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bkite

Distinguished member
Joined
Sep 2, 2016
Messages
131
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
06/2013
Country
US
State
Washington
City
Yakima
So happy with my response to doing breath stacking exercise. I was thinking that magnesium was helping, but the exercise has allowed me to be independent of daytime ventilator use, and I don't get distressed now, when I am laying on my back either in bed or the wheelchair.
 
that is awesome!!!
 
Good for you B, my Nero started me on stacking about a year ago. I don't do it all that time but she says I should.
Al
 
Happy for you. It's great to hear about things that help. Kate
 
My RT taught me how to do it with the cough assist. I've been inconsistent but I did notice when I was doing it, I increased my total lung capacity (I ended up buying my own measuring equipment because I wasn't going to have another pulmonary function test.) I also believe it can even increase FVC if you do it on a regular basis.

I'm thrilled it's working for you. Every little discovery helps!
 
Guess I will have to ask Dr. Google what this is.
 
We have a cough assist but the provider has no idea how to set it up for breath stacking. I assume you would just set the exhale mode to the minimum settings effectively rendering it to only blow out. Or is there anything that would warrant leaving it the way is and utilizing the exhale mode as part of the breath stacking exercise?
 
Not having a cough assist, I am just doing the exercise while laying down, stacking three to four breaths in sync with the ventilator.
 
Yea, I got mine from the ALS society, it was free. Just a hand held device that you inflate three times like bkite says.
Al
 
Can you tell me what the "divice" is? Our RT showed us how to do breath stacking using an Ambu bag (is that the device you are talking about)? Not easy for my PALS to do, since his hands are one of the most severely affected areas of his body.
 
Cough Assist is a device that applies both positive and negative pressure to the lungs via a face mask and hose. It is handy for the breath stacking. The CALS is still involved with hooking up their PALS who has limited hand use.

Bruce
 
Buckhorn the ambu bag is very similar to what I use.
Al
 
We have been encouraged to use the Ambu bag for the breath stacking, but my PALS is not very good at doing it himself, due to his hand weakness. We still try, but it is hard for him to tolerate. We will be requesting the cough assist machine at our next ALS clinic, as my PALS has a very ineffective cough and on the rare occasions when he has choked, there is not much force behind his cough in response.
 
Buckhorn, You really don't have to wait until your clinic visit. My local neuro requested it for me. Medicare and my supplement pays the "rent" for a year, then I own it.
 
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