Recommendations for nebulizer machine

I’m curious if you liked using it with the meter before it stopped functioning from being warped during boiling? I think my dad might just go ahead and get it since it’s only $10 more ($80 vs $70 w/o meter at Tampa Specialty Pharmacy ) but it’ll take a few days for them to get the metered one in from Monaghan, whereas they have the non-metered version in stock which we could go pick up today. Your feedback on whether the metered version was beneficial for you or not will be helpful for my dad to decide whether or not to wait on that model or just get the other today. Thank you again, your thoughts on this is much appreciated! Take care, Scott

I’m curious if you liked using it with the meter before it stopped functioning from being warped during boiling? I think my dad might just go ahead and get it since it’s only $10 more ($80 vs $70 w/o meter at Tampa Specialty Pharmacy ) but it’ll take a few days for them to get the metered one in from Monaghan, whereas they have the non-metered version in stock which we could go pick up today. Your feedback on whether the metered version was beneficial for you or not will be helpful for my dad to decide whether or not to wait on that model or just get the other today. Thank you again, your thoughts on this is much appreciated! Take care, Scott

I have the Aerobika device without a meter. It only has the resistance settings.

Scott, truth be told, when I used the meter for my short stint with the Aerobika it did make me think more about my exhale, that is, not too soft and not to forceful so there is some merit to it. However, I might not be exactly a good use case because I produce so much sputum with just nebulizing that adding the Aerobika doesn't seem to be as important in my situation.

I am sorry if I am late in responding for your decision today but if your dad needs airway clearance the rest of his life chances are you will be buying another Aerobika so you will have more chances to get the meter.

Hi dpaula, thank you so much for responding! My dad is finding that using his nebulizer with 7% sodium chloride is helping him cough up the stuck mucus, but hoping that adding the Aerobika to his Aeroeclipse XL BAN might also help him draw up some fluids he currently battles in his right lung - pneumonia. He may also find it helpful to use separately so he decided to wait a few days for the version with manometer to arrive in a few days since he believes the targeted range will help him exhale properly and hopefully maximize the device’s potential. Thank you again for your feedback, we greatly appreciate you and others here!

Good morning, I showed my dad some benefits of adding OPEP therapy last night by using the Aerobika and he was very impressed by the benefits so he wants to get one to use with his Aeroeclipse nebulizer now rather than waiting another month for his initial appointment with his pulmonologist. Looks like Tampa Specialty Pharmacy sells them for $59. I was wondering if you use the model that has the meter on it which helps the user know how hard to exhale? If so, do you find it useful? Your input with this is much appreciated since we currently don’t know anyone else who uses the Aerobika other than you and we plan to drive to Tampa later this morning to get the device. Thanks again, Scott

Just a FYI, I bought an Aerobika with the meter but unfortunately when I did my routine boiling process it warped and became unusable. All other parts of Aerobika are able to be boiled without a problem. Just wanted to let you know because that meter added extra cost.

Ok thank you for responding, we appreciate you. I called Monaghan earlier today to see if the manometer could be added later and they said it couldn’t so my dad chose to wait for the Aerobika model that comes with the manometer to arrive in a few days. I think he likes the idea of the meter helping him to exhale properly since he’s so new to all of this, yet profoundly grateful for you and others like scoop, Paula, and even Renee at Monaghan! He’s truly like a kid in a candy store now that he’s discovered the benefits of nebulizing and it wasn’t until he was in the hospital while recovering from his recent TAVR procedure before he’s even tried it. We’re thankful that the attending doc had a respiratory therapist give him Duoneb via nebulizer at 4AM during his first of 3 nights there since he struggled trying to sleep. It helped so much they continued to give him treatments every 12 hours until being released so I jumped on Amazon and ordered that mesh nebulizer and 7% sodium chloride right away. Then after that mesh neb suddenly died is when I frantically began searching for a suitable replacement neb machine and thankfully stumbled onto your blog asking others what neb machine they liked! Now after reading the potential added benefit from the Aerobika OPEP device you told us about, he can’t wait to get started with that too! He’s so funny sometimes 😂 but he’s been struggling for the past few years with trying to get his mucus up so he could breathe better so I’m disappointed his regular doctor never suggested he try nebulizing. My dad had told his doc several times that the Albuterol inhaler never made a difference so he never used it so I would’ve thought his doc would’ve suggested trying a nebulizer but he never did. For the past 15 years the cardiologists have said his heart was fine so they’d refer him to a pulmonologist who’d say his lungs were fine! Then it wasn’t until this past fall when he couldn’t get air while at church one Sunday so they went straight to the ER where they discovered his right coronary artery was 90% blocked so they put a stent in. He could immediately breathe great, but then just 4 days later, BAM! Right back to square 1 🙁 Then once his cardiologist cleared him to travel to Florida a few months later (they’re snowbirds who usually head south in 1st week of Dec and stay until 1st week of May) thankfully he was seen by a great cardiologist at Tampa General down here who discovered his aorta valve had narrowed down to 0.7 cm2 which is considered severe stenosis. Opening should be 3-5 cm2!
But even after they replaced his valve with a new one using minimally invasive TAVR procedure he STILL struggled breathing! Ughh! BUT, at least now his breathing is slightly better due to the benefits of neb’ing sodium chloride. Hopefully this new pulmonologist will discover something on May 20th that can be done to improve his breathing cuz last pulmonologist (from 3 years ago) diagnosed asbestosis (50% left lung) but apparently couldn’t do anything to improve his breathing. While recovering in hospital from TAVR my mom and I asked if a pulmonologist could pop in to have a look and a portable xray revealed fluid in his right (good lung) so I’m sure his difficulty breathing has much to do with these fluids but between diuretics (water pill) he’s taking and now nebulizing saline there’s not much more he can do until this advanced pulmonologist see him later in May. He’s hopeful this OPEP devise might “shake/loosen things up” even more in his lungs to draw more fluids up. Hence the urgency with all of this stuff. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of just how much we’ve appreciated you as well as others here! Have a glorious evening and thanks again for your willingness to share info and always so promptly too!

