Just come out of hospital from lung operation needing help with my inhaler

[Wintersbite]

Hi new to the forums but need help thought hospital would have given me something like a spacer as I can't take the deep breath any more due to the operation I just had but no help from there my gp probably will call me tomorrow sometime but I need to take my inhaler and I can't do the deep breath in so for me I'm thinking I must need a spacer or something so I can have it in the spacer and inhale with more shorter breaths to the one deep breath and as I haven't been issued anything how can I use my inhaler until I get one hopefully tomorrow?

[Wintersbite]

First thanks for your reply but I don't need oxygen just ventolin and I did ask about a nebuliser aswell and was given a inhaler with nothing to help with the deep breath that's needed for the ventolin to be taken correctly.

[Wulfy1010]

My spacer is just a plastic tube that seals over the inhaler on one end and my mouth and nose on the other. Can you improvise something until you get prescribed one?

[freefaller in reply to Wulfy1010]

Daily mail showed someone using a paper cup as a spacer or cutting up w plastic bottle - I know it is too late for you now but maybe we could find the article online and put it on here to refer to.

[wheezeybouncer]

if you have access to a plastic dispobasable cup you can make a makeshift spacer with one. push the inhaler through the bottom and the seal the top round your mouth x

[starveycat]

A small plastic bottle might help use one end as the mouthpiece and cut a hole big enough to take the inhaler at the other, and do not forget to thoughroughly rinse your mouth when finished. Good luck at the docs. Sorry I should have said at the beginning welcome

[sunny-days]

You used to be able to buy Spacers from the Pharmacy without a prescription but i'm not sure how much they cost though.

[Polzovatel in reply to sunny-days]

The volumatic costs about £16

[Wintersbite]

Thank you all for your replies you all have confirmed one thing which is the hospital was in error by not issuing a spacer when required what I done was used my husband to help me like when I was a child and my mum use to control the inhaler when I was happy with a breath I tapped my husband and he would press to release not perfect but I still got and my gp knows I have dealt with medical problems like this before and he will issue me one no questions asked and apologise for the hospital wasting my time.

Thanks again for all your help

[Wintersbite]

Just got off the phone to my Dr and I've already in the first few seconds been given a spacer as the volumeatic is no longer available but ontop of that he has sided with me on everything else I raised to the point alerts and warnings are going on my file about this hospital so asthmatics of the world we just won a war against a hospital that treat us like we know nothing about our own health and thanks to a good Dr proofing we know more than ever

[freefaller]

Actually I would imagine that taking lots of short breaths taking in as much ventolin as you could probably inhale enough. Glad the Doc is flagging up the hospital though. That was bad care, very bad cafe. Abysmal care! Actually not care at all.