Hi tinaunger50, sorry for your troubles but will try to help. The nebulizer is to deliver your medication deep into your lungs. Usually a combination of albuterol and Ipratropium or possibly something else. I use one at least twice a day and I find it lasts a lot longer than the puffers. It's the albuterol that makes you jittery and is normal. I have pretty much got used to it now. Not everyone likes the nebulizer but it has helped me quite a bit. Hope your doc can help you understand more but I know what you mean about trying to understand someone who can barely speak the language. Good luck.

Curt

I understand competely! I still don't know what isgoing on w/ me.. except I am still having trouble breathing. I also havea nebulizer, but my doctor didn't tell me how often to use it! hope more ppl will respond to yr post. ppl here can help you understand a little more..... r u having trouble breathing now? are you feeling better? hope so.....you may need too find a doctor that you can understand! that must really suck not to be able to UNDERSTAND HIM!

thank you curt..that was basicaly what I was wondering, if the nebulizer actually helps the disease or was just to help with our breathing. and Im hopefull now that the jitters will subside. very helpfull , thanks again. Linda sorry to hear you too are at the shock still with all this. I dont have alot of breathing problems except at nite when trying to sleep, and Ive been battling this pneumonia problem for quite sometime, so that dont help things. theyve had me onLevofloxacin for weeks now and not much relief so far, going in for another ct scan tomorrow, If it dont show any better signs then they want to put a scope down my throat(not really sure why) Thanks for your support. and prayers and good luck to you . Hugs Tina

Tina...

Have you had any Pulmonary Lung Function Tests? (PFT's). This will determine at what stage you're in with your COPD. This along with other tests can help determine if you need supplemental oxygen.

Yes, Albuterol can make you nervous and jittery. Its' one of the side effects. He wants you to do it four times a day while you are recovering from pneumonia to help keep your airways open. It won't "cure" the pneumonia (I assume you've been given antibiotics for that) nor will it "cure" COPD. More than likely, when you are recovered, the 4 times will either go down or you will be able to use the nebulizer only as needed.

Your night time breathing problems could be sleep apnea. I've found quite a few people with COPD also suffer from this. Then too, some have oxygen for night time only.

Sounds like your doctor is trying to stay on top of it and resolve what is going on with your lungs. There's lots of good info either here or on the Internet. Just don't read a bunch of morality statistics and get depressed! Most of us have lived with it for years and years!

Best to you!

I'm so sorry you're going through a difficult time right now, but there are lots of people here to help your through!

I understand how you feel about quitting smoking a year ago and then being diagnosed with emphysema. I found out I had it 18 years after I quit. My Pulmonologist told me that I would have gotten it much sooner if I had not quit when I did. She explained that everyone, whether they smoke or not, loses a small amount of lung function each year as they age. That's why it's only shown up on me recently (2 years ago when I hit 60). I guess the pneumonia made yours show up sooner.

Lke you, I get extremely jittery when I use Albuterol, but thank goodness I don't have to use it often. Right now, the Spiriva every morning is doing very well. The only time I use Albuterol is right before I do anything more strenuous than usual, like taking a long walk or trying to clean house.

I hope you have a good report from the doctor when you return next week!

Hi Tina Welcome here.

I am sorry for your recent diagnosis and difficulties, you have been given some great answers already. May I suggest just one or two more options...

If you can try to access an english speaking pulmonary nurse through your GP or the hospital, explaining of your recent experience and that you need proper guidance and instruction on using your prescribed meds (including the oxygen and using the nebuliser) to be sure you will get the best benefits from these medicines. Also mention about the neb med giving you the jitters, the dose may need adjusting or the med itself.

Do let us know how you get on. Hope you can manage to access the respiratory nurse quickly. However do try for a telephone appointment to speak with your doc sooner about immediate concerns if you do have to wait to see the respiratory nurse.

Hope you can get this situation resolved soon.

thanks so much everybody. Im also on R.A. support group and that is how I learned all about my disease and how to cope. theres lots of wonderfull people on there as well. jamz, I took several tests exrays, cts, barium swallow, and a breathing test that you have to do with assistance..teling you when to hold your breath and puffing hard into a tube type thing. it took about 45 minutes to get through it. not sure what that one was called. what little I understood was he said on a scale from 1 to 10, I was a 5 or 6. after reading alot of posts on here it doesnt make sense he would describe it that way. he did also say my breathin capacity is 50 percent lower than it should be for someone my age, also that my lungs are balooning ? Im gonna write down some questians to ask with his nurse there to help explain things to me. I had another c.t today and go back and see him next wednesday. thanks again all !

hi,

two words, Oxygen Concentrator. You'll finally sleep at nite when u use it. But try not to use it all of the time. Your symptons will improve as your health does. I bought one on Craigs List. They're for sale on the web, Craigs List and very reasonable in price. Just make sure your pulmonary Dr is in agreement. Be positive, be strong...you are not alone!

I will check that out, thanks much. is there any symptoms to be a where of ?

If you are asking about sleep apnea, the symptoms are waking up constantly during the night - sometimes gasping for breath. You may have a headache in the morning and feel groggy and tired during the day, feeling you have to take lots of naps, etc, and even falling asleep at the oddest times ( I once did so while talking to a friend on the phone). Then, too, I imagine because your breathing is more shallow during sleep, often your oxygen levels can drop and this requires extra oxygen while you sleep.

A sleep apnea test can determine whether you have obstructive or central sleep apnea or even that you don't have it. If you do, you will probably given a CPAP machine; the settings determined by the doctor, who will also prescribe oxygen for you if needed, when to use it and tell you how many liters per minute.

Hope this helps. :o)

Tina do hope your feeling better today.
I have been diagnosis now since 2008 and am on oxygen 24/7. During the day I use it as needed and as far as the nebulizer I use it as needed but do find that if I take a treatment at bedtime I sleep all night and when I wake I can cough up any muscus very easily. In the beginning it made me jittery but the longer u take it the more your body will adjust and now I feel no side affects from it.
I am not sure about the numbers your Doctor gave you on a scale of 1-10. My breathing is at 19% so I have been told but I dont feel that it is that low. I do better at this % than I read from people who are at 40 or 50%.
Keep dropping back in here and you will learn many new things from our posters.