How do you get a 3yo to use an inhaler??

[MandaLynn]

After 1.5yrs of back and forth trips to the GP for a chronic cough, we've been given a blue inhaler too see if that helps my 3yo. But he hates it - will not do it - sends him into tears.

Any tips or tricks on how yo get them to use it?

And if they do - how do you know it's working? I presume it won't instantly stop the coughing. So how do you know that it was the inhaler that helped and not that it was just the tail end of a coughing fit?

Have you been given a spacer to use with the inhaler?

Just came on to say you need a spacer.

I get mine to give me a thumbs up if each puff has gone in.

I find if she breathes it in, she coughs a little after each puff.

Good luck.

We get l got DD to decorate her spacer with stickers. We also gave her an old empty inhaler to give to her teddies etc. We got there in the end.

If it works it should work pretty quickly (and then wear off after a few hours) so you'll get an idea of where it's working before too long.

My ds was prescribed a brown inhaler daily at that age for the same reason. We use a spacer. He wasn't keen at first but it is vital they get the medication they need so I had to hold him down while we did it. He's now 2 and he resists some days but most of the time he just excepts it

There’s some information about kids using inhalers here:
www.asthma.org.uk/advice/child/medicines/help/

Does he have the powder form aswell as that's what my doctor gave my son until he's about to have the inhaler properly.

My ds has had his inhaler for a year now and it's still the worst thing in the world to him but now takes it without a meltdown but consistency is the key and making it part of his daily routine

It’s so hard. I’m a paeds a&e nurse it’s one of the worst things to get them to comply. I’d practice using the spacer on teddy first and without the inhaler and just hold it working upto 5 then 10 breaths. Make it into a game, decorate it use it as a trumpet etc. then use it with the inhaler building up the breaths

Thanks. Should've said we do have the spacer, he just hates the whole thing.

Decorating the spacer is a good idea.

Will keep trying and hopefully will eventually start to actually take it to see if it even helps.

I was going g to say spacer too.
You could try making up a story such as something they like, fairies or something, and that they had asthma and flying through clouds meant they felt better, so they give children clouds in the spacer so they can breath like fairies too ... or something relevant to what they like

DD has just turned 3 and we've been given an inhaler with a spacer. We turned it into a bit of a silly game at first, eg I put the mask over my mouth "haha isn't it funny, it looks like I've got a long nose" etc, and had DD pretend to give it to a teddy so we could show her how it works. We also now let her do it herself, so she can take the cap off the inhaler, shake it, put it in the spacer, put the mask to her face, and then we press it down as she can't manage that bit yet. But doing most of it herself makes it much easier.

I sing a long song because my son needs 4 puffs which takes 40 seconds. At first he would cry and there was no getting round it, we had to just try and encourage but ultimately force it on him when he resisted. I think eventually he learnt that it wasn't hurting him and he could breathe through the mask. He was about 18m when we started I think.

We used teddy, teddy used the spacer then DD used it. She got to press the puffer for teddy.

There was an episode of Get well soon on CBeebies about inhalers, might be on iplayer

You should have a spacer.

Lots of adults don't know how to take them properly. If you don't have the spacer then this.

You hold the inhaler and he puts his mouth round it and get him to take the biggest breath he can, tell him that you will press the top and he has to see how long he can keep breathing in afterwards.

Then he has to hold his breath until you count to 10.

If he manages that then he gets a chocolate button.

If it's salbutamol then it should work within 5 mins.

If he opens his mouth and there is swirly stuff - a bit like your breath on a frosty morning in his mouth then he hasn't inhaled it.

If he inhales it properly he will not taste it.

It might be worth doing a few practice runs before you actually press the top.

Have you got the volumatic spacer or the aerochamber? I found the volumatic was big and scary for them but the aerochamber, being smaller, was less threatening looming in front of them.

Also, not a popular idea but GP said if they're crying, they're taking the big breaths needed so you know they're getting the medication. (Had to do this for ds1 as he hated everything at the time).

But; with both my asthmatics, the most important thing was time and patience. Get them to help - shake the inhaler, put it in the spacer, hold the spacer. Even just putting the spacer to face without inhaler as a 'trumpet' and being silly helped break the fear.

Play doctors “giving” inhaler to you and teddies and things. Let him be the one to give it. Let him play with the spacer and get used to it.

if push comes to shove then wrap him up tightly and give him a big hug while you do it.

You need to leave 30 seconds between puffs so the mixture can redistribute in the canister, plus shaking it each time. 4 puffs should take over 2 minutes.
www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/inhalers-and-spacers/common-inhaler-mistakes/

Just keep trying, every time!

My daughter resisted hers to start with but did just eventually get used to it. We let her play with it with teddies etc. and we all had a 'turn'

The blue one is the reliever though. It works to immediately help with an attack.
You need a brown one to use regularly morning and night to actually improve the cough.

Bribery! My dd was a nightmare, but we found she's a little magpie, loved coins and quickly understood coins meant books. She got a quarter (usa - so 20p) each time she complied and on Saturdays she went to choose a mr man book. Was liquid meds in her case not inhaler

We get our little one to choose what to count and make it funny, so we do one puff then count 1 carrot 2 carrots etc. Let him choose. Let him do it on you and DH so he can see it’s nothing to worry about and you take a turn each. Keep it casual and light as well and talk about when it’s going to happen so that he knows it’s coming.

When our DS first had to do it at aged 2 we had to pin him down and now he gets it himself and finds it quite fun so hopefully he’ll get used to it. ‘I need my medicine mummy’.

My little boy has had one since just before he was one. We have an "inhaler song" (Incy wincy). He knows that when the song is finished the chamber will be removed and then it's over. Works well for us. He's almost 4 now.

We do it so mummy 'has a turn' daddy, big sisters, teddy (whoever is around basically) then it's his turn.

Or like pp said try a choc button after. Whatever you need to do to get it started for a few weeks.

Eventually they get used to it, like brushing teeth etc.

Inhalers have made such a different to our kids. So hang on in there!

My son is autistic and used to fight it. It sounds a bit cruel but I used to swaddle him in a blanket so he couldn’t wrestle with me. I think he found it soothing to be wrapped up.
He doesn’t seem to have any lasting trauma!

My son needed the brown one and then the blue mostly after excercise, so we made it into superhero air like Captain America got to become big and strong, as in he needs his special air so he can do his sports well and become big and strong.

We decorated the spacer and it has some captain America stickers on it.
He takes it quite well now but it did take a while. Now he has it in a superhero pose and I get him to do some big deep breaths and hold them first so he gets in the rythmn of it.

Have you any older children you can get to do it and make a big fuss of them saying well done and giving stickers etc in front of your child. My daughter is 2 and has to have four puffs twice a day, the first few times were a struggle but she soon got used to it and happily does it now.