Desperate Here Please Help.Clear Thick Mucus... anyone with any ideas ?????

Hi, New here and writing for advice to help my hubby.

He has a clear thick mucus in his throat that he has to try to cough/spit up all the time. It has affected his eating everything tastes awful, he has lost 2 stone in weight. He had an endoscopy in Sept and it shown nothing sinister, we could see all the thick mucus in the throat and asked what it was... the doc didn't know.

It started when he was admitted to hospital in March with Sepsis/pneumonia was on powerful antibiotics we think this caused his throat problem, his mouth/throat was coated in white fur, so was also treated for 4 months with Nystan for thrush, which it turned out he didn't have, we have been to the GP numerous times since and they don't know either, and don't even give us any meds to help, he is suffering something awful and not eating.

He also has COPD, Emphysema, Fibrosis of the lungs & Rheumatoid Arthritis on oxygen 16 hours a day + ambulatory oxygen.

We are managing (somewhat) but its the clear mucus he is bringing up making the nasty taste in his mouth. Can anyone throw any light on this we are fed up of getting no help from the " experts"...

[sassy59]

Welcome to the forum holidaylady, I’m not sure why doctors aren’t being more helpful. Your poor husband needs to thin the mucous so lots of water and there is a drug called carbocisteine? which helps thin mucous too.

My hubby has sarcoidosis and COPD (bronchitis) and uses mucoclear to help him bring up the mucous. He still suffers with it in the throat but gets by somehow.

I wish you and your husband well. Xxxx

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Thank you for the reply, I put in a prescription request last night for him to try again. Hubby used to take it for the mucus on his lungs which was thick jelly substance .... but what he has now is completely different, it is in his throat this clear sticky substance that gives him a foul taste and makes food and drinks taste awful, and he still has this white coated tongue and throat (graphic design) the gp called it last week, definitely not thrush, said it could be bacterial, and that was it, no meds nothing, we felt like we wasted 1.5 hour of our time. He goes back in Dec/Jan to the hospital for his oxygen assessment we will have to discuss it with them again. Thanx

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

It’s such a mystery and really awful. Hope you get some answers. Xxxxx

[grumpyoldgit]

I have friend in Australia and when he gets a heavy cold/cough he takes elderberry tea ,he says it clears his muscus, I can't swear this works as I have never tried it but it's worth a try

[Hidden in reply to grumpyoldgit]

Thank you for the reply... we have tried everything possible to rid him of this foul mucus/taste... hubby doesn't have a cold/cough but we will add it to the list to try. Thanx.

[Hacienda]

RAt rehab we were taught to do the "Huff" Breath through the Mouth count to 5 now exhale through the Mouth piercing lips like blowing a candle out slowly but strong counting to 10, do this 3 times and the Mucus should come up. good Luck xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Hacienda]

Hi. He has no problem getting the mucus out, he is spitting every minute or less, the clear gunge (as I call it) is only on the throat, not on the lungs, the mucus on the lungs is a different colour/thickness and he does huff n puff to get that up... when he had the endoscopy we could see all this white clear sticky stuff in the throat/gullet, it even stuck to the camera, they couldn't give us an answer to what it was. and no they didn't take a sample to test or anything else, they were doing a test to see if he had cancer there as he cannot eat properly (soups at the moment) and lost a lot of weight. No cancer there so end of looking for anything else. Thank you for your reply.

[Hacienda in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hun, I Remember the early days of bringing up cup fulls of Mucus was told it was Bronchitis, Well it wasn't, it was COPD Emphysema stage 4. Up to Date: had an Endoscopy in June for a 4 Valve Procedure, Good, less SOB, On the Transplant List (2 yrs 4 months). Don't smoke. Have Ostioporosis. Did have a Nodule on my Lung, but this has not grown, Good. I have put weight on with all the Meds especially Prednisolone & Steroid Inhalers. Right now I have Mucus just in the throat, which comes and goes, I do believe the Carbosystien helps, been taking that for 5/6 years now. It is a Difficult Dilemma for you. I wish you both an answer to this. Take care Hun, xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hacienda]

Thanx I will let you know how we get on, and we wish you the very best.

Take care .x

[Whitechinchilla]

Hi there. Persevere with the Carbocysteine, it does work, and can be tapered off. Otherwise the breathing exercises are vital.

I hope you find a solution quickly. Good wishes

[Hidden in reply to Whitechinchilla]

Hi, I hope we do its been going on since March when he had those powerful drugs for the Sepsis, completely changed him, he had a lot to contend with before without this. Thank you for your response.

[Superzob]

Your husband has obviously had a lot to contend with and it may be that the pneumonia has affected the type of mucous he now produces as a by-product of his chronic lung condition; acid reflux might also be exacerbating the problem (could try simply antacids to see if it makes a difference, otherwise you'd need a prescription for proton inhibitors). As others have suggested, keep going with plenty of liquids, reducing dairy products and taking carbocysteine (or N-acetylcysteine, which is available from health shops). Hope he finds something that helps.

