Sweat Test - Your Experiences here please

[Charleesunnysunsun]

I have just recived the appointment for DS1's sweat test and im worried!
After reading the inclosed info leaflet, it sounds really horrible and scary. He is only 2 and is already scared stiff of hospitals.

Anyone have a child who has had one, is it really that bad?

sorry no...

Ok so i take it that it is that bad!

Oh well can anyone just tell me what actually happens then??

sorry, i didn't mean to alarm you, i was just trying to bump you up - its horrible when you don't get any responses when you're worried. hope it goes ok - try not to worry. good luck. x

bump?

Charlee - in case no one comes along with experience there were a couple of threads on it a little before Christmas. Try doing a search. It's not an invasive test and you can get the results quite quickly IIRC.

My dd was due to have one and then didn't as they found out why she wasn't thriving. Hope your ds is OK.

My son has Charley. What can i say? It isn't scarey, probably a bit annoying having to sit in one place for a while, it takes some time to fit it up. I suppose it could be alarming for a little boy, my ds1 was a baby.
It doesn't hurt. I took along some treats and books, the nurse doing it was lovely.
My advice is once he is bandaged up, getting him to really run about and work up a sweat, as too often the tests have to be repeated.
My ds1 was fine, and hopefully yours will be too

My ds has been in an out of the hospital all his life and of all the tests and procedures that he has had done, this was by the simplest and pain free ones he has had and I would rather he had a sweat test over anything else any day Honestly!

My ds2 has had a total of 4 sweat tests, mainly as his eczema was so bad at the time, they couldn't get an adequate sample. In our hospital, they set up take about 5 minutes. There is this little box, which i guess it like a battery type thing (gives the charge) with some wires coming out. They stick the electrodes to the skin, in ds's case, it was just below his inner elbox. They then wrap a bandage around it to stop them from trying to take the electrodes off. Then you wait for 10 minutes while the "battery" gives off an electrical charge, a bit like those slim tone things or a tens machine, it is tingly. This stimulates the sweat glands. After 10 minutes, they take the electrode off, place a small paper disc over the sweat patch and then cover with a plaster, like they ones they use to cover magic cream or canula sites. This is left on anywhere from 20 to 40 odd minutes and then removed. The paper disc goes in a sample bottle to be taken away to be measured. Then you are done! The results can be done fairly quickly, depending on whether your hospital has a policy to let you know asap or if you have to wait for a consultant appt.

Good luck, honestly, your ds wil be fine

Heartmum's description is spot on. DD2 had hers when she was about 8 weeks old so rather different. I had to swaddle her and feed her constantly but it was painless. It did take some time as DD just didn't sweat enough! Best of luck.