Have you decreased Airway Clearance from 2 down to 1 a day?

So much I think depends upon how soon you were diagnosed with BE, Bronchiectasis.
Meaning were you fortunate to have had a diagnosis very early on or late.
I say that because.... possibly ....one may be more compacted with mucus, mucus plugs if they are late to being diagnosed vs. a very early diagnosis and need more times nebulizing to start with.
I say that with the nebulizing helping to loosen the mucus and if one had a late diagnosis they may need more times nebulizing vs an early diagnosis to help get the mucus moistened. loosened and easier to remove from the lungs.

For myself, I believe I was diagnosed early on and have gone from two times a day nebulizing every day to one day of nebulizing 2x a day with exercise, percussion, postural drainage... and then....the next day without nebulizing with doing my exercise, percussion and postural drainage. With my using clear solo cups to see all that I bring up it appears that I bring up the same amount of mucus each day.
My last C Scan showed much improvement. I will continue to do it this way unless the next C Scan changes negatively or I begin to have shortness of breath.
We are all different in what will work for us.
I agree with Scoop, and I believe it made a big difference for me......we need to do deep breaths and hold often in between normal breaths and hold to get the nebulizing solution deep into the lungs where the mucus can be harder to get out if the saline isn't getting deep down into the lungs to loosen the mucus that is clinging to the areas.
Barbara

When nebulizing saline, the recommended technique is generally to breathe normally through your mouth, though taking occasional slow, deep breaths—holding each for two to three seconds—helps the medication or saline reach deeper into the airways. The goal is a relaxed, steady breathing pattern.
Cleveland Clinic

Best Practice: Sit upright and take steady, normal breaths, occasionally taking a deeper breath to ensure deep lung penetration.

Interesting conversation. Why are we inhaling hypertonic saline into our lungs? According to Dr. McShane, we with BE have dehydrated mucus. Hypertonic saline helps by adding moisture and thinning mucus, making it easier to clear. It usually soothes the airways, but some people may have temporary tightening bronchospasm at first. Using a bronchodilator (albuterol) prior helps prevent this.

Since BE is heterogeneous and no two are exactly alike, some need more saline and some less. I'd love to be in the camp of once a day but I fear skipping the p.m. session would result in nocturnal coughing. Any easy way to figure it out would be to try cutting back from 2 to 1 and see what happens.

I’ve been in the daily neb camp since the bronchoscopy results for MAC surprised everyone by coming back negative about 4 years ago. I was not nebbing hypertonic saline at the time-just albuterol followed by Aerobika and postural drainage. I’ve quit the latter two. I added the hypertonic saline in 2024 at doc’s suggestion to try to decrease upper respiratory infections. I had over a year without any-remarkable. Doc suggested I could decrease to few times a week and I tried for about a month, but decided winter wasn’t a great time to cut back-family was sick a lot and I had to increase asthma med in Feb due to recurrence of little cough. Asthma is mild cough variant. I see him soon and will prob cut back over summer.

@irenea8 I have PA . Grew it afyer lung resection. Ive had bronchiactisis since 30 yrs ago . Remained mild not much of an issue until I came to Florida. I dont know what mucous psuedo is. I have aerigenosa strain was on Cefipime IV just recently. Seemed to help push it back. I dontvwantvtobtry brinsupri at this time. Not enough info. On side effects . I neb 2x a day. I do 3,% in morning and 7% nightly. It seems if I do too much . My lungs dry out spasms and makes it harder to get mucus out. I exercise as much as I can . 5 days a week. I have moderate bronchiactisis with copd emphysema and had lung cancer. Ive never smoked . And dont drink.

Very interesting conversation. Thanks for bringing it up! Pun intended… With very slight bronchiectasis disease and slight to nonexistent NTMs , my most burdensome affliction is submucosal gland hyperplasia! Now I'm betwixt and between pulmonary specialists. No problem simply huffing out mucus in my morning pulmonary hygiene. Added Anoro and mucus just glides out. Prayers up and, touch wood, I am experimenting with no nebulization for a few months before my next round of pulmonary function tests, CT scans, another Sputum sample is in the works. Inflammation I think is the driving force behind changing the architecture in my lungs and I am wondering if irritating it for 2 1/2 years with saline and way too forceful huff coughing might have driven some of that inflammation…. Living with hope

@sueinmn I am 80 years old and am on 4 ltrs , 24/7 oxygen . I have been on this for nearly 3 years . I have in the past 3 yrs , been taking Guaifenesin maximum strength , to help clear my airway. I have been thinking of using a nebulizer. I thought I may try saline. You speak of airway clearance. What do you use other than saline for airway clearance ? Thanks in advance . My pulmonologist. Is Dr. Griffin also . I am in Michigan. Crystalena

@crystalena Airway clearance is the process of using any of a combination of deep breathing, huff coughing, postural drainage, mechanical devices and exercise to assist in expelling mucus from the airways.
Here is a long but excellent video describing how to do it.

If you are on oxygen, please talk to your doctor about whether to add saline nebs. You could also ask for a referral to pulmonary rehab to set up a good program for you.

I decided to do airway clearance once a day because of severe jaw pain on left side.
Dentist recommended that I see a TMD professional.
I noticed my jaw always hurt after clearance so now I only do in morning.
The pain was terrible.
Now I can eat a sandwich, a slice of pizza.
My Pulmonologist didn't seem concerned about my decision.
He did recommend I take a puff of albuterol before exercise.
The pain was constant.
Ice packs, Tylenol, crying.

@sheila7a Are you holding your nebulizer with your teeth? I learned the hard way that is a recipe for jaw pain. Can you try to relax your jaw and hold the neb cup with hour hand, just closing your lips around it?