Hello, I have just been in hospital for a week with a bad case of pneumonia, which came out of nowhere. I am only 44 and have no history of respiratory problems. The CT scan also showed mild bronchiectasis, which I am now finding out lots more about thanks to forums like this.I am now being bombarded on Facebook with adverts for Lignosus - the reviews look really good but seem to all be about COPD. Does anyone have any experience of taking Lignosus for pneumonia recovery and/or bronchiectasis?
Thoughts on Lignosus: Hello, I have... - Lung Conditions C...
Thoughts on Lignosus
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PuzzlePuff
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Hi PuzzlePuff. I tried it, but the one I bought contained beta carotene and I remembered reading that anyone who smoked or had smoked should be very careful with beta carotene as it had been linked to lung cancer. (I hadn’t noticed any difference but that maybe because I hadn’t taken it long enough.)
I’ve recently been reading about Quercetin. The few research papers I read seemed quite positive so I have just started taking that - day 2 today.Basically it has an anti inflammatory effect.
Thank you for your reply Troilus . Quercetin sounds interesting, I'll look into it. I've never smoked so Lignosus may still be an option for me... I'll wait to hopefully hear other people's experiences of it here.
Lignosus comes under the label of an alternative therapy much like herbal remedies etc. There doesn't seem any harm in trying it as some people think that it helps. However, I have had bronch for 73 years and none of these things has ever helped- they usually end up being an expensive waste of money.PLEASE do not be tempted to substitute this stuff for the tried and long accepted management of bronchiectasis.
Also don't confuse help and treatment for copd, which most people on this site have, with that for bronch which is a very different condition.
The most important thing is learning how to empty your lungs of mucus religiously every day. This deprives the bacteria of the warm wet environment in which they can grow and cause an infection.
Learning to recognise an exacerbation and to begin the right antibiotics is number two in importance.
Most importantly, make sure that your consultant is a bronch expert because GPs and most general respiratory consultants know virtually nothing about it. The bronch specialist tells your GP which antibiotics to give you and Good GPs are usually grateful for the help. If you do not have a bronch expert, find one at your nearest teaching hospital, take the name to your GP and insist on a referral.
Good luck with it all. There quite a few of us on here who have bronch and will be happy to help.
PuzzlePuff in reply to
Thank you so much Hidden , that is really helpful. I'm in the very very early stages of all this and I have no idea about any of it, so this is a really helpful starting point (and I'll avoid expensive herbal remedies for now!). I'm currently in A&E at the moment because my breathing had become really laboured (although easing now) and I'm still unsure whether this is a normal part of recovering from pneumonia or a normal part of having bronch (or neither!). I will have to start the road to getting a specialist consultant I imagine.
in reply to PuzzlePuff
Pneumonia is horrible and does make you breathless. It needs suitable treatment with antibiotics. It takes a long time to.revover from and can make you worn out for months. Bronchiectasis can be very debilitating, especially when having an exacerbation ( infection). Breathlessness as a rule is not part of daily living with bronch unless you have an exacerbation going on or happen to have asthma or copd along side it.Your breathlessness should improve as you recover from the pneumonia. Then it is a matter of getting the bronch under control with proper management. I have led a full life and you should be able to. Do get that bronch specialist. They have specialised physios who will teach you how to empty your lungs.
It should become something which you live with and not 'suffer from'. How I hate that term!
At present, be kind to yourself and concentrate on getting better from the pneumonia.
Good luck.
PuzzlePuff in reply to
Thank you so much Hidden 
I've been on this forum for almost 11 years and I've never heard of Lignosus. Also, I have to add that I'd never, ever buy anything advertised on Facebook particularly giving my card details to an unknown entity. Stick to this forum with its experienced patients - some members have great knowledge of bronchiectasis, the helpline run by qualified people or the NHS website. There's a forum called 'bronchiectasis r us'
I'll reply more in the morning as I'm knackered at the moment. P
Thank you so much peege , that's really helpful, and eminently sensible!!
Hi Puzzlepuff i am very pleased you raised this question as i have also seen all the ads on FB from Lignosus, sells itself very well and wondered if anyone here has taken it. However i am reticent to try stuff that is advertised on FB, maybe a waste of money and dont know how it interacts with your other meds. Interested to read other members views on it too. Hope you get on top of your breathing problems and back to normal health very soon.
Thank you Shirazmataz
I tried Lignosus. Very expensive and did absolutely nothing for me.
Thanks for your response Maple1234 , I'm certainly feeling at the moment that it's best left alone!
