I have just had a stay in hospital due to copd exasperation and chest infection with bloods low.
They put me on a nebuliser , which I found helped , I am now home and noticed I am gunning up a bit, the inhalers are not fully helping , Have tried to get a nebuliser for home, even if it was to get me through this bout, but I have been told no. How have others got nebulisers at home.
Sorry you are not well Jackie. You can buy nebuliser from Amazon and other places but need a prescription for the medication.
I bought mine cheap from Ebay. My respiratory nurse got me some new plastic pipe and face bits for it. My doctor prescribed the meds.
I also have a small portable one I bought from Lidl or Aldi recently. Very small and works off the car.
Dear Jackie50 I think you should talk to your doctor. I have had a nebuliser for 15 years but I would not necessarily recommend it. The drug they tend to use in it is the same as your blue inhaler (ventilin). one file is like using your spray about 25 times. If you use a nebuliser every day the drug is less effective so if you go into hospital with an exacerbation they will have to use even more strong drugs to get you better. you are tied by the machine in that you have to do it at certain times of day. If you go on holiday you have to lug the bloody thing about in your hand luggage. May be your doctor could arrange a short term loan for when you are ill?
there are many other reasons but chat with the Doc. Best wishes Irene
Well put, hopetorun. Doctors are worried about patients overuse of nebulised drugs particularly ventalin and prednislone. Both can cause heart problems and the 'shakes' if overdone. I stopped using my nebuliser when this happened to me and now just up my ventolin puffer when necessary and use a volumiser. I avoid prednislone unless my gp absoliutely insists.
I have one but I was prescribed it years ago by my consultant but you have to be careful using them and know when you need medical help. The necessary medication has to be prescribed too. Some people need to use one regularly though. It seems that you are still having breathing problems so I would contact your gp in the morning and the BLF helpline , the BLF have a very helpful article on nebulisers too.
ak your doc for a space chamber ten puffs of your blue inhaler is the same as nebuliser my consultant would not give me nebuliser either but told me about the ventolin through the space chamber
I have had a nebuliser for about 10 years now, initially I was told not to buy one but now I notice that the hospital presumes I have one at home. I use it if I have a very bad spell for which I would normally have to go to hospital. I usually move into hospital mode and do everything they would do for me there including nebuliser four times a day. I have never felt tied to it in any way and just stop and go onto regular meds when the attack is over.
Hello Jackie 50 ,
Same as myself just home from hospital had nebulisers oxygen 24/7 for a bad chest infection I was not given a nebuliser either perhaps ask your GP ? Good luck with the future
Been through the same,nebuliser may be old fashioned,I'm glad they did not let me have one now,do your study........you may find if you take it easy,get used to inhalers,as there are some good ones out there,it has taken me 2yrs to achieve 2brilliant inhaler lors from the hos pital,as surgeries mostly deal in oral steroids ,if you don't want them ,you have. To study everything about copd. And also understand about drug company's that are kept in buisness as they are afraid to try anything natural .
Hi Jackie, Yes I have nebuliser been on them for about 7 years, now 5 times daily. I have specialist nurse who sees me every week,
Nebulisers are a bg problem in as much as here in my location NHS DO NOT SUPPLY THEM.
I have bought mine and tried a few, the one I use now is the AC2000 I found this to be the fastest one I have tried and ,you will not go far wrong if you get one of them.when shopping for them have a good look around the sites and make sure you get VAT FREE.
Hope this is of some use
take care have a good day
regards
john xx
Hi Jackie I agree Teaky your doctor can give you a space chamber to puff your inhaler into then you breathe it in just like a nebuliser. Using this means it all goes into your lungs and there is no waste. x
Hello Jackie,I think consultants try to avoid putting us on nebulisers
Because we get dependent on them quickly.I have had one for almost a year 4 times a day which can be quite restrictive.It does stop me having to phone an ambulance as I know this is what would be given at the hospital although I have to monitor my heart rate as that is why I was admitted last time.Talk to your doctors each of us are different and Copd is a very individual disease. Good luck Jackie,try and relax it helps with breathing.D.
Thank you all for your advice. I did forget about my space chamber, when I feel up to it will try and find it. or get another one. I think thats my problem I am not getting my meds in properly and maybe thats why I felt benefit on the nebulisor. I do not want to be having to rely on one. after reading your comments and a bit of research I see why I was put on one whilst in hospital . Will leave it for when I am in hospital.
Thank you again and hope you all have an easy day xxx
Been told not allowed a nebuliser at home. The ambulance people even told me that being on a nebuliser at home is not good as people become too dependent on them. I am taking 24 to 28 puffs a day from my ventolin inhaler. My doctor has just let me have saline for a nebuliser that I had to go out and buy as I am coughing mucus up day and night.
I asked my doctor if there were any advantage of having a nebuliser over an inhaler (I take Combivent). He said, in a way no. BUT, there's more drug in my combivent, 500 times more that in one dose of inhaler (Ipratropium). so he said, yes, because of this, there is a definite advantage.
I still believe in my heart of heart that exercise is good for you. I just had a talk with a district nurse. Seh takes a patient who like you has only one lung. He goes singing. I've just joined that group too, great fun and lung expanding!
You're in charge. (OK you have to have what the doc prescribe, and he helps you, which is great. But you have to help yourself in a big way too, and believe in yourself) Keep the spirit!
I am not a medic Squady.My last bad exacerbation I was on my third nebulisers when the paramedics arrived,after checking me ,sats etc,they put me on their machine.While trying to get me out to the ambulance in their chair I struggled because of the restrictive belt on the chair.We almost had a fight.They insisted I get to the ambulance because my heart rate was so fast.I think nebs raise heart rate but of course it could just be me panicking.My heart rate always seems to be high about 120,con puts it down to the effort I have to make just to breathe.I,m still learning all this stuff(slowly lol) Exercise may well be the answer,if we could only breathe enough to actually do the sodding exercises,keep well!!D.(in the ambulance heart rate was about145)
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