Bronchiectasis and asthma.

[Noodlers]

Hi everyone, I have fairly severe asthma, and mild bronchiectasis. I also have silent reflux and osteoporosis. I've had a flare up of asthma and my bronchiectasis and am just coming to the end of 3 weeks of Azithromycyn. I'm still coughing and occasionally wheezing.

I've read that Magnesium can help strengthen the lung muscles, do any of you take Magnesium? If so how much?

Anyone with bronchiectasis, what do you find helps the coughing?

I have low lying mucous but nothing comes up, I've only had a couple of tiny amounts which were white.

Any advice would be helpful, thanks

[Readingwheezer]

I’ve been taking up for a while now (just an over the counter dose) But ran out a week ago and Tesco’s have run out it seems

[Poobah]

I had a four month course of Azithromycin and it was brilliant - really cleared my chest. Can you discuss extending the course with your doctor seeing as you still have phlegm?

I take magnesium 400mg but can't really say my asthma has improved. I've read that it can improve FEV1 (first second of exhalation). I know magnesium sulphate is used in IV treatment for a particular kind of asthma but I don't know which type.

If you want to strengthen your lungs you could try using a resistance breathing hand held device. They are very simple to use and they exercise the lungs by creating resistance on inhalation. You can adjust the device as you get better at the exercise. The last one I bought from Amazon was £12. Breathing exercises are good and if you don't fancy trying the resistance device then there are plenty of physio videos on YouTube about how to exercise the lungs - not everyone can do cardio but it's still important to work the lungs.

[Noodlers in reply to Poobah]

Thank you. Can you tell me what these devices are called so I can do a search please?

I don't really want to stay on the Azithromycyn for much longer as tbh this time I don't feel it's helped much. When I had it a year ago it was really good.

I have started to do some breathing excersises from YouTube.

My hubby done some physio on me yesterday and this morning I actually got up two bits of mucous! Good result.

The GP has now put me on tablets to thin the mucous so I'm hoping that's going to help. Today I've been pretty good, last night I was terrible but I think that's because it hadn't come up and had been shifted around from the physio.

Thanks for your advice.

[Poobah in reply to Noodlers]

The device is an Adjustable Resistance Lung Breathing Exerciser. Currently £10.90 on Amazon.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

IV magnesium sulphate is usually give in life-threatening asthma attacks (or severe attacks that aren’t responding to other meds). It works by relaxing the smooth muscles, which in turn opens them up. However too much can cause a floppy airway which then collapses. Not sure what magnesium supplements will do, however if you aren’t deficient in it then you’ll just get expensive urine (like with all vitamins and supplements), and may also get side effects (most commonly for magnesium it’s diarrhoea).

Noodlers, are you able to steam without it triggering you? That’s usually the best way to help shift mucus. And are you on anything like carbocisteine (another thing that helps with mucus). White mucus is typically viewed as nothing to be too concerned about... usually it suggest inflammation rather than infection.

If you want to strengthen you respiratory muscles you’d probably do better using a breathing exerciser device (resistant or non-resistant).

Hope this helps

[Noodlers in reply to EmmaF91]

I have just started on some mucous thinning tablets yesterday.

When I've tried steaming before I've found it just triggers more coughing fits. I'm not keen on doing it tbh.

I might look into getting a device to help, is there a particular one you can recommend please?