[Hidden in reply to Superzob]

Hi, I have listed everyone's advice and suggestions what to try.... I have already been out and stocked up on things, ordered the carbocysteine from the docs, put him on an antacid... so hopefully things might change... he isn't on any dairy products at all as he cant eat.... just veg soup.... fingers crossed something helps.

Thank you for the reply. x

[wheezyof]

Hello holidaylady,

Drinking decaffeinated tea and coffee, sipping diluted pineapple juice, cutting the amount of salt/sugar have all helped to thin my very sticky mucus.

The only time I suffered a foul taste was when taking chlorithromycin (spelling?) antibiotic. That made everything unbearably bitter. I discovered, quite by accident, that going dairy free while on that drug almost did away with the foul taste.

You must be feeling terrible getting no answers from your doctors. Hopefully some of the ideas here will help you.

Wishing you and your husband well xx

[Hidden in reply to wheezyof]

Hi, Hubby not on dairy products as can only manage veg soup in small amounts, we don't know what antibiotics he was on whilst in hospital with the sepsis/pneumonia, the 1st lot didn't work nor the 2nd.... so they put him on the most powerful ones they had... they worked sort of but he has been left a very different person, he could walk eat talk go out without me, now its a wheelchair no eating with this foul taste, voice has changed and short of breath, and i'm looking after him alone.(wouldn't have it any other way) both in our 70's... Thanking you for the reply.... am trying every bit of advice and suggestions given from the people on here.

[Sal9]

Dealing with mucous is a tough one but I've been helped considerably with prescription of Saline solution inhaled through a nebuliser.

[Hidden in reply to Sal9]

Thanx... am trying every bit of advice and all the suggestions from all the kind people on here. x

[shouty]

Could it be something nasal ? Might explain the foul taste

[Hidden in reply to shouty]

Hi, don't think so, he hasn't got a cold or cough in fact not a sniffle in him, its definitely something to do with the white fur in his mouth/throat and thick clear mucus, we are scrapping the tongue to remove the fur, extra mouthwashes, teeth cleaning & gargling been at it for weeks. Lets hope all these other suggestions added to what we are doing improve matters.

Thank you for your reply.

[Johnem]

That is awful. Perhaps ask your GP to refer him to an ENT Specialist? It may also be well worth trying Neilmed Sinus Rinse (google for info) which is simple, inexpensive and effective.

Best wishes,

John.

[Hidden in reply to Johnem]

Hi, been to ENT had an endoscopy to see what was happening (looking for cancer) as his voice changed/couldn't eat etc... nothing there except this thick sticky clear substance, and white looking patchy fur....causing the foul taste in his mouth.. they didn't know what it was, that's what is causing all the problems, he hasn't got any sinus probs and its different to what he brings up from the lungs, trying all suggestions from people on here.

Thank you for your reply.

[lKeith]

holiday lady

Hi welcome both of you to the forum. We are not experts but have found various remedies'/aids from each other over time. I haven't had the problems your husband has but has he tried his GP for Carbocisteine. Taken over the day 3/4 times x2tablets with just clear water. I found it helped get the mucus up, together with a gadget that looks a bit like a warbbler, it's called an acapellor. You simply "huff" into it it for a period of time, the phlemb starts to move then some more time with the acapellor and it comes up. Maybe not pretty but it was effective for me. Do not let him lay down to sleep, sit him up at nearly right angles, it's not the best position (He could try the local health team for a Hospital bed that has as adjustable back with a small electric motor to make him sit up in bed) they come free as long as you have space for it. Otherwise make the support up with pillows but keep him upright, the chest gets tighter the longer you lay down. Also during the day try to keep him moving a bit, movement gets the sticky stuff moving. Hope some ot this helps to get him clear.

IKeith

[Hidden in reply to lKeith]

Hi, Carbocisteine on order at Gp's collect tomorrow. will get on it straight away he did take it before but that was for the stuff on his lungs, this problem is just in the throat, we saw it all on the endoscopy gluppy clear sticky jelly with white patches on his throat and tongue, it is not Thrush, he was treated for 4 months with Nystan wrongfully for thrush, the specialist doing the endoscopy didn't know what it was, he was looking for cancer or growths, when he didn't see any that was that he wasn't going to go into anything else...was at GP's last week again as fed up with the situation, took a sample with us gp said it could be a bacteria.... clean your tongue/mouth, came out with the sample as obviously wasn't going to send it off anywhere, got loaded up AGAIN with more mouthwashes/special toothpastes/rinses, our bathroom looks like the chemists shop lol.

It definitely started in the hospital in March.... we know this but its like flogging a dead horse to get anything sorted, everything takes ages, appointments then try this try that and months are going by.

Okay ive moaned enough.... will take all the advice given and we are trying everything recommended, kill or cure as they say lol.

Thank you for the reply x

[Hidden]

I'm so sorry I have no suggestion to help...I wish I did! I hope some of the suggestions given do help as my heart does out to you and your poor husband. SIncerst wishes to you both for a good recovery. 💐

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

We are trying everything going, all suggestions and advice.

will let you know how it all pans out.

Thank you for your reply x