Newly diagnosed after years of chronic coughing. I ended up in the hos

Deland, Florida.
I am checking bios of doctors.
Thank you!

@rlynnh please don’t cry - although if you want to go ahead. You might feel more tired but at least you will let go of some frustration. So first of all because you have bronchiectasis you are prone to getting every bug that’s floating around. Was your sputum checked? Did you have a bronch? A rule of thumb for most people with bronchiectasis is a MWF dose of azithromycin to ward off frequent infections. My husband has sarcoid and is on that cocktail. I get every bacteria out there and am on levoquin instead. Plus I’ve had MAC and aspergillosis and RSV and pseudomonas- so see it is a good idea to be on something ! We are at risk because we have bronchiectasis! That’s why nebulizing is important as well - to get the junk out of there. Good luck. Feel better please. So sorry. Irene5

I’m so sorry you’re having a tough time of it. I just have a couple minutes now and I know others will respond with great advice, but I’ll give you a couple things you can start reading/thinking about.

Sputum. Monitoring the volume and color is important in bronchiectasis. You want to keep your lungs as clear as possible. Are you producing any? Has it been cultured? It’s the culture results that guide antibiotic therapy.

Airway clearance. Do you do this? It is a key in bronchiectasis management. Many of us use a nebulizer with a bronchodilator or saline, followed by a flutter device then huff coughing to get the sputum out. If you’re able to get it out, it helps with the random coughing. There is a ton of information on this site to search on airway clearance, including a lecture by Dr McSwain that is in recent daily threads.

Are you saying you were prescribed Levoquin 3 days a week instead of Azithro? Never heard of that option. Why were you prescribed that instead and how do you do on it if you are taking it ongoing? It is such a strong antibiotic with side effects. Wonder how you manage? From the other Irene.

Other Irene:) I am on Levoquin 2x a week Monday and Thursday. My husband is on azithromycin MWF. I realize it is strong, and I am not a big person at 75 pounds. I was on 750mg for pseudomonas a few months ago, and my wonderful “team” ( ID and pulmonologist) decided a prophylactic of 500mg twice a week was a good option for me as my bronchiectasis has gotten worse, and I tend to be a victim of Murphy’s Law- if something will go wrong with my lungs it does. So that’s the long and short of that Irene. 🙂

I have bronchiectasis with bleeding episodes and an old history of TB contracted on a trip to India. The greatest help to me for congestion and keeping my mucus manageable has been drinking warm water throughout the day and mostly eating soups. I puree steamed vegetables and make them part of the soup. I don't eat dairy, or other foods that I notice cause me to generate a lot of mucus. I keep a food diary to see how I am affected by what and how much I eat at a seating. I don't eat too much at once, as that creates a sludge in my system that is then difficult to manage. I have a huge Stanley thermos that I always have with me and it has worked amazingly well. A few times a week I take a Guaifenesin tablet to help thin the mucus. I do a lot of deep breathing, stack breathing, and gentle huff coughs, and try to stay active, doing some stretching every morning. But if I had to name the one thing that has been most helpful it's the drinking of warm water throughout the day, especially when I feel that the congestion is building. It dilutes the secretions in a matter of minutes. Quite amazing. My biggest challenge is that I have lost too much weight on this regimen so I am trying to increase the volume of food very gradually paying close attention to the triggering of congestion symptoms that become too difficult to manage. Hope this helps!

I have that and a MAC infection. I use a nebulizer every morning, do breathing exercises, and a little exercise. Use an Air Physio at night to make sure lungs are clear. Also take a Mucinex at night. Sounds like a lot but does not take much time. Hope this helps.

It looks like Mayo Jacksonville wouldn’t be too far and bronchiectasis is on list of conditions they treat.

Some of us go to the big centers-National Jewish, Mayo (I went to MN), Texas Tyler and a few others to get a good work up and plan then f/u with a closer pulmonologist who is either willing to collaborate or at least flexible enough not to be insulted. It can take time, but if you’re willing to take a cancellation, you might get in sooner. Best of luck!