Ok thank you for responding, we appreciate you. I called Monaghan earlier today to see if the manometer could be added later and they said it couldn’t so my dad chose to wait for the Aerobika model that comes with the manometer to arrive in a few days. I think he likes the idea of the meter helping him to exhale properly since he’s so new to all of this, yet profoundly grateful for you and others like scoop, Paula, and even Renee at Monaghan! He’s truly like a kid in a candy store now that he’s discovered the benefits of nebulizing and it wasn’t until he was in the hospital while recovering from his recent TAVR procedure before he’s even tried it. We’re thankful that the attending doc had a respiratory therapist give him Duoneb via nebulizer at 4AM during his first of 3 nights there since he struggled trying to sleep. It helped so much they continued to give him treatments every 12 hours until being released so I jumped on Amazon and ordered that mesh nebulizer and 7% sodium chloride right away. Then after that mesh neb suddenly died is when I frantically began searching for a suitable replacement neb machine and thankfully stumbled onto your blog asking others what neb machine they liked! Now after reading the potential added benefit from the Aerobika OPEP device you told us about, he can’t wait to get started with that too! He’s so funny sometimes 😂 but he’s been struggling for the past few years with trying to get his mucus up so he could breathe better so I’m disappointed his regular doctor never suggested he try nebulizing. My dad had told his doc several times that the Albuterol inhaler never made a difference so he never used it so I would’ve thought his doc would’ve suggested trying a nebulizer but he never did. For the past 15 years the cardiologists have said his heart was fine so they’d refer him to a pulmonologist who’d say his lungs were fine! Then it wasn’t until this past fall when he couldn’t get air while at church one Sunday so they went straight to the ER where they discovered his right coronary artery was 90% blocked so they put a stent in. He could immediately breathe great, but then just 4 days later, BAM! Right back to square 1 🙁 Then once his cardiologist cleared him to travel to Florida a few months later (they’re snowbirds who usually head south in 1st week of Dec and stay until 1st week of May) thankfully he was seen by a great cardiologist at Tampa General down here who discovered his aorta valve had narrowed down to 0.7 cm2 which is considered severe stenosis. Opening should be 3-5 cm2!
But even after they replaced his valve with a new one using minimally invasive TAVR procedure he STILL struggled breathing! Ughh! BUT, at least now his breathing is slightly better due to the benefits of neb’ing sodium chloride. Hopefully this new pulmonologist will discover something on May 20th that can be done to improve his breathing cuz last pulmonologist (from 3 years ago) diagnosed asbestosis (50% left lung) but apparently couldn’t do anything to improve his breathing. While recovering in hospital from TAVR my mom and I asked if a pulmonologist could pop in to have a look and a portable xray revealed fluid in his right (good lung) so I’m sure his difficulty breathing has much to do with these fluids but between diuretics (water pill) he’s taking and now nebulizing saline there’s not much more he can do until this advanced pulmonologist see him later in May. He’s hopeful this OPEP devise might “shake/loosen things up” even more in his lungs to draw more fluids up. Hence the urgency with all of this stuff. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of just how much we’ve appreciated you as well as others here! Have a glorious evening and thanks again for your willingness to share info and always so promptly too!