@kathyhg I feel rawness in my throat and get a lot of coughing with 7% but try to stay with it because studies show it is the strength effective for MAC. It hasn't seemed to get better or worse over time. Sometimes if I'm coughing hard I don't manage to finish the whole neb. Sue

Kathy, without benefit of medical education my guess is that the blood is nothing more than a ruptured capillary. If it persists I’d talk to someone with medical education for a suggestion on how to proceed. Don

@kathyhg Hi Kathy. I started on the 7% saline back in 2013. At first it irritated my throat and lungs and caused me to cough (which is the goal). I'd say that after being on it 6 months; I got used to it. To this day, it does not irritate my senses. I am so used to it, in fact, that it barely makes me cough. I know that it is still good for me to use it as it does thin the mucous and makes my lungs inhospitable to bacterias. Perhaps keep plugging away at smaller quantities and built up your tolerance for it.

@kathyhg You do get used to the 7% over time. At least , I did. Your comment about the blood, could be taken another way; it might be that the saline is digging deeper down into the lungs where you already had a bleed going on and is bringing that up. Best to ask your dr about it. All I know is; I do fine before taking my inhaled tobramycin for 28 days; do terrible while on it, then am even better afterwards. My point is; sometimes things needs to be uncomfortable before they get better. I am no medical expert, so you should discuss this with your dr.