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Moderate persistent asthma and phlegm
Asthma & Allergy | Last Active: Feb 25, 2021 | Replies (20)Comment receiving replies
Mucus can be a way of life with lung issues, and it can drive thepeople around us crazy!. You are correct about Mucinex being helpful - it is also pretty safe to use long-term (I have used it nearly full-time for over 30 years).
There are a few things that can help thing that mucus and keep you lungs clear -
Continue to use the Mucinex twice a day
Drink a lot of fluid to help thin the mucus - in addition to water, many of us in the lung group have found that Breathe Easy Tea by Traditional Medicinals helps - widely available in grocery & health food stores and on line
Steamy showers, followed by "huff coughing" or airway clearance (examples: (example: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lung-mucus-clearance-reducing-the-breeding-ground-for-mycobacterium/ )
Saline in a nebulizer when things get really sticky & thick - actually gets into the lungs & thins the mucus. If you don't have a nebulizer, ask your doctor to prescribe one. Use special saline vials made for nebulizing. .9% should work, but if it doesn't, higher concentrations can be prescribed.
Good luck, and let us know whether this helps you.
Sue
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I put the Breathe Easy tea on my shopping list (I’ve seen it at Publix). I drink a hot tea once or twice most days. And regarding Mucinex, I’ve only tried it sporadically (when the phlegm was especially tough). I understand that it works best if you use it consistently (2 times, everyday). My Pulmonologist’s assistant actually suggested trying Mucinex routinely for 10 days (and to report back) ... which I didn’t do. Considering how miserable I was a month ago, I could probably learn to live with the phlegm if I could get it up more discretely.