I use a spacer with albuterol. I never bothered asking, what exactly is the use of a spacer? Is it necessary?

I've taken albuterol without the spacer before as well, and it didn't seem like there was much of a difference...

Thanks!

A spacer is a holding chamber for the medicine. When an inhaler such as albuterol is used without a spacer it comes out of the canister so fast that 80% of the drug ends up coating the back of your mouth and throat, so a spacer slows it down so you should get alot more of the drug. An inhaler used with a spacer and a good 10 sec. breath hold after inhaling the drug should work as well as a nebulizer. At the hospital I work at we do an asthma protocol when some one comes into our ER where we use inhalers either albuterol or combivent with spacers along with doing peak flows and often get very positive results and tend to see less repeat customers as they just learned how to treat it at home .( we do use more the 2 puffs and monitor the patients for side effects). Many times it is a patient that uses an inhaler at home without a spacer and they can not believe the difference it makes when they are having an actual asthma attack. Good luck. Janmarie

JanMarie, I didn't post the original question, but thanks for the answer! When I went to the ER with my first asthma attack, they used Albuterol and a spacer, and then sent both home with me, but didn't tell me why I should use the spacer. Since they had removed it before sending it home, I just didn't put it back on...I figured it was something for when you were having a really bad attack and not needed the rest of the time. Now I think I'll go put it back on, since we've been having a really hard time getting my asthma under control (though they put me on Advair Friday and it seems to be helping).
:)Melissa

Wow, that's interesting. I never heard of using a spacer instead of a nebulizer. I was told I should always use the spacer, and use the neb when I'm bad. Last time I was in the ER they gave me 7 neb treatments, but never had me use the inhlaer with the spacer.