AIBU about 7 yo ds using his inhaler?

[Stanky]

7 yo has been prescribed an inhaler, as he had a chest infection. The doctor said that he didn't need a spacer, as he was old enough to understand how to use it. He has coughing fits after running around.

I took him back and saw a different doctor, as his chest was clear of infection, but he was still coughing a lot. I kept the inhaler within ds' reach, in case he needed it any time. The dr said that he found this disturbing (his exact word), and I should have kept it out of ds' reach. This upset me, and made me feel like the worst parent. ds is very sensible, and only used it when he needed to (once or twice per day). I thought that it was ok for him to have access to his inhaler. AIBU?

I think that's an odd thing for the doctor to say no one knows your son like you. I suppose at 7 he could over use it as its a novelty. Either way not a nice thing for the Dr to say at all! As an aside, everyone who uses an inhaler should use a spacer according to the doctors where I work.

My nearly seven year old is more than capable of using an inhaler correctly (with or without a spacer depends which GP you see here). Ridiculous comment for the GP to make. You know your son!

Thanks. He has now been given a spacer. Tbh, I don't really get on with this dr. He seems to say something to upset me every time I have the misfortune to see him. He refused to refer my younger ds to a paediatrician, or ent. ds2 has many delays in his development this dr refused to acknowledge. He called out to me as I left his office "Did you smoke and drink during pregnancy? ". I replied no, and then went home and cried.

My almost 6 year old's inhalers are often within reach- his preventer is in his bedside table for example.

It's medicine, he knows and understands this and he doesn't like it so the chances of him abusing it are slim to none.

I would NOT be happy if a doctor said 'disturbing' to me.

Different doctors opinions vary with spacers- DS has it for preventer but not for reliever.

You should have complained about him shouting that- absolutely not acceptable!

I can perhaps see your doctors point of view although his choice of words was way off the mark. I have seen children becoming over reliant on their inhaler if it is within easy reach. You know your son's capabilities however, it might be worth keeping it slightly out of reach so you know exactly how many times he takes it and to
observe whether be is using it correctly as he is still very young.

My 10 year old has a spacer and always carries their inhaler

Your doctor is odd

I would be more concerned about a GP saying a spacer isn't needed. Even adults should use them.

Personally I wouldn't leave an inhaler in the reach of a 7 year old new to using one simply because an adult needs to be there to know they are taking it properly, much better for them to tell an adult then be supervised taking it but the GPs reaction was over the top.

Contact the practice manager... talk to him and ask that you are not given appointments with this particular GP. Give a factual outline of why, what he said, the effect it had on you.

You should not have to see him at all. And a quick reminder that 'brusque' is not always best would probably be a good thing!

Hi, if it's a group practice can you see other doctors ? Our GP is great but when ds1 was little I had to take him to another doc who started telling me that ds's eczema was inflamed because "mothers worry that their children's skin will be permanently damaged" and this was without any knowledge of me. I knew ds's skin was infected but had to wait for our usual GP to come back off holiday before it could be treated. This other doc also had weird views on asthma. There was no arguing with him - I just tried not to see him if at all possible.

Using spacers isn't just about knowing how to use an inhaler. Some asthmatics struggle to coordinate their breathing when using reliever inhalers during an asthma attack. Ds1 had a spacer for many years for this reason. AsthmaUK have an advice line staffed by asthma nurses and they were always my first port of call if I was told something that sounded odd or just plain wrong.

What Sirzy said.

Don't fixate on his use of the word "disturbing". Some people use it in a less dramatic fashion than others...my DH for instance says it when something very minor has irritated him..."It disturbs me that the postman leaves the letters hanging out of the slot"

For eg.

That's a very odd choice of words.

I wouldn't expect a 7 year old to be using an inhaler without a spacer (even a reliever such as ventolin) - the technique is tricky enough at the best of times and using a spacer makes it easier and ensures a better delivery and deposition in the airways.

I'd also be wary of many 7 year olds having free and easy access to any medication (including inhalers) in case they had too much or weren't using it properly but it depends on the child really. I think at that age I want to know when and why my child is using their inhalers, at the very least so when reviewed I can let the HCP know how much ventolin they are using and confirm that they are using their preventer properly.

I say this as an asthma nurse, and mum of children with asthma.

It means unsettled. He was probably just expressing that he'd find it worrysome. You know your son best.

I am in my 60s and I have to use a spacer as I can't seem to co-ordinate pushing the button and inhaling at the same time. He's talking bollocks.

He sounds a bit odd from the other things you have said. Like LazyLouLou said, I'd request a different doctor.

Thanks for replying. I will ask to see other Dr's in future. I might have to wait a couple of weeks for an appointment with the nice gp, but I will wait. They said that it's not asthma. They haven't actually said what it is, but it's not asthma apparently.

My ds who is also 7 has had inhalers for years. They are generally kept within his reach (never occurred to me to put them away as such) but he will always come and say to me that he needs it rather than just taking it himself. He can use it without the spacer however the asthma nurse told me that he should still use the spacer as it is more effective.