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Hemoptysis - wonder what others do
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (61)Comment receiving replies
I feel like nothing will take away the fear that has taken control of me, but I will research if there is anyone in my area who could handle this and who might take Medicare and supplement. Sadly money is an issue and I am guessing this would be expensive. Thank you for your help and I think it would help me to talk with the people you tagged so I really hope to hear from them. Thank you again.
Replies to "I feel like nothing will take away the fear that has taken control of me, but..."
Karen, I am so sorry this has you so anxious. As you have seen here, it is a somewhat common thing with Bronchiectasis - the blood vessels in our lungs are damaged by this disease along with other tissue.
While I have not had major hemoptysis, I used to get pink froth when coughing. The respiratory therapist told me to make sure I was only using active breathing, "huff coughing" or postural drainage during airway clearance and limit any session to 20 minutes to avoid further irritating my lungs. She said it is not necessary to get out every bit of mucus out in every session - the goal is just to keep everything liquid and moving. Others have said they were advised to either change to 3% saline nebs or use less 7% saline after an episode. Have you tried that?
It might help you to understand that those episodes, while frightening, are not major hemorrhages, but breaks in tiny vessels. The guideline I was given was call if you have 1/2 cup of blood in one event or a cupful in a day. This can indicate a clotting issue, and you can be given medications to help with that.
@cayenne give good advice about calming yourself.
Now you have 3 new tools to help you.
- the knowledge that this is not life-threatening
- a possible way to reduce irritation to your lungs
- a relaxation exercise for when it does happen
And an old tool - you can always come and talk to us!
Will you try these tactics and let us know if they help?
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Dear Karen. Probably most of us have the fear of getting sick again, of getting MAC reactivated or of other scary things that we deal with. So am I. Ask your family doctor for anti anxiety medication. I tried two andcould not take any because every time I developed racing hear and high pulse. I am still open to mental help and must find it near my home. But I am sure your medicare covers mental health and it should not ruin your finances. I think most of us are on a very tight budget. I never realized that a chronic disease can be so costly. Every extra purchase such as probiotics and tissue, filters must be purchased with the savings money. I hope you will get the help you need. My best to you.