ALLERGY\MEDICAL HELP: ANTI-CHOLINERGICS AND CHILDREN
Make sure that staff at school understand when and how your child may need his or her inhaler, and that it is available for use whenever necessary.
Remember that children’s muscles tire easily – never take your child’s asthma for granted. If the child does not respond to his or her reliever medicine or inhaler, call your doctor urgently or take the child to the hospital where they will have a nebuliser that delivers the reliever medicine more efficiently.
Xanthine bronchodilators (such as Phyllocontin, Nuelin, Uniphyllin) have a different chemical effect from beta-adrenoceptor agonists, although they too relax the muscles around the airways. At the correct dose for the individual, they cause no side effects; your doctor will need to adjust the dosage should they cause known side effects of stomach upsets, palpitations, sleep disturbance, or epileptic fits. These are not permanent effects. These drugs are given as tablets or suppositories and can be useful for slow release overnight to avoid waking to use an inhaler.
Anti-cholinergics are drugs which control the width of the airways of the lung. They work by blocking the contraction of muscle around the airways. A modem version of the drug called Atrovent can be used as an aerosol and inhaled. Its side effects are rare except at high doses; they include a dry mouth, constipation and finding passing urine difficult.
*416\117\8*
