1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis with a side of asthma

Posted by scoop @scoop, Oct 6, 2023

Bronchiectasis: a condition where damage causes the tubes in your lungs (airways) to widen or develop pouches. It makes it hard to clear mucus out of your lungs and can cause frequent infections. Coughing a lot with pus and mucus is the main symptom of bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis can’t be cured but can be managed with treatment.

Asthma: a lung disease, where your airways get narrow and swollen and are blocked by excess mucus. Medications can treat these symptoms.

Question -- fellow co-morbid sufferers: how do you know how much bronchiectasis vs asthma? Do people with asthma alone have to clear excess mucus? What medications have helped either your asthma and/or bronchiectasis? If you feel gunky in the morning, is it more bronchiectasis than asthma? Will under treating either condition result in the worsening of the other?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

annagh | @annagh | 5 days ago

In a video from one of the conferences Dr. Wintrop in discussing airway clearance said, if time was an issue, he recommended exercise over a second nebulizing session.
Anna

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | 5 days ago
In reply to @annagh "In a video from one of the conferences Dr. Wintrop in discussing airway clearance said, if..." + (show)
@annagh

In a video from one of the conferences Dr. Wintrop in discussing airway clearance said, if time was an issue, he recommended exercise over a second nebulizing session.
Anna

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@cathylisa Dr Winthrop is not the only one who makes point - Dr Pamela McShane is another.

Maybe you could ask your doc if you can take one or two puffs of albuterol and neb saline before you skate, then do a second airway session in the evening?

The protocol will probably depend on the extent of your bronchiectasis, but if you are healthy enough to skate every day, my guess is you will get the okay to at least try this method.

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blm1007blm1007 | @blm1007blm1007 | 4 days ago
In reply to @cathylisa "I take Tezspire for my severe asthma and just use a nebulizer for my bronchiecstasis. I..." + (show)
@cathylisa

I take Tezspire for my severe asthma and just use a nebulizer for my bronchiecstasis. I had pseudomonas for six months and used a pic line for two weeks and after it came back used Tobramycin in my nebulizer. But I had a strong asthma reaction to the Tobramycin and had to go off it after one month. That seemed to be enough to eliminate it. Because I once tested positive for MAC, though not confirmed on subsequent sputum tests, my pulmonologist took me off azithromycin to reduce risk of immunity. My question is about the nebulizer. Both my pulmonologist and my second opinion pulmonologist suggest I first do albuterol to open my lungs and then saline to expectorate. Problem is I am a figure skater and skate early in the morning. It is such a long routine, in addition to my regular inhalers. I also would like to combine the albuterol and saline just to shorten the time. To top it off I have TMJ, which makes the nebulizer very uncomfortable. I cough up a lot of discolored phlegm when I skate. Is the exercise enough to reduce use of nebulizer? Can I combine albuterol and saline to shorten time? My lung capacity test showed significant difference after using rescue inhaler so asthma is probably worse than bronchiecstasis but they combine badly.

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If you google: " Does getting to breathlessness with exercising help get mucus up and out of the lungs" it might help with what you want to know.
I believe it is the cardio that they are referring to, reaching a point of breathlessness.
Dr. Ann Elizabeth O'Donnell from Georgetown a BE, Bronchiectasis specialist, in a video spoke of wearing a weighted down backpack when walking to get to a point of breathlessness.
Hope all you are seeing here is giving you ideas and answers.
Lovely, skating. Now that takes much determination and perseverance in itself.
Wishing you beautiful toe jumps and bunny hops.
Barbara

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circleup | @circleup | 4 days ago

i have MAC/MAI along with asthma. . . . .it is hard to distinguish between the two issues where coughing is the main event for both

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cathylisa | @cathylisa | 3 days ago
In reply to @blm1007blm1007 "If you google: " Does getting to breathlessness with exercising help get mucus up and out..." + (show)
@blm1007blm1007

If you google: " Does getting to breathlessness with exercising help get mucus up and out of the lungs" it might help with what you want to know.
I believe it is the cardio that they are referring to, reaching a point of breathlessness.
Dr. Ann Elizabeth O'Donnell from Georgetown a BE, Bronchiectasis specialist, in a video spoke of wearing a weighted down backpack when walking to get to a point of breathlessness.
Hope all you are seeing here is giving you ideas and answers.
Lovely, skating. Now that takes much determination and perseverance in itself.
Wishing you beautiful toe jumps and bunny hops.
Barbara

Jump to this post

Thank you!!

REPLY
cathylisa | @cathylisa | 3 days ago

Thank you all! I have been thinking it has worked as well as a nebulizer in the morning. I do three different inhalers before I go.

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blm1007blm1007 | @blm1007blm1007 | 2 days ago
In reply to @circleup "i have MAC/MAI along with asthma. . . . .it is hard to distinguish between the..." + (show)
@circleup

i have MAC/MAI along with asthma. . . . .it is hard to distinguish between the two issues where coughing is the main event for both

Jump to this post

Yes with two issues "it is hard to distinguish between the two issues".
My two issues that cause mucus and mucus coming up to the throat, especially after eating, is the BE/MAI and a hiatal hernia which may be also causing overproduction of mucus, per my readings of what a hiatal hernia can cause for some people.
Barbara

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