Does anyone have any tricks to produce a sputum sample?

First thing in the morning after 2 puffs of albuterol and then nebulized hypertonic saline. Try 2 vials.

@jmr69 When nebulizing saline is not enough, I do some vigorous exercise or house or yard work after the neb. That usually does the trick for me. Sometimes a cup or two of Breathe Easy tea by Traditional Medicinals helps too. Available on line, at Walmart and in most large supermarkets.

JMR69- Bringing up sample:
I believe that following this Autogenic Drainage app immediately after nebulizing helps a lot. I select the 4 1/2 minute option and follow the instructions exactly. I think it helps.

@jgb1997 When I click on the image you posted I can't get beyond the image.
Is there an address for it?
Barbara

You may already do this but keeping hydrated is also important along with all mentioned here. Fluid intake as we have always been told.
Barbara

@blm1007blm1007 Barbara
That was just a photo of the app icon. If you open up “App Store” on your phone, search for “Autogenic Drainage” then look for that green “lung” icon - and select that app. It’s free.

I was diagnosed with NTM and MAI in Nov. 2024, and at that time I could bring up a little sputum. But I haven't been able to since then, and believe me, I've tried everything. I do airway clearance with 7% solution and albuterol twice a day, huff cough some, exercise, etc. I've tried all other strategies for bringing up sputum with no results, and saw a respiratory therapist. I had to have a bronchoscopy in spring of 2025, and there wasn't much mucus at that time in my lungs. But CT scan showed BE progression, so I started on big 3 in August of 2025. I haven't coughed up anything since then! And no symptoms at all, and almost no coughing. I will have another bronchoscopy soon--my pulmonologist thinks the mucus may be very low in my lungs. I'll have CT scan first to see where to get mucus samples from in my lungs. The ID doctor will then determine when I can go off the big 3. I may have dry bronchiectasis, but there isn't much info about it and the progression in my lungs needs to be monitored just the same. Just to say--not everyone has a lot of mucus.

At one point, I thought I tried everything and was not too successful. Then, by accident, one day I found a method that seems to work for me pretty consistently. I was tired one day and after having a hot cup of tea, I laid down on my couch with a pillow under my back at an angle so I could rest my head on the armrest. This put me in a slightly reclined position but not flat on my back. Sort of like you would be in a dental chair where they recline it but not flat. All of a sudden I felt the rattling in my chest and was able to bring up some pretty good sputum samples when I had always had difficulty before even after nebulizing and doing the Aerobika or doing autogenic drainage. That method seems to work the best for me. So now when I need a sample, I definitely do that and I also do it just to make sure everything is cleared out. Depending on where your mucus is concentrated it may or may not work for you but you could give it a try. The key is drinking the hot tea first.

If you look at a diagram of the lungs, you'll see that the bronchioles branch in many different directions. In an excellent airway clearance video, Noah Greenspan explained why changing your position and angle is so important in bronchiectasis, as it helps target different airways. He compared it to dipping an apple in caramel. You have to rotate the apple to coat the entire surface.

If your bronchiectasis is in the lower parts of the lungs, you may need to rotate your body, or even position yourself so those airways are nearly upside down, to let gravity help drain mucus, much like turning a ketchup bottle to get the last bit out.

Speaking of sputum. I was standing next to my bed to pick up the pillow and all of a sudden I felt this “thing” come up into my mouth . . Fortunately I had a lab container so I spit it into that and it was taken to the lab right away.
It came back as Pseudomonas colonized which we knew from prior
Infections reports . It looked gross! Never had produced anything like this before . My Pulmonologist ordered a chest CT Scan ..waiting for report .
Has anyone had the same experience ?