Constant expelling of thick colored

Posted by kimbal @kimbal, May 25, 2023

I have stage 3 COPD and I am constantly expelling a thick mucus that the doctor cannot seem to get rid of. Sometimes it's green and at times it can be a tannish color. Has anyone experienced this as well and if so what medication did you take to get rid of it. I have taken azithromycin, levaquin and cefzil and none of them has worked.

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twitt99707 | @twitt99707 | May 26, 2023

I have mild COPD and I cough up the same stuff. My doctor isn’t concerned. I started eating yogurt and it has helped some. It might be thrush from antibiotics or inhaled meds. I’m not a doctor, so ask your doctor.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | May 26, 2023

@kimbal Good morning and welcome to Mayo Connect. One of the annoying parts of life with COPD and other lung conditions is that awful mucus that "never goes away." This is because our damaged lungs do not have the normal action to move it along without some help

The good news is, there is something you can do, that is free, doesn't require going anywhere, and doesn't involve drugs. It is called airway clearance technique (sometimes abbreviated ACT.) It involves breathing in a certain pattern to get air deeply into your lungs, then forcefully expelling it.
Here is a simple YouTube video showing how to do it, and a longer excellent one explaining in depth why & how...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ2--HnSEEM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnQIXc699d0

Have you been instructed in how to do this? Were you ever given a device to blow into, that vibrates your airways slightly? Do you regularly use any inhalers or a nebulizer?
All of these can help deal with that ugly mucus and keep infections away so you need fewer antibiotics.
Sue