new with questions

Hi there,

I'm Valerie mum to 4 beautiful children. I have some slight asthma experience as one of my older daughters had asthma symptoms and lung damage for a few years following a bad RSV infection. Now my 3 year old son is having asthma symptoms and has been for a few months-- ie high pitch coughs and occasional wheezing. It seemed like a cold that dragged on and on and then just recently I clued in and thought maybe it's asthma. Well on Monday he woke up very groggy, low energy and I noticed the familiar retractions and shallow breathing I'd seen in my daughter and decided to take him in. His o2 was 93% pre treatment and 100% following. The dr said at first that he didn't sound too bad but following the treatment said he sounded much better and sent us home with flovent and ventolin. The following day he again was low energy, but I just watched him waiting for the flovent to do it's magic. Then on Wednesday the retractions returned and he was refusing to eat as well, just laying around so back we went, he got another treatment and luckily we had the same Dr so she remembered him and also gave him oral steroids to be used for 5 days. He still seems to be having a bit of trouble. We are supposed to be hearing from a pediatrician following the referral and I'm waiting on that. He's definitely got more energy and his appetite is back but any burst of energy or tantrum is followed by a pretty scary coughing fit. The ventolin is prescribed to be used every 6 hours but he does much better if I give it every 4 so that's what I've been doing.

So my questions are

Are the coughing fits a normal asthma thing? My daughter didn't have these kinds of symptoms she reacted much differently.
How long will it take for the flovent to get this under control?
Should he still be having these coughing fits while using the oral steroids?
As hard as it would be, should I be restricting his activity?
Mornings seems to be much worse than afternoons, is that normal as well?

We were out yesterday for lunch and he started crying and had a fit (i forgot his inhaler and now realize it NEEDS to be with us at all times) people looked at him like he was introducing the plague :( How do I deal with that, he noticed everyone staring and got more upset, I ended up speed driving home for his puffer.

What can I do to make him more comfortable until we get in to see the pediatrician?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer, I just feel so helpless and want to help him to feel better