1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis

Airway clearance not working?

Posted by @ling @wangling, 2 days ago

Hi community,
Since I frequently have flare ups, I have to examine my airway clearance techniques to see if I am doing them right.
The following is what I do twice a day these days:
1. inhale levalbuterol + 7% saline;
2. autogenic drainage, lying down with my right side up, since my problem is the upper right lobe, then huff cough;
3. aerobika, first lying down, then sitting up, then huff cough;
When inhaling saline, it makes me cough a lot. It seems I get more mucus out while inhaling saline.
Autogenic drainage, aerobika and huff coughing help me to get a little mucus out, but never a lot.
Sometimes, not long after I finish the clearance, I start coughing and the cough will get more mucus out.
Question:
Is it normal that autogenic drainage and aerobika and huff coughing do not get much mucus out, but afterwards the coughing would get more out? If I don't cough, that means I did not clean out my mucus completely, right?
Please share your experience with me. You are the people who can help me. I feel desperate. I hope I made myself clear.
Many thanks!
Ling

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spider109 | @spider109 | 1 day ago

Ling, how did you find out the area (Lobe) of your problem? CT scan? I also have a lot of mucus and neb the same solutions as you do (Levalbuterol & 7%) am & pm. I also have a LABA (Bevespi) that I take two puffs twice daily, am & pm AFTER my airway clearance sessions. I also when I have time nebulize just a saline (3% or 7%) 6-7 hours after I take the LABA. I was told my mucus is mostly in my lower lobes. If I don’t have time to nebulize the 7% only (mid day) then I take 2-3 puffs of my me levalbuterol rescue inhaler. What I found really helpful is drinking a good sip of water before each Areobika sequence of 10 or however many you do. The first two sequences usually are more difficult to get mucus up the it seems to be easier. I can only think that the 7% COMBINED with the sips of water is why. I was told by my Pulmonologist that I can take up to 12 puffs of levalbuterol inhaler daily, with 1 vial nebulizing equivalent to 2 puffs. I don’t do any of the other, (although I should) as I tried numerous times and it didn’t seem to help, to include the vest. Hope this helps

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | 1 day ago

@ling When I tried postural drainage it did nothing to help me. I find exercise much more helpful in airway clearance - yoga or brisk walking, even working in my house or yard, doing tasks at a brisk pace with plenty of bending/reaching. Airway clearance expert Dr Pamela McShane has long promoted exercise as a means of clearing airways. Besides it is a lot more fun and productive to MOVE than to lie down fruitlessly trying to get the mucus out.

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2 replies
payette78 | @payette78 | 1 day ago
In reply to @sueinmn "@ling When I tried postural drainage it did nothing to help me. I find exercise much..." + (show)
@sueinmn

@ling When I tried postural drainage it did nothing to help me. I find exercise much more helpful in airway clearance - yoga or brisk walking, even working in my house or yard, doing tasks at a brisk pace with plenty of bending/reaching. Airway clearance expert Dr Pamela McShane has long promoted exercise as a means of clearing airways. Besides it is a lot more fun and productive to MOVE than to lie down fruitlessly trying to get the mucus out.

Jump to this post

I saw dr mcshane's presentation on exercise. Very informative. Sometimes it's hard for me to get motivated when i am coughing and short of breath. But i think you're onto something here, Sue.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | 1 day ago
In reply to @payette78 "I saw dr mcshane's presentation on exercise. Very informative. Sometimes it's hard for me to get..." + (show)
@payette78

I saw dr mcshane's presentation on exercise. Very informative. Sometimes it's hard for me to get motivated when i am coughing and short of breath. But i think you're onto something here, Sue.

Jump to this post

I completely understand "Very informative. Sometimes it's hard for me to get motivated when i am coughing and short of breath..." But the upside is that a walk outdoors, no matter the weather, is a great spirit lifter. When my cough was as its worst, I learned that a walk helped - even if I had to stop every 50-100'.

REPLY
1 reply
payette78 | @payette78 | 1 day ago
In reply to @sueinmn "I completely understand "Very informative. Sometimes it's hard for me to get motivated when i am..." + (show)
@sueinmn

I completely understand "Very informative. Sometimes it's hard for me to get motivated when i am coughing and short of breath..." But the upside is that a walk outdoors, no matter the weather, is a great spirit lifter. When my cough was as its worst, I learned that a walk helped - even if I had to stop every 50-100'.

Jump to this post

Yes the great outdoors has always been restorative to my spirits.

REPLY
scoop | @scoop | 1 day ago

Ling, Have you tired 2 or more vails of saline all at one time or interspersed throughout clearance?

REPLY
@ling | @wangling | 1 day ago

Thanks scoop. I have not. I think I am going to give it a try.
Do you take 2 viles twice a day?

Ling

REPLY
@ling | @wangling | 1 day ago
In reply to @spider109 "Ling, how did you find out the area (Lobe) of your problem? CT scan? I also..." + (show)
@spider109

Ling, how did you find out the area (Lobe) of your problem? CT scan? I also have a lot of mucus and neb the same solutions as you do (Levalbuterol & 7%) am & pm. I also have a LABA (Bevespi) that I take two puffs twice daily, am & pm AFTER my airway clearance sessions. I also when I have time nebulize just a saline (3% or 7%) 6-7 hours after I take the LABA. I was told my mucus is mostly in my lower lobes. If I don’t have time to nebulize the 7% only (mid day) then I take 2-3 puffs of my me levalbuterol rescue inhaler. What I found really helpful is drinking a good sip of water before each Areobika sequence of 10 or however many you do. The first two sequences usually are more difficult to get mucus up the it seems to be easier. I can only think that the 7% COMBINED with the sips of water is why. I was told by my Pulmonologist that I can take up to 12 puffs of levalbuterol inhaler daily, with 1 vial nebulizing equivalent to 2 puffs. I don’t do any of the other, (although I should) as I tried numerous times and it didn’t seem to help, to include the vest. Hope this helps

Jump to this post

Thank you for spending the time to write about your practice. Yes, the CT shows my right lobe has the bronchiectasis and mucus plug.

I hope you are doing well.

Ling

REPLY
@ling | @wangling | 1 day ago
In reply to @sueinmn "@ling When I tried postural drainage it did nothing to help me. I find exercise much..." + (show)
@sueinmn

@ling When I tried postural drainage it did nothing to help me. I find exercise much more helpful in airway clearance - yoga or brisk walking, even working in my house or yard, doing tasks at a brisk pace with plenty of bending/reaching. Airway clearance expert Dr Pamela McShane has long promoted exercise as a means of clearing airways. Besides it is a lot more fun and productive to MOVE than to lie down fruitlessly trying to get the mucus out.

Jump to this post

Thanks Sue for sharing your experience.
I totally agree. I am very active in my life too. If I don't have flare ups, I walk 3 miles almost everyday. Going up the hill, a few times a week. Hiking when the weather allows. I love being in the woods. I don't know what I would be like without exercises. Even with a flare up, I just walk very slowly. This staph bacteria is so stubborn to get rid of, since it is everywhere.

I wonder if it is true to everyone, even after clearance, mucus still keeps coming up, right? Since our body produces mucus all the time.

Ling

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