How do you know when your childs' inhaler is empty?

[TOTU]

I was unsure whether to post in SN or Health...

My son has steroid inhaler to help with a cough caused by chemo. He gets a cough starting about November and I was given a brown steroid inhaler spray and volumatic spacer last year. I've started having to use it again this year as his cough has been bad (but docs have confirmed it's down to the treatment he's receiving, not an infection).

How do I know when it's empty? He has GDD, ASD and I just don't know if this inhaler thing is working. He's coughing a lot tonight, even when asleep.

Once it's empty can you just not press it down? This seems such a stupid question but we're not due back at the hospital until Thursday and he seems in such discomfort even though he's apparently asleep.

Press it down, if nothing comes out, it's empty.
Hope ds is ok

Do you know how to clean it?
If you have cleaned it, then push it down and see if you get a good puff out of it. If it wheezes and doesn't give much, it's running out
You should always have one in stock unused, so that you never run out, that's normal,
If he's having trouble sleeping and he's coughing, you can either raise the mattress at the bed head, or mine used to prefer a big beanbag instead of a pillow so he could sleep propped up and comfortable.
It is horrible when they are ill and don't understand what they are feeling or why they aren't functioning normally. It used to freak my DS out.

Thank you both for your prompt replies. I don't use the spray much apart from winter times so was at a bit of a loss and didn't want to waste the spray by trying to press it down when he's not awake enough to inhale it iyswim.

I'll get the doc to prescribe a spare on Thursday.

dust I have no idea what needs to be cleaned? The volumatic? The inhaler? Also, thanks for the tips on raising the bed head.

Take the inhaler to bits, remove the aerosol.
Rinse the brown plastic bit with clear running water, it's the nozzle that blocks with the powder, then dry it and put it back together and test it.
DS was on 4/8 puffs am and pm most winters. Puberty kicked in and he grew out of it.

Thanks again dust. You've been very helpful

Don't know how old your son is but we have a mask thingy that you attach the inhaler to and then I put it over her nose and mouth and administer it when she is asleep as she won't let me anywhere near her when she is awake so I have to do it when she is asleep.
It is the way they give it to babies but they have a larger size, as dd is now 6 and it seems to work even though she's not inhaling very deeply. As others have said.. get yourself a spare (or 2 ) then you'll always feel covered.. Sounds tough on you all.. our winters are full of coughs and it's awful to watch them struggle with their breathing.. Good luck..

Take the canister out of the holder and shake it. If it feels really light and you can't hear anything sloshing around in there then it is empty.

I have a purple inhaler with a counter on it. Even when the counter tells me I've used all of my doses I can still spray it. It may be that it still has doses left if it can spray and that they are over generous in what they put in, but if it says it has run out of sprays then I believe it and replace it.

Thanks again.

We had his usual hospital appointment today and I got a spare canister and was advised to give it twice a day instead of just at night.

DJAngel, I also have the same type of thing for my son. He has slowly learnt to inhale it when awake. He has learnt it does him good and now actually asks to be given it. I never thought he'd do that. Small progress but good progress.