Tobramycin for Inhalation

[KrazyKat]

Thanks everybody for your thoughts, much appreciated. Although I agree I need to be very very careful, I also sort of need to be my own health champion over here, they really don't do much for us, that's why this forum and all of you are an absolute godsend for me. I would never even have tried Pulmozyme had I not read about it on here and pushed the issue with my doctor - i was 6% FEV1 away from a lung transplant and it had never even been mentioned...i'm now at 52% and my health is better now at 38 than it was when I was 25!!!!

The vials I have are 80mg each as Ender and a couple of others have said and I am 90% sure my nephew was inhaling this IV version of Tobra.
If TOBI is indeed 10 times more expensive than Tobra then that explains why in NZ we nebulise the Tobra, they are tight as all hell over here, hence also no Azithromycin, they give me Roxithromycin instead, because it's CHEAPER!!!
You Americans are lucky, no expense spared in the fight to keep you well, down here, they don't give a crap, they just want CHEAP.
I however only have Salbutomal inhaler, I don't use Albuterol or any other liquid type of broncho-dilator......could i mix the Tobra with Water for Injection or sterile saline 0.9% do you think??? If so, how much should I dilute the 80mg vial with?
I don't have very reactive airways, i wouldn't know a broncho-spasm if i fell over one...what does it feel like???

 

[KrazyKat]

Thanks everybody for your thoughts, much appreciated. Although I agree I need to be very very careful, I also sort of need to be my own health champion over here, they really don't do much for us, that's why this forum and all of you are an absolute godsend for me. I would never even have tried Pulmozyme had I not read about it on here and pushed the issue with my doctor - i was 6% FEV1 away from a lung transplant and it had never even been mentioned...i'm now at 52% and my health is better now at 38 than it was when I was 25!!!!

The vials I have are 80mg each as Ender and a couple of others have said and I am 90% sure my nephew was inhaling this IV version of Tobra.
If TOBI is indeed 10 times more expensive than Tobra then that explains why in NZ we nebulise the Tobra, they are tight as all hell over here, hence also no Azithromycin, they give me Roxithromycin instead, because it's CHEAPER!!!
You Americans are lucky, no expense spared in the fight to keep you well, down here, they don't give a crap, they just want CHEAP.
I however only have Salbutomal inhaler, I don't use Albuterol or any other liquid type of broncho-dilator......could i mix the Tobra with Water for Injection or sterile saline 0.9% do you think??? If so, how much should I dilute the 80mg vial with?
I don't have very reactive airways, i wouldn't know a broncho-spasm if i fell over one...what does it feel like???

 

[dasjsmum]

Hi Kat

I think at 38 you are wise enough and have had plenty of experience with treatments etc. to know what you are doing!!

We always use ventolin (Salbutomal) (1ml with either 80mg= 1 vial/ampoule, or 160mg=2 vials/ampoules) with our nebbed Tobra, and that may be due to the reason stated by Mark (lilmac7), I just thought it was to open the airways. I have used the liquid ventolin you can get for nebulising, however it is not as good as salbutomal as it is a watered down version.

Can you get salbutomal from your GP (in liquid)...I think you should try to use it...perhaps you could have the puffer first. I dont really think it is necessary to add saline etc. to the Tobra, my son had his first lot at three, he was never tested for spasms or anything, we were just sent home with it to use. He has never had any problems with it, as I said before, and he has had heaps of it this way.

Check the expire date.
Just to add...I think you should really be pushing for Azithromycin...it has made a huge difference to my older son, and my 10 yr old seems to be doing well on it also.

 

[dasjsmum]

Hi Kat

I think at 38 you are wise enough and have had plenty of experience with treatments etc. to know what you are doing!!

We always use ventolin (Salbutomal) (1ml with either 80mg= 1 vial/ampoule, or 160mg=2 vials/ampoules) with our nebbed Tobra, and that may be due to the reason stated by Mark (lilmac7), I just thought it was to open the airways. I have used the liquid ventolin you can get for nebulising, however it is not as good as salbutomal as it is a watered down version.

Can you get salbutomal from your GP (in liquid)...I think you should try to use it...perhaps you could have the puffer first. I dont really think it is necessary to add saline etc. to the Tobra, my son had his first lot at three, he was never tested for spasms or anything, we were just sent home with it to use. He has never had any problems with it, as I said before, and he has had heaps of it this way.

Check the expire date.
Just to add...I think you should really be pushing for Azithromycin...it has made a huge difference to my older son, and my 10 yr old seems to be doing well on it also.

 

[dasjsmum]

Hi Kat

I think at 38 you are wise enough and have had plenty of experience with treatments etc. to know what you are doing!!

We always use ventolin (Salbutomal) (1ml with either 80mg= 1 vial/ampoule, or 160mg=2 vials/ampoules) with our nebbed Tobra, and that may be due to the reason stated by Mark (lilmac7), I just thought it was to open the airways. I have used the liquid ventolin you can get for nebulising, however it is not as good as salbutomal as it is a watered down version.

