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Idiopathic subglottal stenosis and expulsion of mucus

Posted by marciaemckay @marciaemckay, Jan 8, 2023

Hi,
My adult daughter was diagnosed with this disease about 2 years ago. She has had one surgery but continues to have a lot of trouble continually coughing and being able to expel the mucus buildup. Has anyone tried a High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation Vest. These vests are commonly used by people with Cystic Fibrosis to loosen the mucus so it can be expelled. I wondered if anyone had tried one and if they are effective for idiopathic subglottal stenosis. I wondered if this could extend the time between surgeries. The surgeries are not inexpensive and if this vest would help reduce the number of surgeries required it could be worth the investment. Thanks for any comments.

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jan 9, 2023

@marciaemckay Good morning and welcome to Mayo Connect - it is great that you are trying to help your daughter deal with this difficult issue.

In the MAC & Bronchiectasis group, we have a number of people who need to do daily airway clearance to reduce lung infections, and some of them have difficulty expelling mucus too. The chest wall percussion vests are meant to help break up thick sticky mucus in the lungs, but if she has stenosis, it might not help move it out of her throat.

Has she tried any of the medications to help thin the mucus? I am thinking of Mucinex (guaifenesin) with no additives, NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) a supplement, or glutathione?

Sue

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1 reply
marciaemckay | @marciaemckay | Jan 9, 2023
In reply to @sueinmn "@marciaemckay Good morning and welcome to Mayo Connect - it is great that you are trying..." + (show)
@sueinmn

@marciaemckay Good morning and welcome to Mayo Connect - it is great that you are trying to help your daughter deal with this difficult issue.

In the MAC & Bronchiectasis group, we have a number of people who need to do daily airway clearance to reduce lung infections, and some of them have difficulty expelling mucus too. The chest wall percussion vests are meant to help break up thick sticky mucus in the lungs, but if she has stenosis, it might not help move it out of her throat.

Has she tried any of the medications to help thin the mucus? I am thinking of Mucinex (guaifenesin) with no additives, NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) a supplement, or glutathione?

Sue

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Sue,
Thank you for the information. I don't know what medications, if any, that she is currently taking. I know she uses a nebulizer. She is extremely embarassed and discomforted by the amount of coughing. She is continually questioned by people as to what is wrong with her. She eats very little because everytime she eats and drinks she goes through a 20 -30 minute coughing spree. She drinks a great deal of water as that seems to provide some relief.
I will pass on your suggestions. Thank you so much for taking the time to post a response.
Marcia

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