Aerobika/nebulizer cleaning question

Posted by terryb1 @128128terry11t, Sep 2, 2017

I should be doing my aerobika/nebulizer twice a day but have only been doing it once. If I do it twice, I have a question: do you clean/rinse the aerobika and nebulizer after the first treatment of the day or do you simply rinse under regular warm water after the first treatment and do the cleaning/rinsing after the second or final treatment of the day? Must you rinse with distilled water? I guess another question is how long the bacteria live if not in water/soil but simply on the equipment that we use. We all have so many questions. Thanks. Terry

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@128128terry11t I use mine once a day but when I did use it twice I only cleaned it once after the second use. I use the Aerobika in combination with inhaled saline and my nebulizer. After I am done inhaling I fill a bowl with hot soapy water and stick it in there to soak. I just leave it until whenever I get back to it because I have two and can rotate but I think I read it only needs to soak about 10 minutes. Then rinse and dry. I also use those sterilizer bags you can get on Amazon and sterilize them about once a week in the microwave. Super easy.

REPLY
@kaystrand

128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

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Hi Kay, You said you don't use yours much anymore. Is the doc okay with that? Both my local doctor and the NJH doctor said I had to do the saline and aerobika every single day for the rest of my life. I do skip it once in awhile when I get sick of it but otherwise have tried to comply. The thing is I'm not coughing anymore and nothing really comes up so I'm wondering if that's overkill and I don't need to do every day. I would love to not bother with that anymore.

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@kaystrand

128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

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Did the doctors say that you had to do it TWICE a day or only once? Terry

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@jenblalock

@128128terry11t I use mine once a day but when I did use it twice I only cleaned it once after the second use. I use the Aerobika in combination with inhaled saline and my nebulizer. After I am done inhaling I fill a bowl with hot soapy water and stick it in there to soak. I just leave it until whenever I get back to it because I have two and can rotate but I think I read it only needs to soak about 10 minutes. Then rinse and dry. I also use those sterilizer bags you can get on Amazon and sterilize them about once a week in the microwave. Super easy.

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Another couple of questions: do you rinse aerobika/nebulizer in distilled or regular water? And do you sterilize the nebulizer in the microwave sterilizer bags as well as the aerobika? Am I correct that when you used aerobika/nebulizer twice a day, after the first usage you just set it aside and did not even rinse? These are such helpful hints. Thank you. Terry

REPLY
@jenblalock

@128128terry11t I use mine once a day but when I did use it twice I only cleaned it once after the second use. I use the Aerobika in combination with inhaled saline and my nebulizer. After I am done inhaling I fill a bowl with hot soapy water and stick it in there to soak. I just leave it until whenever I get back to it because I have two and can rotate but I think I read it only needs to soak about 10 minutes. Then rinse and dry. I also use those sterilizer bags you can get on Amazon and sterilize them about once a week in the microwave. Super easy.

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When I soak it I just use regular water. When I sterilize it I use distilled water. The times i used the Aerobika twice a day I wasn't using the nebulizer with it. I believe I just wiped it and set it aside. Now if I used it with the nebulizer and saline I'd probably rinse it because it gets all that saline residue in it.

REPLY
@kaystrand

128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

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@128128terry11t One said twice a day. One said once a day. I chose to listen to the once a day. I figure if I have to do it twice a day compliance would be a real problem and I would end up doing it not at all. One of my doctors is very specific and dogmatic about GERD, breathing, and other rules so I take what she says with a grain of salt. I'm not willing to spend my entire day on this stuff. Maybe if I was feeling bad or coughing a lot but not at this stage.

REPLY
@kaystrand

128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

Jump to this post

Jen
I hardly use the Aerobika and my doc said that doing lung clearance for me doesn't do anything as I cough up zero most days. I have bad Post Nasal Drip and that runs down my throats and makes me throat clear, but it's not from my lungs. Yellow stuff seems to be from my nose that gets in my throat. My nose runs all the time, I use the Mayo drops and get some relief.

Sometimes I feel like I must have reflux as I have the symptoms of silent but Mayo gave me the 24 hour study and said no. So I go with that.

I'm feeling gone d and thanks for the stomach wishes. I'm better but I'm sure my guts a bit screwy too. I was having yeast infections and they are gone now. Took a full month. It's nice to be on an antibiotic vacation right? Hope it's a permanent one 🙂

Send questions to 128128Terry and me. We are compiling them and will attempt to get 2 microbiologists who work w MAC to answer some of the crazy questions. Send me questions on email if you would. Thanks
Later, Kay

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@kaystrand

128 Terry
isn't the bacteria on your equipment your own bacteria? You already have that right? I wash my Aerobika once a week but I only blow into it as I don't use a nebulizer with it. It will be great to see some answers on here to your questions.
Wonder if someone can please answer how long MAC bacteria live if not in water. I read cold germs last 12 hours but I think MAC is different.
KayS

Jump to this post

I know EXACTLY what you mean. One doctor told me that it would only be "marginally better" if I did it twice a day and the other was much more insistent. I am listening to the former as well. Thanks. Terry

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About a year ago I asked the following question on this forum: must you use boiled or distilled water when cleaning and rinsing the aerobika and nebulizer? Many responded that it was necessary to use boiled water while others stated that they do not. Someone recently informed me that she asked her dr from Mayo this specific question and the doctor responded that mac does not live on dry plastic and thus it would not be necessary to use boiled water for cleaning and rinsing. Many months ago when I asked Dr. Falkinham, a highly respected microbiologist; I believe that he answered that it would be prudent to use boiled water. I just re-emailed Dr. Falkinham to make certain that he indeed does think this is necessary. For those of us who use boiled water, what do you do when traveling? What have others heard from their doctors about this? What do many of our members do?
Looking forward to reading the responses and thank you. Terry

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@128128terry11t

About a year ago I asked the following question on this forum: must you use boiled or distilled water when cleaning and rinsing the aerobika and nebulizer? Many responded that it was necessary to use boiled water while others stated that they do not. Someone recently informed me that she asked her dr from Mayo this specific question and the doctor responded that mac does not live on dry plastic and thus it would not be necessary to use boiled water for cleaning and rinsing. Many months ago when I asked Dr. Falkinham, a highly respected microbiologist; I believe that he answered that it would be prudent to use boiled water. I just re-emailed Dr. Falkinham to make certain that he indeed does think this is necessary. For those of us who use boiled water, what do you do when traveling? What have others heard from their doctors about this? What do many of our members do?
Looking forward to reading the responses and thank you. Terry

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@128128terry11t , Hi Terry. I pre-wash mine with hot soap & water, then soak them in vinegar for 30 mins. I have multiple cups & mouthpiece sets for nebulizing. I rotate them and them do a vinegar soak. Take multiples with you when traveling and switch them out. Wash with hot soapy water.

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