Bringing a nebulizer have a question about storing it

[schlepsnort]

My DS (2) has a nebulizer that we have on hand in case he starts wheezing. He was really bad this past winter requiring three trips to the ER but since this spring he hasn't had any episodes and his Pediatrician is reluctant to diagnose him as asthmatic since it seems to have resolved itself. BUT she still feels that whenever he goes somewhere he should bring it with along with the meds.
So with that all being said, we plan on going to AK, MGM, and MK. When we go to AK and MGM we are only spending a half day at each so we will just bring the machine with us and store it under DS (4 mo.) stroller. BUT we are spending ALL DAY at MK and was wondering if we could have the machine and med stored at a first aid station or guest services? It's a plug in model so if he does start wheezing we need to have it somewhere that we can plug it in anyway. I don't want to store it in a locker because the med itself has to be kept between a certain temp and I'm not sure if being in a small hot locker is such a good idea.
I've never dealt with travelling with a nebulizer before so any and all help is greatly appreciated! Hopefully DS won't even need it but if he does I want to be sure of how to use it at the park!

Thanks in advance!

 

[MomofM&M]

Can you ask your pediatrician for an inhaler and aerochamber with mask? It's more portable than a nebulizer and you don't have to find an outlet to plug it into. If he's been well since the winter, there's probably a low likelihood of needing more than an inhaler. You could keep your nebulizer at the hotel. If your son doesn't respond to inhaler, you probably would need to leave the park to use the nebulizer, though.

 

[SueM in MN]

you can store both the medication and the machine in First Aid at any park.
For the medication, they have you fill out a form, they put the meds in a bag and then store it for you (in refrigerator if needed). When you come back, you have to bring part of the form you filled out to show it is your medication and they will give you the meds.
They have individual cubicles with a cot, a small bedside table and a chair in each cubicle. They also have rooms (like doctor's office exam rooms) with doors. Both rooms and cubicles would have a place to plug it in.
We have used First Aid in all the parks over the years. The facilities and CMs are very nice.

 

[disneynewbee]

My 3yo dd uses a nebulizer also to take albuterol and pulmicort. Just recently the doctor got me the inhaler with the aerochamber. Let me say it is so nice. I give her a treatment in the morning with the nebulizer and carry the inhaler during the day just in case and then she gets another treatment at night with the nebulizer. You might want to see if you can get those, they will make it so much easier. They also only take a few minutes where her nebulizer takes about 15-20 depending on if she is getting one or both of her meds.

 

[Mommy2Lots]

---------

 

[kellyg403]

My ds12 is a severe asthmatic and we still take the nebulizer when we go to fla. but we also have the rescue inhaler as well. My grandson was recently given a nebulizer and it had all the bells and whistles including a battery pack and a way to plug it in to the car. I would ask for the inhaler since it may take awhile to get somewhere to plug in the machine. The inhaler will give you time to do that even if you had to go back to the resort to use.

Kelly

 

[Ariel8676]

I was going to suggest asking about the aerochamber and inhalers. My dd 3 has one and we do flovent and albuterol 2-3x a day(depending on how bad s he is). She also takes singulair every night before bed. It is so much easier than lugging the neb. everywhere.
Good Luck, and hopefully you will not even need it!

 

[3littleHalls]

Agreeing with others, we do Singulair and Flovent every day for our oldest, and take an aerochamber/inhaler in backpack with us. We bring a nebulizer, but keep it in the room.

 

[GIGI&MIMI]

Ask your DR. about a portable nebulizer (battery operated) they are much lighter and less bulky. We're bringing one for our trip in Sept. The Areochamber didn't work for our DD during attacks. The nebulizer/albuterol was the only way to go. She takes Pulmacort daily with the nebulizer to control her symptoms, but I hate draging her full size plug in one around.

 

[amarberry]

Even though it has been suggested several times on this thread already, check with your pediatrician about the possibility of using an inhaler with an aeromask. My DD is just 2 yo and has both the nebulizer and the inhaler. I find the inhaler to be a lot easier and I wouldn't want to lug around the nebulizer if there was something else that I could use effectively.

