Does anyone have any experience with a percussion vest?

gj, I was dx'd with Bronchiectasis 8 -10 years ago following sudden onset of episodic retching coughing triggered especially when in a reclining or recumbent posture, although they also occurred at other times seemingly without "provocation." It was primarily just a nuisance until it began to result in acute bronchitis attacks a couple of times annually. My doc Rx'd Cipro which always seemed to clear up the bronchitis. At some point though my doc referred me on to a pulmonologist who thought I also had MAC but was unable to achieve lab confirmation of the Dx. So for a few years I just rocked along doing the Cipro thing a couple of times each year.

As years passed the bronchitis flare ups became more frequent and a bit more resistant to treatment. I also moved on to a different pulmonologist who was able to obtain a Respirtec percussion vest (aka, THUMPER). By that time I was old enough to have Medicare coverage and believe it or not, Medicare paid for the thing. I've been using it two years, twice daily for half-hour sessions along with a sodium chloride nebulizer. I've always been a bit puzzled that I have never enjoyed any irrefutable evidence that it really does any good. I do bring up mucous but it's not at all correlated in time with the Thumper sessions, in fact I have no memory of ever producing increased mucous immediately following (or during) a thumping session. Similarly, I have no evidence that the nebulizer is helpful. My hope has been that I would enjoy a decreased frequency of bronchitis flare-ups but frankly they've continued pretty reliably to occur twice a year; troublingly more difficult to resolve as time as passed.

Though I have no evidence that it's helped, I'm afraid to stop, fearing that maybe it is helping and stopping might result in an irreversible set-back.

Initially I worried that being tethered to the contraption twice a day reduced my "usable" day to 23 hours. However, I soon began to use the time to read and have probably expanded my intellectual horizon a bit in the process, despite the somewhat tortuous task of reading bouncing words.

BTW, On a recent CT scan the pulmonologist reported that my MAC condition has actually improved without treatment. I sorta jokingly said, "I must be doing something right." Truth is I may be. For year or so I've been fermenting my own Kimchi and eating a few ounces daily. Recently I read that there exist a "gut/lung axis" suggesting a healthy gut my have a salutary impact on the lungs. And fermented foods are supposed to be faves of our gut microbes. So always in the market for a silver bullet healthwise, I promptly concluded that my Kimchi is curing MAC. Hope this lengthy post doesn't violate a forum maximum rule. Don

gj, I was dx'd with Bronchiectasis 8 -10 years ago following sudden onset of episodic retching coughing triggered especially when in a reclining or recumbent posture, although they also occurred at other times seemingly without "provocation." It was primarily just a nuisance until it began to result in acute bronchitis attacks a couple of times annually. My doc Rx'd Cipro which always seemed to clear up the bronchitis. At some point though my doc referred me on to a pulmonologist who thought I also had MAC but was unable to achieve lab confirmation of the Dx. So for a few years I just rocked along doing the Cipro thing a couple of times each year.

As years passed the bronchitis flare ups became more frequent and a bit more resistant to treatment. I also moved on to a different pulmonologist who was able to obtain a Respirtec percussion vest (aka, THUMPER). By that time I was old enough to have Medicare coverage and believe it or not, Medicare paid for the thing. I've been using it two years, twice daily for half-hour sessions along with a sodium chloride nebulizer. I've always been a bit puzzled that I have never enjoyed any irrefutable evidence that it really does any good. I do bring up mucous but it's not at all correlated in time with the Thumper sessions, in fact I have no memory of ever producing increased mucous immediately following (or during) a thumping session. Similarly, I have no evidence that the nebulizer is helpful. My hope has been that I would enjoy a decreased frequency of bronchitis flare-ups but frankly they've continued pretty reliably to occur twice a year; troublingly more difficult to resolve as time as passed.

Though I have no evidence that it's helped, I'm afraid to stop, fearing that maybe it is helping and stopping might result in an irreversible set-back.

Initially I worried that being tethered to the contraption twice a day reduced my "usable" day to 23 hours. However, I soon began to use the time to read and have probably expanded my intellectual horizon a bit in the process, despite the somewhat tortuous task of reading bouncing words.

BTW, On a recent CT scan the pulmonologist reported that my MAC condition has actually improved without treatment. I sorta jokingly said, "I must be doing something right." Truth is I may be. For year or so I've been fermenting my own Kimchi and eating a few ounces daily. Recently I read that there exist a "gut/lung axis" suggesting a healthy gut my have a salutary impact on the lungs. And fermented foods are supposed to be faves of our gut microbes. So always in the market for a silver bullet healthwise, I promptly concluded that my Kimchi is curing MAC. Hope this lengthy post doesn't violate a forum maximum rule. Don

Hi @thumperguy and welcome to Connect. That must be frustrating you haven't felt you had success with your percussion vest. That is great that despite your hesitation you have found value in the time while wearing it to read.

You mentioned fear in stopping your use of the vest. Have you brought this up to your doctor? What do they think?

Hi @thumperguy ...Love your thought process on the Microbiome Gut/Lung connection. I am also doing what makes good sense to me in order to take charge of my health. I've been fermenting homemade sauerkraut for an 'explosion' of probiotics for my gut (about 3 months now) and have my fingers crossed for a "natural conversion". Hope the same for you!! Kate

Hi @thumperguy ...Love your thought process on the Microbiome Gut/Lung connection. I am also doing what makes good sense to me in order to take charge of my health. I've been fermenting homemade sauerkraut for an 'explosion' of probiotics for my gut (about 3 months now) and have my fingers crossed for a "natural conversion". Hope the same for you!! Kate

Is the hypertonic saline an over the counter purchase? Would I need a script from the doc for this?
Thanks so much.....

@thumperguy ...Hi Don....I just happened upon your post to ACK asking for my recipe for fermenting sauerkraut. Just a mention that if you write @alleycatkate before your post it will direct the post to the person. I also noticed your interest in T. Colin Campbell, etc. The China Study is my bible. haha. So...here is the recipe that takes the Fear out of Fermenting...I like it as it has pictures and even I cannot screw it up!
https://therealfoodrds.com/how-to-make-sauerkraut/
Any other Silver Bullets in your arsenal?
Kate aka ACK