Connect
Airway clearance not working?
Hi community,
Since I frequently have flare ups, I have to examine my airway clearance techniques to see if I am doing them right.
The following is what I do twice a day these days:
1. inhale levalbuterol + 7% saline;
2. autogenic drainage, lying down with my right side up, since my problem is the upper right lobe, then huff cough;
3. aerobika, first lying down, then sitting up, then huff cough;
When inhaling saline, it makes me cough a lot. It seems I get more mucus out while inhaling saline.
Autogenic drainage, aerobika and huff coughing help me to get a little mucus out, but never a lot.
Sometimes, not long after I finish the clearance, I start coughing and the cough will get more mucus out.
Question:
Is it normal that autogenic drainage and aerobika and huff coughing do not get much mucus out, but afterwards the coughing would get more out? If I don't cough, that means I did not clean out my mucus completely, right?
Please share your experience with me. You are the people who can help me. I feel desperate. I hope I made myself clear.
Many thanks!
Ling
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.
Connect
@Ling, we all just do the best that we can to manage this diagnosis, don’t we? Personal experiences are very helpful to hear when we feel a little lost or discouraged or when we feel that we need some guidance. What is helpful for one person may or may not be for another, but we all recognize the need to share our experiences.
It is also very normal to feel ups and downs, to have some difficult days, and to feel overwhelmed. Often, those times are balanced by better days and good news. It is a unique illness in that it affects so many aspects of one’s life, and we must make adjustments to best cope with it. I am always amazed at the resiliency and helpfulness of all who visit this site. It is truly a group of support.
Hi friends -
I just got back from National Jewish Health, and they did three respiratory sessions with me. They are recommending the Aerobika with the Aeroeclipse attachment, and doing it for 10-15 minutes. I do that for one of my sessions each day. For the other session, I do the nebulizer alone for 10 minutes, and then the Aerobika 10 breaths lying on my left side, followed by huff cough and clearing; 10 on my right followed by huff cough and clearing, 10 upright followed by huff cough and clearing, and then repeat that cycle the whole cycle one more time. They did say that doing the saline for more than 10 minutes straight can be irritating to the body.
Jill
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@jill6063 , Hi Jill,
by "irritating to the body", do they mean irritating to the lungs or do they mean more than that? Please elaborate.
Best wishes of great health to all of us!
Thank you for sharing and spending your precious time to respond. If I understand you do active cycle of breathing while sitting, then on your side and also flat/ sides. You are lucky that it helps to remove mucus. No matter what tricks I do I cannot expectorate any mucus plugs. I will try your way too. Thank you again
Jill are you able to produce mucus that way, are you a mucus or dry patient? Thank you
Great question! When I started this whole journey, I was dry. Now, after 18 months of nebulizing and taking NAC, I'm able to produce mucus every time. The morning mucus is more clear and bubbly, and the afternoon one us more gunky and thick.
I think they meant to the throat and the trachea.