Allergic to the mouthpiece of a spacer??

[lukewarmcupoftea]

Dd1 (2.5) has had a rash around her mouth for a couple of months now, and the only thing I can imagine it might be is an allergy to the rubber mouthpiece of her spacer (for her asthma meds).

It seems a little wierd, but then she is allergic to any creams with petrochemicals in etc. Just wondered if anyone else has had this, and if there are any alternatives (obviously it's more important she keeps taking the meds!).

Cheers

Could you not ask if there is a latex free version as it might not be the petrochemicals but the latex in the mouthpiece. I should imagine that many creams containing petrochemicals, also contain latex based chemicals.

Good point, will have a little google...

I can't find anything online, just bumping in case any others have experienced this?

We've ruled out toothpaste, and can't think what else it might be.

The mouthpiece of our spacers have always covered the nose to chin, not touched the mouth at all. Could you get that sort of spacer instead? If the rash moves then you know the problem is the mouthpiece, if it doesn't then you have ruled out the mouthpiece and can look for other sources.

Two of my dc are dairy-intolerant, and one symptom is that they get rashes/eczema/dry skin around their mouths, but not touching the lips.

I think the spacer you use has to fit the inhaler, iyswim, so we might not get a choice - but good point, will ask the doc if we end up going to see him about this. The mouthpiece fits round her chin and over her nose, but it's only where it presses round the mouth and chin that is sore. We're bombarding her with steroid cream at the mo in the hope that if we can get it under control, it will just go away.

She is anaphylactic allergic to dairy, so no dairy (or egg) goes near her!

Although I suppose she could well have developed an intolerance to something else (she does have frequent stmach pains), but no idea what as this is a constant rash, no sudden flare up after eating anything in particular.

If it does turn out to be the spacer, & not dairy, which I agree could be a possibility, then maybe speak to your Doctor about the following if no petrochemical free version available.

We were on holiday in Cap Verde a few years back (not to be recommended I'd left DH to pack some of the medical stuff & for some reason best known only to him he decided I'd double packed DDs spacer, so he took it out of the first aid back..........

realised only when we got there ...... thankfully the portugese Doctor spoke perfect English, though there was a shortage of pretty much everything on the Island, so couldn't get a replacement spacer.......

he recommended that we used a paper bag instead, spray the subutimol etc into the bag, keeping a tight seal until ready to inhale, & then let DD use this in the way you would for panic attacks.........

seemed to work fine, especially as some of the places we went were really dusty, which is a trigger for her asthma

Forgive me if I suggest something really stupid and obvious, but do you wash the spacer?

With all the creams that we sometimes have to use (and you clearly do, too, even more so) I can't help but think that the thing must get so gunky, even if I can't see any gunk.

The instructions on ours say not to remove the bits, but we always dismantle it completely and scrub it thoroughly (including turning the mouthpiece inside out) with washing up liquid. We let it air-dry overnight and then, if it's not dry by the time the next dose is due, I dose dd then dismantle it again to let it continue air-drying.

I do wash it, only about once a fortnight though as the instructions say not to wash too often (something to do with the static stopping the spacer working properly). Hmmmm

Could you just cover the mouth piece in clingfilm, or seomthing you know your child will be OK with for a few weeks and see if it improves?

Do you know, that's not a bad idea! Ta

Latex is a relatively common allergen, could it be that?

If you are using it very often the problem may be the inhaler rather than the mouth piece. I remember the doctor warning me that DS's face eczema could get worse with one of the inhalers, but that eventually would be ok. And it was, he doesn't get any rashes now.

The static is not a problem if you prime the spacer after washing it. All you have to do is set it up as if you were going to dose your dc, cover the mouthpiece and squirt a couple of puffs into it. The medication coats the inside of spacer and that is the end of the static problem. Then you can use it as normal.

I used to wash it 'religiously' every fortnight...then things started slipping...every month...now it's when I remember! But since sorting out dd's dairy intolerance we use far less cream, so I don't think the mouthpiece gets gunky.

It could be a latex allergy. I am allergic to latex and found out when I worked in a lab wearing latex gloves. Didnt cause my hands a problem but if I touched my face at all I got a rash of itchy red spots.