I work with a highly skilled practitioner of Oriental Medicine, trained by Chinese masters in Europe; her acupuncture helps both my lungs and RA, I use the salt room for my lungs, and she gave me a special blend designed for the lungs, very strong; Traditional Lung QI Release Zhi Sou San. It's so strong that I need only 5-6 drops in tea (usually 30 drops). I must be better about taking it daily because it helps greatly.

@hopeful33250 Teresa, call me a cynic or whatever but these days I think the local PCPs are just not as diligent as they used to be, at least mine is not but I think he was 3 years ago when I first started seeing him! Now it's just a job, they work for the hospitals and they are not as invested in their patients as doctors were/are in private practice. I sometimes feel like I have to explain some things to my doctor that he should know! I know I complain a lot about him but finding someone else is so difficult here. I really do need to do that soon. I would like to have a doctor who cares about my well-being and is responsive to me -- I put a message on the portal three weeks ago and he has still not gotten back to me. I think I will post it again today.
JK

I just googled Lung Qi Release Zhi Sou San. I found multiple sources of it. But it seems to suggest the medication is for helping with coughing and phlegm caused by cold. Zhi Sou in Chinese means cough stopping. I'm a bit worried about using it to just stop the coughs. Will it simply suppresses coughs or does it help with expelling phlegm from our lungs? What is the difference between this Chinese medication and the run-of-the-mill cough syrup?

@ling123, Ling , THANK YOU for stating this information SO well! We so frequently get so frustrated with our disease .. it's many aspects .. especially the mucus. You have stated so succinctly just why/what/where we MUST respect the process of our bodies .. and NOT get frustrated nor get lazy with our necessary lung clearance/hygiene methods. Your post will find a nice spot in my File Cabinet! Frankly even I needed this kick in the seat of the pants .. it DOES get tiresome the 2x a day . . 2 inhalers .. then 20 to 30 minutes of lung clearance. BUT you put it so well .. respect and care for our bodies .. so our bodies can take care of us! Again, thank you! Hugs to you! Katherine

@maryjo2sell, Mary Jo, we travel with Levaquin .. so from my File Cabinet! Hugs! Katherine

LEVAQUIN
Take levofloxacin with a full glass of water (8 ounces). Drink several extra glasses of fluid each day while you are taking levofloxacin. You may take levofloxacin tablets with or without food. Take levofloxacin oral solution (liquid) on an empty stomach 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals.
Levaquin (Levofloxacin) Patient Information: Side Effects and Drug ...
http://www.rxlist.com/levaquin-drug/patient-images-side-effects.htm

Levaquin may interact with:
Antacids, multivitamins, and supplements containing magnesium, aluminum, iron, or zinc.
Sucralfate (Carafate)
Didanosine (Videx)
Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
Antidiabetic medicine.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin and ibuprofen.
Theophylline (Theo-24, Theolair)
Levaquin (Levofloxacin) - Side Effects, Dosage, Interactions - Drugs
http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/levaquin

@contentandwell, JK .. SOOOO wrong not to get an answer in THREE WEEKS! At Mayo Clinic AND at the U of MN I get an answer within 24 to 48 hours .. I am so sorry! Hugs to you! Katherine

@ling123, Ling, as we always say "Knowledge is Power" .. I personally take a medication that THINS the mucus .. making it easier to cough up .. because I am very aware that I do NOT want that mucus staying down there breeding mycobacterium! I merely want it not quite so "sticky" .. quite so difficult to cough up. (The medication I take daily is kind of like a super Mucinex type thing .. NO it is not available in the USA .. the product is available in many countries around the globe .. I get it when I travel .. prescribed initially by a doctor in Geneva when I had pneumonia. YES, it is listed on my Med List and my doctor at Mayo Clinic knows about it!) Hugs to all! Kaherine

@katemn Katherine it is so wrong. As I have said, either he is burned out, very quickly considering he is only in his mid-50s and has been a doctor for about 18 years after being an engineer, or he simply does not like me. Not everyone can like everyone else but it should not interfere with the care that person receives. So many issues...
JK

@katemn Katherine, thanks for sharing this information. I have been thinking about mucus thinning medication, but each time I went to see my pulmonary doctor, I would forget to ask. I will make sure to ask during my next appointment in September. Like you, the stickiness of my mucus worries me the most right now. I know if I get bacteria again, the thick mucus will make it fester. What is the name of this mucus-thinning medication that you are using?

@ling123, Ling, sorry .. not available in the USA! I am NOT recommending it for anyone else .. it just works for me. Hugs! Katherine

(but if you travel and choose to purchase it .. I just go into a pharmacy and BEG! Tell them there are currently 17 trials in the USA .. AND when the drug is FINALLY approved in the USA .. instead of it being so cheap as it is in their country .. it will be $300 per pill in the USA due to our profit making drug companies! They will usually order me a year supply to be picked up the next day .. about $350 or so. I ONLY for conveniece sake purchace the 75mg TIME release .. one time a day capsule.

.. google: AMBROXOL/MUCOSOLVAN https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.cz/volne-prodejne-pripravky/mucosolvan/mucosolvanr

NOTE: main formulations are sustained release capsules for a one-a-day dosing
**Ambroxol, the active agent of Mucosolvan, has several properties that restore the physiological clearance mechanisms of the respiratory tract and therefore play an important role in the body’s natural defense mechanisms. Ambroxol stimulates synthesis and release of surfactant by specific types of lung cells. Surfactant is a complex emulsion and works as “anti-glue” factor which facilitates an optimal flow of airway secretions. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of surfactant in reducing the adhesion of mucus to the bronchial wall, in improving its transport, and in providing protection against bacterial aggression and irritating agents.