I got asthma 18 yrs ago after inhaling a poisonous gas at work and have been on wixela - twice a day with albuterol as my rescue inhaler. After seeing my bronchiectasis dr he told me to stoop taking the wixela and use albuterol as needed. I've been able to get by with 3 puffs a day. Dr said that even with all the tests and blood work I've done - he's still not sure what is causing by shortness of breath and coughing - we are taking it one day at a time
Hi Gayle & @gej53 - If you do not tolerate albuterol well (shakiness, etc) ask your doctor if you can try levalbuterol (brand name Xopenex.) It is buffered somehow to alleviate some of the side effects. Albuterol gave me such shakes & tremors that I would wait to use it until I could barely breathe. Although I get slight symptoms from levalbuterol, I would say it is 90% better. Since it used to be brand name only and very expensive, many docs don't usually prescribe it. Now that the generic version is available the price is similar to albuterol and is on the formulary for most insurance plans. It comes in both nebulizer solution and rescue inhaler.
Sue
The albuterol gave me shakes but I thought I would work thru it. It then gave me the sensation of a horrible "lump" in my throat with painful swallowing. That went away fairly quickly once I stopped the Albuterol. I wonder if Xopenex would do the same? Will mention it to my pulmonology doc. So far the saline does seem to be working and once he started me on the percussion vest I had much better results with a productive cough. Thank you for the suggestion!!
Judy....I do albuterol in my nebulizer...Then the saline with the aerobika...connected to the nebulizer.....I do twice a day. I have to say when I did saline with nebulizer it was quick...Now with the Aerobika...much longer. Takes about 30 min total.
Dear Kay thank you so much for your information given. When I went into pulmonary rehab two years ago in Denver I was never given albuterol. I will call my doctor in Denver and ask them about the albuterol whether I should be on it or not. Blue skies J
I got asthma 18 yrs ago after inhaling a poisonous gas at work and have been on wixela - twice a day with albuterol as my rescue inhaler. After seeing my bronchiectasis dr he told me to stoop taking the wixela and use albuterol as needed. I've been able to get by with 3 puffs a day. Dr said that even with all the tests and blood work I've done - he's still not sure what is causing by shortness of breath and coughing - we are taking it one day at a time
Gayle, this is probably entirely obvious but I take it you are pretty sure that if you stopped albuterol you’d be more short of breath and cough more. Don
Hi Don - yes you are correct - I have been off wixela for 2 days - for the past two days only 3 puffs of albuterol each day. Not sure what has closed my airways. I am also trying to exercise every day. In addition I have back problems due to hitting a semi truck head on so I have been wearing a brace. Doctor said that I have it too tight. I'm trying
Hello gaylesunflower1 I use Alvesco twice daily for bronchiestatis and asthma along with nebulizing Brovana twice daily. Alvesco replaces albuterol for me due to other health issues. I have used it for about 5 years. Sure beats having to use antibiotics every few weeks as I used to have to do before finding an asthma/allergy specialist who tested me. Best of health to you.
I'm sorry and need to correct my previous answer regarding Alvesco. I use Alvesco in place of Flovent along with the Brovana twice daily, and the rescue inhaler used when needed is Xopenex. Not sure where my brain was when I wrote the first reply and I do apologize for the error. Wishing all a good breathing day! Baz10
Terri Martin, Volunteer Mentor | @windwalker | Oct 8, 2020
@gaylesunflower1 Hi Gayle! Welcome to our group! Yes, many of us in this group use albuterol to open our airways. In fact, I am nebulizing some right now. If you find it makes you too jittery or gives you heart palpitations; you can ask that it be switched to 'levalbuterol'. Have you tried it out yet?
My pulmonologist ordered it for me and I think it is a pretty standard treatment. However, I could not tolerate it and had to quit using it after trying it.
@ge53, Have you tried switching the albuterol to levalbuterol? That is much more tolerable. I have been on all of these meds for so long; that none of it adversely effects me at all. Guess I am used to it all now.
I got asthma 18 yrs ago after inhaling a poisonous gas at work and have been on wixela - twice a day with albuterol as my rescue inhaler. After seeing my bronchiectasis dr he told me to stoop taking the wixela and use albuterol as needed. I've been able to get by with 3 puffs a day. Dr said that even with all the tests and blood work I've done - he's still not sure what is causing by shortness of breath and coughing - we are taking it one day at a time
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I got asthma 18 yrs ago after inhaling a poisonous gas at work and have been on wixela - twice a day with albuterol as my rescue inhaler. After seeing my bronchiectasis dr he told me to stoop taking the wixela and use albuterol as needed. I've been able to get by with 3 puffs a day. Dr said that even with all the tests and blood work I've done - he's still not sure what is causing by shortness of breath and coughing - we are taking it one day at a time
The albuterol gave me shakes but I thought I would work thru it. It then gave me the sensation of a horrible "lump" in my throat with painful swallowing. That went away fairly quickly once I stopped the Albuterol. I wonder if Xopenex would do the same? Will mention it to my pulmonology doc. So far the saline does seem to be working and once he started me on the percussion vest I had much better results with a productive cough. Thank you for the suggestion!!
Judy....I do albuterol in my nebulizer...Then the saline with the aerobika...connected to the nebulizer.....I do twice a day. I have to say when I did saline with nebulizer it was quick...Now with the Aerobika...much longer. Takes about 30 min total.
Dear Kay thank you so much for your information given. When I went into pulmonary rehab two years ago in Denver I was never given albuterol. I will call my doctor in Denver and ask them about the albuterol whether I should be on it or not. Blue skies J
Gayle, this is probably entirely obvious but I take it you are pretty sure that if you stopped albuterol you’d be more short of breath and cough more. Don
Hi Don - yes you are correct - I have been off wixela for 2 days - for the past two days only 3 puffs of albuterol each day. Not sure what has closed my airways. I am also trying to exercise every day. In addition I have back problems due to hitting a semi truck head on so I have been wearing a brace. Doctor said that I have it too tight. I'm trying
I'm sorry and need to correct my previous answer regarding Alvesco. I use Alvesco in place of Flovent along with the Brovana twice daily, and the rescue inhaler used when needed is Xopenex. Not sure where my brain was when I wrote the first reply and I do apologize for the error. Wishing all a good breathing day! Baz10
@gaylesunflower1 Hi Gayle! Welcome to our group! Yes, many of us in this group use albuterol to open our airways. In fact, I am nebulizing some right now. If you find it makes you too jittery or gives you heart palpitations; you can ask that it be switched to 'levalbuterol'. Have you tried it out yet?
@ge53, Have you tried switching the albuterol to levalbuterol? That is much more tolerable. I have been on all of these meds for so long; that none of it adversely effects me at all. Guess I am used to it all now.
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1 ReactionHi Gayle. May I ask what poisonous gas you inhaled at your job? That sounds wicked.