ACT Timing

Posted by lorrainewenn @lorrainewenn, Apr 12 8:03am

When is the best time to do ACT? I do my first Treatment in the morning but am having a hard time determining when to do the second one. I know that you should wait 2 hours after eating but how close to bedtime? Sometimes I do ACT at 10pm!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

Same here! Just finished now at 10.20pm. Difficult to find best time for second one...I think so long as I do it, it really doesn't matter.

REPLY

I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis one year ago and have learned a lot, yet have questions. We all respond differently to ACT and timing. Morning ACT works best after I am rehydrated from the overnight. Evening ACT I tackle by 7:30 because I never obtain immediate results and want to be finished coughing by bedtime at 9:30. Yep, I'm a morning person.
I recently asked my pulmonologist how I can know I'm doing adequate ACT. He said that's a good question and that I have not been sick since diagnosis is a good indication.
I agree with narelled23, what is most important is that we do it.

REPLY

Timing of the p.m. session is something that I struggle with also. Airway clearance works best when saline neb is preceded by a bronchodilator, such as levalbuterol or albuterol. The latter taken too close to bedtime interferes with sleep. The half life of levalbuterol is 4 hours, which means that after 4 hours 50% of the drug remains, after 8 hours 25% of the drug remains etc. So it can't be taken too close to bedtime.

I wondered about nebbing levalbuterol before dinner and then once dinner digested, nebbing 7% saline, since the bronchodilator will still be somewhat in my system. Anyone try this?

REPLY
@scoop

Timing of the p.m. session is something that I struggle with also. Airway clearance works best when saline neb is preceded by a bronchodilator, such as levalbuterol or albuterol. The latter taken too close to bedtime interferes with sleep. The half life of levalbuterol is 4 hours, which means that after 4 hours 50% of the drug remains, after 8 hours 25% of the drug remains etc. So it can't be taken too close to bedtime.

I wondered about nebbing levalbuterol before dinner and then once dinner digested, nebbing 7% saline, since the bronchodilator will still be somewhat in my system. Anyone try this?

Jump to this post

Have you contemplated asking for a long-acting beta agonist such as formoterol? It does not interfere with sleep the way a short-acting one does (in my case, it also does not worsen my essential tremor.)
Overall with the LABA my airway function has improved 4% over previous readings - amazing considering I have asthma and bronchiectasis.
Sue

REPLY
@sueinmn

Have you contemplated asking for a long-acting beta agonist such as formoterol? It does not interfere with sleep the way a short-acting one does (in my case, it also does not worsen my essential tremor.)
Overall with the LABA my airway function has improved 4% over previous readings - amazing considering I have asthma and bronchiectasis.
Sue

Jump to this post

May I know what is LABA?

REPLY
@sueinmn

Have you contemplated asking for a long-acting beta agonist such as formoterol? It does not interfere with sleep the way a short-acting one does (in my case, it also does not worsen my essential tremor.)
Overall with the LABA my airway function has improved 4% over previous readings - amazing considering I have asthma and bronchiectasis.
Sue

Jump to this post

Hi @sueinmn I take symbicort twice a day. Before clearance I am do not think it opens me up as much as nebulized levalbuterol. What time do you take your LABA (Long acting bronchodilator)?

REPLY
@scoop

Hi @sueinmn I take symbicort twice a day. Before clearance I am do not think it opens me up as much as nebulized levalbuterol. What time do you take your LABA (Long acting bronchodilator)?

Jump to this post

Fifteen minutes or so before airway clearance. I trade off not as much opening for less tremors - albuterol/levalbuterol can make it impossible for me to hit the keys on my phone or tablet, or use a pencil or paint brush, or safely operate my sewing machine (never mind being able to thread it - haven't done that for years.)
Sue

REPLY
@sweethighland

May I know what is LABA?

Jump to this post

Glad you asked that!
Here is an explanation of the various kinds and combinations of inhalers prescribed for Asthma, Bronchiectasis, COPD and Emphysema:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/is-anyone-else-confused-about-all-those-inhalers/

It is almost 2 years old, so almost time for an update to add new drugs and new brand or generic names.

REPLY
@sueinmn

Glad you asked that!
Here is an explanation of the various kinds and combinations of inhalers prescribed for Asthma, Bronchiectasis, COPD and Emphysema:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/is-anyone-else-confused-about-all-those-inhalers/

It is almost 2 years old, so almost time for an update to add new drugs and new brand or generic names.

Jump to this post

I do not seem to produce much of anything at night. I am very successful in the morning right after getting up. Am I jeperdizing my progress by skipping nightly nebulizing??

REPLY
@sweethighland

May I know what is LABA?

Jump to this post

LABA: long acting beta-agonist

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.