Where can I buy ventolin nebuliser solution online? thank you for reading

[muirbabe]

Hello, my first post to this group. I am planning to buy a nebulizer for my 66 year old brother who has asthma. He is normally fit and well otherwise. GP gives him steroids regularly to control his mainly night time asthma.

I have found a nebuliser 'Omron NE-C28P Compressor Nebuliser'

Could anyone suggest where I might get salbutamol nebulizer solution and who offers a private prescription service (in UK preferably.)

Thanks very much indeed.

ps I appreciate that this is a far from ideal way of managing asthma.

But GP prescribing steroids regularly rather than occasional nebulizer use has prompted me to this.

pps Im sorry if this breaks any community rules.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Hi

The steroids work to calm down the inflammation long term, whereas a neb is basically the equivalent of having 10 puffs of ventolin. A neb will only last for 4 hours and don’t really calm the inflammation like steroids do, it just dilates the airways short term.

He’s better of asking for a medication review or referral to a hosp consultant for a review if he’s requiring frequent steroid usage, as that shows a lack of control/ poor management of his asthma.

Home nebs in the UK are frowned upon cause they can stop people seeking further help/advice when they need it.

If he feels like a neb would help, then he should take up to 10 ventolin puffs and he’ll get a very similar reaction, and if it doesn’t help then he should head to hospital, this (like a neb) won’t deal with the underlying issue.

Hope this explains why they give steroids and not nebs at the GP in the UK. As I said a review of his preventer medications should be better than getting a nebuliser, and stop the need for having steroids as often.

Hope that helps

[muirbabe in reply to EmmaF91]

Thanks very much Emma for your reply. Everything you say is absolutely correct.

My brother has already been through many of those steps.

However I still believe an occasional use of a nebuliser is much safer than frequent use of steroids with there long term harm and very unpleasent side effects.

My brothers wife is a retired nurse and I was a charge nurse in A&E, but very many years ago. So we are aware that this is far from an ideal solution.

But I will definitely pass on to my brother your advise about the ventolin puffer use.

Thanks very much for that suggestion and taking the trouble to reply

[Birthday60]

How difficult for you and I understand you want to help. I have a small portable nebuliser for when I am away from home (I travel extensively both on holiday and on business). I get my ventolin ampules from my GP and am required to contact the GP EVERY time I make use of my nebuliser so they can make sure the severity of my asthma is properly recorded. Interestingly many patients are being told they are NOT allowed to have their own nebuliser after a number of deaths related to overuse and not addressing a deterioration of their asthma with their GP and just relying on a nebuliser. I would recommend your brother talks to his GP (with yourself if that helps) to make sure he has all the right treatment and his GP is comfortable with him having a home nebuliser. He will have to make good records of when/why he is using it so his other meds can be adjustment to help.

[Pugdog]

I think if you have a nebuliser at home and you are sensible when and how often you use it it is fine and saves emergency room visits which is often the only thing they do. Yes it is a sign if using frequently that asthma is not controlled properly and important to seek advice and get checked out. I have a nebuliser and only way to get prescription was to see my respiratory consultant and failing that doctor on private for the ventolin nebs. I only use mine when having a flare up and if I find myself using it more than twice a day would seek medical help. It does however along with short course steroids really save me dashing to a&e quite so often. For me it works quicker and better than 10 puffs and if used sensibly as you say helps a great deal managing an attack.

[AimeeCardiff]

You sound like you're desperate to help, when you think your family are not getting ideal support - I totally understand that, asthma can be super worrying and deterioration can happen quickly and be very frightening. As someone who used to be able to give some immediate treatment to asthmatic patients and see the relief, it must be even harder to not give this help during an attack. You might benefit from talking to the asthma UK nurses on the helpline who can talk to you nurse-to-nurse and provide some specific advice about how you can help during an attack when waiting for an ambulance (I know from my husband this is an awful position to be in).

My experience is similar to other posters - my GP was considering giving me a nebuliser for at home, but the consultant said no as needing it was a sign of poor control.

Although steroids are definitely a nasty drug, they are also wonderful and can be incredibly effective. They are needed in people with difficult to control asthma until preventer meds can be adjusted so they work better. You might find it reassuring to read the SIGN guidelines on treating asthma to see where steroids fit in to treatment (only at the most uncontrolled and serious end), to see that they are used to keep him out of hospital as much as possible.

I'm now seeing a respiratory physio and it has made a massive difference - the physio identified that I was always (in a 60 minute session) breathing in my upper chest, not from my diaphragm and this was making everything worse in relation to breathing control and asthma. I'm not saying it's a magic bullet, but it might be worth investing in private respiratory physio (recommended by his consultant if possible) to provide long term benefit rather than a nebuliser which could hide a serious deterioration which needed drugs he does not have at home. In my area its about £35 per session, so not too much more expensive than buying the nebuliser and drugs to have a few sessions.

[muirbabe]

Thank you Birthday60, Pugdog and Aimee for your replies.

Thank you for all the background information about best asthma treatment and reluctance to offer nebulizers.

I feel like I finally understand the situation at least as far as nebulizers are concerned. I will pass this all on to my brother who is seeing his GP on Thursday.

Thanks very much indeed for all your help!!

[Abc64]

His go can prescribe it and have prescription sent electronically to his local pharmacy.

[muirbabe in reply to Abc64]

Thanks very much, I will pass that on.