ds had bad reaction to pro-air inhalor

[Jeannie in NJ]

y son age 13 has been out of breath in gym class in public school so dr. prescribed for him to use a Pro-air inhalor. He used in Thursday before gym and again on Fri. Well he told me last night that when he used the inhalor he started shaking and has trembleing and last night he started wheezing and coughing. I called the nurse at the after hours number and she said that I needed to have him use the inhalor again. I told her that it seemed that he is having a reaction to the inhalor. She got huffy and said that I either "HAD' to give him the inhalor now or take him to the er where they would give him the inhalor. She then asked which one I was going to do. I said I would discuss it with dh and decide. Well we did neither, we checked on him thru out the night and he was doing fine and this morning he is doing fine.

 

I will probably have him stop using the inhalor, he has not been diagosed with asthma, the dr. just decided to start him on the inhalor after we told him that ds gets out of breath in gym class. We are thinking now that maybe he is just out of shape and he is a tad bit chubby. We will start him on the Wii a little bit here at home and see if we can get him in better shape.

 

My question is anyone have exp. with their dc on this pro-air inhalor and any thoughts or help for me with my decision. Oh, he does have acid reflux if that could make any difference .

[Tree House Academy]

It is normal for albuterol to make you shaky (kind of like Caffeine does with some people). Try having your son take half the dose - like one puff instead of two - and see if that helps with the shakiness. If not, then yes, I would have him stop and ask the dr. if there is anything else he could use. He honestly may just have allergies and need something like Zyrtec or Singulair during this time of year.

[wapiti]

My ds uses a "Pro-Air" brand inhaler. It is just albuterol, which as far as I know is unlikely to cause any problems, even for someone who doesn't actually have asthma. It could increase heart rate for a little while, and it can encourage the coughing-out of gunk (which in someone with asthma is a good thing). Did they show your son how to use it properly? Did he do too many puffs? He should practice in front of the doctor or nurse.

 

Being "out of breath" and wheezing from exercise-induced asthma are different, though it may be difficult for your son to tell the difference. If you think he has exercise-induced asthma, I'd consider seeing an allergist to discuss the matter. Also, they can do a lung function test.

[dtsmamtj]

Yes - reactions here also. Typical for our family. Last year at one point we had 5 of us on inhalers for various illnesses - Pro-Air was one of them that my son complained of the shakes. Albuterol is another. I went with Xopenex myself, but my daughter complained slightly of shakes with that one. Last year we got hit VERY HARD with resperatory viruses - I am the only one on regular asthma meds. After the breathing issues were resolved in my children, they haven't needed anything else. I did have one daughter who complained of shotness of breath, but found that it was more due to being out of shape for the running/exercising she was doing.

 

T

[Spryte]

Does he have any food allergies? The brand escapes me at the moment but there is one type of inhaler my son cannot use due to nuts. Apparently, some type of tree nut is used in the carrier for the active ingredient of the inhaler.

 

We have a friend who went into anaphylaxis as a result of using that particular type of inhaler, on top of an asthma attack - eek. Almost lost her.

 

You might try OTC Zyrtec or Claritin daily, to see if that helps - could be something in the air right now.

 

Does he normally cough or get out of breath when playing outside, on the Wii or exercising? My son did not seem to be able to articulate that he felt short of breath, but there was a cough that would crop up each time he exercised that finally clued us in.

[wapiti]

Does he have any food allergies? The brand escapes me at the moment but there is one type of inhaler my son cannot use due to nuts. Apparently, some type of tree nut is used in the carrier for the active ingredient of the inhaler.

 

We have a friend who went into anaphylaxis as a result of using that particular type of inhaler, on top of an asthma attack - eek. Almost lost her.

 

Yikes! I doubt that was the Pro-Air. My ds is peanut-allergic and also avoids tree nuts per the allergist who prescribed him the Pro-Air.

[gingersmom]

The first time I used my inhaler I got all shaky. The next time I used it was after dinner and I was fine.

