Has Anyone Ever Tried A Saltwater Mist?

[Lilith]

Hello, all. My dad's friend sent me this article through my e-mail about a new study that saltwater mists can help reduce pus and infection in the lungs of CF patients. This isn't a nasal lavage, either. Its inhaled. Says that inhaling a mist with a salt content of 7-9% improved lung function in the study participants. Side effects included a harsh taste and a coughing fit. That's really all it said. It was only three paragraphs long <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif" border="0">

But what wasn't explained in the rather short article is how you're supposed to inhale it! Do you use a humidifier, or do you inhale it in a nebulizer? I'd like to try it and see if it helps, but before I call my doc and ask I thought I'd pitch the question here and see if anyone has ever used something like this before and how you did it. Any info would be greatly appreciated, as always!

I wish I could post the article too, but its in Acrobat Reader format and I don't know how to convert it. But I've given you all the essential info. I wish the article had elaborated a bit more! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0">

 

[IG]

It should be hypertonic saline.
Hypertonic saline, higher content salt water.
They found those living on the coast generally had better PFTs than those living inland, or at least my doctor told me when he wanted me to try hypertonic saline myself.
Only difference is the hypertonic saline has been treated so it should be free of any bacteria that you would find in the ocean.
I hope this helps, and is what you're talking about.

Coincidentally, they should be doing studies on hypertonic saline right about now as well, from what I've heard through the grapevine.

 

[kybert]

id say its just 7% <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"> if anyone here can inhale 9%, i would love to witness that lol!

 

[Lilith]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>ImmortalGoddezz</b></i><br>It should be hypertonic saline.<hr></blockquote>

I think that's what they meant. It just said saltwater, but I figured it was probably saline. So did you end up trying it? If you did;

1) how did it work for you? Did you notice anything significant?
2) (not to sound like a complete moron but,) I'm assuming you do use it in a nebulizer?
3) When did you do it? If it was during your therapy, when did you do it in the sequence (i.e. after albuterol or before)?

Thanks, Candice.

 

[Diana]

Hi all, I'm new in here but thought I would throw in a suggestion. I recieve google news updates on CF everyday as it happens in the news and today's came up with a number of articles on a newly finished study for Salt Water Mist. The idea came about due to an obvious improvement in the health of surfers with CF. Instead of an extremely long winded article from myself, why not just read the links I have included. It all sounds very promising at this point - not a cure but definately some breathing relief.

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-01-18-cystic-fibrosis_x.htm">null</a>

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-01-18T223106Z_01_N18238778_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-CYSTICFIBROSIS-DC.XML">null</a>

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=89615">null</a>

P.S - due to this being my first attempt at adding links on here I am nnot positive they will work - you may have to copy and paste into your address field.

 

[Diana]

Oh now I get the links thing....

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-01-18-cystic-fibrosis_x.htm">http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-01-18-cystic-fibrosis_x.htm</a>

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-01-18T223106Z_01_N18238778_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-CYSTICFIBROSIS-DC.XML">http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-01-18T223106Z_01_N18238778_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-CYSTICFIBROSIS-DC.XML</a>

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=89615">http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=89615</a>

 

[Faust]

Cool information, and it really makes sense. But as someone else mentioned earlier, isn't this what hypertonic solution already is? I've never done hypertonic and don't know much about it, so no clue. Or is this just some completely "Eureka!" type thing they have shown to help us? I'll be gettin on my docs nizzies if this is something seperate.

 

[rose4cale]

I'm glad I saw this post. On the news this morning they ran the crawler along the bottom of the screen saying: "Studies: Salt water mist found to relieve cystic fibrosis symptoms..." and that was it. Must be what you guys are talking about.

I got this email from our Foundation person today...


RE: Two Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-Supported Research Studies Being Published
> In New England Journal of Medicine
>
>
> The News
> * We are pleased to announce that two research studies supported by grants from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are being published in the January 19 issue of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
> * In the studies, researchers from Australia?s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have confirmed that a specialized and highly concentrated saltwater solution--known as hypertonic saline--improves airway clearance in people with cystic fibrosis (CF).
> * Although results of these two studies were first presented at the 2004 North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, what makes them newsworthy is that they have been accepted by the NEJM.
> * Your tremendous fund-raising efforts have directly contributed to this important advance that we hope will improve the quality of life for people with CF.
>
> Fast Facts
> * Australian surfers who had CF inspired the study, when they told their physicians that ?catching a wave? in the salty ocean spray made them feel better.
> * Patient volunteers who were given hypertonic saline had fewer CF-related lung flare-ups than volunteers who were given a less concentrated solution. When flare-ups did occur, those who received the saline treatment recovered faster than the other volunteers.
> * So far, hypertonic saline has been proven safe and effective for CF patients ages 6 and older, who have had mild-to-moderate lung disease. People with B. cepacia lung infection were not included in the study.
>
> Key Messages
> * This innovative new therapy is just one of the many novel CF treatments that are now being explored in the CF drug discovery and development pipeline.
> * People with CF should continue their existing treatments and consult with their CF physician to see if this new treatment is right for them.
> * It is strongly recommended that CF patients use hypertonic saline prepared by a pharmacy. This will ensure that the treatment contains the appropriate amount of saline (salt). A prescription is needed to obtain a hypertonic saline kit, which may be ordered from the Cystic Fibrosis Services Pharmacy at (800) 541-4959) or some other pharmacy.



