To give my toddler salbutamol?

[StillSquirrelling]

Just a quick one really. My toddler has been (dry) coughing more or less every 30 seconds or so through the night and all morning. He doesn't seem too bothered by it but is obviously getting quite exhausted by it!
DD2 was prescribed an inhaler (and spacer) a few months ago for possible asthma (she's 5) as she had a pretty regular night time cough a lot of the time. Other than that she has no symptoms so they aren't sure if it actually is asthma.
As I understand it, salbutamol simply works to open up the airways temporarily and the doctor said is pretty hard to overdose on it too.
As DS is too young for cough medicine (he's 3 in 6 weeks but is height and weight of an average 4 yr old according to his red book) would I be ok to give him a couple of puffs of his sister's inhaler? Obviously I'm not a doctor and you're not suppose to give other people someone else's prescribed medicine but from what I've been told and have read, salbutamol seems essentially harmless but quite helpful!
Thoughts?

Tiger balm (white) or karvol in a bowl of boiling water in the corner of his room overnight.

I would give my boys my inhaler if needed but I'd go the above route first.

Salbutamol is for people struggling to breathe, so it doesn't sound like your dc needs this.
For a cough I would never give medicine, I thought it was widely acknowledged they're only placebos (though I may be wrong). I use Vicks and dicks on the feet, a steam inhaler and raise the head end of the bed with books.

Lol, good typo. Wouldn't recommend a dick on their feet, or any genitalia. I meant socks.

arf

The Vicks and socks thing has never worked on my kids. Works a treat on me though, on the very rare occasion I get a cough.

It's been almost 24 hours since DS started coughing now and it's started to turn a bit wetter so he isn't coughing as often. He had a nice warm bath this evening and I left the shower on for a while before he came into the bathroom, so it was nice and steamy for him. I can't get him to use a steam inhaler and he's too young to do the bowl/towel over the head method.

Dicks

There is a cough thing going round at the moment, and it takes a couple of weeks to clear.

I wouldn't use the inhaler, but if it doesn't go away after a few weeks, then I would take him to the gp.

(I have a 7 year old who was diagnosed with asthma at 3 years, and am currently taking steroids because mine kicked off this week! I'd still be cautious to give it to a child who wasn't diagnosed. Ds1 had a coigh for a couple of nights this week, but wouldn't even consider letting him use one of our inhalers).

I think I might have used the wrong word for 'steam inhaler' then op, as you don't need to 'take it'.
With ours you just plug it in in a corner of the room, fill it with water, then it steams in to the room all night.
Sorry op, I'm not sure what it's actually called.
Fab that his cough is getting wetter, always a good sign with my dc.

My ds has a prescribed inhaler for bouts of wheeziness since having bronchiolitis as a baby, but I wouldn't use it for what you describe.

He has a cough tonight had it come on badly this afternoon, I've not even considered his ventolin as it's not what he has it for. Kids have coughs, you don't give them heavy duty medication for them.

I try to use the inhaler only when necessary, I saw him get pumped full of the stuff when he was 6 months old, and had to administer it at every cold since, I don't see why you want to give it if you didn't have to! I'm relieved whenever he can get through a cold with just warm milk and honey now.

arethereanyleftatall - is this what you mean (cool mist humidifier)?

www.amazon.co.uk/Vicks-Paediatric-Mini-Ultrasonic-Humidifier/dp/B003XQNDH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411849032&sr=8-1&keywords=vicks+cool+mist+humidifier

I have a steam inhaler (think it might have come from Betterware many years ago ) that I used to use for my sinuses (sinus rinses all the way now ). It's an insulate bottle thing that has a face piece that looks like an oxygen mask on. You fill it with recently boiled water and maybe some olbas oil or vicks and then inhale the hot steam.

Those plug in things are humidifiers I think.

That's it - a humidifier. Thanks!

Works wonders for my wheezy coughy dc.

The side effect of increased heart rate/palpitations is not rare, it is very common.

I haven't read all this but just to say that my DS has mild asthma & used to always get wheezy after a cold/cough. When his little brother got the same thing once I gave him some ventolin while waiting for the dr appointment. The dr said I had done absolutely the right thing & should always give someone a couple of puffs of ventolin if they seem to need it. And see the GP of course.

