Spray or Nebulizer

[Deplitch1234]

Hi, I'm Barbara, aged 74, recently had a really bad chest infection plus asthma attack. Already have COPD. At hospital they thought maybe I should have a nebulizer, my own doctor thought a spacer plus a Ventolin spray. Very breathless, just wonder which would be better?

[Hidden]

Hi I use both but if I'm really bad I use nebuliser. It gives me the shakes for a while but does work well. I don't have copd I have brittle asthma. Are you on British lung foundation site ? They are very good and a wealth of knowledge for lung diesies. My husband has Ipf so we joined. Best wishes. xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes I have copd as well and am on the BLF site. It is full of great advice and amazing people. x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

It certainly is I don't know what I would have done without it when my hubby was told he had Ipf. We googled it and I was in shock. !! I leaned a lesson don't google xxx

[Deplitch1234 in reply to Hidden]

Too true, seems great, thanks

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes a lot of people do that! Quite natural I guess but we always advise not to as you can go from a mild headache to dead in a few clicks! x

[Deplitch1234 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, will try the BLF site, sounds really good x

[Deplitch1234 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your comments, am not on the British lung foundation site, will definitely try it. All the best xx

[Erin001 in reply to Hidden]

Hi can you tell me a bit about brittle asthma pls??

[Hidden in reply to Erin001]

Hi. Well in my case it doesn't take much to start my asthma off. I have many allergies and have to be very careful. I take the maximum meds I can take for my asthma. And my consultant told me 8 years ago I have very brittle asthma. Any thing that comes into my house has to be fragrance or smell free I can't wear leather shoes or have leather goods. Printing ink, dyes, wood, paint, new carpet or rugs,flowers,plants,gas central heating, many foods or drugs. Animals ,the list is endles. I have been like this since I had pneumonia in 2000. xxx

[Erin001 in reply to Hidden]

Ouch I'm so sorry to hear that I was just interested because I have been told that my asthma is so many different types I recently been told mine is brittle and I don't really know what is my type of asthma right now so I'm wanting to find out more about the types so I am more educated on my condition whatever type I am

Thx for telling me your story

I hope you cope ok with it

[Hidden in reply to Erin001]

My GP told me I had allergic asthma as well. I'm going to see consultant because I've not seen one since 2000 and I didn't know there was so many different types. I have had breathing tests recently because I have been asthmatic since I was a baby and you can develope copd etc but I am ok just got asthma. I'm going to ask con about allergie injections as well. I did ask before and had tests many years ago for grass etc but I was that allergic I would have to stay in hospital for the 6 weeks !!! My 3 lads was still at home then and I couldn't. I'm 65 now. xx

[Hay133]

Hi try a inhaler with spacer nebulizers are very good but the problem is people get reliant on them and makes copd worse as nebs stop working use nebulizers later on in condition

[Deplitch1234 in reply to Hay133]

Thanks, helpful advice

[Tugun]

It's good to have both available and then decide for yourself. The nebuliser has a lot more Ventolin in it but according to info on Google there is more wastage so you don't actually take in all of it. I got this from a post from someone on Asthma UK - 10 years ago. "The 2.5mg of Ventolin in the nebuliser equals 10 puffs of the medihaler allegedly. Although this doesn't ""add up"" in doseage terms (1 puff = 100mcg), it's down to delivery - there's a lot more ""wasteage"" with nebs. Apparently." As I can't verify this, ask your doctor if this is true.

For me I like both. During a bad attack I like the ability to take in a quick strong dose and breathe as deeply as I can to get it to the "spot" and continue to do this and cough up the phlegm. I found the nebuliser doesn't really allow this. I then move to the nebuliser to take in more. Each person has different needs at different times.

[Deplitch1234 in reply to Tugun]

Thanks very much, sensible advice

[angievere]

Go with the doctor's advice. If they've suggested a nebuliser get one, as they don't suggest it lightly. Puffing on the ventolin is NOT the same. Best wishes.

[Deplitch1234 in reply to angievere]

Thank you

[risabel59]

I also use both methods. As making sure nebuliser is ready to go can be a bit of a faff. (i.e. cleaned and sterilised). However, The nebuliser keeps you out of hospital, which is one of the reasons they don't give it to you lightly. In case you use it without consulting your doctor. I tend to only use the nebuliser after consultation with either my gp or consultant. But have it on hand for those middle of the night awful emergencies. In fact both my hubby and children (although now grown up) know how to set it up for me.

[Deplitch1234 in reply to risabel59]

Thanks very much, useful advice

[Tcoker]

Hello

My name is Bud and I'm 52 years old and have had chronic asmatha since I was 21. I currently take 60 mils of prednisone daily. I have had the proventile inhailer and the nebulizer the entire time. The nebulizer has saved my life servers times when I wake up in the middle of the night with a severe attack till I could get help there. It will also help break up conjestion and help you get a good night sleep. It is a wonderful mechine to have around and the whole family and get use from it but you still need to keep your rescue inhaler with you at all times.

[Deplitch1234 in reply to Tcoker]

Thanks Bud, Will have both, thanks for your advice