Mucus grr

[carolg1]

Hi folks not rote for a while but still the same old problem tonnes of mucus ruining what's not such a brill life ! I stopped taking carb cystine caps as instructed by my consultant as it was having like a drowning effect but my symptoms have changed somewhat now my breathing is much easier but I get awful burning sensation round diaphragm area bottom of right lung particularly and instead of the Muke pouring out it seems to feel like it's gripping my lung and tearing from an iron gripped lung weird and unpleasant, my main airway then seems to be compromised, but their doesn't seem as much of it but it's scary, anyone else recognise these symptoms and any advice thanks my lovelies xx

[sassy59]

Sorry you are having problems still carolg but don't know what to suggest other than seeing GP. Take care xxxx

[carolg1 in reply to sassy59]

Thanks sassy yes it's relentless gp and consultant seems to be at a loss too so all my hopes pinned on a miracle in someone having som answers on here , thanks hope our are well xx

[sassy59 in reply to carolg1]

Good luck carol and we are fine thank you. Xxx

[pergola]

I agree with Sassy. I have had very similar symptoms as yourself. I am not in the position of making a diagnosis but there are tests that you can have which will help you. The right meds will help your discomfort. XX

[carolg1]

Hi pergola, I'm on predisolone at moment which has lessened it a little or is it because it is just thicker (gross) because I have stopped taking carb caps ?? Not really sure which tests are you referring to , I have had quite a few inhalers and as I say my breathing isn't to bad it's just the heaving and wretching of the damn Muke , I rarely cough never have really just an annoying perff, I've hade the huge mucus problem for years but it's getting worse xx thanks for replying x carol

[Sohara]

Hi Carol...one thing you said puzzled me...you said 'you rarely cough' How do you get the mucus up? I myself would love it if my mucus came up so easily, even if it was copious) my big difficulty is getting the stuff up...it takes AGES using a nebuliser, huffing and coughing all the time etc etc. Could you explain how you get the mucus up? that may give us a clue as to where your problem arises

[carolg1]

Hi sohara , once I start I just cant stop it seems to open a flood gate first I feel pressure round my diaphragm or bottom of right lung nearly always same area I can feel the mucus right up to the back of my nose and throat as if my main airway is getting full as my breathing starts getting worse, I get a glass of water or glasses and keep drinking it then awful I know but put fingers to back of my throats and I start wretching once it starts coming up it gets easier and just teams out gross I know an occasional hack, I never seem to get to the bottom though which I feel is a blockage of some sort but my consultant just seems to raise his eyebrows when I tell him !! Doesn't help at all, at present I do this 2 or 3 times a day sometimes for a couple of hours at a time, it is truly awful, hope this explains ok regards Carol xx

[Sohara in reply to carolg1]

Carol is there any chance that the mucus is coming from your nasal passages, and running down your throat into your mouth? Have your told your Respiratory consultant about putting your findger down your throat to get the mucus out? it could be important, as you 'may' be gagging out mucus that has gone down the back of your throat into your stomach.....I know you may feel awkward about saying what you do, but its important for them to know the whole story.

What is your FEV1, ? have you had a diagnosis of COPD or some other lung condition? sorry to ask so many questions but I have never heard of someone having so much mucus coming up and not needing to cough to get it out of the lungs....

[Sohara in reply to carolg1]

After my today post to you I went back and quickly read through your past posts...In one of them you said you had Bronchiectasis...was this diagnosed from a CT scan? You have suffered over the past few years with Mucus , this seeming to be your Major concern, but you also said in one post that you vomit a lot of mucus up......I really hope you have told your Respiratory consultant this.....vomiting mucus up is not to my knowledge something that people with Bronchiectasis do normally...they cough it up from their lungs.....this makes me wonder if your mucus is actually not coming from your lungs...Does this make any sense to you? or am I barking up the wrong tree

Love Sohara

[carolg1 in reply to Sohara]

Hi Sohara, yes the diagnosis was from a ct scan, when I have xrays which is every six months they say there doesnt appear to be any mucus on my lungs !! but I do litterally vomit it out once i start its hard to stop i cough a bit well hack like from the back of my throat but sometimes it gets stuck in my main airway , it feels like I am drawing it from the very bottom of the same lung or from the diaphragm area, when I do a nasal deuce it rea;;y pushes it out quite easily, but if i dont clear as much as possible its like a brick sat there. thanks. Carol

[magsclark12]

Hi, think you need to see a respiratory physio, they give you exercises to help get the mucus up and postural drainage. there's an interesting thing I got from my physio called a bubble pep? basically a bottle half full of water which you blow into via a tube until you have no more air in the lungs...do this 2/3 times and it loosens up all the muck. Ask your consultant/doctor to get you to see a specialised physio.

