I have copd for some year now but my biggest problem is my mucus i have bin given
Carbocisteine 375 mg but is not a lot of good is all way so thick lots of the time when
I am a sleep my mucus gos a cross my wind pip and i chok if any one else as the same problem and know how to i hope stop it please let my know would be very grateful
Best wishes dave
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Dave2436
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Hi Dave, l care for hubby Pete who has sarcoidosis and COPD and sometimes wakes during the night choking. He takes Carbocisteine too but still gets thick mucus especially first thing. Pete used nebulised drugs which do help a bit.
Try drinking lots of water. This will help in thinning the mucus. You could also try doing breathing exercises to help clear the mucus before going to bed to try and stop it accumulating during the night. Youtube has some excellent examples of how to do this.
Hi, as MrsMummy suggests, YouTube is a good source of demonstrations to help us. I don't have your problem except during an exacerbation. My GP once suggested the 'huffing technique' which has been very helpful.
Have you tried sleeping a little propped up? If not you could try over several nights building up pillows one by one. P
Hi Dave2436, I don't have COPD, but I do have Asbestosis & Bronchiectasis, and i have used Carbocistene for years now. And you right, it doesn't always help. Last year I was tried on a 7% Sodium Chloride Solution, I use it in the morning through my Nebuliser (you can use it twice a day, but I have only had to use in the night time, on one occasion) it does a marvelous job of breaking up the thick mucus etc. You will need to ask your GP /Consultant about it.
I produce lots of mucus which I have to cough up before I lie down or I cough. Others today have talked about huffing and breathig techniques. I think they mean Active Cycle of Breathing Technique (ACBT) which was taught to me by a physiotherapist but is easy to follow. Lots of information on Youtube. You can do it sitting up or lying down on one side and then the other (as I was taught).
I have a nebuliser which I use first with 7% sodium chloride (salt) solution prescribed by the doctor; that helps loosen the phlegm, and then I do the ACBT.
Very occasionally I still have a bit of phlegm left that rattles and I then use my Flutter device (similar to the acapella mentioned above). In the meantime you could sleep propped up with pillows (sitting up) as I used to do before I learned the above techniques. I hope it gets better for you.
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