Asthma

Elijah was recently diagnosed with asthma and the Dr. put him on Singulair and Flovent. My husband is not happy with the Flovent and thinks he is too young to be on an inhaler and should be on a liquid again. What does your child use?

 

We use Flovent (daily) and Xoponex (as needed)---both are inhalers.

The inhalers are much easier to use at school, are easy to carry in my purse ( xoponex- the recue inhaler), and the kids are much more compliant on using them.
WE still use a nebulizer for real illness (bronchitis, severe colds, etC), but day to day the inhalers are great. We use a spacer (plastic device between the inhaler and mouth) to make sure they do it correctly. The Dr is impressed that they can breath so deeply and use them. My girls are 5 adn we have been using them for about a year and a 1/2 (since 3.5) due to one DD having a hard time with the 'noisy nebulizer' (she has some auditory sensitivities).


We also take Zyrtec (allergies).

We did Singular and it gave one of my DD horrific nightmares (side effect) and the other one had upset stomachs. Claritin did not work at all.

 

Sarah was not diagnosed with asthma, but used Flovent and albuterol (both inhalers) for most of the winters when she was 2 and 3. We used a spacer at that age, but recently had to give it to her again for a couple of weeks (at age 4.5), and she was able to do it without the spacer. We never tried a nebulizer, but I'm fairly confident that she would have loathed it. The inhaler was pretty easy.

 

Jazzy is on claratin, singular, flonase and xeponex( as needed). It seems to be helping. I'm hoping to get jessy on it too(she's on claratin and xeponex.

 

We use albuterol (nebulizer and inhaler) pulmacort (nebulizer) and singular (chewable tablet). My daughter is 6years old.

 

Abby is on Flovent and singulair for asthma and zyrtec for allergies. She's been on flovent for almost 2 years and does really well with it. She takes Ventolin (I think they changed the albuterol to this b/c it's metered) for a rescue inhaler. She still uses a spacer, but does great. We still have the nebulizer, but haven't had to use it in a long time.

 

I hope you all don't mind me answering too. My oldest is 10 and has asthma. He's on the highest adult dose of Advair (inhaler), Proair (albuterol isn't on the market anymore due to an inviromental law-propellent), Flonase, Zyrtec, and has albuterol vials for the neb. He had also been on Singular but he had issues with it, so we took him off.
He was MUCH younger than 5 when he had his first inhaler with an aerochamber. At that age it had a mask so he would take the inhaler properly. He still uses it at home, where no one can see him, LOL. It has a bear on it. Those things are so expensive to replace, so we haven't felt the need to get him a second one.

 

I snuck into the wrong forum but just wanted to say that my almost four-year old has been on the Flovent inhaler (started with twice a day, now down to once a day) since he was two. My other son has been using Flovent (inhaler, once a day) since he turner three. It's the only thing that has really worked for them. we use it with a spacer.. I was concerned they were too young too, but when it came down to my concern about inhaling steroids and them not being able to breathe, the latter took precedent. Every medical professional I have talked to has assured me there are no long-term effects.

 

Thanks!!! You guys have been a huge help and I printed this out for him...

 

Isiah is on Flovent and Ventolin (both inhalers). Whichever is the rescue inhaler (I can never remember without seeing them b/c one is orange, the other blue...LOL) he carries in his pocket at school and we had the dr sign a form saying that he was able to administer the inhaler himself so that he could carry it and not have to go to the clinic if he had an asthma attack. He was on Albuterol and Pulmicort thru a nebulizer for the longest time and he HATED it, plus, if he was at school and had an asthma attack, we had to go get him and bring him home b/c we didn't have an extra machine (at that time) to leave at school. Their new ped (we've been seeing him now for about a yr or 2), is the one that said, "he's old enough, let's take him off that nebulizer and give him some inhalers!". Now, if I could just get him to tell me BEFORE the inhaler runs out of meds, we'd be good to go! :laughing:

eta: forgot to mention, they just turned 11.

 

Nini, your son is on 500/50 Advair? WOW!!!! My DR r. is upset that I'm on 500/50 at 31. IM not at all happy about being on it at all being that its Black Boxed by the FDA but its the only thing that helps me Also a side note. Albuterol is still available you just have to buy it in the brand name from (Ventolin)...

My boys have not been labeled with Asthma but in the fall, winter and spring we do end up doing breathing treatments daily of albuterol and pulmicort, they are also on Zyrtec daily.

 

My son is on flovent daily and when we feel/see a cold coming on we use Xoponex inhaler also. The school has a Xoponex inhaler w/spacer at school should he need it. He has been on this dose for about 2.5 yrs I think?
We also use the neb during cold season quite frequently. He has always done well with it.

 

I know it's a crazy high dose! We are going to try to reduce it very soon. His lung function was reduced to 30% when we first started seeing the pulmo. So it was severe. Now that we are getting it under control we are going to try to reduce it. We did try smaller doses, but it wasn't working. We've already tried to reduce it once, but weren't able to. The pulmonologist is concerned about his height (growth), as are we. But he has to breathe.

He however doesn't use the diskus that comes in 500/50. He uses the inhalers, specifically the 230/21 2 puffs, twice daily, which is the highest adult dose. It's a scary drug, at least in my opinion. We tried as many things as we could before switching. I would be very happy to get him off of it!

I wonder why the pulmonologist told us that albuterol was no longer being produced? I used to use the old blue inhalers. Now it's ProAir.

Sorry to hijack your thread.