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Bronchiectasis? Where to next?

Posted , 3 users are following.

Guest
Guest

What does a person do who does not really believe they have bronchiectasis? I do not have the usual symptoms of breathlessness, chest pains, or phlegm. What I do get is an irrating cough that can go on for hours on a daily basis. It is very debilitating and not very nice socially.What I do fetch up is a clear sticky liquid, more like saliva then discoloured phlegm. I do have a small patch on my lower left lobal lung that has not inflated properly (probably from birth or childhood illness) and a ct scan showed some scarring. My cough can disappear for years and then start up again with the mucous problem. Trouble is... now that I have been diagnosed it is difficult to get my GP to send me to hospital for a different referall as I think I may have reflux from a small hernia found 4 years ago. I suffer too from very sore throats from constant coughing as well as stress incontinence. I don't get any anti-biotics as I am told there is no cure for bronchi; I don't get any physio; it seems I have just got to put up and shut up. I am thinking of paying private for another consultation, not at my local hospital, but one in London, although I am a pensioner and really cannot afford it. Any advice anyone?[/i]

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Tessa
    Tessa

    Posted

    Hi Jan,

    That cough can be very tiring and of course your throat will be sore with persistant coughing. There is no cure for bronch, but there is probably something your GP could give you to help with the cough.

    Do you see your doctor often about this cough? You do need to check out that you don't have an infection because if you do you will need antibiotics to get rid of it. That is one of the things with bronch, the frequent infections.

    You should be able to ask your doctor to refer you for physio and to check out the hernia and he should do so. Please let me know how you get on.

    Warmest regards

    Tessa

  • bern
    bern

    Posted

    Jan

    Your doctor has probably advised to practise postural drainage, if so ask him for a letter to take to your local hospital physiotherapy department so they can show you what to. Take someone with you if you have someone who might to help you with it and they can also be shown what to do. The reason for this as is that you must try to avoid having to use antibiotics because they tend to become less effective over time: the best way to do this is to drain your lungs of surplus mucus. I find when doing the drainage that thicker fluid comes up than when I cough - thats the stuff you've got to get rid of. Doctors can only advise you what to do then it's up to you, but as a general principle you might find that advice is invaluable to help you with bronchiectasis.

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    It isn't clear from your post if the ct scan showed bronchiectasis,your consultant should be able to tell you this.If the consultant cant be sure then I suggest you ask for a second person to interpret the ct scan.I believe the ct scan is the only sure way to diagnose bronchiectasis.
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    When I went for physiotherapy, the physiotherapist told me that postural drainage is no longer recommended. Instead, she gave me some breathing exercises which helped to bring up the sputum (basically, breathing in deeply, holding your breath, then breathing out as far as possible, and repeating this several times). These exercises seemed to loosen the sputum and allow it to be coughed up.

    Although this cleared the sputum adequately, it kept building up again, until I was prescribed the antibiotic azithromycin which (touch wood!) has stopped the sputum completely. I really recommend trying it. After coughing and spitting for about two years, it seems miraculous to have stopped - at least for the last two weeks!

  • Tessa
    Tessa

    Posted

    Hi Diddlums,

    I have heard good reports about Azithromycin. My consultant gave them to me to try 500mg three days a week, is that the dosage you take?

    Unfortunately I didn't seem to last any longer on Azithromycin than not taking them before getting the next infection.

    I keep having a go with them, but don't seem to progress.

    Tessa

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