How do older children carry an asthma inhaler and spacer out?

[Dreamerinme]

How do your older children carry an asthma inhaler AND spacer when they go out without you to carry them in your handbag for them?

DS(11) has an inhaler & spacer and while we have a carry case for this (like a pencil case size) it doesn’t fit into trouser/shorts pockets without constantly about to fall out. Obviously winter coats we can just make sure to buy one with large zipped pockets, but that’s not feasible the rest of the year.

He is not keen to carry a cross body bag either but what other choice is there? I see that asthma UK and other places sell gadgets that you can fit an inhaler into so you can clip to a belt loop but this is no good for a spacer as well.

Any thoughts please? I’ve googled a lot and all I get are various carry cases.

My DS aged 12 has a cross body bag. I thought it was the most practical solution and I see lots of boys with them. It’s a small Nike one and fits inhaler, spacer plus he needs EpiPens and antihistamine too for a food allergy.

I may have completely missed the point but can they not just go without the spacer when they are out? Obviously spacers are better but they will still receive most of the drug from the inhaler when it is used without the spacer. I also may be way off here but they perhaps shouldn’t be using a reliever inhaler regularly and may need an asthma review. I’m an adult with asthma and use my spacer regularly at home but don’t take it on holiday with me just to save space.

My daughter only needs it sporadically when she’s out so she just has the inhaler. She has the spacer at home for her daily routine or for when she’s unwell.

I’m with @sunshinehappydays. Unless he has persistently uncontrolled asthma which no amount of stepping up can get on top of, there shouldn’t be much need to use it out. I don’t take the spacer out, but I do use it at home for preventers and the odd time salbutamol is required.

If it is uncontrolled and there is nothing they can do about it I think he’s just going to have to use some sort of bag - whatever type he finds most acceptable. I don’t think there is anything else.

Does he absolutely need a spacer?
Most asthmatics I know, myself included, never carry those about.
Agree with @sunshinehappydays - if it's well controlled, esp. with modern combination inhalers, he shouldn't be needing it much day to day, and carries it only as "insurance". If it's not well controlled, go back to the GP and the asthma clinic.

My 12 year old doesn’t take her spacer out and about, she just uses the inhaler.

@TimSamandLulu thanks, that’s probably the best option although he probably should upgrade his Minecraft crossbody to something a bit cooler!

@sunshinehappydays his asthma is very well managed and it’s rare that he needs the inhaler, however after witnessing him blue-lighted to hospital aged 8 and a stay in HDU having what I was later told was aggressive treatment (diagnosed then), I’m just very cautious that wherever he goes so does the inhaler and spacer. He’s never used the inhaler without the spacer so I have no idea how he would find it. I’m just trying to do the right thing.

No asthmatic (I am one) carries the spacer when they are out and about. Just take the inhaler.

It sounds like no one carries their spacer when out then! This is the first I’ve heard about that so maybe we’ll try that then.

Older children can have dry powder inhalers as MART (maintenance and reliever therapy) which means no need for a spacer, and just one inhaler to use. Most are licensed from age 12 but Symbicort can be used from age 6.

Combi inhalers generally give much better control, so probably time to review with your asthma nurse?

Is it his reliever? I just take mine without a spacer, tbh I have never seen anyone use a spacer outside.

Just because you don’t, doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t. My child is 9 and always carries that spacer. It’s much harder for a child to take an inhaler without when, especially when they aren’t used to it.
When I was in my 20s, my marathon running boyfriend died from an asthma attack. It’s really not something to be careless about.

Also, just to add, I’m a sports coach in my spare time. I coach youngsters from 10-18. They all bring spacers to training if they have asthma so it can’t be that unusual. I appreciate that sport isn’t the same as wandering round Tesco but young people do use them. Perhaps those of us who are older treat it differently as we didn’t have spacers when we were younger. It’s more normalised for kids.

@Dreamerinme Maybe try getting him used to taking his inhaler without the spacer at home, so that you can both be confident that he can get a good dose without it.

Mine has Symbicort which doesn't need a spacer. I think you can also get dry powder versions of ventolin although I might be wrong.

I think that’s understandable. But if his asthma is now well controlled and you know early signs of a flare up then hopefully it shouldn’t ever get to that stage again. The highest risks of that sort of treatment being necessary are undiagnosed asthmatics and those that aren’t taking their daily care seriously.

May be worth teaching him to use the inhaler without the spacer as he gets older just so he knows how to.

See if you can get him the symbicort inhaler. It’s been amazing for my sons asthma and is small to carry around.

@UnbeatenMum you can, however these need a bit of inhalation force to use the inhaler which may be more difficult in the event of an asthma attack. The benefit of a spacer is you can breathe it in without having to co-ordinate your breathing and depression of the MDI.

In a little mini backpack, mine used Kathmandu but I’m sure there are many more ‘acceptable’ brands.

Dry powder inhaler all the way!

@Sidge @UnbeatenMum @RumAndCola it is Symbicort that he has had for over a year now. It seems to be much better than the Salbutamol that he had originally which he did need very occasionally as a reliever. When he had a review the asthma nurse still wanted to check him use the Symbicort with the spacer so I presumed she thinks this one should be used with one.

He was offered the dry powder one last year but he said no, but I guess this can be reviewed.

We’ve also been told that inhalers are far more effective when used with a spacer; I remember back in the 80’s at school seeing kids in PE always using their blue inhalers constantly so I guess research has now changed the way asthma is managed.

Thanks all.

Apologies, I didn't actually realise Symbicort came in a non-powder version. I wasn't suggesting he stops using his spacer with his existing inhaler. Maybe you could discuss options at his next review.

I think the type of inhalers prescribed now are much more effective at controlling asthma than the inhalers used years ago (this in addition to the use of spacers contribute to the reduction in asthma hospitalisation rates). Now we use combination inhalers containing a steroid and a long acting reliever (ICS/LABA) which are great at controlling asthma. Much more effective than single steroid inhalers on their own. When I was a child I took my steroid inhaler daily but still had to use my reliever (blue) inhaler probably daily. My asthma control was not good! As soon as I was switched to the ICS/LABA inhaler I could have thrown away my reliever inhaler. I only use it if I have a really bad cold.
Your DS should rarely need his blue inhaler OP.

My kids haven’t carried a spacer with them for years. We did at one point have a folding spacer which came from Australia but don’t know what happened to that. We also had a space saving spacer that the inhaler fitted inside which was much easier to carry around.

https://www.medisave.co.uk/products/a2a-spacer?currency=GBP&country=GB&variant=44836772217115&stkn=34c6ddfaad06&utm_medium=adwords&utm_campaign=&utm_source=&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22332452325&gbraid=0AAAAACjCjVboKKNLBW0Zxpryl1UvSq7vx&gclid=CjwKCAjwx7LSBhB3EiwAjcodxG_qz4UUI3amFR0QgbV0hYVozUsb5uhhPXvKxfsx906ZtoHBqDD11BoCwBgQAvD_BwE This spacer is much easier to carry around as it collapses.