I have a lifelong history of "sticky" mucus, and have found the following things help:
- Lots of clear fluids without sugar or caffeine - water is best, but herbal teas work too. Aim for 64 oz a day.
- Mucinex 600mg LA (12 hour guaifenesin) taken twice daily - available OTC - it works to thin the mucus. Get the one that is only guaifenesin. (400mg generics can also work, but you must remember to take them 4x a day.) Tip: If it works and you decide to use it long term, buy on-line in quantity - it is horrendously expensive in the drug store.
- Breathe Easy by Traditional Medicinals or a similar herbal tea. Those containing licorice seem to work best. I drink it twice a day - hot is comforting, but over ice works too.
- Avoid using nasal or oral decongestants - they seem to make the problem worse.
- For the record - I found NAC helps my lung capacity/shortness of breath when used daily (I have asthma and bronchiectasis) but it doesn't seem to thin the mucus, so I still use Mucinex.
- If all else fails, nebulize saline solution to thin the mucus - those of us with bronchiectasis or Cystic Fibrosis do it all the time, but my daughter finds it helpful whenever she has chest congestion.

Let us know if any of these are helpful.
Sue