Why do I cough up mucus at the end of every meal?

Posted by vmorton @vmorton, Mar 30 3:53pm

I have researched, but failed to find out why at the instant I complete any meal, I begin to cough up mucus. Most embarrassing!

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I had this happen to me before I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and before I started airway clearance. The airway clearance seemed to help.

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RE: vmorton Mucus Production
I also bring up, whatever it truly is, mucus, phlegm, saliva, sputum. One or the other or a combination of one or the other. Hard to know. It is after every bite/meal/glass of water. Overall for me it is nearly every hour of the day and worse first thing in the morning until around 1 P.M. and it tends to subside some, until I have a snack to try and gain weight back. I would imagine for me, why it is worse in the morning, is having slept (thank goodness) and it just holding somewhere in the system until I awake to visit the bathroom and then return to the bed and have to sit up and try to clear the throat again as best I can before trying to manage it all and fall back to sleep, And then the beginning again in the morning for that day. This is also worse each time I nebulize, two times a day.
And yes, uncomfortable in public or with others and therefore, for me, limiting my ease of movement in the world and being with others. Wish I or the doctors knew what it all is but sometimes they also don't have the answers. I have a Hiatal Hernia and possibly Acid Reflux. I say possibly because one doctor said I have Acid Reflux and another said I didn't. The Hiatal Hernia, or if it is Acid Reflux....or both...it could be the culprit for me with the problem of having to clear my throat constantly. So between the clearing of the throat with the constant sputum and then the nebulizing ..... both tend to limit the ease of movement in the world and being with others. Hello BE and etc. etc. Do you have Acid Reflux or a Hiatal Hernia?

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@blm1007blm1007

RE: vmorton Mucus Production
I also bring up, whatever it truly is, mucus, phlegm, saliva, sputum. One or the other or a combination of one or the other. Hard to know. It is after every bite/meal/glass of water. Overall for me it is nearly every hour of the day and worse first thing in the morning until around 1 P.M. and it tends to subside some, until I have a snack to try and gain weight back. I would imagine for me, why it is worse in the morning, is having slept (thank goodness) and it just holding somewhere in the system until I awake to visit the bathroom and then return to the bed and have to sit up and try to clear the throat again as best I can before trying to manage it all and fall back to sleep, And then the beginning again in the morning for that day. This is also worse each time I nebulize, two times a day.
And yes, uncomfortable in public or with others and therefore, for me, limiting my ease of movement in the world and being with others. Wish I or the doctors knew what it all is but sometimes they also don't have the answers. I have a Hiatal Hernia and possibly Acid Reflux. I say possibly because one doctor said I have Acid Reflux and another said I didn't. The Hiatal Hernia, or if it is Acid Reflux....or both...it could be the culprit for me with the problem of having to clear my throat constantly. So between the clearing of the throat with the constant sputum and then the nebulizing ..... both tend to limit the ease of movement in the world and being with others. Hello BE and etc. etc. Do you have Acid Reflux or a Hiatal Hernia?

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I do have acid reflux. And thank you for responding.

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@sherrig

I had this happen to me before I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and before I started airway clearance. The airway clearance seemed to help.

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Thank you.

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@sherrig

I had this happen to me before I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and before I started airway clearance. The airway clearance seemed to help.

Jump to this post

RE: Mucus
You mentioned "before I started airway clearance."
Are you meaning the nebulizing of saline solution itself as airway clearance?
Are you meaning one of the drainage techniques for helping to bring up and out as airway clearance.
Are you meaning doing using both saline solution nebublized and drainage techinques as airway clearance.?
Have you ever been diagnosed with Acid Reflux or Hiatal Hernia?
You indicated "airway clearance seemed to help"
Do you still have the coughing up mucus problem?
If you do cough up mucus as yet, what does it look like?
The reason I asked is explained in my post labeled RE: vmorton Mucus Production.
Thanks.

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@vmorton

I do have acid reflux. And thank you for responding.

