1. Community
  2. Chest and lungs
  3. Bronchiectasis

i am only 20 :(. I cough up large amounts of sputum daily! HELP

Posted , 6 users are following.

madeline0505
madeline0505

Hello I am 2nd year Law student at University of Cape Town, been living with bronchiectasis for about 18 years( I AM 20) .the condition has deterioated over the years! i need someone to talk to, i have never met anyone with this disease. 

have spent so much money on doctors, antibiotics, physiothereapy etc only to get worse each year,

I cough up large amounts of sputum each day, my fingers and toes look so ugly from clubbing, i am constantly tired and missing out on life!

HOW CAN I REDUCE SPUTUM OTHER THAN BY ANTIBIOTICS?

please help

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • sdawoolsey
    sdawoolsey madeline0505

    Posted

    Hi there,

    This is not really a forum to find out what is wrong with you - sorry if I am sounding rude but we could all start guessing & then you would be in deep water.

    Please go and see your GP who should refer you to a respiratory specialist. That specialist should get you to undergo a series of tests, which will produce results to tell you what is wrong.

    Do all that please & then get back on here & let us know. We are interested in knowing the outcome but we cannot mis-diagnose you. It will only cause you stress & worry.

    Good luck & report back soon

    • madeline0505
      madeline0505 sdawoolsey

      Posted

      Hi there,

      maybe you didnt read correctly and missed the part where I said i been living with bronchiectasis for 18 years now, obviously that means i was diagnosed( a long time ago)-sorry if i am sounding rude but i was asking for other ways to reduce sputum production as I have tried it all (antibiotics, daily physio, diet) 

      Moreover,i just wanted to hear from other people living with this terrible disease.

  • denise21511
    denise21511 madeline0505

    Posted

    Hello madline0505,  im sorry to hear your suffering so much,i find if you drink lots of water,,get plenty excerise,and if you can get your partner or maybe a family member to give your back in the lung area a good patting it helps, and if you can do this every morning it means you can get a lot of sputum up ,and then its not to bad as the day goes on ,then again at night , get th person  to cup their hands ,as this will vibrate through your body,then you can maybe have a sputum free day,hope thing improve for you soon.
  • denise21511
    denise21511 madeline0505

    Posted

    hi again Sorry i was not much help.
    • madeline0505
      madeline0505 denise21511

      Posted

      Denise your advise is great help! Am actually drinking 2L of water as we speak. I am grateful to be interacting with people who know EXACTLY what i am going through smile  

      feel free to give me more tips smile

  • karen114
    karen114 madeline0505

    Posted

    I'm too a longtime sufferer of this disease n I was diagnosed when I was little. My mum does my physio I have a nebuliser I have to go on 4 times a day. I have inhalers I also have mucodyne tabs n montekulast tabs to take n I have to do exercise too but this helps shift the mucus. I have antibiotics amoxicillin or ampicillin if they don't work I have to ciprofloxacin as I'm allergic to doxycycline n other tabs . I'm in constant pain across my back n down side n have headaches too plus I m ad extricated I an have situs I versus too. Life is a struggle especially if I have a chest infection . Hope this helps I'm 48 now 
    • madeline0505
      madeline0505 karen114

      Posted

      Those are my exact symptoms and what frustrates me is that there are people out there who have bronchiectasis but lead normal lives! I feel so frustrated as my parents spend large amounts of money on private specialists who dont offer me anything new. My fingers are badly clubbed, lung capacity dismal and i continue to produce so much sputum albeit the physio i do. what am i missing. 
  • robert157
    robert157 madeline0505

    Posted

    Hello Madeline.....Bronchiectasis is notoriously difficult to treat and control .....usually finding an effective antibiotic helps along with regular postural drainage.

    Do you hand in sputum samples to microbiology labs for testing.....they can test for which antibiotic you need to treat your particular infection....it is called sensitivity testing. Perhaps you are not taking the correct antibiotic for you.

    Have a look at http://www.bronchiectasishelp.org.uk/ which is designed to support patients in self management of this disease.......understanding this disease and knowing how to self manage your symptoms is the key to taking control.

    Hope all goes well.........Robert

  • kara0736
    kara0736 madeline0505

    Posted

    hi i cough up mucus 91 times a day i am only 18 i have only recently been diagnosed ut is very hard to live with and can have a huge impact on your life i struggle daily, i hope you get better

  • Guest
    Guest madeline0505

    Posted

    have you explored the Bronchiectasis R Us forum?

    when i really needed someone to talk to, i found this invaluable.

    it is a peer to peer forum

    great place to chat

    hope it helps

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.