Wait time between nebulizing Albuterol and Saline

@sadair20 I believe the remarks about a wait refer to people who use an albuterol inhaler, not the neb. It takes a few minutes (5-15 depending how deeply you inhale) for the drug to relax the airways.
By its nature, the albuterol neb takes longer, so by the time you finish you can immediately begin with the saline.
Sue

Thank you!

My pulmonologist suggested nebbing saline and albuterol together. The albuterol inhaler, I've read here, is as effective as nebbing liquid albuterol so I switched to that for everyday clearance. If ill, I neb saline with liquid albuterol. How much difference does it make to separate the nebbing of saline and then albuterol? I guess it's all trial and error....wondering if anyone else nebs them together.

I use the inhaler, then neb saline. If ill, I neb a combo, then saline. But I confess I neither rinse the neb nor switch cups between. The reason I do them first and second is that by the time I start nebbing instead of inhaling levalbuterol, my breathing is usually pretty bad, and I need to get theiairways open. When I asked about it in the hospital (I was seen by the RT after unrelated surgery because of the MAC) he said it would be perfectly reasonable to do together. They don't do it in the hospital because they aren't familiar with the patient, and want to know what is causing the problem if there is a reaction.
Sue

I just got back from NJH and you do not need to wait any certain time in between. I nebulize Levalbuterol first and then Sodium Chloride immediately after and in that order.

Hi everyone, I nebulize twice daily, am/pm with albuterol first which takes about 20-25 mins to do the whole cup. Then I nebulize the 7% saline for another 20-25 mins right after. Using the Areobika every 5-10 mins or so. I have a question. I always do the whole albuterol cup, but after 20-25 mins of the saline I stop because of throat irritation. There is still about 1ml left in the cup. Is this sufficient or thought to be good enough? Realizing the albuterol ampules are 3ml and the 7% saline are 4ml. Please advise. Thank-you

@spider109 based what @tconz reported recently you can neb them both together. See her post above. Nebbing them together might cut down on throat irritation. It’s normal for some solution to remain in cup. Congrats on getting some time back!

You do not mix levalbuterol and sodium chloride together in the neb cup but you do nebulize one after the other.

@tconz what's reason for not mixing them together?

The levalbuterol will open up your airways first in order for the sodium chloride to work at its best. NJH told me to never mix it together.