Has anyone nebulized plain saline to loosen congestion?
My asthma tends to manifest itself in (among other things) frequent bronchitis with a lot of really thick, hard-to-cough-up gunk in my lungs. It creates kind of a vicious cycle in which coughing triggers asthma &; asthma triggers more coughing. I have heard that some people find it helpful to nebulize plain sterile normal saline to help loosen chest congestion. I definitely recognize that saline is never a substitute for actual medication, I'm just wondering if anyone has tried it as an "add-on" and what their experience was?
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Hi rjmoon and thanks for this post. It's an interesting question and one I'm happy to answer. In the 1970's and 1980's many of us working in hospitals were doing just that - nebulizing 'normal, sterile saline' to patients with asthma and COPD. For many, the results were clear - it helped to loosen thick secretions (mucus) and then to cough it out (with coaching and sometimes the adjunct, chest physical therapy). If you find this is helpful to you, you may want to discuss it with your physician and, if (s)he says it's okay, start taking those treatments for yourself. Please do check back and let us know how you're doing. All the best, Leon (site moderator)
I have used saline and when that did not work on vent-dependent quadriplegics;we used sodium bi-carb. It actually worked pretty good.
Hi again, Debgrubb - Thanks for joining in this conversation. Are you a clinician of some kind? Leon (site moderator)
did once as I had the most awful dry chesty cough but with my clinicians approval. I would say be careful as it can cause excessive mucus. I had to up my sprieva afterwards and ultimately someone had to do back smacking motions to get me to cough it out. Just be careful
Hi sharmeen, and thanks for lending your own support and encouragement here. We also appreciate you sharing your own personal experience with the community while using normal saline for airway clearance.
We value both your input and your feedback.
All the best,
Leon (site moderator asthma.net)
My experience is a little different. Nebulized albuterol caused me to shake so badly and headache. The Dr. suggested I dilute the albuterol solution by half by adding any of the several different products: Ocean, { moistursing nasal or optic solution) which I don't now was saline or suitable for medical use or bottled and sterile water. He said his preference was saline which could be found in some nasal sprays. Be sure to read the lables. Crazy, huh ? I was using the albuterol this prior to Pulmimcort but after adding, what I think was saline solution, I started coughing and choking up thicker mucous. than I had ever before. When I used sterile water for dilution I didn't have this happen. My side efx were reduced. Hope you find find this relevant.
Hi "K", and thanks for sharing your own personal experience and the suggestions of your physician.
I will add that normal saline (which is considered to be 0.9%), is, generally speaking, what is recommended by physicians for this type of purpose for certain patients. It would be unusual and not really recommended to use any other percentage (in most cases) for this purpose. Higher percentages are typically used to stimulate a cough for various other reasons. As well, it is also unusual and not generally recommended to use 'other products' in place of normal saline.
Your comment is certainly relevant and, as always, helpful to hear what is working (and not working, too!), for our members here.
Enjoy the remainder of the weekend!
Leon (site moderator asthma.net)
