In November my doctor got me this new Pari nebulizer called the eflow. It works differently from other nebs. It doesn't use a air compressor; instead you plug it in and it uses some kind of vibrating thing to turn the meds into aerosol. He said that it would deliver the medicine deeper into my lungs.
I noticed a difference immediately. I started it when I had just come off of 3 weeks of IV antibiotics. I am using it currently with my Pulmozyme and Colistin. It's as if I didn't stop the antibiotics because I continued to improve. It became so much more easier to bring up junk. I am currently on a transplant list, but I have improved so much that I'm ready to go on the inactive list. My FEV1 went from a 18 to 34. My FVC went from mid-30s to 58 today.
Not only that but it is quicker. Pulmozyme takes me 5 minutes now, Colisitin 10 tops. And it is much quieter than using a compressor.
I don't want this to sound like an ad, so here are the catches. I don't think you can buy it at the moment. I had to get it through a special company. I had to get my Colistin from this same company because it needs to be specially formulated. There are other medications you can use in this, but I don't know which ones and I don't know if you need to get those specially formulated either. I was able to use the same Pulmozyme I was using in normal nebs in the eFlow. One thing I do know is that you can't use TOBI in it at he moment, so when I'm on that I need to use my normal TOBI neb. The thing is also very expensive, so you'll probably need to have insurance. And I think this is still somewhat in the testing phase since my doctor told me I should expect to have to send a certain part of the neb back to the company so they can examine it. They'll send me a replacement, though.
You should really ask your doctor about this.
I noticed a difference immediately. I started it when I had just come off of 3 weeks of IV antibiotics. I am using it currently with my Pulmozyme and Colistin. It's as if I didn't stop the antibiotics because I continued to improve. It became so much more easier to bring up junk. I am currently on a transplant list, but I have improved so much that I'm ready to go on the inactive list. My FEV1 went from a 18 to 34. My FVC went from mid-30s to 58 today.
Not only that but it is quicker. Pulmozyme takes me 5 minutes now, Colisitin 10 tops. And it is much quieter than using a compressor.
I don't want this to sound like an ad, so here are the catches. I don't think you can buy it at the moment. I had to get it through a special company. I had to get my Colistin from this same company because it needs to be specially formulated. There are other medications you can use in this, but I don't know which ones and I don't know if you need to get those specially formulated either. I was able to use the same Pulmozyme I was using in normal nebs in the eFlow. One thing I do know is that you can't use TOBI in it at he moment, so when I'm on that I need to use my normal TOBI neb. The thing is also very expensive, so you'll probably need to have insurance. And I think this is still somewhat in the testing phase since my doctor told me I should expect to have to send a certain part of the neb back to the company so they can examine it. They'll send me a replacement, though.
You should really ask your doctor about this.