 

I would be nervous about my child using it without making sure there was some medical reason to be using it.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

y son age 13 has been out of breath in gym class in public school so dr. prescribed for him to use a Pro-air inhalor. He used in Thursday before gym and again on Fri. Well he told me last night that when he used the inhalor he started shaking and has trembleing and last night he started wheezing and coughing. I called the nurse at the after hours number and she said that I needed to have him use the inhalor again. I told her that it seemed that he is having a reaction to the inhalor. She got huffy and said that I either "HAD' to give him the inhalor now or take him to the er where they would give him the inhalor. She then asked which one I was going to do. I said I would discuss it with dh and decide. Well we did neither, we checked on him thru out the night and he was doing fine and this morning he is doing fine.

 

I will probably have him stop using the inhalor, he has not been diagosed with asthma, the dr. just decided to start him on the inhalor after we told him that ds gets out of breath in gym class. We are thinking now that maybe he is just out of shape and he is a tad bit chubby. We will start him on the Wii a little bit here at home and see if we can get him in better shape.

 

My question is anyone have exp. with their dc on this pro-air inhalor and any thoughts or help for me with my decision. Oh, he does have acid reflux if that could make any difference .

 

ProAir which is albuterol can make one feel shaky which is a normal side effect. Xopenex may cause less shakiness. The shortness of breath and coughing later does not seem to me a side effect of ProAir but instead either an asthma attack or perhaps some sort of cold/respiratory infection or allergic reaction but you really should see an allergist/asthma specialist IMHO. They can test for allergies and give him the methocholine challenge test for asthma as well as pulmonary function tests.

 

How much later was he short of breath and coughing? Coughing alone can be a sign of asthma as well. Is there any possible contributing factors such as environmental allergens such as pets, dust, mold, etc. or ingestion of food within 2 hours?

 

In regards to acid reflux, is he being treated adequately? My asthma was horribly exacerbated by acid reflux for the past 2 years:( I thought the acid reflux was under control since I was taking pepcid daily at night and had no symptoms 99% of the time. Well, I saw another allergist who recommended a stronger ant-acid drug (prilosec) and whola my breathing has been significantly better. Not eating 3 hours prior to bed also helps and seeing a gastro-enterologist (sp?) may help as well.

 

I also recommend the use of a spacer device for any inhalers.

 

lastly, there is such a thing as exercise-induced asthma which proair or singulair or possibly other drugs would be used for treating.

 

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/understanding-asthma-treatment

Edited October 2, 2010 by priscilla

[sbgrace]

My nut anaphylactic son was prescribed a Pro-Air by his allergist/pulmonologist. I'm shocked if a nut product is used in a rescue inhaler. He's used it multiple times without any issues and he has gone into anaphylaxis with trace/cross contamination tree nuts.

 

Ok, I searched and found this for Atrovent (not pro-air, which is albuterol) and it talks about lechitin as a carrier which has some relationship to soy and therefore some relationship to peanut at a distance anyway. But I think most soy allergic people handle lechitin/stuff without a protein don't they? http://www.gchd.org/4cs/asthma/IPRAT.htm

 

Rapid heart beat and dizziness are relatively common temporary reactions to albuterol. Some people handle Xopenex better.

 

Does he find it easier to breath when he uses the inhaler? That would be telling to me. At his age a pediatric pulmonologist/asthma specialist could determine whether this is asthma or simply being out of shape. If it's asthma you want it treated. Asthma unmanaged is dangerous and can spiral fast.

[Wendy in ME]

A completely different inhaled bronchodialator called ipatropium bromide is made with some chemical that is contraindicated to be used by people with a peanut allergy. As far as a reaction to the albuterol, it does happen sometime. Some minimal shaking can be a normal side effect, but it should not be severe. There are also some people who's symptoms actually get worse after using albuterol. These are definitely concerns that you should discuss with your son's doctor. There are other treatment options. Good luck.