1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis

Managing coughing fits in public.

Posted by pled @pled, Mar 13, 2023

Does anyone have any strategies for attempting to control coughing fits in public places? I am thinking most specifically about flying, or other situations when you are in close quarters.
I nebulize albuterol 3X daily, budesonide 2X daily, use an acapella flutter valve 2X daily and a vibrating vest 2X daily. I don't cough up much and find myself having fits of dry coughing probably at least once a day. I rely on cough drops to calm things down.
For whatever reason, it bothers me to have a fit around strangers when they can't freely move away from me. I always wear a mask and am never without cough drops.
When we fly, I take two Robitussin cough gels which usually help for awhile, and suck on cough drops pretty much continually. But there is usually some breakthrough coughing somewhere along the line and I feel uncomfortable/sad/anxious as well as coughing my head off. It kind of takes the fun out going places sometimes.
I'm hoping some of you have found other solutions to keep the coughing tamped down in these kinds of situations. Any help would be most appreciated.

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pled | @pled | Mar 19, 2023
In reply to @frankie160 "Non-Stop Chronic Coughing more than 40 plus times per day and night. Have gone out of..." + (show)
@frankie160

Non-Stop Chronic Coughing more than 40 plus times per day and night.
Have gone out of my mind with these crazy coughing fits for more than 3 weks. Any other tips from Sue and other members of our community, please?
I have always resisted cough suppressants. but I can no longer endure the crazy coughing fits plus my Pulmon said I can use the following until our next visit on 3/24. Other strategies have not worked on a timely basis.
Walmart's Equate Brand - Tussin DM MAX
Cough and Chest Congestion DM
Controls cough, Relieves chest congestion, Thins and loosens mucus. Secondly, I have had some relief along with sipping warm herbal tea with honey as soon as I feel the first itch to cough. These two strategies right now have reduced my excessive coughing by about 40% but not sure this is the best way to go over the long run.
Flo @frankie160

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Looking forward to hearing how the Clear Lung works for you!

REPLY
liz440 | @liz440 | Mar 19, 2023

Here is what works for me when I had dry coughing fits caused by post nasal drip. 1. drink a swallow of water. 2. swallow as I feel a cough coming on. 3. Fisherman's friend cough drops. 4. sodium chloride inhalation 3%. The swallowing can stop the cough reflex if it is caused by a throat tickle. If it's mucus it has to go!

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1 reply
sbgscdjd | @sbgscdjd | Mar 19, 2023
In reply to @frankie160 "Seth, I wrote to Amy Blossoms and asked the same question. She liked my post but..." + (show)
@frankie160

Seth,
I wrote to Amy Blossoms and asked the same question. She liked my post but no response as of yet re: Correct Clear Lung, so I ordered the Ridgecrest Clear Lung Classic. Hope to report back with good news.
Have always resisted cough suppressants, but I can no longer endure the crazy coughing fits plus my Pulmon said I can use the following until our next visit on 3/24.
Walmart's Equate Brand - Tussin DM MAX
Cough and Chest Congestion DM
Controls cough, Relieves chest congestion, Thins and loosens mucus. Secondly, I have had some relief along with sipping warm tea with honey as soon as I feel the first itch to cough. These two strategies right now have reduced my excessive coughing by about 50%. Good Luck!
Flo @frankie160

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Thanks. I appreciate your comprehensive answer.

REPLY
sbgscdjd | @sbgscdjd | Mar 19, 2023
In reply to @frankie160 "Seth, I wrote to Amy Blossoms and asked the same question. She liked my post but..." + (show)
@frankie160

Seth,
I wrote to Amy Blossoms and asked the same question. She liked my post but no response as of yet re: Correct Clear Lung, so I ordered the Ridgecrest Clear Lung Classic. Hope to report back with good news.
Have always resisted cough suppressants, but I can no longer endure the crazy coughing fits plus my Pulmon said I can use the following until our next visit on 3/24.
Walmart's Equate Brand - Tussin DM MAX
Cough and Chest Congestion DM
Controls cough, Relieves chest congestion, Thins and loosens mucus. Secondly, I have had some relief along with sipping warm tea with honey as soon as I feel the first itch to cough. These two strategies right now have reduced my excessive coughing by about 50%. Good Luck!
Flo @frankie160

