Taking Pulmozyme
Watch the following video and learn how important it is to keep up on your Pulmozyme treatments. With CF lung health, feeling well is just part of the story.
With Pulmozyme (dornase alfa), every day matters
Even when symptoms aren't present, CF is still present. That's why taking Pulmozyme every day, along with other standard therapies, is so important. This may help interrupt the cycle of cystic fibrosis progression.
It has been shown that daily use of Pulmozyme may help maintain or even improve lung function. One study also showed that the lung function improvements patients had gained were quickly lost when they stopped taking Pulmozyme.
Why Pulmozyme is an important part of a preventive treatment plan
Along with other standard therapies, Pulmozyme may help delay CF progression by improving lung function and reducing the risk for respiratory tract infections.
In studies of patients with mild to moderate disease (defined as FVC of at least 40% of predicted), Pulmozyme helped patients improve their lung function as measured by FEV1 by approximately 6%. In comparison, the lung function of patients who did not take Pulmozyme stayed roughly the same.
For patients with CF, repeated respiratory tract infections can lead to more rapid decline in lung function. Studies have also shown that patients who used Pulmozyme daily reduced the relative risk of respiratory tract infections by 27% as compared to patients who did not take Pulmozyme.
Since it was introduced in 1994, Pulmozyme has been an important part of CF treatment for many patients.
Remember, to help delay disease progression, it's important to stick to a daily routine that includes Pulmozyme treatment. It's also important to continue taking Pulmozyme even while taking other cystic fibrosis medications. Missing treatment with Pulmozyme can impact the improvement in lung function that you or your child are working so hard to achieve.
Making time for Cystic Fibrosis treatment
Taking Pulmozyme along with other standard therapies takes time, but fitting it into your daily schedule doesn't have to be hard. Here are some tips to consider that will help keep you or your child on the right track with daily treatment:
- Administer treatment during a favorite TV show
- Set aside magazines or a fun book to read specifically during administration time
- Use administration time to plan your day, an upcoming vacation, or other enjoyable activities
- If your child has CF, get him or her involved. Let your child hold the nebulizer during treatment or help with cleaning it
- Consider getting an additional mask to allow child to pretend to give treatment to a doll or stuffed animal
