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Confused about saline
I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and MAC and am relatively new to this whole battle. I have a constant cough which is much worse at night but no shortness of breath. The mucus I cough up is pretty thin. I have ordered a wedge to elevate my upper body at night and am praying it will help. I was also told I am allergic to dust mites. My nasal drip is pretty bad at times. I am taking an antihistamine.
I repeatedly see mention of 7% saline nebulizer treatment. Does this help with controlling the MAC bacteria and curbing cough? I have asked my pulmonologist about saline with this response: "I don't generally use 7% saline. I use mucomsyt mixed with albuterol to thin the mucus, along with the vest. If this does not work, then I use dornase. "
I am not asking for medical advise but am curious to get your take on this.
At the present time I am using the compression vest 2x per day.
I have a Rx for Albuterol Sulfate, 0.083% for nebulizer. A respiratory therapist (who taught me how to use the compression vest) who said it would not help with cough and she did not think it was necessary.
I am confused and trying to keep the faith that I will find what works. I appreciate your feedback.
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That is great Arlo! I'm glad to hear it is working and helping you improve!!
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1 ReactionI would just like to add to this thread that doing aerobic exercise or yoga before I do my airway clearance routine (nebulizing saline, using the aerobica, tapping with cups and postural drainage) really really helps. I couldn't clear my lungs very well until I started exercising daily.
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5 ReactionsMay I know how do you tap with cups? Are they plastic cups?
Is it the same as cupping with your hands? Please tell
Thank you
Do you have a lot of mucus which you couldn’t cough up and now you can because you exercise before clearing session? No matter what I do I produce little and only during 7% saline nebulizing.
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1 ReactionYes, I use the rubbery cups for tapping. I learned a routine with a respiratory therapist. I lie in different positions and tap different parts of my lungs and also use the aerobika while I'm in these positions. I go back and forth between the aerobika and the tapping and different breathing patterns. And then I huff cough
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1 ReactionI think it is the same as with hands but I can't do it without the cups. I'm not sure how much the cups help. I feel like the most helpful things are exercising, lying in positions with my head lower than my body, and nebulzing saline
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1 ReactionInitially (I've had NTM for about 15 years), I would try to do clearance first thing when I got up and I would clear nothing. Eventually, I figured out that I could clear mucus if I did it later in the day (11 AM or later) after exercising. Also, I need to do the airway clearance routine for a long time (45+ minutes) in order for it to work and even then, sometimes there is nothing. My symptoms improved a lot from this routine (cough went away, more energy).
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2 Reactionscan you please describe your routine, what sepecifically you do and for how long. What are those cups;
thank you- I am searching for other people experiences to clear mucus if you have little
Lilianna
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1 ReactionWhen you finally get to the huff cough, is it one time or do you keep trying the huff cough?