Clearing Mucus from Lungs

In Thailand the equivalet drug is acetylstene. It may be from the same family so it may give you the same problem. It may not of course be available in the UK but a good pharmacy may be able to source it internationally.

There is also the possibility to take nebulised saline which I understand to be for the same purpose.

I said that a good pharmacy may be able to source it - that was on the basis that I recall my UK regional hospital pharmacy being able to source a drug from Switzerland that was not routinely available in the UK when I had a rather uncommon parasite infection that I picked up in Thailand and "went down badly" with when in the UK.

Acetylsteine is probably manufactured somewhere in Europe anyway. Now just looked - I was right - it's manufactured by Temmler Pharma GmbH in Germany (under the brand name "NAC Long" in Thailand). I suggest that if you cannot find a genuinely good pharmacist to help you out that you do a bit of internet research and compare the drug ingredient listings to see if you are on to a potential solution.

More generally, living in Thailand but still visiting the UK and therefore having consultants in both coutries you soon find that solutions and drugs differ a bit and sometimes the Thai version works better for me than the UK one. For instance I was presecribed theophyliine in the UK as a longer lasting bronchdilator (than Symbicort - though I use both); I had problems with sleeping (bad dreams and restlessnes) - a known potential side effect. In Thailand my Thai consultant gave me a different drug - "Puroxan" which is a doxofylline and quite close in drug terms. The internet tells me that the manufacturer claims that its drug is the same as theophyline but does not have the same sleep disturbing side effects. The manufacturer is right as far as I am concerned!

It might be that you may have to use a combiation of vrntolin nebuliser along with hypertonic saline nebuliser and physio for lung clearance i use both as well as mucadyne and the physio and nebulising works well you need to talk to you gp who will refer you to a chest consltant you do a trial in clinc takes about an hour to make sure it works and has no adverse effects well worth a go

And while on the same theme, A local Thai hospital gave me an IV antibiotic called "Fortum" (ceftazidime) when I had my last hospitalised exacerbation. I was way out of it with deep fever so couldn't get my messages accross about which were my favoured antibis - didn't even have a pulmonolgist treating me. The Fortum worked brilliantly. I dicussed this a couple of days ago with a leading Thai pulmonologist in Bangkok who used to train Thai doctors about bronchiectasis. He said - "yes - it's interesting isn't it; ceftazidime is a very old antibi which we dismissed years ago as post-resistant - we are now finding that resisitance is breaking down and it's coming back into use here in SE Asia.

Ask a physiotherapist about airway clearance using bubble pep or flutter/fludder

You gotta do it the old fashion way and help the lungs out.

Because our lungs don't clear it properly we need to assist. That's why we get infections

Good luck

Hi Sharon

I have started to use a salt pipe and I am convinced it helps me to loosen up the mucus on my lungs. I also use an Acapella which helps to clear my chest. The good thing about these is that no medication is required.