Hi PuzzlePuff.
Arrrrgh pneumonia is not at all very nice, really hope you feel better soon although in my experience it can take a few weeks to feel better.
The herbal supplement you mention is full of Mullein, a plant extract which apparently supports lung function.
When I tried Mullein tea it simply made me cough all day long with no benefit at all ! I wouldn’t touch it again. If I need to clear my lungs of stubborn mucous then I take Carbocisteine for my COPD
As Littlepom suggests if any of these things were any help we would all be taking them. Best not be scammed by a Facebook ad which targets vulnerable people. See a qualified herbalist if you would to try that route.
Best treatment for pneumonia is.
Limited activity and rest. Antibiotics if prescribed. Healthy diet Drink fair quantities of clear fluids. Pain relief if needed ( Paracetamol)
Speedy recovery.
Go well.
Pauline
Thank you so much PaulineHM
Hi Puzzle puff
I was diagnosed in October and so in similar position to you and also received lots of ads about this product with of course great reviews! but i have been on various forums and i have not come across anyone who has used it. i agree with everyone who has posted here and listen to your specialist.I have been on carbocisteine for 2 months and clear my lungs twice a day. A few people have recommended echinaforce, a herbal remedy, and covonia oromucosal spray and boots dual defence spray. these last 2 i only use if i feel i may have a cold starting or a sore throat. lots of exercise too such as long brisk walks. at the moment i have had 2 good months and back to normal life, though i know this may change at any time. but i am very careful about contact and avoid busy indoor areas where possible
This is a great forum and i have received alot of useful advice and positivity from everyone since my diagnosis.
Thank you johngk , I'm really glad I've found this forum. It's still really early days for me as I've not even had a consultant appointment about the bronchiectasis that was found. I think I need to focus on recovering from the pneumonia for now. Rest, rest, rest.... And when I think I'm feeling better, rest some more!!
My illness and diagnosis was a surprise. my specialist said it could be related to whooping cough i hadas a child but also i had an annual month long chesty cough until last 20 years. i had pneumonia 20 years ago but since then no chest infections until last year..colds only lasted 24 hours. so lucky!! but last year i had covid symptoms before each infection but tested negative though on each occasion my wife or visiting relation tested positive. like you i have been told its mild so am appreciating periods of good health. hope you get some answers soon from appointments
Thank you johngk , I'm glad it is mild for you and you have returned to periods of good health. I am very much hoping for the same once I have recovered from pneumonia. It is all very confusing, I imagine my bronch must also go back to childhood, but I've no idea what in particular caused it!
Hi again, I've just read your most recent replies and was about to write another, similar one to Littlepom. (You'd do well to go into her previous replies to members querying aspects of bronchiectasis). I think this forum exists because most of its members haven't received the proper care & support from our GP & respiratory services in the UK (there are some who receive excellent care however they definitely seem to be in the minority at present There's the search bar to dive in to and always the 'Related Posts ' on this page, a mine of information. You will probably come across Cofdrop, another very experienced and knowledgeable bronch member (bronch is always short for bronchiectasis here).
As you mentioned, at the moment yours is mild so you're in the right place to find out ways people keep healthy for the near & far future . It may mean tweaking your lifestyle a bit.
Both a nasty infection (viral or bacterial) will deplete you immune system as will the necessary antibiotics .........and smoking and alcohol and poor diet and stress.....).
Pneumonia - I had 5 times between 2009 & 2012 before I was referred to St George's, SW17 respiratory consultant as bronchiectasis or aspergillosis was suspected because there were also incessant lung infections & coughing (the coughing turned out to be mostly uncontrolled asthma which I'd had in childhood and came back in my mid 50s).
It was 2013 before my asthma nurse suggested having the pneumonia vaccination! Grrrr, if I'd been given it in 2009 I wouldn't be where I am health wise. Each time I had it I went back to work far too soon believing I was a super fit, super healthy , super strong, super self reliant superwoman.
Each bout of pneumonia took months to completely recover from. I only began to improve after finding some wonderfully kind people here who shared their knowledge as well a 3 month course of antibiotics as well as rebuilding my wrecked immune system.
Nowadays I have a small armoury to use at the first sign of a sniffle &/or sore throat. I also take extra vitamins, minerals and supplements daily.
I wish you all the best for a good recovery, hopefully we've helped and not alarmed you - definitely wish I'd known then what I know now - come back anytime and get well soon 💐
PS exercise is important but please, no brisk walks until you're properly better, little, gently is the way to go. ×
Thank you so much peege , that's really helpful. Though I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a hard time of it. Yes I can see already that I am going to struggle with not getting back to being "superwoman" once I feel vaguely normal again. 3 months of antibiotics?? Goodness!
