Anyone feel tense throughout their body after the morning BE session?

Yes. I sympathize with what you describe. I am intrigued by your choice of the word "tense" as I have been feeling something after each AM/PM treatment session. I have BE and M. Abscessus and follow a routine similar to yours (nebulized 7% saline, active breathing, Aerobika, postural drainage, huff, etc.)

I'm new to this regimen. I haven't' found the right words to describe how I feel after each airway clearance session. But I have noticed that after the AM sessions I do feel somewhat tense, or hyper, or anxious, or something. Those feelings are less intense after the PM sessions, but I have learned that I will need at least an hour or two after the session concludes before I can fall asleep.

Thanks for posting this question. I'll be interested to see how this group responds.

Ed

I feel nothing but RELIEF after clearance sessions! So glad it's over (until the next time)

So interesting Ed and glad to have the response.
I recently started doing a short nebulizing session about an hour and a half before bed and it seems to help with my not needing to clear my mucus/lungs after waking up to walk down the hall to do as my bladder is instructing me to do. I wake up a least three times a night and try to stay in bed as long as I can, if I can fall back to sleep, so that I get at least 7 hours of sleep. Doesn't always happen, 7 hours of sleep.
Yes the late afternoon and last session is better in that I don't have the tense, whole body, feeling as the morning session.
Barbara

@blm1007blm1007 Good afternoon Barbara, When I hear this description of your morning, no wonder you are tense. Do you think maybe you are working too hard?

I may be wrong, but I don't believe airway clearance is meant to "take over your life." I know we all want the mucus out of our lungs to improve our chances to avoid or fight infection. But sometimes, I think doing too much serves as an irritant (as well as being exhausting) and perhaps increases mucus production.

I was taught airway clearance by an RN who had worked with my first pulmonologist for over 20 years, coaching patients in techniques and helping to induce sputum specimens from reluctant lungs.
After our first session, she told me to "Go home and try each of these techniques to find the one that works best for you. It may be different as your health changes, or on each day of the week, your asthma waxes and wains, or allergens get in the way."

I was pretty ill and also extremely anxious then (7 years ago) so when I went for my second session with her, I told her how exhausted I was, spending 3-4 hours a day nebbing and doing airway clearance. Her response was "Whoa there - neb, wait a little, then do 20-30 minutes of one or two techniques and STOP. The objective is to get the mucus moving - you can NEVER get it all out because your lungs are constantly producing it."

It was after that session that I discovered a short walk (15-20 minutes was all I could manage then) helped move the saline down into my lungs. Then I would do Airway clearance - usually all I needed was some active cycle breathing and either Aerobika or huff coughing. But sometimes I had to resort to some inverted yoga poses. Hours later, I might have a period of spontaneous productive coughing. But that "I can't keep this up" desperate feeling went away. I no longer felt like I was "drowning" or "completely clogged" because I was thinning and moving the mucus, but not to the extent of irritating lungs, airways and throat.

Now, I use my inhaler and occasionally neb (for those who may not know my story, this is with my pulmonologist's blessing) get a little exercise (walking, yoga or vigorous house/yard work) then do my airway clearance.

Maybe, for those of you who are reporting HOURS of trying, and lots of foamy mucus, are actually irritating your lungs into producing that excess mucus by trying so hard? And maybe working that hard is part of the tension you feel, and the exhaustion as well.

I am trying to find an airway clearance expert who can answer these questions, now that Dr. A and his nurse have retired.

Scoop- I noticed where you referred to 20 years ago in terms of information etc. available then. Does that mean you have had BE for 20 years or was that just a general statement?

Not sure I can say I feel relief after the morning session ..the feeling of feeling tense stays for quite a while because I still need to clear.
Have you ever felt tense or tension after doing it all?
Barbara

Sue - Yes it is a good afternoon, the sun is shining and I, we, have our Mayo Clinic friends here with us.
My mind flashed and was talking to me as I wrote the post and it was saying to me much of what you have said. Somewhat common sense but it takes time to realize and figure it out what to do and not do, as you know.
I hope I am not a lost cause because I have constantly allowed myself to clear almost all day long. I hope I can retrain the system. It has to change....I allowed it, caused it, to "take over your (my} life." Going to work on changing that.
Yes, I did decide after writing the post that it might be best to do the walking after nebulizing and a short breathing/huff cough cycle and then go from there.
Good advice given to you by the RN and thanks for passing it on. Retirement is taking away our most experienced and knowledgeable medical people.
Yes NEVER going to clear it all out but that feeling of a lump in the throat gets to me.....and the reason for my constant wanting to clear.
You do a wonderful job of keeping up with us.
Thanks for your long thoughtful response.
Barbara
P.S. Your trip for you is just around the corner. Do you take pictures of your equipment on your phone in case of a language problem overseas if you needed something from a pharmacy while on your trip?

No, I have not taken pictures of equipment, but I do take pictures of all my prescriptions, carry hard copies as long as the pix. Also a copy of the doctor's letter about where all the metal is in my body. This applies whether we are traveling in the US, Canada, Mexico or abroad. We have not had issues, but are quite a bit older this time, with all the fun that includes!

Our Europe trip is postponed to autumn as our hosts in Slovenia are preparing for their daughter's wedding and some "doctoring" and PT need to be done here so we can travel comfortably. We have not had an issue with language as I can get along in Spanish and my husband in German, both common alternative languages in Italy, Austria and Slovenia where we will travel, We look forward to using Google translate as well - it was in its infancy last time we were in Europe. I also think it will be a better time for Italy - when we were last there in August, daily temps often approached 100F and many buildings, including the pensions where we like to stay, do not have AC.

We will also be going back to Quebec to visit in September, so I am ramping up my French study - my grandmother spoke it almost exclusively in her last years, and my ear picks it up again - at least the most common terms and directions. Interestingly, English is less common there than in Europe, although the schools now require it again.

Back to lungs...whenever you get that "lump" in your throat, perhaps you could try a few sips of water or tea - warm or cold, to see if it helps you to bring it up? Do you use Mucinex or NAC to help thin your mucus?

Good information: "pictures of all my prescriptions...carry hard copies...doctor's letter about where all the metal is in my body."
Yes, it sure is different traveling at an older age....related to ones health.
How nice regarding the languages you both can call upon and make use of due to your experiences and background.
I have never been to Slovenia. Loved my time in Quebec YEARS ago. September should be smiling at you both with beautiful fall colors and comfortable weather.
No, not as yet with the Mucinex. I do have the NAC. Overall my sputum/mucus is generally not thick and sticky. Yes to water to help. The smallest piece of stick gum also helps me.
Barbara

Sue you are always full of sensible advice. I should be starting saline neb in July they need to check that I will be able to tolerate it. All very slow here in the UK! My MAC has returned but my team is adopting a watch and wait approach. No 2 days are the same re symptoms etc. Airway clearance does not always induce mucus clearance. I do not think I could return to those meds - the big 3 was rough and tough. I know so much more now and I question too. Thank you for your invaluable advice. Niamh