Anyone else?

[mollie2shoes]

I have the dreaded bronchiectasis diagnosed in the UK 3 years ago, moved to Malta where I was hospitalised 3 times for chest infections huge doses of antibiotics later discharged. Was put on nebulised colomycn ok for months. Now live in Spain very different medical set up: have had recent chest infection , antibiotics not well yet, but main concern is i am coughing so much I am being sick. I have a really bad cold as well which is adding to me feeling like s...t have tried explaining previous treatment but getting nowhere. At thoughts much appreciated.

[gingermusic]

I also have the same only diagnosed with it this year although I have suffered from Emphysema for the past 30 years. Unfortunately the cough is the one thing about this horrible Bronchiectasis and trying of course to shift the phlegm. I have found our Local Asda store do a Ginger cordial drink which I drink throughout the day as ginger is very beneficial for the lungs apparently and then before bed and during the night I drink fresh pineapple juice, now since doing this I have not coughed any where near so often so give it a go.

[binga in reply to gingermusic]

I was watching loose women today and June brown was on and she said the same thing about the pineapple juice mixed with water before bed and she's 93 and a long term smoker so it must be true that pineapple juice iS good for the lungs. May I ask what pineapple juice you drink? Is it fresh, a concentrate or cordial?

Thank you

[gingermusic in reply to binga]

The pineapple juice has to be completely pure not from concentrate. I get mine from the chiller cabinet in Asda or Tesco and its £1 a bottle at the moment so not to bad on price and I have half a pint a night. Hope it helps you.

[Oshgosh]

Hi,do you bring up sputum.

Before I was diagnosed and appropriately medicated,I used to suck loads of medicated throat sweets- chew gum- used to take chesty cough medicine- drink loads of water.

I don’t know how to get through the medical system n Spain.

The things I suggested above are only temporary measures.

Hope you soon get some respite from coughing,it’s so tiring.

[Izb1]

Hi mollie2shoes, sorry to hear you are feeling so unwell, having a cold on top of everything else isnt helping. One of the problems with bronchiectasis is the cough and the only way to help with this is to clear the mucus everyday. I take mucodyne to help thin this out so its easier to cough up. I also have an acapello device that is helpful and you can watch youtube on how to do the huff method to help clear your chest. Because I developed a problem with my sinus's i use Sterimar nasal wash every morning and evening, which helps. The last infection I had the ent doctor gave me a 6 weeks course of low dose doxycyline which has helped. I also take vit d, c and magnesium. Hope you feel better soon

[santisuk]

Do you know why you were given nebulised colomycin? Seems unusual to go that route unless your sputum revealed that you were infected with 'pseudomonas aeruginosa'. If you were not infected that way it may just be that the Spanish medics are also perplexed with that prior treatment.

I'm not entirely clear from your post what it is about your previous treatment that you have been trying to explain and what it is different that the Spanish medics are doing. If you have been continuing to have frequent exacerbations have they been given sputum samples for analysis and if so what bugs have been identified and what antibis prescribed and for how long each time?

Is it the problem that you have not been able to find a consultant who is experienced with bronchiectasis? Not many general lung specilaists/pulmonologists have sufficient experience in this relatively uncommon condition (relative compared with say asthma and COPD/emphysema). You might have to do a bit of polite persuasion to get a generalist to research the availability of a bronchiectasis specialist locally/regionally.

If you are generating bugs other than pseudomonas and are continuing to have regular (say more than 2 a year) excerbations then I would have thought that an experienced bronchiectasis specialist would have considered putting you on a continuous prophylactic (1 x 250mg capsule 3 x a week) dose of azithromycin. This has been the wonder antibiotic for many of us including me, although some - a smallish minority, I would say, based on responses I've read on this forum - can't continue with it due to side effects.

Good luck. I sympathise, having had to largely find my own way living as an expat in Thailand. There is only one pulmo in the whole country who I would trust to fully understand the disease and I can't see him for the day-to-day as we are 600km apart. I do though see a UK bronchiectasis and immunology consultant once a year for review at Papworth Lung Defence Unit. If budget allowed you to return to the UK and you are still covered by the NHS (you should be until you have had 15 years of non-residence) it might be worth doing that - or even self-paying for a "sorting a programme out review" if budget allows.