Sorry to hear you have been very unwell hopefully you get some replys who know bit better than myself take care
Thank you so much Germantara
COPD is not a disease but a grouping of them and includes bronchiectasis.
Ah didn't realise that, thank you!
in reply to PuzzlePuff
Sorry PuzzlePuff Timberman is mistaken. Please see my reply to him.
PuzzlePuff in reply to
Thanks Hidden , I have read your helpful reply. I am learning all the time!
in reply to PuzzlePuff
I should think that you feel.overwhelmed by it all today. When I first joined this forum there were only a very few of us with long term bronch who could help and support those being diagnosed. It is very heartwarming to see how many have become knowlegable in the condition after being diagnosed with it and now help others. As we bronchs are all different this means a wide variety of personal experience to draw from.
in reply to Timberman
Bronchiectasis does not come in the same group as copd, chronic bronchitis emphysema and some forms of asthma. It is a completely different condition. The treatment and management is different. Unfortunately many people are mistaken about this and lump them all together.
Timberman in reply to
Hmmm The prevalence of airway wall thickening and dilatation that would fulfil the definition of bronchiectasis increases with increasing spirometric severity of COPD. A key UK study [5] found that 30% of a primary-care COPD population had airway wall abnormalities potentially classifiable as bronchiectatic.
COPD–bronchiectasis overlap syndrome
And lots more. I rest my case.
Actually, in the UK copd is an umbrella term for chronic bronchitis or emphysema (not asthma or bronchiectasis). May be different in other countries. It's all a massive learning curve PP ××
Thanks peege ! X
in reply to peege
This mistake all came about because a conference in the US in the early 1960s mistakenly put them together because nobody there knew what bronch was. In fact when I was living there in the late 1970s a resp doc told me that there was no such thing as bronchiectasis and that I simply had 'nasty cystic lungs'. In 1986 my consultant from Bham went to a conference in Las Vegas and taught the world that bronch did exist, what it is and how to treat it. From then, the treatment world wide has improved tremendously but there are still pockets of ignorance.
Just to say welcome to the forum. I hope you get on top of of the pneumonia soon.
Thank you Alberta56 , it seems like such a great forum and so welcoming.
Hello. I am a soon to be 64 yr old female who was diagnosed with ‘mild’ bronchiectasis in the uk late last year. I was told I could have had it a while. I try to clear mucus by using an aerobika once a day and I carry on walking. I have had 3 viruses since October which have made me feel completely run down but I aim to continue doing a walk 10,000+ steps every day as this helps to shake the mucus up. I also inhale when I feel the need. The physio should show you the ‘huffing’ technique - also on u tube. Carbocysteine was prescribed at 2-3 times daily which I have now stopped as they made me wake up every morning with muscle and joint aches. I am considering going on a lower dose but it is my option to trial this. I have a rescue pack of antibiotics ( doxycycline ) that goes everywhere with me. have recently tried Cold Zyme (Amazon) to stop a cold in its tracks but cannot comment on effectiveness. DO NOT let Bronchiectasis define you - try to get back to normal activity once your pneumonia is over and ask for a pneumonia jab. You are after all only 44 and not an invalid. Good luck.
Thank you so much Fruityface ! And it's really good to hear your story. X
thanks for the Cold Zym recommendation Fruityface and Puzzlepuff, thats very useful to know - just put in an order on Amazon
in reply to Fruityface
Lovely reply Fruity Face. I have used coldzyme and it stopped a cold in it's tracks so it didn't get down to my chest to set off the bronch. I find cold and flu blocker (tiny tube) around my mouth and nose does seem to stop me catching viruses. It's all a matter of luck I guess
PuzzlePuff in reply to
Hidden What is the tube of cold and flu blocker that you use?
in reply to PuzzlePuff
You can buy it at Boots and other chemists. It is called Nasal Guard Cold and flu blocker. Seems expensive for a tiny tube but you onle need a little smear around mouth and nostrils and I think it works.
PuzzlePuff in reply to
Thank you, that's really helpful!
I don’t know about Lignosus but pneumonia I believe is caused by a bug. I had it for the third time five years ago.
Thanks Mavary , and sorry to hear that.
Sorry to hear youve been in hospital .Speedy recovery .Im very sorry Ive never heard of it
No problem at all, thanks for your reply and well wishes
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