Hey all, starting SmartVest... Anyone w positive experience?

Lvni. I started using Philips vest in February this year. At the beginning I did not like the idea of me sitting, shaking and wearing this other thing that takes away 20 minutes of my life. Now I am at peace with it and use it because I think it helps move the little mucus I have. At least I can cough up some clear stuff after using it. Before there was nothing. So yes at least try it. Some people don’t find it helpful though so you got it you try it. I also read on this forum to not return it because your insurance won’t approve it again. I don’t know if it’s true

Thanks to all for the input. I was prescribed the vest for 15 minutes, twice a day. I'm only on my 3rd day so too soon to say anything about results, but I share the feeling that I should not give up the 7% saline nebulizing. So we'll see!

@lvnl Hello. It has been my experience that the Smart Vest has little effect on my sputum output. I would never encourage you to give up the saline nebulizing and aerobika as your tech suggested. I am amazed that a tech suggested that to you. I've had the smart vest for over a year and question if it does anything positive for me. If it does, I cannot discern what that is. I continue to use it maybe 3 times a week thinking perhaps it shakes the sputum off of my lung walls....but I am just taking a stab at that. I see absolutely no difference or benefit. On the other hand, the saline nebulization is invaluable. I've recently added the aerobika and I find that it also helps in bringing up mucus. The saline makes an inhospitable environment in your lung for MAC. Please never give that up. It is basic lung hygiene. Another technique that I have recently discovered that is very helpful for me and does not take a lot of time is autogenic drainage. Someone on this site posted an excellent video done by Dr Pamela McShane for airway clearance. If you go to segment 32:04-45:31 it gives an in depth description of how to do it. I have found it helps bring up a lot of gunk from my lung after I nebulize that I would never have been able to clear. Here is the video. The entire video is worthwhile if you have some time to view it. The more you know, the better you can fight this disease. Good luck....Kate Video at this link:

Thanks for sharing this link.
There is also an app for Autogenic Drainage you can download on your phone. Someone on this forum posted it, it's great. I have been using that morning and evening and it helps me.

@kornblal thanks for posting this, I was starting to wonder if anyone was confident it was helping them. Do you have bronchiectasis and/or MAC (NTM)? And how long did it take before you felt the SmartVest was effective? It took me months of nebulizing with saline & most important 3 weeks of chest (respiratory) therapy to get it right & actually be able to clear sputum ... So I can be patient. But am curious about how others have gotten the SmartVest to work for them. Thanks in advance!

Hi, lvnl,
I have bronchiectasis and not MAC. The combination of Albuterol Nebs and the SmartVest was effective for me within the first 2 months. I was able to clear sputum from both treatments pretty much right away. It has gotten better using both treatments twice a day. I have learned to use them together sometimes doing one first and then the other. Does your vest fit very securely ? Hope this helps!

Hi Lvnl,
I have been using a Smartvest for several months now. At first I noticed I was producing more sputum. Most of the time now the sputum is clear, which I think is a good sign. My pulmonologist ordered it once a day for 15 minutes. Some days it really irritates the arthritis in my neck and back so I lowered the time to 10 minutes on those days. First however, I neb w/7% saline, then do the vest. I do think it helps and am not willing to give up any part of my routine because I am paranoid that I will get worse again. Right now I am dealing with maybe a virus, or perhaps something else, but on the whole I am not ready to give the vest up for any reason. Some days I have more sputum than others. I also neb in the a.m.'s but do not use the vest then.
ALSO, I have an EXTRA MEDIUM VEST. I had to get a 'small' size. The company won't take it back and I only used it a few times. It is clean and I'M HAPPY TO SEND TO ANYONE FREE.