← Return to Any suggestions for expelling tenacioius mucus plugs?

Discussion
Comment receiving replies
Profile picture for saburrows @saburrows

@coffcoff I do have a nebulizer (DeVilbiss) and use it everyday with 0.9% saline. I have also tried it with acetylcysteine which is supposed to thin the mucus and after doing it everyday for almost a month, nada. I did see an ID doctor who put me on the 3 antibiotics 3 times a week. After 20 months the CT scan showed it was still there. He referred me to a pulmonologist in the Non-Tuberculosis clinic is a larger city, 1.5 hours away. I can't change to another pulmonologist as this is the only clinic in the province and it's very busy with patients. A different pulmonologist that I had done a "breath easy" zoom class told me that I might be one of those people that just doesn't produce much mucus. That may be true because when I was sick last year with something I was coughing up mucus and manage to get one sample, but one only. I have watched YouTube for huff coughing, and again, didn't help. I do and always have drank lots of water. I would like to be able to produce a sputum sample instead of having to rely on CT scans. The ID doctor went nuts with them. I had 7 scans done in 18 months. That's like 7000 x-rays. Not good. Oh, and I also have bronchiectasis, though the pulmonologist said it was serious, like 5%, and she wants to keep it that low.

Jump to this post


Replies to "@coffcoff I do have a nebulizer (DeVilbiss) and use it everyday with 0.9% saline. I have..."

@saburrows Interesting that your doctor is treating you based on CT scans. How will you know when the infection has cleared? (Not to mention the radiation you're getting from all those CTs.....) The CT will show bronchiectasis and whether or not you have an infection but it can't quantify it. Only sputum can do that.

In what way are you having a tough time with the 7% saline? Throat irritation?
I'm no doctor (I am a retired RN who used to work respiratory and critical care) but I really can't see how 0.9% saline, which is called "normal saline" because it's the concentration of saline in our blood, can help you get the mucus out of your lungs.

Sorry to sound so negative, but I was in your shoes and I remember feeling so desperate. Don't let it get to you. Just do the best you can.