in the middle of the night for the neubolizer dosage intake. He even teached me to use the aerochamber properly and that when we let him take the dosage of 2 puffs at a time, twice daily, we gotta do it slowly and properly. Meaning we press the inhaler 1 puff and let him inhale for 10 or more seconds, then only proceed with the second puff. Unlike what I did all this while, pump twice then only let him inhaled. Now I know the proper method because Dr. Chen told me if I pumped twice then only let him inhaled, 40-50% of the gases might have sediment in the aerochamber before it can reaches into Lunz's lungs. It made sense. He said for such expensive medicine, we have to fully utilized its benefits.

I never knew I was practising the wrong method all this while. So, now at home, I have got one big calendar that marked all our observations on Lunz. Daddy will be in charged of giving him the morning puffs before sending him off to school while I take care of the night time puffs. Hopefully we will be able to trace the pattern and the trigger factors so that we can keep the asthma fully under controlled.