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 daughter uses a powder inhaler rather than a spacer.

Hi, OP -

I use Fobumix which is similar to the dry powder version of Symbicort and eliminates the need for a spacer. You just press and click to release a dose of medicine, then breathe in. No co-ordinated timing required.

Do you know why DS did not want the powder version of Symbicort? It is much easier to use all around.

Every asthmatic I know only carries an inhaler.

This - absolutely correct. I am so sorry to hear this about your boyfriend, what a terrible tragedy.

There is no let up from the medical profession that we can ease back on the spacer use - yes that’s not how us asthmatic adults do it (I never had a spacer), but the message is loud and clear. it provides significantly more medicine to the lungs when needed and helps control your breathing by when an asthma attack may otherwise make you panic. All you mammies and daddies already know this :) They won’t train kids to take it without a spacer.

to the OP, I was well aware this was going to become a problem for my 10 and 12 year old. It was becoming an issue as they began to do things without me - a simple bike ride - spacer didn’t fit in DS’s jacket pocket. So we fitted drinks cages and put the spacer in a pouch. But that was just a bike solution.

Our consultant advised that my kids would move away from the steroid and reliever aerosol inhaler combo as teens.

that all happened earlier and my eldest was moved to symbicort by 10 and my son (youngest) now gets an injection once a month (eosinophilic asthma) and takes flutiform which has it completely controlled (after years of terrifying, brittle/out of control asthma).

I would talk it through with your asthma medics. Despite deep adherence to spacers, I also wanted them to be, in some way, capable to use ventolin in the event of forgetting their inhaler and being caught out needing one, for example - you need to be able to use it in an emergency (better than nothing). So they can also do that now too.

I’d be really encouraging him towards a dry powder inhaler (DPI) if you can @Dreamerinme

Many more options for MART and so much easier for active teens to carry around and use. With good control you rarely need a reliever alone and if you do need reliever doses the combined inhaler delivers some inhaled steroid too, reducing inflammation further.

I strongly believe spacers are hugely beneficial (even with a perfect technique, very little inhaled medication gets down into the smaller airways when used straight into the mouth - only about 10-20% which where salbutamol is concerned isn’t always enough to avert an attack). However in the real world very few people carry a spacer around and with more effective, modern DPI inhalers control tends to be better and safer. You can get separate preventer and reliever DPI inhalers but combis are preferred where appropriate - often avoids an over reliance on salbutamol.

My son used to use this bum bag to carry it around. He now just has an easyhaler, but also has epipens so still ends up using this bag.
www.mountainwarehouse.com/p/036379/mw/mission-bum-bag-1-5l/Khaki/?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=MW_UK_GGL_SHOPPING_BRAND&utm_term=&utm_content=sDVlkhYg3|pcrid|704096969242|pkw||pmt||pdv|m|slid||product|036379026001|&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=806756623&gbraid=0AAAAADoKbU_fRJbRtI5eqmaJZUVPIe3Mg&gclid=CjwKCAjwx7LSBhB3EiwAjcodxCjy3sbKwcJtm4jbd4hO3_oYlibqaOHBOLNGawDWMehKVdtR0etB5xoCIHcQAvD_BwE

Sorry I meant the Symbicort turbohaler, I didn’t realise it came as a pMDI as well. My son much prefers the turbohaler version so was happy to switch.

dd and I both carry spacers. She needs her inhaler before any physical activity. I need mine because I have severe allergies and leaving the house is a nightmare.

when dd was that age, she refused anything on her body and insisted on a wristlet style bag that was basically a big pencil case. I was worried about it getting lost so I put an AirTag inside. It did get left outside during PE class a couple of times early on, but she got better about keeping track of it.