My bf is diagnosed with Bronchiectasis

Hard to belive your doctors are not saying anything ! Anyway I had coughed up blood before and yes you get scared, but if he has been couging alot  as I was it was due to strain from coughing help him just by making Honey and hot water there is also and over the counter throat spray that they have that is used every 2 hours,but after all that is said and done, if it does'nt get better,get another doctor,

Regards,

Charlie

I'm sorry to hear you are cauginger up so much blood. First need to ask .did doc do xray,mri yet? I also have bronchiectasis since 1996. When get really bad lung infection caugh up blood. Could be pulmonary embolism. Please call me 4436249424.

Good luck

I am sorry to hear about your bf and him coughing up blood. Blessedly I am not coughing up blood. I have lots of mucous in my case. It could be that he has an infection and need to see his GP for appropriate medication to treat him.

I have seen a Respiratory Physiotherapist who has taught me how to breathe better and how to bring up the mucous in an easier way.

I have researched the matter and then went onto the website of The British Lung Foundation. From there I leant that they have Breathe Easy Groups in different areas. I have therefore joined the one closest to me.

I learnt that singing is also good for people with any sort of Lung problem and BRONCHIECTASIS comes under lung problems. I have therefore joined my local Singing for Breathing Group. All these I did myself as waiting for my GP was going to take a long time. I am happy I took positive action as I am beginning to feel the benefits of joining two different and very relevant groups.

I wish your bf well and please try to read up as much as you can on Btonchiectasis.

Have had brochX for a couple of years and before that chronic bronchitis. I have often had relatively mild and short-lasting (less than 10 mins) pounding heart - I wouldn't call it racing heart as it was usually moderately elevated perceived pump pressure (and almost impercepibly faster heart beat). I reckon my normal standing HR (heart rate) is about 60-70 (beats a minute) and I never timed it above 80 during such an incident. I had not associated it with infections even though I was having bronchial infections twice a year which probably had a 2-3 week infection period. I can't honestly remember whether these tachycardia incidents were concentrated around my infections or not. They never bothered me - I though everyone gets them occasionally and moved on. Don't even recall mentioning it to my firm's consultants at my annual medicals when working. I did mention my occasional hear skips ("arythimia").

Chronic bronchitis turned into bronchX a couple of years ago (with a lung lymphoma successfully treated in between). My infections got a bit more severe and a couple of pneumonia's came along. Can't recall the tachycardias getting any more pronounced or otherwise allied with these/other infections.

Then last Septmeber I had a non-pneumonia infection which turned quickly into deep fevers and I self-hospitalised. On the final night in ward at the end of a three day succesful treatment on IV antibiotics and nebulised saline I developed a very rapid 150 HR tachy - pumping pressure was moderately high. I was concerned and my wife was terrified - not helped by the inexperience of an understaffed new hospital at midnight with no qualified doctors in the place at midnight (but that's another story). It lasted about half an hour and our minds were put at rest when after 15 minutes I had completed my own research online (!! yes - quite comedic - the only assessment the nurses could offer was to say in Thai - no not that, when they saw me googling "septacaemia" !!) and the obviously stressed lovely Thai nurses had managed to track down my 'registrar' (to use the US term), who said that it was nothing to be overly concerned about and 'a few patients are unlucky enough to get that after a day or two of nebulisation'.

Since that incident I started to notice that I got the shallow/short duration tachys occasionally when I had an infection.

This February I went for my routine check-up, this time my lung specialist had suggested a review by the lung defence team's immunology consultant ('consultant' = UK speak for specialising hospital doctor = usually 30s to 50s in age). I happened to have a mild infection at the time (I did not realise it myself) and when she put the stethoscope on me she said - "oh you have a tachycardia", I indicated a certain lack of concern and replayed some of the reserach I had been reading that they are not too concerning unless they are coming very infrequently. She suggested I see a heart specialist but decided that the first step should be wearing a 2 day portable heart monitor. I had only a couple of minor tachy's both set-off by my physio during the porting period. She reported back after I had handed the monitor back in that 'the team were not too concerned for the time being by the tachy history but would keep it under review". I have had very few tachy experiences since then - those I have had have been pretty mild. I have had no real infectoions though in that period. I remain unconcerned by them but ready to consult heart specilaists if I do get concerned. I excercise regularly and that does not set anything off. My physio does notr set anytthing off exceot if I have an infection.

My take form this is:

* I suspect there is a link between infections and tachys but my specialsists have not formed that conclusion. Next time I see them in July I'll tackle that one head on as I did not question my immunologist whether there is a link last time.

* You should research tachycardia on the internet - I think you'll find some comfort that it is not something you should get too alarmed about, but obviously something you guys should raise with your doctors/specialists and particularly take action on (consult) if incidences are long lasting, particularly heavy pumping or very high rate. Amend that by what you conclude from doing the research I di 6 months ago - I may not have got that bit about when to hit an emergency room 100% spot on!

Wishing your boyfriend good health and you less panic. Save that for if and when you get really bad news. Wish I had a pound for every time I got worried about some health symptom only to wake up next morning feeling fine (either figuratively or literally! Mind you - I tend to be rather laid back. I even adjusted myself to (utimately proven false) diagnoses (of HIV and lung cancer) earlier down the road to the my retirement age. But that's a whole other story!

PS I'm a Brit iving in Thailand. UK consultants from Papworth Hospital's lung defence team guide my analysis/treatment, but sometimes I have to deal with stuff in Thailland and have competent pulminologists in Bangkok but slightly more rudimetary/less experinced people in my regional centre 400 miles away.