Do you have increased coughing at night?
Hi all, I tend to have more (dry) cough at night when I lay down even though during the day I do two 7% saline solution nebulizing and can cough up a lot of yellowish sputum and I think my lung should be clearer at night. Do you have simile experience or can help explain the cause of the night cough? The cough disrupts my sleep and that of my family members. Thanks!
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Thanks
I had CT scans at my local hospital and was not diagnosed. I went to NJH in October of 2021 and was diagnosed after a CT scan was read by one of their radiologists. I think because lungs are their specialty they see things that might be missed elsewhere.
Thank you for responding. I take the benzonate since 2018. I don't think it works for me. In the beginning it helped. I stick with it as I heard good things about this med. I take 2 x a day.
I have an adjustable bed. I found my coughing does increase at night if I’ll lie flat on my back. We purchased the bed for the purpose of helping my cough. I start out with the bed flat and sitting erect with two pillows behind my back. When I begin to nod off, I will slide down onto my side and raise the head portion a small amount (two pillows would have the same result). Side position helps. By morning I can most always lie on my back. A problem with the adjustable bed is ours lifts the entire bed so my husband must endure the position as well. I learned too late one is made for each side to have a choice of positions. Also, when the head section is raised there is a dip in the center of the bed. Actually when both head and foot are raised together a larger dip in the center occurs. So folks with any back discomfort might find it a problem. After having the bed for over a year, I find it has Not helped my nighttime coughing. Side sleeping has.
It is possible you are not elevating the head of the bed enough. Dr. Huitte at NJH wanted me to sleep at 30-45 degrees because of GERD. Studies have shown that gastric aspiration can happen up to 30 degrees, which happens to me. Therefore, I sleep at >40 degrees. Initially, I was not able to visually gage the angles, so I ordered an inclinometer from Amazon and surprised myself with how wrong I was at my estimates. A 30 degree angle is pretty high. It wasn’t easy to get used to the inclination. It took me 2 years and still not comfortable. My husband, with GERD but not NTM, was unable to sleep inclined. Because the bed is a split king, we have the freedom to select our positions.
If you choose to sleep on your side, make that the left and not the right. There is a lot more aspiration on the right because of the shape of the stomach.
Thank you for all the information. I will try your suggestions.
Do be careful about sleeping on one side only. That's how I ended up with a frozen shoulder!
I had sinus surgery also then invested in a adjustable bed. It has helped a lot with being able to sleep. Hope he gets some relief
So all of my coughing now happens in the morning after breakfast. Tons of yellow mucus over the past month and takes me a few hours to get it all out. I'm not sure if it's because I'm now doing both 7% Saline and Arikayce. Do any of you have this same experience?! It's crazy & MAC is really ruining my life!
Best Med for MAC relief!