← Return to Lung Mucus Clearance .. Reducing The Breeding Ground For Mycobacterium

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@katemn

FROM MY FILE CABINET

LUNG CLEARANCE From Member @ling, Ling .. I was in your shoes for years and years, coughing and hacking up thick mucous on daily basis. But the thick mucus remained stubbornly and has been making me wanting to clear my throat constantly (that led to me eventually catching MAC). So the irritation is still there every single day. But after my bronchiectasis & MAC diagnosis, my husband has learned from my pulmonary doctor and from his own Internet search that the effort to clear out the mucous is actually helping with my situation. If we keep suppressing the effort due to fear of embarrassment, the accumulated mucous in our lungs will be a hot bed to trap bacteria in. He is now very conscientious about reminding me to do my thing (coughing and hacking up my mucous, especially in the morning). Fortunately, after the allergy shot treatment, I don’t have much need to cough and the throat clearing is no longer very loud. But the memory of nightmarish long years of feeling disgusted of myself is still fresh. But you need to remember, thinning the mucous may be OK. but if the products only serve to suppress your urge to cough up mucous, please think twice about using them because you absolutely do not want the mucous to remain in your lungs. MAC/MAI is nicknamed Lady Windermere Syndrome for a reason. This article explains it: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/think-like-a-doctor-a-cough-solved/?_r=0

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Replies to "FROM MY FILE CABINET LUNG CLEARANCE From Member @ling, Ling .. I was in your shoes..."

Wow I never heard of Lady Windermere syndrome pretty interesting so I think that’s what we have .

Katherine the mucus coughing drives me nuts sometimes the wheezing too how do you clear your lungs what method do you find is effective?

Thank you for this post and information.
What I know from my CScan, my pulmonologist, this article and further what I have just read after looking up MAI infection describes what I have experieced in the last several years. Going to bring all this up with NJH, UT Tyler and my local pulmonologist of whom all have seen me. Local doctor described Tree In Bud right lobe after seeing the CScan test in 8/2022. Part of the problem might be I haven't been able to give a good sputum sample... Going to get on this immediately with all the doctors to help me get up a good sputum sample and go from there. I do believe I have MAI due to test results at NJH but due to the sputum sample given it might not be showing up fully and why it was decided by the doctor to not start me on anti biotics. Gave a good one at UT but they forgot to label it and it was tossed out at the lab. Lesson learned, always ask if they labeled the specimen vile if they controled the specimen vile rather than the patient .....in the required labeling of the vile. Not looking forward to the decision I will have to make if it is the MAI....had a bad case of systemic Candida after my Legionella and Mycoplasma pneumonias. I had simultaneously, in the mid 80's. Thanks to all who post and share.