Welcome, @jensfcv. I'm bringing @lindam272 who has atypical cystic fibrosis as well as MAC.
Jen, how do you manage the phlegm?

Good morning....I am not managing the phlegm very well at the moment. I take a Zyrtec every p.m. to help control my sinus drainage as I have had major surgery and now have zero turbinates- so steady stream of fluid. I stay away from milk products and that does seem to help. For several years I was sleeping on incline related to reflex problems however as I aged it began to really put pressure on my lower back so we have removed the incline at the moment. I would be very happy for any suggestions. My usual plan is to arise two hours prior to any appointment and cough the majority of the phlegm up!!! Warm black coffee is a help!
Regards, J

As I mentioned below, there's certain foods causing your phlegm...start by noting what you ate the night before a particularly bad attack and go from there.
As for the bed, only an adjustable will give you the relief without the backache.

@jensfcv - Welcome to the group! I have Bronchiectasis, MAC and atypical CF. I don't have the gene but I tested positive on multiple sweat tests. I have another one coming up in April so we will see what happens with that. I do breathing treatments with 7% hyper saline every morning and evening beginning with a couple of puffs of Albuterol to open the airways, the saline treatment to thin the mucous, then the Aerobika to pull it up and out. It takes about 30-40 minutes. It works pretty good. If I have a runny nose in the morning, I take a Sudafed to try and cut down on the drainage. I rarely battle with phlegm during the day; however, there are some nights when I go to bed that I'm coughing up more that came out of nowhere. Probably caused by something I ate but I haven't put much thought into what causes what. I just eat what I want. I notice that when I do yoga and lay down on the mat, I cough up phlegm even when I do my breathing treatment before I go. It's pretty embarrassing because everyone is all "zenned" out and I'm coughing my brains out. I usually have to tip toe out and go to the ladies room to cough up my stuff. I'm not sure if the Bronchiectasis is causing most of the phlegm or the CF. It's a mystery... Linda

l believe the first step to solving your mystery is the one thing you haven't put much thought into...what you eat. Do some sleuthing there, determine what's irritating your digestive tract causing excess mucus, and eliminate it. I learned quite a while ago I can eat whatever I want and be miserable, or cut out what my body can't tolerate and be much happier!

@jensfcv, Hello Jen, and welcome to our group. I too struggled with excess phlegm for 20+ years. I used to take antihistamines daily to dry up the muck. It helped, but turns out that is the wrong thing to do. Antihistamines can cause the phlegm to solidify and form 'mucous plugs' that in turn cause infection in the lungs. Not only that, but they made me dingy as well. Seventeen years ago, I read books by Dr. Andrew Weil and learned that diet has a lot to do with our health. He stated that the leading cause of many diseases are due to unknown food allergies. He said the most common culprits are DAIRY, EGGS, GLUTEN, and SUGAR. (food dyes are another one) Many of our members on the site agree that those foods do cause them phlegm. He suggested keeping a food diary and doing an elimination diet to see if you notice any changes. I did just that 17 years ago. I noticed a difference by the end of one week. My biggest culprits were gluten and sugar, and food dye. To help ease the symptoms of phlegm, I use 'Breathe Easy' tea by Traditional Medicines. Can be purchased in the natural food isle at Krogers. Plus, doing a twice daily saline breathing treatment with a nebulizer helps clear out the gunk. You can ask your doctor if 7% sodium chloride in a nebulizer would be good for you. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Just curious, how did you learn about Mayo Connect?

@lindam272 , Hi Linda! Boy, haven't we all been there with the coughing in inconvenient places. I used to cough non-stop, sunup to sundown. I had to avoid restaurants, movie theatres, plays, etc.

Hello and thank you for the information. I will take note of my diet - I do not do sugar at all....I do have an egg now and then...must admit to loving cheese so will abstain and see how it changes. I try to stay bland as I have pancreas issues and don't want to stir things up! No spices or much beef...mostly turkey, chicken etc. we don't have a Kroger here so will have family in Atlanta send me some of the tea you mention....I am a Mayo Jacksonville Fla patient and that is where I learned of this site. I feel I am one of the truly lucky ones to be so close to such a cutting edge facility! I am using the nasal lavage as stuggested by another contributor and in only three days I already see some progress. Thank you once again. J

@lindam272 I have very similar experience with coughing and phlegm. I wake up with phlegm in my throat every morning that I have to cough out several times. I always have water on hand when I'm in a meeting or in a movie theater. I don't have CF. The cough is mostly caused by tickling or itchy throat which can come on after I have eaten something hard like peanuts, or something sweet. If I don't have water to sooth the throat right away, the coughing will escalate to a fit. I don't have CF. But I have numerous allergies, such as pollen and dust mote which can cause itchy throat which will in turn lead to coughing. I believe the phlegm is from my bronchiectasis which has no cure. This has been going on for over 20 years and I've learned to live with and manage it. Sometimes I would go most of a day without coughing or phlegm. It almost feels abnormal to me. But it does feel good when that happens.

@windwalker, @ling123, @boomerexpert, @jensfcv Hi, Everyone! I must admit that the diet aspect of this has been the one thing that I have not wanted to deal with. I like to eat what I like to eat, but I also don't like the phlegm so perhaps this will be my 2018 goal - to work on my diet. I may look into reading some Dr. Weil books and have saved some posts that reference other resources. The Clear Lungs doesn't seem to have any affect on me. I may try the Breathe Easy tea and see if that helps. Terri, I find that when I go out to gatherings now that it's best for me to sit on the end of a row so I'm not surrounded by people. Last memorial service I went to I had to move because some lady behind me had on some very strong perfume and I was choking even sitting on the end of the row ahead of her. Thanks for all the input!