Severity of mucus accumulation

I generally neb twice a day, morning and evening. On some occasions in the middle of the day I can start to cough again as I feel mucus building up. It seems after about 5 hours I feel the need to shift it again.

Then sometimes I can get away with nebbing only once a day...I haven't noticed a pattern though.

I don't notice a very strong pattern but I neb and use the Aerobika in the morning and evening. The 7% usually brings up a lot of clear mucus immediately but sometimes I find that I don't get as much out as I'd like. I always want to see some of the impacted mucus come out and it's just hard to get out! Even after percussive cupping and postural draining. As you mentioned though, there might be a delayed effect. At times, randomly throughout the day—I want to believe it's because it's loosened from the morning neb+airway clearance—I'll clear out a mucus plug or two which is reassuring.

Can you describe to me what a mucus plug is and possibly what it looks like? I used to once in awhile bring up and cough out “globs” 1 occasionally 2 early in my disease process, but I don’t anymore. Although I do get out a good amount of mucus usually in the morning and evening. I know in the morning it’s settled from the night so there’s more, I lately at times have nebbed 3% midday and that brings up some also. I believe the predominant area of my Bronchiectasis is in my lower lobes that is why it’s been much harder to cough out in the last 4-5 months or so. I also had Covid last month so I think that played a major role in my symptoms.

@spider109 A mucus plug in my experience is different than the clear, thinner mucus that I typically bring up after/during my nebulizer treatment and airway clearance. In my experience they are small, pencil-eraser-sized and thick yellow -or- yellow/brown globs. I think amount, color and viscosity is likely different for everyone.

In a CT scan or x-ray, they appear as opaque areas in the airways and sometimes are referenced as airways that show impaction or are 'impacted'.

Have you spoken with your doctor about the amount of mucus you're producing and whether respiratory therapy with postural drainage and percussive cupping might help get some of that out of your lower airways?

I do all of that to some degree, i also nebulize AM/PM. I have the vibration vest and do postural drainage on my tilt bed after nebulizing in evening. (Foot end elevated of course) I never had this much problems since a lung infection in July, followed by Covid mid September. Expelling the mucus was so much easier for the previous 3 years or so. Yes occasionally a tough time or two, but nothing like now. My Pulmonologist is aware of course and is waiting for sputum culture results to check for MAC. Thank-you for your reply

I have nearly a constant need to clear what appears to be a build up of mucus in my throat all day long. At times I have some relief with chewing a small piece of gum.
What comes up, for me, appears to be a combination of clear saliva, clear mucus, white bubbly foamy moisture and not as often....mucus plugs.
I have clear solo cups that I use to place what I bring up into. By having the clear cups I can see what is coming up and out. At times when I lift the cup into the light I can see the mucus plugs. The mucus plugs show up darker than anything that I bring up and out into the cup. If you clear the mucus build up after eating, overall that is not be a good time to look for mucus plugs....hard to differentiate what comes up after eating.
My condition. My recent PFT is off the scale in the right direction. The CScan showed improvement in two areas, however, new mucus plugging in left lower lobe showed up on the CScan. Sputum consistently showing MAC/MAI.
I will be starting Ethambutol and Azithromycin after I have my hearing and eyes checked to have a baseline of both. I was diagnosed with BE 8/22 and have had mild infection from the beginning. This will be my first time time on the antibiotics for BE/MAI/MAC and am hoping the antibiotics will help with the constant need to clear out what builds up in my throat.
Barbara

Thank-you Barbara, very informative. I too have a very similar situation as you described. I can’t message now, but would like to message you in the future if possible for further assistance and guidance if okay.

Yes, so glad when we are able to have the support of this site and a grest Volunteer, Sue.
I will be glad to share what works for me....
So much is so different for us due to multiple factors related to our overall health condition(s) and genes.
I am 82 and overall feel fine but it's just this constant need to clear my throat that is more than anything frustrating and limiting in terms of socializing.
Barbara