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More mucus changed color

Posted by lilianna @lilianna, Feb 5 7:15pm

I could barely produce any mucus except clear stuff during sodium chloride nebulizing. Recently I started using the pari red nebulizing cup and later doing autogenic drainage with hips up, chest lower. I started having a lot of clear to yellow green mucus. I have to do 4-5 sessions of AD to stop the flow. Is it common to suddenly, with the change of clearing technique, produce so much more and from deeper lungs or it means infection. My January mucus sample test showed aspergillus fumigatus. I also am often short of breath with tight chest. My pulmonologist reordered just fungal sputum test- which takes a month to come back and a CT ( had 3 last year) What are your thoughts?

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scoop | @scoop | Feb 8 1:25pm
In reply to @blm1007blm1007 "@ scoop @lilianna Is this what you were referring to Scoop? I googled : What is..." + (show)
@blm1007blm1007

@ scoop @lilianna Is this what you were referring to Scoop?
I googled : What is ABPA in medical terms. This came up. "ABPA stands for Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis. It is a lung condition caused by an allergic reaction to the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Introduction. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a fungal infection of the lung due to a hypersensitivity reaction to antigens of Aspergillus fumigatus after colonization into the airways. Predominantly it affects patients with bronchial asthma and those having cystic. fibrosishttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542329/#:~:text=Introduction,and%20those%20having%20cystic%20fibrosis.

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Yes.

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val2652 | @val2652 | Feb 13 5:01am

Colour in sputum is indicative of an infection. The sputum tests take time as they wait to see if the MAC will grow in your sample. I would see about getting another sputum test if yours is coloured. Now I know this sounds silly but if you have a drink or something to eat, that could still be in the esophagus and cause a coloured sample. Coffee is my worst offender.

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jnmy | @jnmy | Feb 14 11:57am

A good recent article.
https://www.the-microbiologist.com/news/colour-of-phlegm-can-predict-outcomes-for-patients-with-bronchiectasis/1530.article
My doctor told me the phlegm colour wasn’t important. That’s universally accepted as wrong advice now when there are other symptoms. The most important indictator though is the thickness of the sputum.

Some people continue to have some coloured sputum without infection but I suspect it is the chronic inflammation that might wane every now and then.
Good luck!

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1 reply
lilianna | @lilianna | Feb 14 12:36pm
In reply to @jnmy "A good recent article. https://www.the-microbiologist.com/news/colour-of-phlegm-can-predict-outcomes-for-patients-with-bronchiectasis/1530.article My doctor told me the phlegm colour wasn’t important. That’s universally..." + (show)
@jnmy

A good recent article.
https://www.the-microbiologist.com/news/colour-of-phlegm-can-predict-outcomes-for-patients-with-bronchiectasis/1530.article
My doctor told me the phlegm colour wasn’t important. That’s universally accepted as wrong advice now when there are other symptoms. The most important indictator though is the thickness of the sputum.

Some people continue to have some coloured sputum without infection but I suspect it is the chronic inflammation that might wane every now and then.
Good luck!

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Thank you for the Article, jnmy.

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wolfplanetzero | @wolfplanetzero | Feb 15 12:24pm

I recently asked my ID doc and one of my lung docs if yellow mucus always means an active infection. My ID doc said he believes that a change in mucus color during a flare-up is a bigger indicator of an infection than a specific color. The pulmonary doc said that yellow mucus can sometimes be caused by inflammation and/or an immune system response, even if there is no infection. She added that she knows of cases where yellow mucus was removed during a bronchoscopy and sent to a lab, and no bugs were found. Hope this is helpful. Peace to all.

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1 reply
lilianna | @lilianna | Feb 15 3:28pm
In reply to @wolfplanetzero "I recently asked my ID doc and one of my lung docs if yellow mucus always..." + (show)
@wolfplanetzero

I recently asked my ID doc and one of my lung docs if yellow mucus always means an active infection. My ID doc said he believes that a change in mucus color during a flare-up is a bigger indicator of an infection than a specific color. The pulmonary doc said that yellow mucus can sometimes be caused by inflammation and/or an immune system response, even if there is no infection. She added that she knows of cases where yellow mucus was removed during a bronchoscopy and sent to a lab, and no bugs were found. Hope this is helpful. Peace to all.

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Thank you

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