Nebulisers

[kay_jay90]

Another question!!

I have been asthmatic since I was 2 years old (very severe as a child, mild now) and for a long time as a child it felt like I was spending most of my time using the damned nebuliser!! When I was about 8 a doctor told my Mum that nebulisers aren't any more effective than your usual inhaler and to stop using it. Since then I've never used it.

My asthma went basically dormant for years but now I'm 19 and it has come back quite badly within the past six months or so. I'm on Symbicort, two puffs morning and night, am currently on Prednisone (for the second time in three months) and am taking my Ventolin a LOT during the day on top of all that... I'm just wondering if maybe the old nebuliser would make a difference?

Does anybody know about the effectiveness of nebulisers versus inhalers? I have a spacer for my inhaler which I use when it's around haha!

[kay_jay90]

I will look into that sort of nebuliser, thanks :) as for cleaning it it's basically the same (or as close as you can get) to how you would clean it at home. If you can't clean it for any reason perhaps go to your nearest chemist for advice on other methods of cleaning it? As for saving the viles, both my brother and I had quite severe asthma as a child so my mum re-used whatever portions weren't used for one of us on the other to save money. I don't know if that's good advice or not (haha) but I think if they're stored correctly and not left for too long it shouldn't hurt. Sorry I can't be of much help!

[debijo]

Hi, I have the Omron Microair nebulizer. I've just had it a week, so haven't taken it anywhere yet, but I was wondering what you do to clean it after a treatment if you are away from home. Also, do you use the little vials? Do you use the whole vial, then throw away the unused portion from the nebulizer, or do you use the portion you want, then save the rest for later? I'm new to all this, and trying to figure it all out. Thanks so much,

[kay_jay90]

Would you please be able to give me more information on the small portable nebuliser? I'm in Australia so things are probably different here but I'm definitely interested in something like that.

Thanks!

[allmymarbles]

If by inhaler you mean the dose measured albuterol, I would say use albuterol in a nebulizer instead. The reason I prefer the nebulizer is that you can use as little as you need since it is not measured. I have a small portable nebulizer (slightly bigger than a cell phone) which I take everywhere with me. As far as effictiveness is concerned, albuterol is albuterol no matter how you take it. I got off the inhaled steroids because they were killing me (literally).