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Have you ever been told or heard, the possiblity of, that nebulizing sodium chloride might affect Acid Reflux? I am trying to find out if this is a possiblity. It seems, it appears, it has gotten worse since nebulizing the saline.
I am wondering if the solution does because the mucus (foamy, white, frothy, bubbly) is so much worse during the nebulizing of the saline solution, without any other medications just the saline solution.
I need to clear out the "stuff" every other second I nebulize. I have to hurry and get back onto the nebulizer in hopes of being able to inhale/exhale with it before I have to clear out the mucus build up described above. As many things can be, especially with our Bronchiectasis, this is so frustrating..... the constant having to clear the "stuff" out of my throat, system.

REPLY
@blm1007blm1007

RE: Mucus
You mentioned "before I started airway clearance."
Are you meaning the nebulizing of saline solution itself as airway clearance?
Are you meaning one of the drainage techniques for helping to bring up and out as airway clearance.
Are you meaning doing using both saline solution nebublized and drainage techinques as airway clearance.?
Have you ever been diagnosed with Acid Reflux or Hiatal Hernia?
You indicated "airway clearance seemed to help"
Do you still have the coughing up mucus problem?
If you do cough up mucus as yet, what does it look like?
The reason I asked is explained in my post labeled RE: vmorton Mucus Production.
Thanks.

Jump to this post

In the beginning I started with the Incourage vest and a flutter device. From my memory, this seemed to help with the after dinner mucus.
About 2 months later, after seeing a different doctor, I added nebulizing albuterol and 7% saline. I also use the AD App and do about 30 minutes a day. During this time frame I went for a Barium Swallow test and was told I had a slight case of silent GERD. I now sleep with my head inclined and either flat on on my left side.

REPLY
@sherrig

In the beginning I started with the Incourage vest and a flutter device. From my memory, this seemed to help with the after dinner mucus.
About 2 months later, after seeing a different doctor, I added nebulizing albuterol and 7% saline. I also use the AD App and do about 30 minutes a day. During this time frame I went for a Barium Swallow test and was told I had a slight case of silent GERD. I now sleep with my head inclined and either flat on on my left side.

Jump to this post

TO: vmorton and sherrig
Interesting that we not only have a diagnosis of BE but also concerns with either GERD/Acid Reflux... and I a Hiatal Hernia. All require, including the Hiatal Hernia, the GERD/Acid Reflux diet and guidlines for sleeping and body positioning. We have all answered to the post of why of mucus, mucus after eating etc. etc.
Is this mucus, that which we call mucus, supposed mucus, that we talk of,,,,,is it related to BE or is it related to the GERD/Acid Reflux,/ Hiatal Hernia that we have...
From what I can tell, and I hope others will pipe in, if a BE patient don't have GERD, Hiatal Hernia, Acid Reflux..with their BE diagonsis.....they do not have the constant needing to clear the throat of the stuff that comes up to the throat all day long and especially immediately after eating or just taking a bite of food.
That which I am calling mucus (that has to be cleared out from the throat all day long or after eating...for me..). is not what one sees when we, I, huff cough. The huff cough mucus, which is the colored 'mucus' of what appears to be due to mucus plugging..... the yellow to darker in color stuff.?
I'm thinking that this constant clearing of the throat is related to GERD/Hiatal Hernia/Acid Reflux. Any thoughts?

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I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone has offered a reason for coughing up mucus immediately after eating a MEAL, not a snack, nor all day. I have Gerd, in so much as I have to stay away from very spicy food. That's all! So I still don't understand why I cough up mucus, not clear my throat, after each meal.

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@vmorton

I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone has offered a reason for coughing up mucus immediately after eating a MEAL, not a snack, nor all day. I have Gerd, in so much as I have to stay away from very spicy food. That's all! So I still don't understand why I cough up mucus, not clear my throat, after each meal.

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@vmorton It's frustrating! Ask me how I know. How often do you clear your airways? For bronchiectasis it recommended twice a day in most cases.

What color is the mucus that you cough up? If it's yellow, green or some combo of the two, it's likely the bronchiectasis. If it's foamy and white clear it could be GERD reflux. How are you managing both of these conditions?

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