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Flo:
Thanks again.BTW I'm interested in your response to the Ridgeclear. I've used Delsym a few times and found it helpful. Best regards.
Seth

REPLY
AZ | @equanimous | Mar 20, 2023
In reply to @liz440 "Here is what works for me when I had dry coughing fits caused by post nasal..." + (show)
@liz440

Here is what works for me when I had dry coughing fits caused by post nasal drip. 1. drink a swallow of water. 2. swallow as I feel a cough coming on. 3. Fisherman's friend cough drops. 4. sodium chloride inhalation 3%. The swallowing can stop the cough reflex if it is caused by a throat tickle. If it's mucus it has to go!

Jump to this post

Yes, I too discovered that taking a sip of water stopped my coughing fit. I could not believe it and was trying to figure out why. Now that I read your post, I am sure it was the water! Just take a swallow of room temp water when feeling the cough coming on. Wow, what a relief!

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ainek | @ainekrech | Mar 20, 2023

Hi,
Great response and reply backs! Learning a lot! I was wondering what patients do for a job with all the coughing.
I retired as soon as I could from teaching and really miss it! I was online for a year with NO illnesses during COVID. Of course, you couldn't go out then....
I nebulize three times a day and use my Aerobika. I am currently on a triweekly antibiotic regiment with the fourth week off. I also have several nodules they are watching closely. My other problem is that I also have kidney stones too. So many issues to keep track! I will start a journal with my nebulizer treatments, exercise, medications and foods eaten.
Thanks for motivating me!

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raney | @raney | Mar 20, 2023
In reply to @amyblossoms "Hi there, I'm sorry to hear about the coughing jags. I feel you - it happens..." + (show)
@amyblossoms

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear about the coughing jags. I feel you - it happens to me sometimes, too.

Here's what's helping me thrive (and avoid coughing fits):

I don't drink alcohol or eat foods that are highly acidic, sugary, super salty or fried. Womp womp.
I'm ALWAYS nursing a cup of delicious, warm herbal tea to keep my throat from drying out.
And I keep Ricola on hand because sometimes the tea isn't enough.

For me, coughing fits are often triggered after I eat a meal. It helps if I take my time and eat smaller meals s l o w l y so I'm not overfilling my stomach. Same with liquids, no chugging the tea. šŸ˜‰ The goal is to avoid having acid irritate my lungs and my airways / throat. I try to avoid meals right before meetings / confined spaces with people, which can be tricky.

I find sometimes that the airway clearance meds can dry out my throat, so I've made adjustments that are working for my situation. I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis in 2014 (& MAC on and off again). I am somewhat stable, maybe even considered mild or moderate, so I typically only nebulize once a day in the morning with albuterol and hypotonic saline 7%. When I do too much clearing, I risk the possibility of irritating my airways and triggering hemoptysis. It's a balancing act.

NERD ALERT: I keep a log of when I nebulize (and how many vials of saline I use) and what my symptoms are. I'm going to do a food log again to see what's changed and what needs adjusting.

GOOD NEWS: I recently started taking 2 Clear Lung MAX herbal supplements once a day. The effect was immediate, especially regarding coughing fits. (someone here posted that they were having good results, and I was considering it, so I pulled the trigger - I'm so glad I did!) My peak flow meter goal is 500, for years I've only been able to hit 400-425. Since starting the Clear Lung about a week+ ago, I'm hitting 450-480 daily.

I also do yoga in the morning and meditate twice a day. It helps with my overall well being.

Be well,

Amy

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Which brand of Clear Lung worked for you? I see several brands on Amazon and since you have had such good results, I would like to buy the same brand.

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gmamac | @gmamac | Mar 23, 2023

@pled The only thing I have found that helps me is Jolly Ranchers
ā€œcinnamon fireā€ flavor. I carry them everywhere-in my car, purse, jacket pockets because I never know when I might have coughing fit. When I travel by plane I keep one in my mouth at all times. Another thing is stying hydrated. I donā€™t go anywhere without a travel cup or bottle of water. Hope this helps.

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