[carolg1]

Hi The consultants always see they can see nothing in my lungs on xray i have a ct scan probably every 12 months and nothing has ever shown on their either, there answer to me is im a conundrum !! which doesnt help, ive been troubled with it for years it feels like it comes from the back of my throat and nose as I literally vomit it up sometimes ive also had camera down to check for reflux but they said i only have a bit, but god knows its all coming from somewhere xx

[Sohara in reply to carolg1]

From what you are saying today Carol I will be very surprised if the mucus is all coming from your lungs, I think you need to have this checked out , its possible you have polyps in your nose , or some other problem that only a doctor or Ear,Nose & Throat specialist can diagnose... as the Respiratory investigations have not produced much so far, its worth pursuing another avenue I think, I do hope it does turn out you have polyps or something like that, it would be a much easier problem to cure, then bronchiectasis or other lung conditions

Good luck with your GP

Love Sohara

[carolg1 in reply to Sohara]

Hi sohara, I've been t ent apparently no evidence of polyps in my nose my nose and ears seem ok but I don't think that is strictly true because often I can feel huge amounts running from the back of my nose into my throats and then it goes downwards like really bad cattarh my nose always seems stuffy, I've had gastro check for reflux but apparently there is a little but not major ! My ct scan shows broncheatasis and emphysema, but on my X-ray s no mucus lurking !! Somebody somewhere must be able to recognise what I am doing some days I can be heaving for hours I honestly don't know how I keep going or find the will to carry on , I'm not being morbid and I certainly don't give up easily, but I'm growing very tired of it all I really appreciate your efforts in trying to help me. Thanks Carol xx

[Sohara in reply to carolg1]

Have you tried cutting out all dairy products? I was ALWAYS blowing my nose, still do it at times, but read on the internet that cutting out dairy products cuts mucus production, and it does have an affect...I dont take milk in tea or coffee even ( I have grown to like it black now) stopped eating cheese ( my lifelong love) I do still have a Greek yogurt every day , but apart from that no dairy. Its worth giving it a go.....I suspected that a lot of the mucus you are vomiting up had been going down from your nose into your stomach, of course it could also have been coming up from your lungs and then slipping down into your stomach and you were then vomiting it up...which do YOU feel is the most likely? down from the nose? or up from the lungs?

[carolg1 in reply to Sohara]

Hi sohara, yes I do feel it comes from back on my nose area sometimes it feels like I'm dragging it from bottom of right lung, but somehow I manage to heave as if I'm being sick, I'm having a really bad day to day it's coming up in giant globules so scary cos it keeps getting stuck in my windpipe, god what a gross conversation I am having to have with you I'm sorry ! I don't know how I'm managing to keep my sanity, I've been at it since noon today with very few breaks and I'm still at it xx

[Sohara in reply to carolg1]

Do you mean that sometimes you can sort of drag it from your nasal passages into your mouth? Then swallow it and it goes down into your stomach? Which you later on vomit up?

[carolg1 in reply to Sohara]

Sometimes yes that's what it feels like, I can sort of do a really hard sniff and bring it into my mouth that's if no ones aroundat the time it's so awful and sometimes I can feel it go down the back of my throat, I've told ent about this and they just seem to say it's the nature of my copd !! Which doesn'thelp I've had nasal sprays and antihistamines, but not much help, if I do a saline nasal rinse it brings loads away xx

[Sohara in reply to carolg1]

It really seems to me that you have polyps , but as your ENT specialist said no, that can't be right ......IF the mucus gets swallowed and goes down into your stomach that's OK, as the stomach acids etc deal with that, and that's natural. so you don't need to try to make yourself sick to bring it back up. Even if you cough mucus up from your lungs its OK to swallow it ( I always like to spit it out into a hanky or something, but swallowing is OK ) I would make an appointment to see an ENT specialist again, and explain the vast amount of mucus you get coming down the back of your throat. Also try to cut out dairy products and see if there is any improvement in the volumes of mucus. Did your GP give you a steroid nasal spray? that helps with Polyps and reducing mucus. It sounds to me as if your mucus is not mostly coming from your lungs...mostly because you don't have to cough or do breathing exercises to get it up

Good luck Carol I wish I could help you more

Love Sohara xx

[soulsaver]

Hi Carol Know what you mean about the carbo - it works for my mucus but I'm coughing all day if I take it, I cut it back to 1 a day or even none usually when I'm well.

Nothing on CT scan is great news. Burning sensation: I assume you've had a gastroscopy to rule out hiatal hernia &/or gastro oesophageal acid reflux? They should have you taking a proton pump inhibitor like omeprazole just in case? I take a ranitidine before bed, as well.

I'd try a netti pot saline nasal rinse as it could well be emanating from sinus and gargle (and spit) 1/2 teaspoon salt in cup of hot water before bed and again in morning.

See how that goes. Are you on any medication that it could be a side effect from?

[carolg1 in reply to soulsaver]

Hi soulsaver, I'm on a couple of inhalers and uniphyllin tablets and carb cystine caps , I have of late cut back on carbs as I felt like I was drowning in mucus but I just can't figure where it is all coming from, really appreciate your help xx