Nebulizer

[cat lover]

I have asthma and have always had rescue inhalers on hand at all times. Since I have not had medical insurance for several years ( my insurance turned out to be a scam and no one would pick me up due to pre existing conditions) I cannot afford the $40 per inhaler; all generics have been taken off the market. So I talked to my doctor and asked about using a nebulizer instead. He said great except what would I do when I was not at home and in need of an electric outlet to use it? I bought a inverter for my car! Now all I do is plug it in the cigarette lighter and I can take my nebulizer anywhere! The doctor said he had never thought of that and would be sharing that information with other pateints that may need to use a nebulizer also!

Since I have started using it my asthma is doing much better! I guess because now the medication is forced down into my lungs so much better that the rescue inhalers could ever do! Anyone else use a nebulizer? Do you just use albuterol, or do you have additional medications to put in it?

[bar_bar]

My beloved husband was on one, and he used the albuterol but was also on another kind, in fact he was on 3 different meds for his COPD..
his albuterol was for him to carry with him when he wasn't using the nubulizer which he had to use 3 to 4 times daily.

clever idea about getting a inveter for the car, I didnt' know they made those things.

[cat lover]

Now I am in a dilemma for awhile. Had a tooth extracted yesterday and they told me to try and NOT use the nebulizer for awhile so I don't knock the blood clot off the area and have a dry socket! SO I am trying taking my prednisone 4 times a day; they told me if it got bad enough to use the nebulizer, but to try no to! Geesh!

[bar_bar]

bless your heart. John took prednisone along with his nebulizer as well.. Dr wanted to take him off of prednisone but he just couldn't handle it without it.

Dr won't allow you to just put the hose up in your face but not your mouth to just in hale some of the spray? As I know when the gd was a baby and couldn't use the mouth peice we just held the hose in front on her as she was terrify of the mouth peice which helped some.. that way you wouldn't get the force of the med.. if you need it..

DO you have Copd as well, or is it just asthma? Don't go outside if the ozone is high, which also effects the asthma...if all possible..

[cat lover]

We originally lived all our lief in Louisville, KY, right in the Ohio Valley! Air there is horrible most of the time so we retired 11 years ago to our retirement property of 31+ acres in the middle of the woods! I don't have the near the trouble out here, but can feel it when we have to go the 60 miles one way to Louisville.

I've had asthma since I was 21, but now with no insurance the doctor won't do any testing because of the cost so we have just left it as asthma. I also take a bronchodilater pill every day. I am supposed to take it twice a day,but to keep costs down I only take it a bedtime when I have my most problems unless I have a cold or something else I have picked up.

They make a mask the covers the nose and mouth that is used on children mostly, but that would just be an additional cost so that is why I am doing the pills right now; sort of "making do". I use it normally 4 times a day.

I would love to not take the prednisone, but I've been on it so long I can't handle it without it either. Some people freak when they find out how much and how long I have been taking it, but it is either take it and breathe or die now and I am mostly not quite ready yet for that.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

My grandson takes it. We may $50 AFTER insurance so if you know of different cheaper meds, PLEASE tell me.

We have to avoid smoke and people who smoke. Do you think your chimney could be causing the problem or cooking inside the house?

[cat lover]

I have had asthma since I was 21 and lived in the city, we had a furnace then. Mine is a wonderful family "trait". My father had it and my younger DS has it. Several of my uncles also had it. Actually I have less problems since we moved to the woods and have no AC, and heat with a woodstove. Most of my problems was the city air, any type of cigarette/cigar smoke, and if I get a cold it usually means trouble for me.

The only cheaper meds for me with no insurance is I don't use rescue inhalers any longer because the cheapest I could get was Pro Aire at $40 each! So my doctor prescribed a nebulizer machine (which is basically like a air pump on a fish tank except it is regulated). It cost me $100 and the albuterol medicine I put into varies according to where I purchase it. So the true cost would depend on how much I use it, but much cheaper than rescue inhalers! And the added benefit is that since the meds are forced down into my lungs it works much better for me than the inhalers every did! I already had an inverter for a car that you to plug it into a cigarette lighter and then plug any electric plugged appliance into it. This inverter has been great when our ewlectric goes out also, I can recharge other things and have an "electric" plug with "no power" ! LOL

You could talk to your DGS's doctor and see what they think for his case, but it has worked out wonderful cost wise and works much better for me.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

We get his nebulizer meds for free for 12 refills. However, the other meds cost $50 after insurance. So far, the parents are paying for them, but they are starting to act strange again so who knows how long this will last.

[cau]

I also have asthma, recently had a bad virus and was presribed a nebulizer, they put me on albuterol since Medicare won' pay for anything else. The parts are pretty shabby and the hose needs to be replaced monthly. CAt do you have the same problem??

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Wow. Replacing those tubes each month would get expensive. We've rarely had problems with ours, but when we do it is because the tube starts popping out and not staying connected.