HELP! My 2 y.o won't let me give him ventolin & spacer!!

[pookiesossige]

So who's got experience in giving a 2 year old their ventolin with the mask and spacer??

Ronan was recently diagnosed with Asthma and has a mask and spacer to help him breathe it in- one breath twice a day. When we try to put the mask over his face, he FREAKS OUT- screaming, tears, throwing himself on floor, running away, the lot- you name it. But if he doesn't have it, then at 2-4am we are in trouble.

It's as if he feels like we are smothering him- we have been putting the mask over our faces to show him that it's fine and I make sure I don't 'make his fears real' by going on in sympathy about how bad it is to have the mask on.
Last night we had to hold him down and make him breathe it in- Now I know this only adds to the problem- but there was no other way we could ensure he wasn't going to have an attack later on in the night, especially as he has a cold.

Pretty please, can I have some advice?

[Illusional]

Hey Emma - I havent got any advice for that issue.. My eldest daughter used to do the same thing whenever I tried to put the mask on her face - I literally had to hold her down and force her to take it :( It wasnt a plesant time.

If you are having real problems with getting him to take the ventolin.. maybe go to your GP again and enquire about Singulair.. as it is a chewable, once a day tablet that is ok for children 2 years and older.
My son is on it and it keeps his asthma at bay much better than trying to get ventolin and preventor sprays into him did

(as I said - talk to you doctor about it - Im not a GP - just stating my experience ;) )

[mich71]

ds1 was diagnosed asthmatic at 11mths so he didnt get near a spacer till he was 3 but still had a lot of trouble giving it to him we would give him a treat after if he had it and if he refused we woulld tell him that he would get sick and need to go to the hospital again and that usally worked since he was quite cronic then and still is that was usally all it took and try to make a game out of it like who can breath in the biggest let him see you breath in it to that may help hope this helps you its just a difficult at that age

[KarniF00l]

Have you tried making a game of it ?? Not to good on the advice regards to this but thats what we use to do with my sister. Goodluck.

[pookiesossige]

Thanks guys!
Shannon- you did have advice! The tablet sounds like a great idea and if it's the right kind of med (will go see GP) it should help out a great deal. Rewarding him for using it might be worth a shot. Will get some M&M's next time shopping seeing as they helped when having probs with him letting me change his nappy. Unhealthy but they are tiny and one is always enough. Thanks!

[Lunar]

If all else fails maybe you can hire a nebuliser to try him on. My Em is 4 and still uses a nebuliser as she wont take to the spacer. She sits there and holds it herself.
Most chemists hire them out.

[jessgray]

my ds is 15 months old and i am having a similar problem my ds wont take the spacer with the mask or just the spacer on its own (he prefers the spacer without a mask) and so i have to resort to giving him his predmix medicine when its spose to be for emergencies. i have thought about making it a game and stuff but now he resists the spacer completly. but i am not sure if he will like the noise of a nebuliser.

[Mamaduke]

The asthma foundation of Victoria sells a 'Funhaler' that is especially designed for children and turns the act of taking their Ventolin &/or preventer into a game.
Here's the link:
http://www.asthma.org.au/Default.aspx?tabid=135&ctl=CatalogItemDetails&mid=644&CatalogItemID=103&CatalogID=1
Jesse was exactly the same, and I can fully understand why.
To a child, they can't breathe or finding it difficult to breathe and a mask is then put over their mouth - to a 2/3 y.o that would be terrifying!

[nemosmum]

MamaDuke thought of my idea first LOL I saw the funhaler advertised in our local childs mag and thought it was a great idea.

My son had the same problem earlier this year, we had to hold him down but i was unhappy with how the meds effected him (he was biting furniture, crying all the time, hitting himself etc just wasnt himself)
So we went down the alternate route and found a great natropath and homeopathic meds which have helped him heaps......asthma free for about 6mths and counting:smiliedance:


Good luck with it, its hard when they are sick and even harder when they refuse meds that helps them:hugs:

[Karizma]

I actually let my DS press the ventolin. He cant press it down on his own, but I put my finger on top of his and he thinks he is mainly doing it. It works every time. Maybe put some stickers on the spacer too.

