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Clearing Mucus Plugs

Posted by deestrada @deestrada, Jan 1 2:49pm

My last CT scan showed an increase in mucus plugs in my lungs. I am consistent in my airway clearance protocol, and have been on Brinsupri 3 months. My sputum has diminished considerably since Brinsupri, but mucous plugs have increase. Has anyone had success in clearing mucous plugs and what has worked for you?

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britchic | @britchic | 5 days ago
In reply to @blm1007blm1007 "@britchic Truth, I do not recall the company/brand I ordered. You can look at different types..." + (show)
Profile picture for blm1007blm1007 @blm1007blm1007

@britchic Truth, I do not recall the company/brand I ordered.
You can look at different types and companies on line, wedge pillows. You may have already done that.
A lot depends upon the type of materials you prefer so always best to check them all out in making that decision for yourself and likes etc.
Barbara

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@blm1007blm1007 thankyou

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narelled23 | @narelled23 | 4 days ago
In reply to @blm1007blm1007 "@narelled23 @dianajc I clear my mucus into a clear plastic solo cup and am able to..." + (show)
Profile picture for blm1007blm1007 @blm1007blm1007

@narelled23 @dianajc I clear my mucus into a clear plastic solo cup and am able to see the different liquids that I clear out with clearing my lungs and throat of it all.

Three pulmonologists looked at pictures I took of the cups and what I bring up....they could clearly see it all. In the cup were and are, when I do my therapy treatments etc. etc., what one might consider 'pus', meaning formed solid pieces. Prior to my being diagnosed and not understanding what was wrong with me these use to be deep green in color and would come up every so often when I 'sucked' them up and out when I felt something was stuck in me. I did think that I had an infection and told/showed my PCP....at that time he didn't think anything of it. However, a year later he was the one that ordered the C Scan and result....BE. I had lost 35 lbs. in that time and he finally understood....this woman does have a problem.
After my diagnosis and learning more of what to do the 'plugs' are light yellow in color vs the deep green color. I recently brought up what I consider a large 'plug/pus piece" that I hope was the one that was apparently recognized and related to me by the pulmonologists...as .....'more plugging and worse in the lower left lobe.' Recently after the large plug, I have had much smaller ones (plugs) build up and come out from the pockets, damages, of my lungs.
I have loose yellow mucus that comes up and is released along with the smaller, spec like, plugs that come up and out.
So that is what I am calling mucus plus. Some understand differently, meaning other BE patients, they feel/understood mucus plugs to be hard. Mine are gel like. Some BE patients say they do not have mucus plugs. So....again...we are all different and at different stages with our BE journey and infections.
Barbara

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I am so sorry you had to wait so long to get any action, Barbara. That
seems very common with our condition...but with your weight loss and
coloured plugs it is surprising.

I am not sure that I have plugs, my mucus is pretty well always
white/clear, or at least appears that way, but I don't use a clear
container....occasionally I notice a thicker white substance but at most
would be gell like, not solid.

My main issues are sob and volume of mucus: up to 3 cups/day. Exhausting
and annoying.

Thank you for the clear explanation. Best wishes.

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cholash | @cholash | 4 days ago

@deestrada Im also on Brinsupri , so this is concerning . The company claims Brinsupri will decrease mucus , so how can you be getting more plugs? Must be very frustrating . What is your doctor’s opinion?

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joyeous | @joyeous | 3 days ago
In reply to @narelled23 "I am so sorry you had to wait so long to get any action, Barbara. That..." + (show)
Profile picture for narelled23 @narelled23

I am so sorry you had to wait so long to get any action, Barbara. That
seems very common with our condition...but with your weight loss and
coloured plugs it is surprising.

I am not sure that I have plugs, my mucus is pretty well always
white/clear, or at least appears that way, but I don't use a clear
container....occasionally I notice a thicker white substance but at most
would be gell like, not solid.

My main issues are sob and volume of mucus: up to 3 cups/day. Exhausting
and annoying.

Thank you for the clear explanation. Best wishes.

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@narelled23
Have you had or been checked for NT Mycobacterium (MAC)?
I ask because I had a lot of mucus like you described coming up when I had MAC.

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deestrada | @deestrada | 3 days ago

I’ve been treating MAC for 10 months with 3 negative sputum tests so the MAC is under control. I’m on Brinsupri and my away clearance regime is / hours twice as day. I get little if any mucous up despite this regime. Last ct showed several mucous plugs. I did just get over a cold so maybe that is how the plugs got in

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narelled23 | @narelled23 | 2 days ago
In reply to @joyeous "@narelled23 Have you had or been checked for NT Mycobacterium (MAC)? I ask because I had..." + (show)
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@narelled23
Have you had or been checked for NT Mycobacterium (MAC)?
I ask because I had a lot of mucus like you described coming up when I had MAC.

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@joyeous I have had quite a few sputum checks over the last few years, only two of which have come back positive and then they were with different strains a month or two apart. The specialist indicated that he thought it was contamination...however I had lost around 6kg in weight in the preceding year. The subsequent 3 tests were all negative, along with further tests I had conducted a few months back. I am at a loss to know why there is such volume of mucus.

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narelled23 | @narelled23 | 2 days ago
In reply to @scoop "@dianajc On a CT scan mucus plugs appear white in our breathing tubes, which are filled..." + (show)
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@dianajc On a CT scan mucus plugs appear white in our breathing tubes, which are filled with mucus. The black areas are where there is air. Mucus plugs like to reoccur due to the nature of bronchiectasis. That's why we're encouraged to clear our lungs twice a day so mucus does not continue to build up forming more and more mucus plugs. When coughed out they can appear as thick, solid or a rubbery sticky mass varying in color (clear, white, gray, yellow/green, brown or blood-streaked).

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@scoop No one has ever mentioned mucus plugs in reading my CT scans...do they always mention them if they are there? I would like to have a good study of my CT images to try to read them myself...but not sure if I will be able to access them. The hospitals seem to keep hold of them and in the past I have had trouble getting access. Thank you, Scoop.

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