do you own a nebulizer?

yo'ma

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 11:13 am

When my oldest ds was around 5, he had trouble breathing, so I had to get a nebulizer. B'h, the insurance covered it. Since then we've used it many times, but b'h not as many times as someone with asthma because he only has problems after a cough. He actually does have an inhaler, but he rarely uses it. The reason we've used it many times is because the doctor tells us to use it for another child when he's sick. I was wondering if it's the norm for people to own a nebulizer that the doctor would say it so freely. What if we didn't have one? Would we have to get one for those seldom times?

notshanarishona

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 11:19 am

I own one.
Most people who moderate to severe asthma have one even if normally they use there inhalers.
Also, many people with children with asthma have one as generally with kids it is harder to get the medicine properly from an inhaler (even with a spacer).

Mrs.K

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 11:20 am

Yes, we have one.

There are neighborhood clinics and gamachs for nebulizers but honestly, after shlepping out twice with a sick baby to borrow it from a clinic, I just bought one myself. 4 kids later, I'm happy I did.

suzyq

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 11:21 am

My brother has asthma so we owned a nebulizer when I was growing up. It wasn't really an option not to, even though he could go months without using it. But when he did need it, he needed it up to 3 times a day and the inhaler didn't do the trick. I don't think it's so unusual.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 11:26 am

I was under the impression that most parents of young children buy one at some point. Ours was not covered by insurance, but the cost was not that prohibitive. And we'll always have it, though hopefully we won't need to use it often. What's the other option if your child requires it for asthma or illness?

MiracleMama

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 12:07 pm

We have a nebulizer. We all use it. Nobody has asthma. (Well, I did as a child but B"H outgrew it). Mostly we use it when we have colds. No medications. Just salt water. It really helps. I have one son who is always a bit congested so he uses it almost every night before bed. It helps him sleep well.
By the way, the first one we got was very expensive, probably about $200. It broke after a few years and we got a new one from Amazon for under $40 and frankly it works just as well. So for anyone interested in trying on, no need to waste money on expensive models.

Mirabelle

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 12:15 pm

We have three...one for each child (I guess the insurance allowed for one per person?). Our pediatrician was really into prescribing the nebulizer for chest infections, so it feels like the kiddies all use it for one good cold per year.

Happy18

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 12:15 pm

We had one growing up. We all used it as kids and so did many people I know. It doesnt seem unreasonable to me for the doctor suggest one.

Ruchel

Tue, Jul 19 2011, 1:34 pm

As a kid, as soon as it was cold, I was more often sick/on antibios than not. We owned a nebulizer. Several of my friends had one too - those whose parents cared to treat them not JUST with antibios... BH most people outgrow it.
It strikes me now as a very "Jewish" thing to have, for some reason.

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Jul 20 2011, 12:13 am

MaBelleVie wrote:

Why? One would buy a nebulizer only if they need one. Growing up, we never needed one. Then my brother was born, ten years after me and we had to buy one, but when I was little, BH we never had one in the house.
We have one today at home as my husband has asthma and my daughter has her father's lungs Smile

Mommy3.5

Wed, Jul 20 2011, 10:03 pm

amother wrote:

we have 5 at home. silly to say its a jewish thing. If you need it you have it, I wish I wouldnt need it.

We have 3, I thought no one could have more! Comes in handy when 3 are coughing, you do all at once in 10 minuets rather then an hour.... Very Happy

cbsmommy

Wed, Jul 20 2011, 11:05 pm

We have a nebulizer! Insurance covered ours 100%! DD1 was 4 months old the first time she had a major chest infection. Infants/toddlers cannot use inhalers. DD was put on a nebulizer 4x daily for 2 months in order to help her breathe. A year and a bit later, she was put on pulmicort 2x daily. If we'd have needed to 'rent' or shlep out to a medicine gemach it would have been a disaster!

Ours came from Walgreens, I think it was something like $90 without insurance for a compressor, an infant mask, a toddler mask, and an older child/adult mouthpiece. I really liked the fact that the masks for kids were shaped like fish -- it makes nebulizing an 'under the sea adventure with bubble medication'! We read an under the sea book while nebulizing too (partially b/c we are pathetic, and partially b/c ANYTHING that keeps a 2 year old sitting still for the 5 minutes required to nebulize is 100% worthwhile).

VeryBusyMom

Wed, Jul 20 2011, 11:21 pm

We have one too - we got it because my son has intermittent asthma. I am wondering for those who use it for chest colds - what do you put in it? Medication? Or something else we should know about?

iluvy

Wed, Jul 20 2011, 11:52 pm

My pediatrician told us to use it because my baby had a chest infection. It wasn't covered by insurance, and I didn't want to pay the $70, so the doctor lent us one for the ~2 weeks she was on medication. They didn't seem surprised when I asked, so I guess other people do this too.

yo'ma

Thu, Jul 21 2011, 10:20 am

VeryBusyMom wrote:

We have one too - we got it because my son has intermittent asthma. I am wondering for those who use it for chest colds - what do you put in it? Medication? Or something else we should know about?

As someone said, they use salt water, but I doubt they make it themselves. We use solucion fisiologica.

c.c.cookie

Thu, Jul 21 2011, 10:48 am

Here in Israel there are nebulizer gemachs in every neighborhood (I actually have a gemach at home), so I don't find it strange when doctors tell you to use it easily - they're quite easy to come by.

(Disclaimer: I do not in any way mean to imply that Israel is better in any way Wink