[pookiesossige]

i have thought about making it a game and stuff but now he resists the spacer completly.

Yep, this is us totally. I take it off the top of the fridge and he throws a fit.
The funhaler looks awsome but the 'smothering' feeling he seems to have when the mask covers his face and nose seems very powerful, like what you were saying, Mamaduke. It reminds me of learning to scuba-dive and having to breathe underwater- you have to go against your instincts and that's hard for a 2 y-o who just thinks that they won't be able to get air when it's already hard enough to breathe as it is.

Tonight I will offer him a smartie/m&m for using it and we will also try and make it a game. I also had an idea earlier- we are always making things out of cardboard rolls/paper towel tubes- maybe play a game with him and see if he'll breathe/talk through one? Like practice...

[andrewsmum]

My DS, who is the same age as yours, prefers to take his spacer without the mask part. He's really good, as we tell him to put his mouth on it, and breathe in nice and slowly.

Also, let him push the puffer part down - as it makes them think they're all grown up doing it 'on their own'.

The M&Ms treats are a good idea, we used to give DS a choccie treat afterwards.

[greengreen]

We have same problem. Our GP advised doing it while they sleep if it's difficult. (just need to remember to wake before they do!)

[RachWA]

My son has just been put on Singulair which is a non steriod tablet for asthma. It is chewable and we just tell him it is a lolly. I think it is quite a new medication and do not think gp's can prescribe it. I do know the cihild has to be 2 or over. Ours was prescribed from a respiratory paeditrician.

We have been given the run around for 18 months with one dr saying ds was asthmatic and giving him ventolin and another saying he isn't and taking him off. In the mean time he has grommets and getting treated for allergies to nuts and dairy. We kept on getting told there was nothing to be done about his respiratory until he was 2, now a 2 1/2 the dr finally listened.

So we have only been on Singulair for one week but I have noticed a difference. The wheeze has gone and has reduced on exhertion we go for a f/u next week.

[Illusional]

Singulair can be prescribed by GP's Rach .. thats where my son goes to get his scripts.

[RachWA]

Thanks - it's a good thing taht gp's can then as the spec charges $108 per visit and my gp bulk bill!

[MummyCharmzy]

DS used to be the same with his, would have a fit when I'd try to do it... then I let him do it to me a few times and let him play with it a bit and now he loves doing it. He can do it pretty good withuot the mask now too (hes almost 4) and thinks its great doing it! He has to have it 4 times a day so I'm glad he got used to it!

[pookiesossige]

So maybe let him play with the mask bit on it's own perhaps?
He As long as he doesn't insist on chewing it to peices! (he's getting his molars :rolleyes: )

[dannii]

Hi,
my 8 months old daughter was just prescribed Ventolin Syrup. its just administerd in a dropper, so it makes it real easy.. maybe you could ask your doctor about that.

[Dannielle]

All 3 of my girls are asthmatic. My eldest was 2 and 1 half when we had to start using the spacer. She used to run away and hide, kick and scream at the sight of the spacer. We had to hold it on her face with her screaming but we used to count to 10 slowly. Eventually she realised that it would only be on her face until we counted to 10 and did it without any problem.

One twin was 11 months and the other was 20 months but we had no problem getting them to do it. I think they were used to seeing their big sister do it.

One twin has to use a nasonex nose spray and I had an especially hard time trying to do that. Even worse than getting my eldest to use the spacer. Until my sister came to stay one night a few weeks ago and she saw her Aunty use her nose spray. Since then she has let me do it because its like her Aunty.

I don't know if this will help but what I was thinking if it doesn't help with you pretending to do it, maybe someone else close to you? :)

[pookiesossige]

OK, I thought I'd give an update on the situation for anyone going through a similar drama.

We give him a smartie to eat and sit the other one close by where he can see it while we put the mask over him. He calmly chews and breathes normally for a good 20 seconds or so, which is more then enough time to get the med through the spacer. Then when he is finished we thank him, give him a cuddle and he has the second smartie. DH started it and does this with him every night before bed and it's working sensationally!!

Thanks everyone. I still love that funhaler and have told a few people about it Mamaduke!