7% Saline Solution

@macinfo2020 Hi, I think you will get as many opinions as there are people in the group! My favorite for at home is the plug-in Pari Vios, the current one is branded by Walgreens. It does a decent trouble-free job, in a moderate amount of time on saline and levalbuterol. It also worked on Tobramycin when I was using that. Downsides, a little loud and quite bulky. I have had several travel ones, battery operated or can plug in at home or in the car. They have not been very durable for me, and sort of slow to dispense meds, so I don't personally recommend any of them. My daughter uses a very nice impeller (vs compressor) type, rechargeable and fast, but my insurance doesn't cover and it costs over $300.
Sue

Some people don’t tolerate 7% well, to wit: riits on this board.

When you say "don't tolerate 7% well" what do you mean. Is it discomfort or perhaps damage to the throat or....? Thank you, Flib

@macinfo2020 Hi, I think you will get as many opinions as there are people in the group! My favorite for at home is the plug-in Pari Vios, the current one is branded by Walgreens. It does a decent trouble-free job, in a moderate amount of time on saline and levalbuterol. It also worked on Tobramycin when I was using that. Downsides, a little loud and quite bulky. I have had several travel ones, battery operated or can plug in at home or in the car. They have not been very durable for me, and sort of slow to dispense meds, so I don't personally recommend any of them. My daughter uses a very nice impeller (vs compressor) type, rechargeable and fast, but my insurance doesn't cover and it costs over $300.
Sue

@macinfo2020 @windwalker Hi! I think Terri put the wrong article up just now for the saline. (The article she posted was meant for a different discussion.) Here are two articles that Terri has posted here about 7 % saline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4850692/pdf/13104_2016_Article_2054.pdf and https://www.resmedjournal.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0954-6111%2811%2900254-X . I think the charts she was refering to are Tables 2 and 3 in the first (ncbi) article.

@kathyhg I too experience coughing using the 7% saline. Some days I can't quite finish the neb, but unlike medication where it is necessary in order to get the full dose, I figure that's fine. The purpose of the saline is to irritate the lungs to bring up the mucus, so if I'm doing it, the job is done. I do try to get as much as possible because I know the saline also helps suppress the MAC, but hey, you do what you can. By the way, I also noticed I can actually taste the saltiness of the mucus several hours after the treatment, so I must be getting plenty. Also, initially I was using 5ml vials, but the last Rx was for 4ml - the pharmacist says he can even get 3ml. His take was that at 5 feet and 100 pounds, the smaller dose was probably plenty for my body. How large are the vials you are using? Sue

Sue, not pertaining to this post but is it no longer possible to send private messages to forum posters?

@thumperguy 7% saline is the strength necessary to irradicate avium mycobacterium (mac).

Teri, I take a measure of satisfaction knowing that 7% saline is dangerous to the life expectancy of MAC. I’m going to mention it to my Pulmo when I see him. And I won’t be surprised if he’ll be hearing it first from me!

I’m entering the 11th “flare-up” free month, a record; the independent variable is pretty clearly 7% saline solution in the nebulizer introduced at the beginning of the period. Don