I posted the following info on CF 2 chat but some of you have been asking me about the IPV so I thought I'd copy the info here <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">Some of you may know about the IPV, but for those of you that don't - I felt it my duty to share information to other CFers because it has done so much for me.The IPV is another nebulizing machine - like the PulmoAide or whatever you use to nebulize your meds. The difference is that the IPV acts like an air compressor - so it's like doing the Vest inside your chest. You can change the speed and pressure of how much it "pounds." I take all of my medications through it and it cuts the nebulizing time in half (compared to using the PARI neb on a PulmoAide). The only meds you aren't supposed to take through it are things like Pulmozyme, Tobi, Colisiting (there may be a few others but your CF center and pharmacist would know) - I do my Tobi and Pulmozyme through it anyway because the PARI neb causes too much inflammation in my lungs and makes me lose my voice - they say not to use those meds on the IPV but I figure - it's either not take it at all or take it through my IPV and get a little bit (though judging on how much the Pulmozyme helps me get up after taking it through the IPV - I think I still get all of the medication in).Anyway - the reason I'm posting this message is because the IPV has allowed me to have totally stable PFTs for the past 10 years (this year I took a big drop because I became sicker than I ever have). My docs couldn't believe how stable I had been because it wasn't usual for a patient to literally have no drops in their PFTs for 10 solid years.I started the IPV when I was 18 (I'm 28 now). I was in the hospital for an infection and the pulmonologist brought in a machine I had never seen before - she hadn't been trained on it so my parents tried to help her with it (my Mom is an RN and was good at figuring out how to work the machine) - she turned it on and it scared the crap out of the pulmonologist because it's somewhat loud (just as loud as the Vest) and she had never seen anything like it before. Apparently it was used over in the UK but not much in the US. Well, my parents realized what a benefit it could be. They went out and bought one (at the time, we didn't think insurance would cover it - which they do now, you can also purchase the machine for around $3000-$4000 or get a refurbished one for about $1900, I think you can rent them too).We trained together on it as it took some work getting used to it but slowly we were able to increase the pressure and my mouth muscles got used to it and I've used it every day for 10 years 2-4 times a day, didn't need the Vest, didn't need CPT, didn't need the flultter because the IPV kept my airways clear. It also pushed the meds deeper into my lungs.When I've had hospital stays and the hospital's IPV machine wasn't available - my docs began noticing that I'd actually become sicker from not having it - so they always let me go on home IVs now after being monitored for a few days in the hospital before being released.This machine is not for everyone I'm sure, I just felt I had a responsibility to let you all know about it because I have been able to do so well with it, I wanted others to benefit as well.If you have any questions - please post here or feel free to email me. I can give you the company information to give to your doctor or you can call the company (Percussonaire) directly - they are VERY nice.Here is a bit more info on it. Please note that the picture they have does not look at all like the unit I use at home.http://www.medspecialties.com/pages/percussionaire.htmland another:http://www.fsma.org/ipv_01.shtmlThis one will open up a PDF file - it shows all of the exciting things we use - the IPV is the one at the very bottom and looks just like the one I use (except you'll see a long pink tube coming out of the nebulizer - I don't use this, it's just to direct the mist from exhaling out of your face - they have a new nebulizer that directs it away from your face, so you don't need to use the pink tube).www.cardiopt.org/csm04/devices.pdfPiperpmcp@comcast.net