What am I doing wrong? How to get a good sputum specimen for a culture

@gagaka No, Mucinex does not affect the validity of sputum samples.
Early in my journey, when I had trouble getting an adequate sample, the respiratory nurse gave me 10% saline - I tasted salt for days, and it irritated the heck out of my bronchial tubes, but it brought the mucus up.
Then I learned about the effectiveness of exercise (thanks to Dr Pamela McShane.) Now if I need to produce a sample and my lung are reluctant, I drink a bunch of water, nebulize 7% saline and MOVE. Most effective for me are Yoga or a 30 minute brisk walk or strenuous yard work - mowing, pulling weeds, etc.

What techniques have you tried?

@kwi I'm new on here so I hope this helps: The best way for me to get a sputum culture is to bend over like I have to pick something up - this should have you tipped downward & the mucus should come up, works for me every time so I hope it helps.

@sueinmn

I exercised before taking my sputum sample, but I’m still having difficulty producing a good one. I tried steam inhalation, which helped a little, but I still can’t produce enough sputum. It’s really frustrating.

@gagaka Talk to your pulmonologist about whether they have further suggestions?
Do you normally have a dry cough? If so you may have the "dry" variant of bronchiectasis. I'm not sure what the next step is if that is tour situation.

@gagaka I most likely am in that dry group. I haven’t been able to produce a sample despite daily airway clearance, nebulizing (3% as my dr doesn’t prescribe 7%) and exercise. My MAC was diagnosed following a bronchoscopy. A bronchoscopy isn’t done routinely as it’s a surgical procedure however I was having one done as a follow up for other prior issues.

@gagaka ask your pulmonologist to do sputum induction in the office- and ask for 10% saline- it helped me to produce little.

@rmoore901 @gagaka I'm certainly in the dry BE group! I was diagnosed in 11/24, but have only been able to produce one sample at the beginning. Later, I had to have a bronchoscopy before starting on the big 3 in 8/25, due to progression shown on CT scan. Since 11/24, I've been nebulizing twice a day with 9% solution and albuterol, do ACTs, exercise, and still unable to produce sputum. I seldom cough. I also did two sessions in the doctor's office with no result. Frustrating because I don't want to do another bronchoscopy because of the risks (but the procedure itself was fine). But I keep up with everything to keep mucus loose and moving, somehow. I'm tolerating the big 3 just fine, with probiotics, and haven't had any flareups. We'll see where I am after 12 or 18 months on the big 3 and CT scan.

@jbix, are you sure you are nebbing 9% saline? Don't you mean 0.9% saline? If 0.9% saline, you might want to up your game with 3%, then later 7%. It should make a difference. Some people drink organic green tea or organic mullein tea (I drink both, that helps). And of course, exercise is quite helpful for expectoration, especially if you push outside of your comfort zone. Some people do percussions on their chest too with various accessories purchased off Amazon, some have success with this.
Best wishes of great health to all of us!

@gigiv Of course, you're right! 0.9% saline! I could try increasing the saline. Also my husband is a retired physical therapist, and he has done serious chest percussion on me, to no avail. I do exercise, and push myself when hiking. The only time I feel like I might be able to bring something up is when I have a bad cold, but I haven't had one in about 8 months. Thanks for your suggestions.

@jbix Correction: that should be 0.9% saline solution!