Anyone have Athsma & Bronchiectasis?

@mlillich Yes, my pulmonologist specializes in bronchiectasis. I hope that you are able find a good one who can get to the bottom of what is going on with your health. I am not in the medical field, but I would highly suggest he/she order sputum samples and a CT of Chest. Please let us know.

Hello,
Have you seen a Pulmonologist?
I have been sick over a month and seen in ER twice. I see a Pulmonologist in 2 days and I cannot wait for this assessment.

They have done extensive testing and I've met with Rheumatologists and had multiple CT scans. I'm hoping for a treatment plan soon. As the inhalers don't seem to do much I'm minimizing their use hoping for my voice to return. They have me on oxygen for when I'm active. I've never smoked anything!! Never been sick. This is scary.

@gallahad if they are looking at ILD are they doing auto immune testing? I am learning there is a strong connection between the two. Was the BE and ILD diagnosed via a CT scan? The hoarseness I have been told is a side effect from the inhalers however it can also be due to reflux. There is great information here, definitely read about the ABC’s which you can find by searching to read up on nebuluzing and airway clearance.

@scoop As I was driving, I thought about this more and thought you might be interested in knowing that in Japan, doctors seem to diagnose “sinobronchial syndrome” with some regularity. I searched Pubmed early when pulmonologist was saying it was likely sinus drainage causing CT changes and ENT said I don’t think so. There were a few papers from Japan and 1 Western. I won’t have time this week to deep dive, but thought you might want to take a look.

Thank you all for sharing. This is my first time on Mayo Connect and I now know I'm not alone. They're still working on my total diagnosis but bronchiectesis and some form of ILD are part of the story. The only treatment to date has been three different inhalers and the neti, but they don't seem to do much. I'm anxious for an answer to the coughing fits and something to prevent further damage to my lungs. It all started with the sinus drainage for which I was treated for allergies for over two years. My voice is chronically "hoarse." Will it ever go back to normal? I'm frustrated by the lack of urgency by the medical community.

@scoop I have never coughed out a cup or more of mucus a day like some do. Even when I had my horrid cough before Azelastine, it was mostly dry. I did produce enough chest mucus to get specimens easily. Sometimes I’d also cough up the yellow post nasal drainage that felt as if it was just below throat. My cough reflex was definitely intact. That first pulmonologist told me post nasal drainage could seep down while sleeping. He called it microaspiration.

@pacathy Thank you. I was more aware of the post nasal drip in the early days. Maybe I am just more used to it now. I certainly have no shortage of sputum!

@scoop I had could get specimens those first few months. By the time I went to Mayo, I was drying up. I was on Astepro by then and it had been a miracle for my horrid coughing episodes.. I was doing normal saline irrigations too, but can’t remember if I was still using the little bottles or had switched to large volume saline without the steroid. Local ENT had me switch to large volume around that time. They held off on steroids in sprays and in flush bottle until MAC results came back negative.
After I got on all the meds, I’ve only been able to get a very few specimens, though I occ get a little yellow sputum up.

@pacathy quick question: before you got your sinus drainage under control, did you produce chest mucus?