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Living Dangerously - Nebulizer Cleaning
I marvel at the time consuming, meticulous way many, perhaps the majority, of contributors to this forum clean and sanitize nebulizers. Following the treatment session I soap and hot water “bathe” the mouthpiece then let it air dry until its next use. The tube gets no special attention except being fully disconnected from the compressor. I’ve read of some regimens aimed at sanitizing shower heads; another activity I ignore entirely. I’m closing in on 16 months free of a “flare-up” involving fever, and an antibiotic to defeat.
The lengthening periods of freedom from acute symptoms is something I attribute solely to learning about 7% saline nebulizer solution which I read about on this forum.
My comparatively minimal attention to “sanitation” may catch up with me but so far so good.
I should add that I realize many forum participants are contending with considerably more virulent pathology than I am. Don
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@shooei I recently bought an Innospire Go and holy cow that thing is fast delivering the saline. It takes like five minutes. It's so fast that when I breathe through my mouth it makes me cough terribly because I've had a chronic cough for three years and the air stream is so fast that it tickle my throat is such a way that I can't do it SO I use the little mask thing that covers your nose and I breathe through my nose now. And then I switch it up sometimes and go back to my handy dandy Power Neb Ultra from Drive which, now compared to the Innospire is really slow but I feel like it might deliver the meds better. I don't know. I'm not a scientist. But I might look at the Pari Vios Pro with the Sprint nebulizer. And what is it about the new mouthpiece on the Sprint that you like? What does that expiration valve do? Nan
Nan- the valve closes on expiration to keep you from blowing the meds out the vent, so you get the full dose. The old valve caused loss of part of it in the stream.
Sue
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1 Reaction@sueinm Thanks so much for clarifying. I KNEW that meds had to be being wasted somehow and I always wondered if they were going to come up with something that would prevent that and VOILA! I mean it seemed to me that you were losing 50% of the meds on the blowing out part and the few seconds that you're not inhaling. Nan
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1 ReactionYes! It did that to me too, took me a bit to adjust to that air stream. I don't know about the meds either Nan, just how it makes me feel. I don't neb anything but saline. I never thought about trying the mask, but that is a good idea. I liked that the Sprint had that exhale valve so you don't waste meds during the exhale.
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2 ReactionsHi @sueinmn
Do you know if I can attach an aerobika to a Pari Vios “go green”? I was wanting to check out new nebulizer, but need to attach the aerobika ! Thanks! Glenda
Glenda - Yes, that's the one I use. Just put the Aerobika where the mouthpiece usually goes.
Sue
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1 ReactionThank you so much!
@ thumperguy...Don, I've followed the same cleaning regimen and been free of MAC and infections for 6 years. The nebulizer with asthma meds takes almost 2 hours a day plus 2 more hours of postural drainage. I jumped back into real life too fast and was felled by major asthma attack. Don't give up the masks too soon! Back on steroids, can't get a member's comment, "I'd die before going on nebulizer..." out of my head. I have fun, meditation, me time during treatments. I was raised to think idleness is sinful, so the treatments are the first time I can relax and have fun without guilt. The drainage is miserable, so I listen to books on audio. Another pleasure.
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3 ReactionsWhere can one obtain 7%NaCl for nebulizing? No luck with local pharmacies.
Please share the cleaning regime using white vinegar.