Albuterol?

[2sickkids]

A couple of questions. If anyone knows the answers it would be great!

My son has always gotten hyper after doing his nebulizer. Is that real common? What can I do about it?

Lately my nebs are making my lungs worse. My pft's were lower after doing a breathing treatment at the doctors today. I do them every 4hrs. Can a long time user start to have a allergic reaction?

<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">

 

[IG]

I'm not sure about the allergic reactions but I do know that most nebulizers e.g. albuterol, xopenex, etc. will make you jittery, hyper. After a while you get used to it. The reason it makes you hyper is that it's a stimulant. They use them to open the tiny little airways of the lungs and to get you coughing.

 

[NoDayButToday]

If it makes your kids jittery and not wanting to sleep, you can always try Xoponex. It is basically albuterol, but it doesn't make you hyper. I use it because I used to be unable to fall asleep in the evening after doing nebulizer treatments.

 

[luke]

It is possible to develop an allergic reaction even if you have been on a medication for a while. Most likely your problem is not a reaction but more likely a side effect. Col is right, Xopenex is albuterol minus the shaky part. You might try to switch to Xopenex, the big problem is cost, so long as you have insurance Xopenex is a better drug. The studies show that it lasts longer and is more effective long term than Albuterol. If your insurance will not cover Xopenex you may need to go to a pediatric dose of albuterol(half as much)


If you have any specific questions just let me know.

luke

 

[anonymous]

I think albuterol and also prednisone can make people hyper. If he's also taking prednisone, then that could be part of it.
I switched to Xopenex because the albuterol would make me "shaky" inside. But before I knew about Xopenex and was still doing albuterol, I would eat a snack right after doing the albuterol & that seemed to absorb some of the shakiness part. Maybe it was psychological, but it seemed to work for me. Albuterol also made my heart beat differently, which wasn't life threatening, but disconcerting.
Do you also take TOBI or Pulmozyme? Rarely, shortness of breath can be a side effect of those meds.
And, yes, I've heard that you can develop an allergy to meds even though you have been on them for years.

 

[anonymous]

Albuterol has a caffiene-like quality to it. It goes STRAIGHT into your blood stream when inhaled and can make you shaky and hyper. Totally normal.
Debbie
24 w/ CF

 

[2sickkids]

Thankx I was wondering about the hyper thing I have never been able to give him pulmozyme close to the albuterol the makes him nutz .
I have been waiting to see my doctor again to ask about my pft's being lower after a breathing treatment went from 36 to 22. I thought that was odd.