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Clearing lung technique I found by accident
I just recently started going to Mayo Clinic. My Dr. Scheduled a CT Scan and some pulmonary tests on the 28Th. I had been diagnosed with bronchiecstasis and mac lung by my pulmonologist in Tallahassee but all they were addressing was the mac lung and doing nothing about clearing my lungs so the Mayo clinic was set up as a second opinion. When they put me through CT scan on my back with knees bent I noticed mucus came right to my throat. I had been nebulising with albutrol and 3% saline since my first appointment on 2/11 and although I felt good after albutrol I was still not coughing up much sputum even after flutter valve. After CT I had an hour to waste before next test I went to my car and I coughed up a huge amount of sputum. I thought wow I hope I have more for my sputum test. After my pft I sat for 20 minutes with saline and produced nothing. I told tech about what happened after CT scan and she put me in a recliner for 5 minutes and I was able to bring up sputum. I googled this and it is an actual technique that I am now using everyday with success every time. After nebulising or if you can if mucus gets in your throat Lie on your back with your hips on two pillows and knees bent. Your head should slightly off bed. Do this for 5-10 minutes and the mucus is in your lower lungs will drain to your throat. I also clap my lower lungs to get it moving more. I also put my hands over my head and inhale and hokd it several times just like CT scan. It might not work for everyone but it works every time for me with large amounts of sputum that I have not been able to bring up even with a flutter valve. Google it.
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NAC is N-acetyl-L-cysteine. You can Google it & read about its benefits.
I’ve just never considered acupuncture. I am not necessarily for or against it.
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1 Reaction@pacathy
Which Mayo do you go to? I am assuming the one in Rochester. I go to the one in Jacksonville and I was not provided any handouts of any sort. Very disappointed in the respiratory therapy dept. in Jax.
I wrote a three page letter to the Pulmonary dept. describing my experiences and asking for handouts.
Will see what happens.
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1 ReactionI tried NAC and it made my arthritis flare. It is good for some and not for others. We are all react differently.
I am doing acupuncture about every 2 to 3 weeks.
It helps to really relax me and I never cough, when I lie down and I always did, when I start acupuncture.
I will continue acupuncture and check back in a few months.
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1 ReactionYou say info available on the web? Can you kindly post the link? I am with Kaiser and they give ZERO info on any of this, even when requested. Thank you.
I don’t think the Mayo booklet is online, but I looked for a bit more detail anyway and there are a lot of charts.
This Aussie has more detail than some others. https://bronchiectasis.com.au/physiotherapy/techniques/gravity-assisted-drainage
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2 ReactionsHi! I’ve seen several people mention the Aerobika machine and I’ve been looking all over for one. Can someone tell me where the best place to get one is? Thanks so much!!! :0)
I have been on the big 3 for three years and in some ways worse now than three years ago. I went from 125 lbs to 94 lbs last year and am seriously dizzy all the time - enough that I passed out once. I’ve seen NAC mentioned on here a few times and ordered it from Amazon two months ago. It is supplement to build up our immune systems which is important when fighting MAC. My daughter who is a 32+ year RN - and a great one - told me a year ago to take Mullein. It is a supplement to support respiratory and LUNG system. I wouldn’t use acupuncture only because it doesn’t make sense to me since I am fighting a disease encased in my lungs. I have learned more from this site than I had learned in 3 years from my pulmonologist. It’s not that my pulmonologist didn’t know but rather that he didn’t know how much to disclose that I could handle. I have a bacterial infection in my lungs that is not curable (the best we can hope for is remission). What would work for one of us might not someone else. After 3 long years on the big 3 of which one affects my sight and another my hearing my pulmonologist asked how I felt about going off the big 3 and giving my body a rest. So effective this week I am off the big 3 and he will do a bronchoscopy on June 8 and giving that culture 6 weeks to grow I see him again on Aug 11 to discuss what we do going forward. When I looked up the three meds I found a side effect for each one is severe dizziness. I am becoming a recluse fearing to go out because of coughing up green mucous all the time and walking like a drunk person - and the dizziness is that severe for me.
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2 ReactionsYou can get one from Health Products For You. https://www.hpfystores.com no Rx needed, you just have to establish an account with them.
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3 ReactionsI haven’t seen anyone on here talk about experiencing dizziness. When I googled each of the big 3 severe dizziness was listed as a side effect. One pulmonologist I saw (supposedly the guru for MAC) discounted that there was a connection. Yet when I went off the big 3 for two weeks the dizziness hugely subsided but one week back on I’m literally bouncing off the walls again. Has anyone experienced dizziness?
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1 ReactionI have obtained my AeroBika & Ombra compressor (made by Monaghan Medical) from Blue Dot Medical in Flowood, Mississippi. You'll also need the AeroEclipse to use with the AeroBika.
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