Yes, definitely! I speak from experience! Ouch!

My husband actually pulled a muscle away from the rib right where you are saying due to his nonstop coughing.

Thanks for the reply, now I won’t worry too much. It’s really just a nuisance.

@taya, I've had bronchiectasis for almost three years but didn't develop a cough until I got the flu this past February, and now ten months later I'm still coughing and I feel like I have pulled every muscle imaginable in my stomach, back and lung areas. And I thought I had pulled everything possible but lo and behold last week I coughed so hard I pulled a new place in my back. It's amazing to me. Nan (@nannette).

I cough off and on everyday and although it causes stress, strain, etc., all of your comments help me to understand it is a reaction of the nebulizing….I’ve had this illness a year or so now and don’t always “know” what’s happening. Thx for being here!

You must be really hurting, so sorry. I’ve been debating if I should go to the dr’s thinking I
Might have some health issue, now I think my ache is from my coughing. I sure hope I don’t
start hurting in other areas. Once in a while my back hurts and I just chalk that up as
normal, maybe that too is from my cough. It could be worse.

@nannette, Has anyone out here, suffering from MAC or Bronchiectasis, cough so hard and long that you would spit up blood?

@spencersok Spitting up blood is most likely not due to coughing too hard. It is one of the symptoms of MAC. Some people with MAC never cough up blood, but others do. If you also have bronchiectasis, coughing is likely the result of that. Those living with bronchiectasis, which has no cure, are very susceptible to being infected by MAC. So for some, these two go hand in hand. I have both. I coughed up huge amount of blood a number of years back and was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and MAC back then. I also coughed a lot for good many years although my coughing has subsided recently. Because I also have many allergies, for a long time my doctor and I both thought my allergies were entirely to blame for coughing. I was very frustrated with not seeing as much improvement as I expected after all kinds of treatment for allergies. Only after being diagnosed with bronchiectasis did I realize that was why treating allergies alone had not worked effectively for my coughing. However, allergy treatment still has helped with reducing my coughing over time.

@ling123 Sounds just like me.

@ling Thanks a lot for that information. Hoping that we can get something to help the cough.

@spencersok I have not personally coughed up any blood (yet) but I know others have. I think it's a part of having MAC and bronchiectasis. Nan

@spencersok Have you talked to your doctors about your cough? Do you know if you have allergies? Are your coughs deep from the lungs or shallow around the throat? Mine is mostly caused by irritation in the throat, which could be in turn caused by postnasal drip and other irritants. I'm allergic to dust mites. So my allergic reaction is all-year round, rather than seasonal, although I am also allergic to all kinds of tree pollen and grass/weed pollen.

Oh yes, for nearly a year I coughed so hard everything hurt. This was after suffering months long bouts of coughing and fatigue the 3 previous winters, a couple of them led to the ER for shortness of breath. The horrible cough, as well as the profound fatigue were what sent me searching for answers early this year. I have had asthma for many years, but was no longer responding to any treatment. A lung CT led to a pulmonologist, who very patiently worked through diagnosis and treatment, first for bronchiectasis, then pseudomonas, and finally MAC. After 4 months on the big 3, as well as 4 courses of treatment for the pseudomonas, combined with an Acapela & occasional nebs, the cough has subsided to where it is merely irritating, not disabling. I still frequently "hit the wall" with fatigue and must stop every activity for the rest of the day, but that is getting better – I presume as the infection in my lungs diminishes.