Celebrating an antibiotic-free year

Nan, stay with your regimen ’till you’re my age and when people learn your age they’ll be sayin’, “c’mon, you can’t be.” Don

I use a SmartVest and nebulize 3% saline solution with an Aerobika while using the Vest for two 30-minute treatments a day. I'm convinced that it is helping me avoid home health care with a midline to infuse antibiotics or to take intravenous antibiotics to deal with my pseudomonas colonization and exacerbations. My question is for those of you who report success with 7% saline solution. Did you ever use 3%? Is the success you are reporting due to the use of 7% saline per se (i.e., it's the only strength you ever used), or are you reporting an increase over prior experience with a 3% saline solution? I think my pulmonologist has me on 3% because the inhalation tends to cause me to cough; perhaps the 7% would increase that effect. I'm asking this question to get more data before raising the issue with him in my appointment next week.

I used 3% for several months after I had to stop the Big 3. It made me cough and actually contributed to a reduction in the amount of virus in my sputum sample. I transitioned to 7% after reading about the benefits and discussing with my doctor. I had a much more productive cough with 7%, which I believe helped to clear my lungs better than the 3% did.

Nicely stated kathy with much less risk of being scolded for departure from the King's english. Don

My dr said absolutely no to 7%, he wants me to stay on 3% saline which seems to do a pretty good job.

Hmm, tell ya why?

The sixth of the month will mark the third anniversary of the delivery of my percussion vest; a day on which an hour of my daily life was effectively hijacked. I've been slow to dare question the prescribed 30 minutes twice a day schedule for hosing up to get jostled around, while inhaling, by mouth, aerosol clouds laced with 7% saline solution.
Finally though my Lemming-like behavior has been interrupted by a revolutionary thought. "Wonder what would happen if I streamlined the routine a bit?" Who sez it's gotta be a half-hour?
Well, I checked in this morning with my contact at Respirtech (The Thumper Maker). And lo and behold, she told me she has lots of what she calls her "clients" who have forsworn allegiance to the recommended treatment time without the sky falling.

So, this morning I boldly shut down the noisy boisterous rig after 15 minutes. The measure of success of course is to continue without interruption by a febrile flare-up of acute bronchitis. Stay tuned. Don

REPLY

Hi @thumperguy. I happened to recall an earlier discussion you started involving the percussion vest so you will notice I have moved your post here to share your update with those members.

What has been the most difficult part of sticking with the full 30 minutes each session, causing you to challenge the recommendation?

Oh, you daredevil!

Geez Amanda, you’re causing me to think. I guess it’s nothing more than coveting the time spent doing it, which is really more than a little odd since, truth-to-tell, I have found that by adopting a whimsical attitude toward the illness and its management as is often on display on this forum along with very pleasant, enriching interactions with other forum members I’m able to harvest a measure of real enjoyment. Not everyone gets to be called a Daredevil by Sue (see below). I’ve also become proficient at crafting run-on sentences. To wit, see example above. And guess what; Thumper just shut down having been at it for the full half hour.
How time flies when you’re having fun./
Jumping topics, I recently mentioned that the Respirtech percussion vest cost Medicare something north of $1400. I misspoke, it was a bit over $14,800. I still find it hard to believe. Don