Help with Inhaler/ Other Ideas

If I'm having an asthma attack/difficulty breathing a steamy shower would be the last thing I'd want - but that's just me. Vicks vapor rub will induce an asthma attack in me so be careful with that as well. I like the suggestion of doing it when she is asleep but if she is going to need this on a regular basis then she needs to get used to it. Have you found out what is causing her asthma?

My daughter was almost 3 the first time she needed a breathing treatment. We were able to use a mask and she didn't even have to wear it. We could hold it in front of her face and as long as she was breathing in the mist it was fine, so we did it while she was sleeping some of the time because she didn't always want to sit still long enough when she was awake and/or if she wasn't feeling well & was finally able to sleep, we didn't have to wake her. Johnson & Johnson makes a vapor bath that works well too. Good Luck - I know your daughter probably feels miserable & that is hard on her parents too.

I would ask your doctor for a MDI inhaler with a spacer and mask instead of using a nebulizer. Studies have shown that when used with the mask the MDI is more effective than the nebulizer, plus it doesn't make a lot of potentially scary noise. That way, all you have to get in are your 2-4 puffs and you're done. I just completed a pediatrics rotation as a pharmacy student, and pretty much all of the kids had an MDI with spacer and mask, not a nebulizer. Hang in there!

Be cautious about the suggestion to use vapor rub. This can actually cause congestion in sensitive children (google for lots of information). I can't get near anything mentholated; it actually causes asthma attacks for me.

My grandson has always had an easier time trying scary things if he plays doctor and treats his toys for awhile first. This seems to give him a chance to try on the idea without risk to himself. If your daughter is surviving for now, how about backing away from all suggestion that she needs to do this, and introducing the puppet approach in a couple of days.

this boils down to "who's in control"? You have to calm her, you have to make her understand that she has to comply with this medical tx which will make her feel better & be healthier.....it's up to you to be in charge! Sometimes being a parent really sucks & hurts emotionally, but it's our responsibility.

If she won't do the inhaler, try the nebulizer. There are lots of really cute masks available for children.....I've used a fishy face & an elephant!

***EDIT: at no time, have I recommended holding a child down while insisting on compliance. You can be in charge WITHOUT physical force. My reference to "being in charge" means teaching your child the all-important life skills of obediance & respect for elders.....all of which can be done without force. My daycare kids are proof of this: they KNOW they have to listen & comply.....without fits.

is it a nebulizer you can't get her to do or an inhaler?
The nebulizer is the thing that makes a lot of noise with the mask.
Maybe get her to sit down and read to her or let her watch a tv show while she uses the nebulizer , if it's an inhaler it only takes 6 breaths so maybe a book.
If she'll let you putting some vapor rub on her chest then putting a warm ( as warm as she can stand) wash clothe on her chest will help open things up.

Use it when she's asleep, it is a lot less stressful for you. If she really needs it then you are just going to have to be the grown up and do it and hold her down. It will go into her lungs deeper anyway if she is crying.

I know how hard it is but when their breathing is the issue sometimes you have to do the treatment to keep them breathing.

Ask the doc for a nebulizer set up,it works better in my opinion anyway. It does take longer but it has sterile water in it to help with moistening the lungs.

The nebulizer has a mask or a mouth piece you can use and you put the med in the area and turn it on. Inhalers are so rough on kids anyway. They shouldn't use them until older. The nebulizers are set up for smaller kids.

BTW, Albuterol isn't expensive, it's on the $4.00 list at Wal-Mart but Xophenex is well over $100.00 a box and it has less than half the vials than the box of Albuterol.

Albuterol makes kids shaky and jittery but works very well, Xophanex is much better on their little systems but we get the one most affordable.

steam shower yes. also take and let her teddy do it first. hot drinks help also. let her be the nurse to the teddy and then you be the nurse to her. yes its a waste of medication but inhalers arent that expensive for the most part and wasting some puts her mind at ease it is worth it. and when she emptys it the teddy gets the empty. I agree with the masks in animals and nebulizer also

I agree with Sue H. If it's between having to forcefully hold my child down while they're kicking and screaming or having difficulty breathing/asthma attack, you bet I'm going to hold them down and put the mask on their face while they cry their little hearts out. 2 of my sons were diagnosed with asthma before they were 3 yrs old. They both hated the neubulizer but after a few times they got used to it and soon were helping me set it up. You are the adult and there are times when it's going to suck to have to make difficult decisions but we should know what's good for our kids and follow through.

Hello, I had the same issue with my daughter when she was little. She threw a fit as well because she did not want to have the mask on when having treatments. The nurse told me that the decrease in oxygen to her brain because of the breathing problems, caused brain cells to die. That scared me silly and I decided I had to take more control and basically sit down and hold my daughter as she took the treatments. Yes she screamed and cried and it hurt me, but it was for her own good. Also, because she was screaming and crying, she was actually able to take more of the neubulizer treatment INTO her lungs. She needed to get the treatments period! After a while, she knew what to expect and new it was not so bad after all.

I was going to give you some advice too, but after reading the other responses you received, it would just be a repeat.
Using the adapter instead of the mask worked for my daughter. Putting the mask on dolls/stuffed animals helps too.
Using the mask without the strap works too and while they are sleeping (hold her upright, though)
My kids got used to it very quickly, just keep reminding her that the doctor wants her to do it to help her breathing so she is a healthy girl.
And last, always remember that "YOU are the Boss, Applesauce"!!!

Unfortunately if she needs the inhaler and is in opposition then you are going to have to use it even if she is unwilling. As others have said - the crying gets the medication down even better!
If you have time, and she is not needing it all the time, try using her favourite toy - doll or bear to practice on. Then let her try it on her toy - she probably wouldn't be able to actually squeeze the trigger. Do a play role with her toy and how it feels better afterwards.
Also if she has the breathing chamber attached and you are doing the puffs into that, do the puffs away from her face THEN put the mask to her face - my boy didn't actually like it when the puffs were done and he had the mask already on. The medication can't escape as it is pulled out as she breathes in.
Hang in there - it's well worth it - sometimes they make us anxious with all the commotion and crying!

If it's a nebulizer you're talking about, check out amazon.com (I'm sure other sites have them as well though) for a fun mask. I've seen mask that look like dinosaurs and other fun things. That might help ease her into it. Also, I agree w/another poster about doing it while she's sleep, if she's a good sleeper. I do that for my son a lot of time b/c the meds will sometimes get him a little hyped up then he has a hard time falling asleep.

Best of luck!

If you are using the mask...get rid of it. Use the adapter that comes with it instead and let HER hold it. That was the only way my daughter would let us give her, her breathing treatment. She was much more relaxed and didn't fight it.

I'll second the "fun mask" or if she is willing to use the inhaler with a spacer, that would be great too. Spacer can be prescribed by the doc, and you just dose a puff into the spacer then have her take a slow deep breath. In a pinch, you can dose it into an empty toilet paper roll and have her breathe in from the other side. If you mean a nebulizer, you can actually do similar things and if she won't wear the mask, it's ok...just make sure she's breathing in the medicated mist from the unit.