Bronchiestatis and tiredness

I have had bronchiectasis for four years now - contracted unknowingly through an h-flu infection sometime earlier. I get quite a lot of fatigue that varies by the day. Some days better than others. It seems to be related in part to the level of unexpelled mucus I'm carrying. And in part it's how well I feel oxygen is circulating in my body. Better circulation means more energy. Fortunately, for many years from before getting bronchiectasis I have practiced almost daily yoga. Nothing complicated just a couple of basic yoga sets - each about 20 minutes. Both include 5 minutes or more of deep breathing exercises. They help me expel mucus and improve my energy level. I try to do them most days of the week. Continuity helps. I do my yoga at home using programs on dvd. The ones I generally use are : Rodney Yee's AM Yoga, and his Abs Yoga. The latter is more strenuous but very good for expelling mucus. To get flexible if you've never done yoga, try Jane Goad Trechsel's Ten Minute Cup of Yoga first. It takes some persistence to get into - be prepared to spend a week or two learning the ropes. But I have found it well worth it. I hope this is of some help. Good luck.

I say, 'hats off to you' if you can still go to work! When I read about characteristics of MAC being extreme fatigue and malaise, it all clicked. I had no cough, had no idea that I had bronchiectasis - just serious and extreme fatigue, could hardly make it through a day at work. Retired now, been on and off medications, feel somewhat more alert and active, but still have a lot of fatigue. I gradually learned not to do too much at once, basically doing tasks in shorter spurts of energy and resting in between. From what I read, a lot of people continue to have notable fatigue. Pace yourself. Good luck.

Hi, Sue. I'm sorry I'm just seeing this. I haven't been on my e-mail site for a while. This is so astounding to me, all of this. What is most disturbing is my doctors have mentioned nothing of these types of effects from this disease. I find that pitiful at best. I'm walking around thinking I'm a lazy bum ( LOL) and in actuality it's this lung issue. I've always had my 2pm crash time, but just push through. Now, as I mentioned, it could be 30 minutes after I wake up and I'm completely exhausted ! I've never been able to do "Power naps" in the past. They always made me feel groggy. Now, there are days I just have to sit and fall asleep. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with fatigue. I had no idea!! It can be truly overwhelming ! thank you, Toni