7% Saline Solution

@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

Thanks to Sue and Don for your replies. I’ll take a break from it and perhaps even try every couple of days. I still have a box of 7% ampules left and i hate to get rid of it when it is supposed to be better (and it was expensive and not covered by any plan).

I think it was probably broken capillaries or some sort of related irritation but I will check next time i see my doctor.

Am I dreaming? I'm sure someone recently put up a post pertaining to kidney disease, but I can't find it. Any help appreciated.

@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.

I ask my Dr for saline and he said no! I am really upset. I tried the "Big 3" back in July 2017, right after my diagnosis. Took them for 3 1/2 months...too sick to take care of myself. I can't believe he would be unwilling to give me saline. He also said no to the vest. Other than coughing, usually productive, I have no symptoms. My oxygen stays 97%-98%. I am on no meds, except for medical cannabis. I did have a pseudomonis in Dec 2018, after having day surgery to have my gallbladder out. That was my last hospitalization. Can anyone send me links to research articles that I can show this Dr. He wants me to go back on Big 3...no way!

@suenfl.. Hi Sue...Perhaps you need to go for a second opinion? Sounds as though your Doc is not terribly concerned with your thoughts about your body and your treatment. Also sounds as though he may not be up or current on treatment for MAC. Do you live near a Mayo Clinic? My local pulmo said no to saline (no added moisture was his response) yet everything I read about saline made sense so I got my GP to script it..... Then I went to Mayo for a second opinion....The Mayo Dr said yes to nebulizing and gave me so much direction that my local Pulmo never even mentioned. I can't tell you how happy I was that I went for that opinion from someone that I trusted and felt was a specialist to the disease. I hope you get some peace of mind about the direction of your treatment. Good luck. Kate

Thank you, Kate! I was feeling the same way about the Dr not being up-to-date. I appreciate this blog so much. I read everything I can on MAC and bronchiectasis. I learn so much here.

I had a similar experience with my last respirologist. He prescribed the big 3 but nothing else. I think he might just not have been up-to-date on how to treat the disease. He said more than once that he wasn’t an expert on treating Mac but got defensive when I asked for a referral to someone with more expertise in treating Mac (my GP finally made the referral).

I am seeing a new respirologist now and using a nebulizer with saline and an Aerobika and making lifestyle changes to support treatment and general health.

I can’t say enough about how important it is to find doctors who really know how to treat this disease. I regret that I didn’t do that sooner as I’ve lost some hearing and have other lingering issues as a result of medication side effects.

Good luck in sorting this out!

@kathyhg and @suenfl My Pulmonologist went beyond getting defensive when I asked to consult an Infectious Disease specialist when my MAC treatment wasn't working - HE fired ME! Possibly one of the best things that has happened to me with this stupid disease - I now have a much better Pulmo who actually listens to me, backed off my meds, and prescribed 7% saline (original guy also said No to this.) If you don't feel comfortable with any physician, it's time to find a different one, and one well-versed in your condition.
Come back to the group with your location, you're almost sure to get a recommendation...Sue