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Sterile distilled water
I just saw my pulmonologist and told him I can not tolerate 7% saline. It makes me cough so hard that I gag and almost vomit. I use it after doing albuterol neb. He suggested I dilute the 7% sterile saline with distilled water. I asked if that should be sterile distilled water. He said yes but couldn't tell me where to get it. Then said, just make sure it is distilled water. Very casual. Does anyone dilute their 7% saline to half and half and where or with what do you dilute it?
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dilute with 0.9%.
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2 Reactions@carolinediehl Yes, it's true that some people find 7% saline too harsh. There are two other choices - 3% saline vials are available, and you could use those instead. Or you can but .9% saline vials and mix them half and half with the 7% saline.
Unfortunately, we cannot be sure distilled water is sterile, so you would need to boil it before use - but it would need to be done every few days, because once opened and used it can become contaminated. There is also medical grade sterile water available, but it either has a 24 hour "shelf life" once opened, making it very expensive per use, or it contains preservatives which you may not want to inhale.
So, replacing 7% saline with 3% is probably your most cost effective move.
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3 Reactions@carolinediehl you are not getting helpful information. Sue has given you the information you need. I would drop to 3% saline and if that was still too harsh I would drop to .9% saline. I would also get a new pulmonologist. I have never seen sterile distilled water, which doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist but if it does it is not readily available. Why any doctor would send you on such a wild goose chase when there are much simpler ways of addressing your issue, I cannot say. Based on your other recent post I can guess, but I will hold my tongue. 😉
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1 Reaction@sueinmn Thanks. I'm going to continue to look at some options.
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1 Reaction@carolinediehl , Hi Caroline, you may want to ask your pulmo to prescribe you Pulmosal, this is buffered 7%saline, I don't find it more irritating than 3%, and yet it is7%. I cannot tolerate regular 7%.
Best wishes of great health to all of us!
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1 ReactionThanks for the tip. I have a lot of straight 7% saline at home that is psid for so for right now I think I will go with ordering 0.9% saline to dilute my original saline until it is used up, but then I talk to my doctor again to get an order for something else. I guess I have to educate him for the sake of his other patients.
@carolinediehl Yes, many of us with uncommon conditions end up doing a lot of doctor education. I view it as part of the process, the body of knowledge is so huge that not everyone can know everything. It is also the beauty of this forum where we learn from each other.