A long story short: I was in hospital for a severe asthma flare up in September for 12 days (when I was first diagnosed). I was on oxygen and not improving. They gave me a lot of saline and salbutamol nebs. What eventually worked for me was that I coughed up a lot of hard mucus plugs that were in my lungs. Most were branched like bronchial casts. As they came up my peak flow would improve. Eventually I got better and all seemed fine for a while.
I am worried I have plastic bronchitis, which is very rare apparently but does seem to accord with what is going on. At least by googling!! Do others cough up such things? Particularly branched ones?
Since September I have had two further exacerbations. I'm in another one now. It is slowly improving after prenidsolone but I'm coughing these things up again from previously blocked airways. I've been assured it's asthma but I'm not entirely convinced!
Thanks
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Particle32
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What the heck does it matter what anyone wants to call it? I'd just get rid of it and enjoy the relief. I'm currently enjoying the same, but I questioned what caused it. I think I haven't been nebulising as effectively as I usually do so it was self inflicted to some extent.
Hi, I went to doctors not so long ago with my copd and she said I had reduced air going into my right lung. I was put on antibiotics and steroids and ended up coughing a few lung plugs up which felt semi-hard and she said that was a good thing. Not too bad now (touch wood). 😉👍
Hi, I've never heard of plastic bronchitis. Have you looked it up on uk sites like NHS? Anyway, I think I'd be asking for a referral to a respiratory consultant for a correct diagnosis, at a hospital you'll be able to have a CT scan (if you can afford it go to a private respiratory consultant but check them out on the hospital website first). I dont recommend Googling for diagnosis however, I do find the NHS website of health issues, their symptoms & and treatments very useful.
Many patients/ members on here have bronchiectasis, some since babyhood, some developed later in life & some combined with asthma.
I've asthma with a propensity to lung infection and small airways disease (brought on from the many infections & pneumonia s) so I occasionally get well formed little beads of mucus or little threads. I'm happy if they're white but definitely not if turning yellow then greed (needing antibiotics, sometimes steroids if inflammation is present).
It's essential to get them out though, the huffing technique is the easiest (and sufficient for me when necessary) see youtube.
It's essential too to get a proper diagnosis so keep going to your doctor so every visit is recorded on your medical records .
There's a helpline, 0300 222 5800 Mon to Fri 9.15 to 5pm
This is a common topic on the Aspergillosis groups that I’m on, the normal recommendations are, carbocistine tablets, saline solution for a nebuliser, and a flutter device all of which are available on prescription. Seeing a respiratory physio and learning postural clearance techniques (huffing technique). These are all for clearing excess mucus, which is normal for most chest conditions. Stay off Dr Google stick to what your doctor has told you, if you want to research only use NHS websites as there is a lot of useless/dodgy information about.
Thanks. I had come across abpa on previous googling trips and my plugs look similar to those which occur in that. I.e. dark green and branching. And they impact my breathing. However, they did aspergillis iGe test in hospital when I was on the ward and it came back negative.
The GP has little to say about it. Anyway, it's all related to crazy inflammation after colds with me which leads to crazy mucus. The rest of the time I'm ok. But I'm now getting infections every few months.
Saline nebuliser sounds good. I would rather discuss this stuff with a consultant rather than with my GP who is nice but not knowledgable enough.
These plugs sound really nasty- but much better out than in. You've had some good advice here, much better than anything you'll find on Dr. Google, which seems to specialize in frightening people. You really need a thorough examination, as everyone says, so that you know what's going on and can be helped to start a regime to minimize the effects of asthma on your life. xxx
Thank you. Not easy to get a very thorough examination unless you have hit rock bottom and are on the ward. Otherwise, I'm just chatting to my GP. Am trying to get referred.
thanks all. It's this kind of thing. Apologies for grossness. I am hoping I will get clearer as pred works and chest infection diminishes. Clearance techniques and saline nebs sound good if they help to get them out!
The secret is to stop them forming in the first place by regular chest cleansing using the methods previously described. It’s a pity that mucus is considered so disgusting to talk about here since most of our lives are so badly effected by it. At least we don’t have the open fires for old codgers to spit into whilst it sizzles away on the hot coals. Now that was disgusting 🤢.
I am also bugging my gp. And trying to get referred.
Until your post I had not heard of plastic bronchitis and I have heard of much else! Having looked it up and bearing in mind your symptoms I strongly advise you to get your GP to refer you to a really good named respiratory consultant, not just a respiratory clinic and asap.It could be that you are just not getting the mucus out efficiently but as you are coughing up casts I think that it needs an expert. Do let us know how you get on. I have just looked at your photo and read that you do not know what clearance methods are. The 'plug' that you are showing does not seem much different to what can come up when some of us have an exacerbation.I still think that you should see your doctor. The abs may start to reduce the amount of mucus but you really need to look up clearance techniques on you tube and work very hard at it. Self treatment is very important. Also drink lots of fluid
Thanks little Pom. When in hospital before, the sputum sample only came back with virus and no bacteria. I've put in a sputum sample at the GPs yesterday. The oral steroids seem to be helping. I've coughed up what resembles a small aquatic creature today and suddenly my peak flow has jumped back to almost normal and my lungs feel clear. I hope a consultant can work out what is causing these incidents and how I can have a cold without it happening.
On the one hand I worry that all is awful with these symptoms and on the other I think that FEV1% in spirometry was 81% when I was feeling OK which isn't too awful (albeit not great for 41...) and CT showed no bronchiectasis. And I'm apparently not sensitive to aspergillus, so I have no idea what is going on.
I will try to get a consultant's opinion as soon as possible.
It's very common for colds to trigger asthma,(as well as our many other lung diseases). Asthma Airways can inflamed + create additional mucous too.the single most important thing you have to do,to avoid infection,is dedicate time to get any mucous up, I'd use sterimar sprays to help get sinuses clear during a cold,and cpl times a day use recommended techniques to get it up frm chest,which should avoid it being firm strands.
I was prescribed an AeroBika when I was coughing up lots of mucus and it worked a treat. It brought up loads of the nasty green stuff. They don't work for everyone, but it was magic for me. Your GP could prescribe one.
Occasionally there is a missed diagnosis. Sometimes bronchiectasis is missed and treated as an exacerbation of asthma or COPD. Bronchiectasis is diagnosed with a cat scan and if identified, it’s treatment is much different. Nebulizind with albuterol followed by 3% or 7% sterile saline will help decrease thickness of phlegm so you can cough it up using airway clearance techniques. Google them to learn how to do them. This may help you while waiting to see a pulmonologist who is knowledgeable in looking for other causes such as bronchiectasis.
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