Can you get salbutomal from your GP (in liquid)...I think you should try to use it...perhaps you could have the puffer first. I dont really think it is necessary to add saline etc. to the Tobra, my son had his first lot at three, he was never tested for spasms or anything, we were just sent home with it to use. He has never had any problems with it, as I said before, and he has had heaps of it this way.

Check the expire date.
Just to add...I think you should really be pushing for Azithromycin...it has made a huge difference to my older son, and my 10 yr old seems to be doing well on it also.

 

[melleemac]

Both of my boys have been on inhaled tobra since they were two years old. They are now 12 and use 80mg twice a day mixed with 1 cc of saline. Its for injection or iv and is preservative free. At one point they had their dosage raised to 160mg twice daily, without the saline but had to stop as they would go into spasms taking it.
Mel

 

[melleemac]

Both of my boys have been on inhaled tobra since they were two years old. They are now 12 and use 80mg twice a day mixed with 1 cc of saline. Its for injection or iv and is preservative free. At one point they had their dosage raised to 160mg twice daily, without the saline but had to stop as they would go into spasms taking it.
Mel

 

[melleemac]

Both of my boys have been on inhaled tobra since they were two years old. They are now 12 and use 80mg twice a day mixed with 1 cc of saline. Its for injection or iv and is preservative free. At one point they had their dosage raised to 160mg twice daily, without the saline but had to stop as they would go into spasms taking it.
Mel

 

[DietRootBeer]

My son is on IV tobra as well..via inhalation. 80 mg bid inhaled mixed with 1 ml of saline. My box as well is preservative free. It can be used via IV and IM injection too. We are in canada Like Mel (above) ...same clinic.

 

[DietRootBeer]

My son is on IV tobra as well..via inhalation. 80 mg bid inhaled mixed with 1 ml of saline. My box as well is preservative free. It can be used via IV and IM injection too. We are in canada Like Mel (above) ...same clinic.

 

[DietRootBeer]

My son is on IV tobra as well..via inhalation. 80 mg bid inhaled mixed with 1 ml of saline. My box as well is preservative free. It can be used via IV and IM injection too. We are in canada Like Mel (above) ...same clinic.

 

[wuffles]

I don't mix mine with anything, I never really thought about it! But it doesn't cause any problems either way.

 

[wuffles]

I don't mix mine with anything, I never really thought about it! But it doesn't cause any problems either way.

 

[wuffles]

I don't mix mine with anything, I never really thought about it! But it doesn't cause any problems either way.

 

[lilmac7]

Kat,

Surely they must have Ventolin or other brand Salbutamol (drug name) over there in New Zealand, it's a very popular drug used with asthma, check into it. If you do get it tho it may take a while to get used to it coming from taking the puffer inhaler, it'll make your heart race a little and probly make you feel a little gittery, but believe me you'll feel the difference compared to the puffer, well I do anyway, the puffer don't do much for me at all unless I do quite a few puffs so I don't even bother with it. Bronco spam is basicall constriction of the airways and you can tell it if you do the tobra and find that your breathing feels tight. To be honest with I've used albuterol and it doesn't do as good for me as the ventolin solution, as someone said before it's too diluted down. I would say give it a try with 2 ml saline but use the puffer before and if you feel any tightness just stop it and do the puffer again but don't continue using it. Look into getting the Salbutamol (Ventolin) solution before you ty it again.

 

[lilmac7]

Kat,

Surely they must have Ventolin or other brand Salbutamol (drug name) over there in New Zealand, it's a very popular drug used with asthma, check into it. If you do get it tho it may take a while to get used to it coming from taking the puffer inhaler, it'll make your heart race a little and probly make you feel a little gittery, but believe me you'll feel the difference compared to the puffer, well I do anyway, the puffer don't do much for me at all unless I do quite a few puffs so I don't even bother with it. Bronco spam is basicall constriction of the airways and you can tell it if you do the tobra and find that your breathing feels tight. To be honest with I've used albuterol and it doesn't do as good for me as the ventolin solution, as someone said before it's too diluted down. I would say give it a try with 2 ml saline but use the puffer before and if you feel any tightness just stop it and do the puffer again but don't continue using it. Look into getting the Salbutamol (Ventolin) solution before you ty it again.

 

[lilmac7]

Kat,

Surely they must have Ventolin or other brand Salbutamol (drug name) over there in New Zealand, it's a very popular drug used with asthma, check into it. If you do get it tho it may take a while to get used to it coming from taking the puffer inhaler, it'll make your heart race a little and probly make you feel a little gittery, but believe me you'll feel the difference compared to the puffer, well I do anyway, the puffer don't do much for me at all unless I do quite a few puffs so I don't even bother with it. Bronco spam is basicall constriction of the airways and you can tell it if you do the tobra and find that your breathing feels tight. To be honest with I've used albuterol and it doesn't do as good for me as the ventolin solution, as someone said before it's too diluted down. I would say give it a try with 2 ml saline but use the puffer before and if you feel any tightness just stop it and do the puffer again but don't continue using it. Look into getting the Salbutamol (Ventolin) solution before you ty it again.