Taking a vacation from asthma meds during summer?




One thing I am worried about as summer is starting is if my daughter Kitty will remember to take her daily, controller (or maintenance) asthma medication.

I remember listening to a webinar where a doctor talked about the dangers of not taking asthma medicine during the summer. (I wish I could find the webinar, but I can't remember which doctor gave the presentation.) I did find a website where someone asked that same question. Dr. Daniel More answered a question on About.com

I think the problem is that kids and adults may be start a different routine. Kids are out of school, so they are sleeping in, going to summer camp, starting swimming lessons or attending sports or dance camps. So their regular routines are thrown off.

The same thing can be said for adults who are traveling, we may forget to take our daily, maintenance asthma medicine too.

Dr. More said:


"There are many reasons why stopping asthma medications during the summer is a bad idea. First, it's rare to have the underlying problem of asthma -- inflammation of the lungs -- go away during the summer. For most people with asthma, inflammation in the lungs is there all the time, and this needs to be treated all year long. Stopping asthma medicines during the summer leaves inflammation untreated, which could lead to complications from asthma (such as emergency room visits and hospitalizations)."

Yikes! That's a scary thought! When my kids were younger, they were hospitalized 12 different times for asthma (two of those were ICU). And it is VERY scary to watch your child struggling to breathe.

Dr. More also said: 

"Second, asthma attacks during the summer are still very possible, especially with a variety of asthma triggers around during this time of year. Grass pollen is present in high amounts during the summer, which can trigger asthma symptoms if a person is allergic to grass. Smoke from campfires or barbecues can act as an irritant in the lungs, causes asthma symptoms. Some people can even be allergic to barbecue smoke, especially if the smoke is from a wood such as mesquite, and the person is allergic to mesquite pollen.
Exercise-induced asthma, as a result of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and swimming, is also more common during the summer months."
 Dr. More also talks about when kids return to school in the fall, they are around lots of other kids - which can leads to lots of germs and getting sick. He also said that:

".......one of the most common times of the year for asthma attacks in kids is within the first few weeks of starting back at school........." 

Does anyone have any ideas of how you make sure your kids take their asthma medicine during the summer? And any tips for the adults who are also traveling and may forget to take their asthma medicine too?

I want to avoid another asthma attack and trip to the E.R for my kids.


 


Comments

  1. Well, I'm taking summer classes so I have the same routine. Maybe if she's old enough, encourage your daughter to get a summer job. That always keeps me in routine and helps me not get lazy. There's a app called medisafe that reminds you to take your medicines and I like it because (especially with inhalers) I sometimes forget that I've taken it and it's nice to have the confirmation there.

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  2. I also think it would be helpful to set a time limit to how long she can sleep in. Teenagers love to sleep, but if she's getting up by at least ten, she can get her AM controllers consistently. I don't know about you but I find that if I don't take my symbicort at the same time every day I can feel the effects of it wearing off.

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  3. Update: I live in Houston for the summer (and take classes at the community college) fortunately the area I live in wasn't too affected by the flooding.

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    1. I feel bad for the people in Texas - I can't image what that is like for them. My basement has flooded before - but nothing like what they are going through :(

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  5. During summer, I tend to go to bed later and get up later, but I also have blocks of time where I'm in a normal kind of routine such as for choir tour. Is it OK to take your night dose at 9:00pm but take your morning dose the next day at closer to 1:00pm? I have Seretide/Advair which should be taken roughly 12hrs apart so..

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    Replies
    1. Ask your pharmacist - they are the experts on medicine. It may affect your asthma if you aren't taking it as prescribed.

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  6. Asthma medications and more than than the proper asthma awareness would work a lot. Children going out may be left unattended, and this time the asthma awareness taught to them would exactly save them from many disparities. Great info!

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