We take her to a pediatric allergist for her allergies and asthma. I asked at our last visit with the doctor if the nebulizer is better than the inhaler. I was told that one wasn't necessarily better over another, but if your child is having an attack, it might be easier for them to get the treatment through the nebulizer.

My DD hasn't had too many problems this summer, but I have noticed that high humidity seems to induce her wheezing (and also for my DH who is also asthmatic). I plan to bring her nebulizer, just in case, for our trip in September, but I'm going to leave it in the room and bring her inhaler with us to the park for emergencies. I'm also going to discuss with her allergist about putting her on some sort of preventative treatment, like Pulmicort, that we can do in the mornings or evenings.

 

[CleveRocks]

Aerochamber may be the easiest and best way to go. My wife is a pediatrician and she recommends this all the time for convenience during out-of-town travel.

Both of our kids wheeze occasionally, neither has been diagnosed with COPD. We brought their regular nebulizer with us last year, and will do so again in November. Neither of them has such acute "attacks" that we'd need it in an emergency, and with that in mind my wife thought it best that if they needed it at the end of a day (which, thankfully, they didn't) they could use their old familiar "coughing machine."

 

[disneynewbee]

I forgot to add that my dd also takes singular daily and I've noticed a huge decrease in incidents.

 

[Mommy2Lots]

-----

 

[WantToGoNow]

We were using the Nebulizer for my ds5's daily Pulmicort treatment until about a month ago when we went to the Allergist. She gave him a Turbahaler. It looks like an inhaler but it gives the same dosage as a full Pulmicort respule with one inhale - one turbahaler contains 200 doses. He also has a Xoepenex inhaler with spacer. His daily meds are Zrytec and Pulmicort in the am and Singulair at night. They are much easier to pack around than the Nebulizer.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Both of my kids have asthma and when the DR says take the nebuizer with you everywhere that means everywhere. Kids are not always good at telling you about an attack when it starts, only when it is bad anough to panic them...and then its usually VERY bad. The last thing anyone needs is a child to have a full-blown attack while their medication is 15 minutes away on the other side of the park. There are electrical outlets in every store and ride and I'm sure you could use any one of them if necessary, I doubt anyone would tell you no once they hear its Asthma.

We have 2 nebulizers and also a rescue spray (used with the Inspirease mask when they were little). Yes the nebulizer is bulky but unless you can get a smaller alternative (mobile nebulizer or Albuterol with Inspirease mask) you should keep it with you at all times. We travel everwhere with it but now favor the spray because it can be used so quickly. We have rescue sprays in both cars, in my purse, at camp, at school and everywhere else the kids go. Acording to my Dr. the meds still work but are weakened by the heat ( not reliable if you ask me) so carrying them in your purse is probably the best way to go.

I don't mean to be an alarmist but things can get so very bad so fast with Asthma that I really fell its better to be safe than sorry.

We've been doing WDW with all our Asthma supplies for years now and it really isn't that big a deal. Just like at home, we manage the situation by keeping them cool and watching them closely. If I didn't tell you I bet you'd never know my sports freak kids were Asthmatic. Just do what the Dr says and you should be just fine

BTW, from what I've been told the reason Dr's don't like to diagnose kids with Asthma is because it makes them uninsurable in some instances. Some health-plans will refuse to carry the child unless you get coverage through work where they are REQUIRED to take your child on. Life Insurance carriers will sometimes refuse to cover the child. Its a very big deal to Insurance companies so Dr's won't diagnose unless they have no choice especially since some kids do outgrow it and the label would stick.

 

[tripplanner]

My daughter is asthmatic. The Dr's didn't officially call it asthma until she was 6, so we did the nebulizer/liquid albuterol for years to treat her "coughing/wheezing". When she was three we went to Illuminations one night at EPCOT. At the end of all the fireworks as we were leaving, we ended up in an area just outside of France where the smoke from the fireworks was lingering. It immediately triggered her asthma. I wish we had been smart enough to carry around her nebulizer, instead it was back at the Beach Club. It was a panicky feeling, even though the BC is pretty close to that section of Epcot. The moral to that story is - just carry it with you everywhere. When you need it, it will be an unexpected/out of the blue moment. You'll feel better if you are prepared.