hypertonic saline

[kayleesgrandma]

I've been seeing you all post about hypertonic saline and I know about the Aussie link, but where do you get it, should I ask our CF Dr.? What if he's not up on it? Do we get it for a 3yr old? Is that too young? She doesn't do anything else with her vest treatments. I feel she needs something to loosen up her chest. She only coughs occasionally. She only does nebs if she's sick. Also, if I might add, how often do they do x-rays? They did x-rays 3 mo. ago--shes due for her next visit soon--and the doc said her lungs look like an 8yr old cfr. Thanks.

 

[anonymous]

My son gets x-rays once a year unless he needs them in between. My son is 2 years old and the doctor wouldn't let him have the hypertonic saline. He says they have to be old enough to do the breathing test. He reccomended pulmozyme instead of the hypertonic saline for young children....says it does basically the same thing. I know all clinics are different but I would mention to the docs that maybe your grandaughter needs to be doing nebs and chest pt daily and not just when she is sick. My son gets two daily treatments of albuterol and chest pt...more if he is sick. Hope this helps

 

[JazzysMom]

I am not sure how she would tolerate HS at this age. For me I coughed my head off (even tho it was good in the long run). I dont know what the protocal or guidelines of age is for it, but it could at least be addressed & see what the doctor says. I would definitely ask for at least a bronchial dialator like Albeuterol for before her vest. I do xrays & sputum at my 3 month checkups & more often if I am sick or recovering. If her lungs are considered that of an 8 year old already then I dont understand why they arent a bit more aggressive with her treatments like having her on a regular nebs.

 

[NoExcuses]

HTC is just salt water - no side effects to be scared of except coughing, which is the point of it anyway.

Maybe have her try the 3% instead of the 7%.

Also I would push to do nebs even when she isn't sick - the point of meds now-a-days is preventative rather than to treat a current exacerbation.

The thing about CF is even with the best doctor, the patient or family of the patient have to be PROACTIVE. Push the doc. Ask why this and why that? Why not albuterol twice a day, every day? Why not the Vest twice a day, every day? Why not pulmozyme twice a day, every day?

Is she culturing Pseudo?

 

[Ratatosk]

We asked our CF doctor about it after the local doctor's prescribed pulmozyme. Also said he was pretty young and said something to the effect that studies have been done on people who have poor lung function and infections and that while it helps those people clear out all old crud, at this point he wouldn't recommend it.

 

[anonymous]

My daughter's pulmonary doc did not want to prescribe HS yet either. He wanted to wait to hear people's results with it first at the CF conference in October. My daughter is 3 1/2. She is on albuterol (bronchodilator) 3 times a day with pulmicort(decrease inflammation) 2x day. We do her treatments before her airway clearance(VEST) which she does 3 times a day for 20 min at a time. She is also on pulmozyme once a day in am after her first albuterol/pulmicort neb.

Our CF doc said albuterol before vest to dilate the airways then the vest can shake the mucus and child coughs it up and out. Albuterol can make you jittery and heart rate increase. ALL meds have side effects, but so far our treatments seem to be working. My daughter had an exacerbation of CF when she was 2 1/2 which waas pretty bad , in the hospital, picc line , bronch the works, but since we've been doing this regime things have seetled down,,, for now. Keep in my mind every child is different as well as every doc.

HTH
Rebecca