taking a nebulizer?

[RachaelRol]

Take the nebby. If you're concerned about the size, you can look into a portable one. We bought an Omron CompAir Elite for travel. (Make sure you get the extension tubing and mask for your child - they're extra.) My DS (4) has had asthma since under a year old. We have taken our nebulizer to WDW and we travel with an inhaler and spacer in my purse.

If your child's asthma is not well under control, you should definitely consult with a pediatric asthma/allergy doctor. Better yet, a pulmonologist if you can swing it. Asthma is a chronic condition that doesn't go away in between flares.

Perhaps the poster that mentioned the "preventative" was actually talking about maintenance medication. My DS takes several medications daily to "treat" his asthma (Pulmicort, Singulair, Nasonex)

in addition to the albuterol and atrovent used to treat flares or attacks. The maintenance medications have made him much more responsive to the rescue medications and we're hoping to go the whole year without a trip to the ER or a bout with steroids.

And the reason they don't call it asthma under 2 years old is based on the stigma of old health insurance policies. If they diagnosed you with asthma at a young age - instead of calling it RAD (Reactive Airway Disease) your child would have a "pre-existing condition". Most asthma/allergy doctors these days think the old way is hogwash. I believe my DS was undertreated for those first two years as he was denied the "asthma" label and thus proper medication. Asthma is serious. Don't take risks with it.

I posted about the "preventive" plan. I agree with you completely. Our son is now only on a daily dosage of Singulair. He was on the Pulmicort and Zyrtec (for several allergies) daily for about a year, but has grown into only needing the Singulair. The absolute best thing we've done for him is getting him to a Pulmonologist. Before this he was hospitalized for 8 times in 2 years. After seeing him, Andrew has not been hospitalized at all. ( Thank God and Dr. Kottler)

Before of dis. trip last year the Doc. recommended we start Andrew on Pulmicort and Flovent for two weeks before the trip for a little added protection. We did this and it was great.

PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH YOuR CHILD'S DOCTOR. YOUR LITTLE ONES CONDITION MAY NOT ALLOW FOR THIS. IT WORKED FOR US BUT EVERY ASTHMA CONDITION IS DIFFERENT!!!

I'm sure the OP has problably decided to take the Nebulizer and doesn't want any more posts. Sorry in advance for another reply, but I guess we ( the DIS parents who've responded) really want your little to be okay and your family to have a great trip.

 

[traej73]

Thank you all for your input. The nebulizer will go with us and at the first sign of a cough the treatments will start. Hopefully we won't need it but better safe than sorry. I realize now that staying on top of it and catching things early is key. It is good to know that other people are dealing with the same thing. Thanks again! T

 

[lovethattink]

My son has severe asthma and we do not travel without the nebulizer. A few years ago we bought a small battery powered nebulizer. It's really small and easy to pack.

 

[dlrhine]

Our son is now only on a daily dosage of Singulair.

RachaelRol and any other parents who have children on Singulair please just watch them closely and see how they act. I had my DD age 3 on Singulair for a few months and had to take her off. She has alway been a loving, easygoing, well behaved child until we put her on singulair. After she was on it she was irritable, major temper tantrums, sleeplessness, moody, etc. Anyhow, no where did it list any of these as side effects so I did a lot of research on my own. Check out the below site and do your own research and just make sure that your children aren't having problems on it. I know some that do well and others don't mine didn't. Just be careful.

I want to lookout for all our little ones.
Lots of Love to all of you with children with Asthma!

Scroll to the bottom of the site and read through it there are like 284 post on this.
http://www.medications.com/go/se/Singulair

 

[lovethattink]

Our son is now only on a daily dosage of Singulair.

RachaelRol and any other parents who have children on Singulair please just watch them closely and see how they act. I had my DD age 3 on Singulair for a few months and had to take her off. She has alway been a loving, easygoing, well behaved child until we put her on singulair. After she was on it she was irritable, major temper tantrums, sleeplessness, moody, etc. Anyhow, no where did it list any of these as side effects so I did a lot of research on my own. Check out the below site and do your own research and just make sure that your children aren't having problems on it. I know some that do well and others don't mine didn't. Just be careful.

I want to lookout for all our little ones.
Lots of Love to all of you with children with Asthma!


Scroll to the bottom of the site and read through it there are like 284 post on this.
http://www.medications.com/go/se/Singulair

My son gets terrible headaches from singulair. However, his asthma is much better controlled with it.

 

[Macsmomma]

Correct, this is POSSIBLE. Just please, PLEASE don't press the doctor for a preventative if he/she says it's not possible in your child's case. My wife is a pediatrician, and I can't tell you how many times she's come home frustrated by parents who had gotten irate with her for not being able to guarantee that their children wouldn't have problems just before vacations, Christmas, etc.

I'm also the parent of a 5 year old and almost-3 year old with asthma. We brought our nebulizer and Xopenex with us to WDW in May. We kept it in our room, but if there had been an actual flare-up we could have taken it in our back pack.

You may also want to ask your doctor about using something called an AeroChamber or AeroChamber Plus, available by prescription and manufactured by Forest Pharmaceuticals. It's clear lightweight plastic, about 6 inches long and is designed for small children to be used in conjunction with an inhaler (which little ones can't normally use because they'd be unable to follow the specific directions for one of those pocket-sized inhalers). Your doc may even have an AeroChamber sample he/she can give you for free, if you're lucky.

Talk with your doc, and have a great time at WDW!

-- Eric

I got the areochamber for my ds4 when he was two and it worked wonders. If I heard him wheezing I would let him do the inhaler through the aerochamber and it would stop it from going into a full attack. Nothing is worse than knowing your child can't breathe. Now he is four and able to do the inhaler without the aerochamber which he only has to do maybe once a month.