Breathing restriction after nebulizing 7% solution?

Are you using albuterol or levalbuterol before nebbing the saline?

@lenorj - Do you possibly have asthma or reactive airways in addition to bronchiectasis? Sometimes 7% can be too strong and cause spasms. Maybe you can ask to try 3% saline & work your way up to a stronger dose.
Sue

I do have some asthma, although I haven’t had much trouble with it. Does the 3% produce the same negative bacterial environment that I have read so much about in the forum?

Lower saline strengths do not have as much effect on NTM, but some people on this group have had success tolerating starting with 3% and gradually increasing strength by mixing with 7%. In addition to effectiveness in suppressing bacteria growth, there is good evidence that 7% saline is better at thinning mucus than airway clearance (ACT) alone, a bronchodilator plus ACT or a bronchodilator plus .9% saline and ACT.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0954611104002057
My pulmonologist says with "stable bronchiectasis" (no active infection and no recent exacerbations) As my primary would say "something is better than nothing." I am not sure I need all 4-5 ml in one sitting, it is just the "traditional" size of vials made for nebulized substances. I stop nebbing when I am getting up the mucus, then rinse and gargle with plain water. Someday I hope to find a study that talks about how much is is really necessary.

Have you tried using your asthma inhaler before nebbing? Sometimes that helps with the tight feeling.
Sue

Thank you for all the good advice and the supportive link. I will try to digest all of this and review all of my options. You have been a great help. I’m

I also use 7% saline. But always do a levabuterol (xopenx) aerosol first. This is what was prescribed. But I decided to try it without doing the levabuterol first and I got exactly the same the reaction you described (short of breath and chest tightness). Now I never do the saline without the levabuterol or albuterol (if works for you) first.

So far I have had good success if I mix of the 3% and the 7%(total 4 ml). I am trying to avoid the use of inhalers if possible. I hope to gradually build up to the full 7%. Thanks for sharing your experience I will keep it as my next alternative.