Has anyone had mucous plugging that needed treatment?

@winterfelllvoyager75 I have mucus plugging and my pulmonologist mentioned doing a bronchoscopy to go down and use suction to clear them. I had many misgivings with this doctor so I did not have this done. I will see my new pulmonologist in January and will see if she suggests that as well. If not, I plan to ask her about it. How would your doctor remove them? Hoping others respond with their experiences.

I’m having a repeat CT lung scan in a few weeks to follow up on the pneumonia I just had and to check on the mucus plugging. My Pulmonologist says the mucus plugging is causing repeated episodes of pneumonia. If still present, the plan is to do a bronchoscopy to remove them!
I sure don’t won’t pneumonia again or a collapsed lung!
Good luck to you with your new Pulmonologist!

I recently had a chest CT follow-up for pulmonary nodules and the recent f/u scan showed endobronchial plugging. I asked for a pulmonology referral for shortness of breath issues but it was denied because the pulmonary nodules were stable, but the plugging wasn’t addressed. I have not had pneumonia.

I had chronic bronchitis and some mucus plugging and did a clinical trial using RheOx at Temple Lung in Philadelphia. It worked- it was done in 2022. Here’s info about the RheOx. I don’t know if it’s approved in the US yet though.

RheOx is a new treatment designed to reduce mucus-producing cells in the lungs, which can help alleviate symptoms associated with chronic bronchitis, including mucus plugs. It uses a minimally invasive procedure to deliver pulsed electric field energy to the airways, potentially improving quality of life for patients suffering from excessive mucus production.
One more article:
https://www.bumc.bu.edu/camed/news-events/articles/2025/new-study-investigates-the-role-of-mucus-plugs-in-copd/

@ktf The last article explains about the role of mucus plugs in COPD.

There was also another trial I didn’t qualify for at Temple using nitrogen on the plugs.

One more article about cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen.
https://www.emphysemafoundation.org/index.php/news-and-events/97-therapeutic-toolbox-articles/405-cryotherapy-spray-for-copd-approved-fda