My ds1 has atypical asthma (cough variant) his is triggered by an allergy to house dust mites. His main symptom is a persistant night cough. I would'nt give his sister his inhaler unless I had no other choice and I'm a HCP. If you're concerned about a persistant cough its always best to get your GP to check it out. It could be allergy related. My ds does'nt have an audible wheeze as such, unless he has a cold. He does however cough until he is sick and at times needs oral steroids and nebulisers.

I would say that you need to see a doctor for a prescription and not self-prescribe use of an inhaler. My DD is very prone to bad night-time coughs when she has a cold (to the extent of throwing up). She was diagnosed as possibly asthmatic but TBH inhaler prescribed didn't make any difference. Cough medicines (OTC or prescribed) don't make much difference either. What I have found does make a difference is to give her Calpol at bed-time before the coughing establishes itself during the night. We also keep her room cool (with window open), give her an extra pillow, and use Vick liberally on chest, back and throat at bedtime. I see your LO is coughing during the day too but maybe some of this might be helpful.

juniper44

Yes you can overdose and when you were on a nebuliser I suspect you were in hospital. The dose for a child under 5 is half that of a 5 year old.

From the BNF

Side-effects of the beta2 agonists include fine tremor (particularly in the hands), nervous tension, headache, muscle cramps, and palpitation. Other side-effects include tachycardia, arrhythmias, peripheral vasodilation, myocardial ischaemia, and disturbances of sleep and behaviour. Paradoxical bronchospasm (occasionally severe), urticaria, angioedema, hypotension, and collapse have also been reported. High doses of beta2 agonists are associated with hypokalaemia (see Hypokalaemia above).

Dark chocolate is very effective for coughs - can you get him to suck a square?

To those who have mentioned not giving ventolin 'just' for a cough or if their is no wheeze present - DS is a brittle asthmatic, he rarely has a wheeze which is audible to the ear but he does cough a lot and when he coughs he needs ventolin. Asthma/asthma symptoms don't present the same in everyone so it's quite dangerous to give advice assuming it will.

As others have said though if you are worried enough about a young child to consider giving them a medication which hasn't been pescribed to them then I would be at least phoning the OOH GP for advice.

I don't think anyone was giving advice not to give it for a cough per se, rather that you don't randomly give it to a toddler with a cough without it being prescribed.

Most kids without asthma will get through a cough without an inhaler, so unless she suspects it's more serious, in which case see a doctor. If I was at the stage of considering they needed that sort of medication I would be phoning the GP.

Pastor - Cough suppressants (which can't be given to young children) aren't recommend for asthmatics. Other cough medicines are usually fine as long as they are being used in the correct age groups. How effective they are is up for debate!

Badcat - I'm not sure that stating that salbutamol has amphetamine effect without context is particularly useful.

OP I am glad that you've decided not to use the salbutamol - it is never a good idea to share medication. If you are concerned that is what your GP / OOH service is for.

Sashh - I do no condone sharing medicines, but do you really think that quoting the BNF is useful here; I don't many people will understand the terminology or risk - it can be quite frightening to people who are actually using the drug on their children.

The possible side-effects that the BNF are quoting will be on the patient information leaflet, though, won't they, Loxley?

I am a qualified nurse, and I would not ever advocate giving a child, especially a very young child, a prescription medicine that has not been prescribed for them. It is very risky behaviour.

No, they will be written in a way that patients can understand SDTG.
For example, the PIL for Ventolin says this:

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
feeling shaky
headache.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
mouth and throat irritation
muscle cramps.

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
a low level of potassium in your blood
increased blood flow to your extremities (peripheral dilatation).

Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
changes in sleep patterns and changes in behaviour, such as restlessness and excitability.

The following side effects can also happen but the frequency of these are not known:
chest pain, due to heart problems such as angina. Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if this occurs. Do not stop using this medicine unless told to do so.

Copy and paste from the BNF without explanation of the terminology or relative risk is not helpful.

I did state clearly that sharing medication is never a good idea.

Yes - that is a good point, Loxley - and it was in my head, but for some reason I didn't think to say it here. [stoopid]