Has anyone younger then 6 tried this before? How did it work? Is it from a neb?

 

[Faust]

I've never surfed because i'm on the east coast and we have crap for waves so you can't (unless a hurricane is in town, then you can possibly drown due to the under current). But i've boogey boarded some, and body surfed, and skim boarded a ton when i was younger, and each time i've ever played in/around the ocean i've always felt much better lung and especially sinus wise. Makes sense now.

 

[miesl]

Yes, these articles are talking about hypertonic saline.

Just a quick lesson...

Isotonic or normal saline is the concentration found in the body (0.9%).
Hypertonic saline is a salt solution that is at a higher concentration than that is found in the body. The percentages usually talked about for inhaled (nebulized) hypertonic saline for CF patients is 3, 5 or 7%. The hypertonic solution causes water from the lung cells to flow out. It is a diffusion mechanism, attempting to equalize the solute (salt in this case) concentration on both sides of the cell membrane.

There are a number of people already using hypertonic saline that post on the boards.

 

[anonymous]

The saltwater mist you are talking about is hypertonic saline. It is taken through a nebulizer. Although its been talked about for awhile, the "official" studies saying it works were published today.

There are two studies reported in this months New England Journal of Medicine, there have also been news blurbs on CNN.com, etc. The CF Foundation site (cff.org) has an update as well.

Here's one of the NEJM articles:

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/354/3/229?query=TOC
">http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/354/3/229?query=TOC
</a>
Personally, I haven't been able to get hypertonic saline yet... most local retail pharmacies don't make it. My CF Center is working on developing protocols for prescribing it, and quality controls for making it in house. There has been some rumor that the CF Pharmacy Services will have it available for those with a Rx. I expect it will take a couple months before its widely available.

Hope this helps!

Chris (cdale613)...... not signed in

25 w/ CF

 

[melleemac]

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but here it is. Is the hypertonic saline your talking about the same as the Broncho Saline that is used for diluting bronchodilator solutions for oral inhalations?
Mel

 

[anonymous]

It's been on the CF Services price list for a month or so and I think it was mentioned in one of their most recent newsletters. We get some of our hard to get stuff from the CF Services Pharmacy. Our doctor just calls them with the RX info and then we log onto our account and order our RX on-line, then they email us that it's been sent.

 

[miesl]

Mel - the Broncho Saline that you use to dilute other medications is normal (0.9%) saline.

The hospital pharmacy at Fairview (U of MN CF clinic) mixes our 5% solution for us.

 

[Lilith]

Wow...seems like everyone's hip on this but me, but that's a good thing ^_^ Once again this site has been a great resource for me, so thanks a ton, everybody! I intended to ask my doc about this and investigate further. If I find out anything significant, I'll let you know!

 

[Faust]

Hey Lilith I think we should both inhale this stuff and live longer, and then both of us get married and push crappy people into volcanoes together! ARE YOU OK WITH THIS IDEA?!? PLEASE CHECK YES [ ] OR NO [ ].

 

[Lilith]

*lol* Sorry, Sean, I'm taken, but I will most definately take you up on the crappy people pushing! We should find an active volcano in Hawaii. That way we can have a little luau (sp?) and eat pinapples and rosted pig as we watch the show. Sort of like Vlad the Impaler did, only less gross. Plus we'd get those neat little umbrellas in our drinks. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">

 

[IG]

1) how did it work for you? Did you notice anything significant?
Yup, it worked great for me, I had probably about a 10% increase in PFTs. I believe I was on the 3% because it worked for me, just the right amount of coughing.

2) (not to sound like a complete moron but,) I'm assuming you do use it in a nebulizer?
Yup.

3) When did you do it? If it was during your therapy, when did you do it in the sequence (i.e. after albuterol or before)?
Just used like bronchial saline.. [actually substituted for] so i'd mix albuterol up with it. Though I suppose you could just do that as a treatment in itself. Did that before pulmozyme, etc.

 

[Lilith]

Thanks very much, Candice. I will definitely try it out!

 

[skh]

My husband just emailed this link to me. It's an article from cnn which refers to the hypertonic saline. I am always searching for something that will make life easier/better for my 14 yr. old daughter. I have to keep on believing that a cure will be found in the not too distant future.

www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/01/18/cf.saltwater/index.html

Sue