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7% and excessive phlegm
I have been using 3% saline for years for bronchitis and MAC.I am adjusting to 7% slowly since I had bleeds in the past.I know the positives of bringing up the phlegm but now it never stops.It is making me weak and I am having trouble gaining weight.It seems one step forward and then back
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Irene,
I really hope the Pulmosal helps you - please let us know.
I will call my pharmacist tomorrow and find out what the deal is with what they were told and why they can’t get me any Pulmosal.
I hope you can get some ordered to try. Will report back if i find it helps but that might take time to determine.
Any other company that makes pH balanced 7% saline solution for inhalation?
Is getting the 7% saline from PulmoSal or any similar source less expensive than via prescription from pulmonologist? - for which I'm currently paying about $10 for 60 vials. Thanks for the info. Diane
Thanks for telling me what's wrong with the generic which I guess is what I'm getting with my prescription.
What method are using to inject the saline?
The saline we all refer to is used in the nebulizer to treat our lungs. It comes in tiny 3-5ml ingle use vials. The nebulizer aerosolizes it so it can reach deep into the lungs. It serves 2 purposes - to liquify the mucus so we can cough it out, and to limit the growth of bacteria.
People with bronchiectasis and other lung conditions have lost the "efficiency" of their lungs coughing out mucus, which we all produce, and provide a warm, moist, dark home for bacteria and viruses to settle in and grow, making us more susceptible to nasty, hard to treat infections. Using saline, and possibly other meds, to loosen the mucus, followed by an airway clearance routine, helps clear out the hiding places, reducing the number and/or severity of infections.
Can you tell us a little about your diagnosis, and whether you are taking any medications or doing airway clearance?
Sue
Thank you so much for your informative email. None of my 3 pulmonologists ever explained to me that the Bronchiectasis does not allow the mucous to move.
I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis, mycobacterium Avium intercellular, and mycobacterium kansaii in 2017. Ct scans were done yearly and in 2020 everything was vastly improved. In January 2022 everything got worse and my pulmonologist recommended going on the antibiotics. I was going through some other health issues at the time and he said he would give me another 6 months. I had another CT scan in August 2022 and it had gotten even worse and they are trying to push antibiotics down my throat.
I am very sensitive to medications and have IBS-D. If I take three antibiotics a day, I will be living in the bathroom and have no quality of life.
When the pandemic started, I stopped going to the gym and did exercise some at home but not to the level pre-pandemic.
For the past four weeks I have gone back to gym and working up to the level I use to be. I have gotten up to 15 minutes on the elliptical plus other weight exercises.
I have been taking a lot of supplements for the lungs and using a nebulizer with colloidal silver.
I have also changed Doctors and am going to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Fl. I have a sputum test, breathing test, and Ct scan scheduled for next Thursday.
Please enlighten me on what airway clearance means. Have not heard of that term.
From NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine:
– Colloidal Silver https://nccih.nih.gov/health/silver
How much do we know about colloidal silver?
There are no high quality studies on the health effects of taking colloidal silver, but we do have good evidence of its dangers.
What do we know about the effectiveness of colloidal silver?
Claims made about the health benefits of taking colloidal silver aren’t backed up by studies.
What do we know about the safety of colloidal silver?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that colloidal silver isn’t safe or effective for treating any disease or condition.
According to Dr. Brent Bauer from Mayo Clinic says "Colloidal silver isn't considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make. Silver has no known purpose in the body. Nor is it an essential mineral, as some sellers of silver products claim."
You can read more in this article:
– Colloidal silver: is it safe? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061
Where are you ordering the 3% saline? My pharmacy at MUSC says it's out of stock and that I should get 7%. Also, what IS the difference between generic or name brand? And what is a good brand name?
Sally were you ever told to nebulize hypertonic saline? That would help you a lot. Maybe i missed something but i do not see you mention using saline. Airway clearance refers to various techniques used to get the mucus out such as using an Aerobika flutter device and or different positional and coughing techniques or wearing a vest that vibrates to help bring up the mucus. When you have Bronchiectasis you not only loose the ability of normal airway secretions but you also produce a lot more mucus. So you have to use various things to get it out every day usually twice a day. How is the silver helping? It is controversial but some people swear by it. I also have intestinal issues IBS-D or some bacterial imbalance or? I wonder how many people with Bronchiectasis have Intestinal issues also. I believe the two are very connected in my case.