I am so sorry to hear of your difficulty and I totally relate. I've had a cough for many years and am diagnosed with bronchiectasis which produces lots and lots of mucus. I discovered my mucus is extremely thick when I gave a sample for testing. And, yes, this makes coughing the stuff up really tough. I have found that 12 hour max strength Guaifenesin extended release tablets, 1200 mg per tab to be very helpful. I take 2 per day. This helps thin my mucus and makes coughing it up a lot easier. You might ask your dr if this is a good option for you. I definitely recommend a CT scan, sputum sample and/or other testing. And, if you are not connected yet, I'd highly recommend a referral to a pulmonologist. Best of luck to you.