Inhalers

[PirateFairy45]

Blatantly posting for traffic.

My 3yo has been prescribed an inhaler but the 1st and only time I gave it her, she freaked out.

She won't go near it now. How the hell do I get her to take it??

I don't want to have to pin her down to have it!!

[monkeysox]

Has she got a spacer? Ask gp practice to see asthma nurse.

[LunaLoveg00d]

Spacer with a face mask and pin her down. Lots of praise when you're finished. She will get used to it. We used to have to use inhalers on my son and he hated it, but you just have to get on and do it, no messing around and no negotiation, we use to take a "this is happening and you have no say in it" approach and got it over with asap.

[Niggit]

Agree 100% with monkeysox. Arrange to see your asthma nurse - they'll have seen all this before and will have suggestions on how to manage it. Spacers are amazing things. My son had one when he was a toddler, and got on with it very well.

[PuntasticUsername]

We couldn't manage it at all with DS2 - had to resort in the end to sneaking into his room and doing it when he was asleep

[MrsHathaway]

My 2yo will take his so long as Bing has a puff first and Mummy and a train and Mike Wazowski etc etc. Obviously we don't actually squirt into the spacer when it isn't him, but it definitely helps. A lot of "Bing's having his puffer so he won't have a horrible cough" etc.

What also helps is having his 5yo brother taking his without fuss, but you can't conjure one of those

Good luck.

[PirateFairy45]

Yeah she has a spacer but I even touch it and she runs a mile!

[nearlyreadytopop]

Her favourite teddy gets a puff first and then loads of praise and a treat.
Practise between doses just with the spacer.

[elliejjtiny]

Ask the GP for a spare spacer so she can have one to play with.

[glenthebattleostrich]

Stickers. She decorates the spacer with stickers and gets more to put on each time.

Also the inhalor fairy brings regular treats. (We have a fairy for all occasions in this house!)

[ThatsWotSheSaid]

Chocolate buttons and her favourite TV programme. Worked for my DS and he doesn't bat an eye now.

[YumYumThePig]

I'd leave it out and even play 'nurses' with her with it. Maybe some plasters too, juice as medicine etc. Get her favourite teddies out and play all together.

And I'd second the suggestion of doing it when she's asleep if necessary.

[FeelingSmurfy]

Dont make the spacer serious, kept out of reach etc, just keep the inhaler separate. Leave it in view and where she can reach it then...

Play with it by putting it on your face and shouting into it, can she do that/does she want a go?
Let her hold it on your face
Let her help teddy with his cough
Let her hold it on her own face (so she feels in control) because she is such a big clever girl she can do it herself
Show granny what a big girl you are doing your puffer
Let her decorate it with stickers, go shopping for special stickers for it

[facepalming]

which spacer do you have? we had a volumatic first for ds1 who is 2. That was a nightmare but then a paediatricIan gave us an aerochamber plus covered in teddies and that solved the problem!

[FeelingSmurfy]

Oh and if possible I would leave it around for a few days so she gets used to it, then slowly introduce the other things I suggested. Unfortunately it may not be possible if she needs it asap, in which case just go for it, but be really relaxed about it, laugh when you are shouting into it etc

[Iwantagoonthetrampoline]

Like lots of things - distraction, turning it into a game, bribery, praise. Decorating with stickers, practicing on you/teddies. It is important though so don't be afraid to pin her down if you have to however horrible it is. We learnt this the hard way. My DD ended up in hospital when 2 1/2 as we did not force it and let a viral wheeze deteriorate :-(

[Cacofonix]

Yes you have to let her play with it. Lots of play doctors. Teddy hospital. We had a spare and left it in the toy doctors box and did lots of play. The more she gets used to having it over her face without the inhaler the easier it will be. Then when doses required teddy had one, mummy had one, DD had one. It really works. Good luck.

[Toddlerteaplease]

Is it a volumatic ( the huge clear one) or an aerochamber? They are smaller and have teddies on them. The masks are a better fit. She might be better with that. You will just have to pin her down. It's the only way. ( I am a paediatric nurse)

[BlossomHillOne]

Lots and lots of play using you, family, dolls and bears. Please don't ever pin down as suggested above.

I've used these videos with slightly older children in the past - maybe she could watch with you and teach teddy.

wessexahsn.org.uk/videos/show?tag=Inhaler+Technique&page=2

[WallToWallBastards]

I remember being absolutely shit scared of a massive spacer with a mask on it, I wonder if the smaller ones that whistle would be any easier, especially just with the small mouthpiece? Or another style of inhaler, the rocket or disk ones? The puffer ones I never mastered until I learned how to smoke was much older.

[Toddlerteaplease]

If a child is really struggling to breathe and needs their inhaler they have to be pinned down unfortunately. It's not ideal I completely agree but had to be done.

[Toddlerteaplease]

We've had children in hospital for 6 weeks in IV antibiotics and having to have IV paracetamol because parents won't insist that there precious petals take their medication. It's ridiculous.

[BlossomHillOne]

No need to frighten the life out them either when I bit of play will have them using it very quickly.

The OP didn't mention that the child was close to a hospital admission.

[Toddlerteaplease]

I know but viral wheeze/ asthma can easily deteriorate if not adequately treated and that will lead to hospital admission.

[Sidge]

Put it in the toy box. Let her cover it with stickers. Let Teddy/Dolly/Whatever go first then it's her turn. Bribery - let's do your puffers then you can have a chocolate button/Quaver/whatever she likes best. Do it in front of her favourite TV programme. Telly doesn't go on until she's had her inhaler.

Whether it's a Volumatic or Aerochamber the mask is still necessary as she's only 3. I try and make fun of it like making a Darth Vader heavy breathing noise, or counting, or a Peppa Pig noise or whatever. (I'm an asthma nurse).

At the end of the day it's non-negotiable, like toothbrushing. Once she's had it a few times and realises it doesn't hurt and will make her feel better she may be more amenable.

[BlossomHillOne]

Anxiety and fear can also exacerbate symptoms.

An afternoon of playing teddy hospital will probably have the fear sorted and then you'll probably just have to deal with the usual protests you get with bushing hair or cleaning teeth etc - That's one I can't help you with...