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Help needed! mucus clearance!

Posted , 14 users are following.

ianmat
ianmat

Dear all,

My name is Ian, and I am an Emergency Medicine physician.

I am currently looking at trying to improve mucus clearance for people with bronchiectasis.

My team and I would need some help surveying people suffering from bronchiectasis and find out reasons they do or do not perform mucus clearance, and if they use any devices to do so.

Would truly appreciate a few minutes of your time, either from phone/skype, or just an email survey!  Please do respond, as your help would be truly beneficial for us, and for patients with bronchiectasis!

Cheers

Ian

1 like, 41 replies

41 Replies

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  • alison16273
    alison16273 ianmat

    Posted

    Hi Ian

    In UK I have had 8 lots of antibiotics in past 8 months and find mucous clearance very difficult. Like coughing treacle. Diagnosed by lung scan in Sep this year.

    I can cough for hours per day and cause real damage to my throat to cough up the smallest bit if mucous about half size of small finger nail

    Do  postural drainage every morning

    Take honey, lemon, ginger and turmeric in paste form twice a day which helps

    On holiday in Vietnam at the moment  and hardly coughed at all. It is 30c temperature and 86% humidity so perfect condition for me

    Hope this helps

    Alison

    • ianmat
      ianmat alison16273

      Posted

      Dear Alison,

      many thanks for your reply!!  Yes, this is of great help!

      May I ask - 

      1) Has your physician explained the importance of mucus clearance?

      2) are you convinced of the importance? if not, why not?

      3) Do you use any devices for clearing mucus?

      4) does postural drainage make you cough more? How long a day do you spend performing postural drainage?

      5) Have you been recommended or have you tried any mucus clearance devices?

      6) What is the greatest problem/bugbear you face with mucus clearance?

      Truly, thank you for all your help!

      Cheers!

      Ian

      PS we are in similar time zones! i'm in Singapore!

  • steve62514
    steve62514 ianmat

    Posted

    Happy to respond by any of the means you suggest. I'll message you my contact details.

    66 yo 4 yera bronchX sufferer - Brit expat living in Thailand

  • aitarg35939
    aitarg35939 ianmat

    Posted

    I have BX, COPD, and Sjogren's, so my mucus is especially thick and everything inside my body is as dry as the skin on the outside ,,, except in those crucial lung areas.

    Per my pulmo I take 1200mg of tablet guafenisin twice daily with 8 oz water each time. Twice daily, I use Duoneb followed by Budesonide in the nebulizer, then use a SmartVest. I am supposed to use Duoneb 2 more times daily but can sub Combivent for those treatments because the blasted treatments take up 3-5 hours/daily altogether, depending on how many times I stop to cough, if I do all the nebulizer sessions. Due to the Sjogren's, it's been a rare day for decades that I didn't consume at least 40-56 oz of water.

    I'm stable now but was on ABs almost every month from early Aug. '16-May '17. Got the new pulmo in January. Am 63 & in the States.

  • Bricklayer
    Bricklayer ianmat

    Posted

    Hi Ian , am also happy to help , was diagnosed with this horrid complaint 3 years back !
  • barb1206
    barb1206 ianmat

    Posted

    Would love to help, Ian! I've sent you a private message...  :=)

  • michelle61287
    michelle61287 ianmat

    Posted

    Yep I have LOTS of mucus—esp in am and after eating ???

    Using aerobika—probably need to use more regularly ??

    Take antihistamines 3-5xday to be able to be social 😜

    • aitarg35939
      aitarg35939 michelle61287

      Posted

      Wow, Michelle, what kind of antihistamines can you take so many times a day without side effects?
  • gary87083
    gary87083 ianmat

    Posted

    Ian,

    I have reported this before, and I know that not everyone can handle this process, but it sure works for me...

    I was diagnosed about 10 years ago, and had numerous chest infections, until I purchased an inversion table.  I have used huffing, exercise balls, hanging over the bed, etc., but until I was able to invert fully, my lungs never cleared effectivly.  I hang for a few minutes, and repeat the process 2-3 times.  I do this once or twice a day.  I have been infection-free now for two years.  I am not so naive as to think that this would be easy for everyone.  I am 71, I'm slim, and keep myself physically fit.  However, for those that can handle it, I would highly recommend that they try this.

    Gary

    • ianmat
      ianmat gary87083

      Posted

      Hi Gary,

      many thanks!!  That is indeed useful!  Simiar to postural drainage.  

      The mucus that reaches your throat, do you cough or do you swallow it down?

      Cheers

      Ian

    • gary87083
      gary87083 ianmat

      Posted

      Hi Ian,

      It depends on the quantity, but I typically swallow it, which may not be wise.  Any feedback on that?

      I should add that I also use a "flutter-valve" every morning.  It seems that I need something to get the mucus moving after a night in bed.  

      Gary

    • ianmat
      ianmat gary87083

      Posted

      Swallowing is fine too.  That is what people without bronchiectasis do as well.  

      Thank you for your response!!  Truly appreciated.

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