Any suggestions for expelling tenacioius mucus plugs?

Yes, Volara is made by Baxter and is for hospital use. I'm not sure it's available or recommended for home use, but I don't really know. My doc described it as sort of like a CPAP device that people with sleep apnea use. I'm sure it's off-label for what I'd need it for, but if I can't use a vest I guess it would be the last resort.

Thanks for the clarification.

Has anyone used the Berkey gravity water purifier or know how safe it is for people with bronchiectasis? I haven't been diagnosed with MAC as I have never been able to produce a decent sputum sample.

Go to Hillrom.com
And search for it there. Hillrom/Baxter is the manufacturer.

Yes I got Volara system in late fall after NJH doctor’s recommendation and Hillrom’s appeal to my insurance. After about two months of using it only at night ( faster that separate sodium, aerobika and vest) on medium pressure I started having chest pain and tight chest. I did not think first it could be the reason so I went through heart testing and some pulmo test. All was good. I contacted my doctor at NJH. And their answer was it could be caused by the changing air pressure pushed to the lungs. They advised to restart using it after the pain is gone -and it’s gone since I haven’t used it for the last two weeks) and then restart using it on the low setting. I am not ready to do it yet. Anyway you can have the volara system for the trial period. Summing up I think it is a convenient device to have as a back up may be when you are sick. We want to have whatever is available and help so I guess that’s why I got it. But generally for me it has not been very useful so far and I don’t use it to its full capacity for sure. I might even return it. I would say try it and then decide.

Hi, your question is a little off-topic for this particular discussion, but I'll give you a quick answer about the Berkey Gravity water purifier. None of their available filters, including the ceramic version, meets the requirements for removing mycobacteria from water.
To remove mycobacteria, the filter must remove particles of .2 microns or smaller. The best Berkey filter is rated to remove contaminants down to .9 microns. Further, all of their filters contain charcoal, which can be a breeding ground for mycobacteria.

So, no, a Berkey will not provide NTM-free water.

I have had a Volara for about two years. Once the settings were adjusted to my needs it has worked great. I use it daily for afternoon airway clearance. In the morning I use the Aerobika and saline. Saline seems to penetrate better with the Ombra or devilbiss nebulizer for me.

Yikes, I guess it's not for me, as I have a leaky aortic valve that will need to be replaced at some point. I even worry about my heart when using the vest so no, I don't think I'll pursue the Volara. Thanks so much for your response.

Hmm....Maybe it would be a good thing. I'll discuss it further with my cardiologist. Thank you.

Referring back to the Volara. Interesting that NJH suggested using the Volara. For me at the time, I was there in OCT. 2023, they suggested the one called The Vest, Air Clearance System. Sometime after receiving the VEST I also learned that they had another device called the Volara. I am not sure fully how it works. What I do know is that I myself also, as others, have mentioned that they began having pain. Others have mentioned having injures of the ribs. I think this happens to many of us. Some are told to start on high vs starting low and gradually building up to a higher pressure setting to understand what is best for them. Truth is, I now own it due to the timing of use and non use and am now wondering if I could begin again using it and not have the same problem. I have osteoporosis and have had it before going to NJH. The pulmonologist I see outside of NJH is not a fan of The Vest as is the case with some other pulmonologists. For some patients it apparently is not a good thing because it can cause bone and muscle problems for us, especially if one has osteopenia or osteoporosis etc. etc.
I believe there is a thread on this Mayo Connect that discusses the systems and use of.
Barbara