Hi can anyone please advise possible Bronchiectasis

[Polly44]

Im having a ct scan on the 13th sept for possible Bronchiectasis, had Hi and morellexa lung infections, which either never clear up or just come back (only realised even had Hi August 2019 but guessing ive had Hi since june 2017 not been right since then but never had phlegm sample taken until last August. last sample taken was june or july and it was clear, but recently wheeze been even worse and mucus been at times up to 8 times a day and colour leads me to infection back, i had a course of Ciprofloxacin 500mg which i finished last friday, still not 100% but then i never am anymore. I wake up feeing a bit chesty at times / still bringing stuff up about 3 times over in the last week mucus has had bit of brown streak, slight ache in my back at times, feel inflamed inside at times after bring mucus up (if that makes sense. but mucus is mostly cream coloured now so hoping that means antibiotics have worked , wheeze can be hardly there when i get up but gets better and worse during the day. Ive not been out much but have now started getting out more and as before if i exert myself eg i fast walked to get the bus wheeze gets full on start breathing heavier (with mask on i start breathing in the mask which makes me slightly hyperventilate too, I feel the wheeze is definitely the mucus and can ease right off when I have brought up some. Also if i laugh straight away starts me coughing. so my question is if this is Bronchiectasis can anyone advise me best way of bringing up the mucus each day?. (i wont be seeing the resp consultant until end of November so just trying to do what i can myself in the mean time. Im hoping can work out how i can bring up the mucus myself so if/when i do go out wont be trying to suppress urge to cough cos phelgm needs to come up, so paranoid people thinking i have covid if i cough, i only cough if there is mucus there to come up and again its not constant at all, can have like few coughs and bring up bits here and there then nothing for hours and hours. any advice would be a great help. thanks Polly (ps sorry for the all-mighty essay ha ha

[Perce]

Do you take any meds to thin the Mucus?

Try one of these, I use one regularly and it helps

amazon.co.uk/Respironics-Th...

[Polly44 in reply to Perce]

Hi Perce no I don’t , thanks will try that ( I will try anything ha ha )

[Ergendl]

One Bronch. lady who came to our singing group, found doing our singing exercises and using diaphragm breathing to sing karaoke songs really helped. She coughed up so much, she was embarrassed, but the rest of us were all having a good cough too so we didn't mind.

I'm sure others will be along soon who have the condition and can help you with suggestions from their own experience.

[Polly44 in reply to Ergendl]

Thank you will give it a go

[MoyB]

Quite by accident, I have found that the best way for me to shift mucous is to bend over from the waist and just hang for a minute. The mucous shifts almost immediately. (Discovered this when washing the loo floor after our cleaning lady stopped coming!) It works much better for me than all the huffing etc.

I appreciate that not everyone can do this! Definitely try postural drainage techniques though (plenty of info on YouTube) as that's what I was doing before.

I have tried an Acapella device but it does nothing for me.

xx Moy

[Polly44 in reply to MoyB]

Hi Moyb worth a go eh , thank you x

[RoadRunner44]

What is HI? I have bronchiectasis but not understanding what HI is I am unable to grasp if it is linked to this disease. If you could explain I would be very grateful. Thanks.

[Polly44 in reply to RoadRunner44]

Hi , sorry haemophilus influenzae, it’s a bacterial infection ( seen it shorted to HI on here ha ha) . I’ve had 11 lots of antbotics for it , seems to always come back or it never went away completely .

[Perce in reply to Polly44]

I had HI and I was vaccinated afterwards so I didn't get it again. I also has a CAT scan afterwards which revealed the Bronchiectasis so the consultant decided that my problem was with always being reinfected so it went on for months on end. If I get a chest infection I now need to have a minimum of two weeks steroids and Antibiotic to clear it right up which has done the trick as so far this year I haven't had any steroids or antibiotics.

[Polly44 in reply to Perce]

I read about a vaccination for Hi the doctor said nope but suppose it would be the resp consultant who would authorise that tho im assuiming ? ahh glad its worked for you. The problem is covid is closing so much down they didnt even think my mucus sample was going to be done in july. It came back clear but can tell it was back couple weeks ago. now quite honestly I have no idea ha ha.

[Perce in reply to Polly44]

It was my nurse at the GP surgery that organised the vaccination, they give it to everybody now since about 2002 I think she said.

I ended up in hospital as there are only two meds that will treat H. I. and I had the wrong one so it wasn't touching it so they gave me a prescription for the alternative and it cleared up.

[catherine1712 in reply to Perce]

i read with interest your posting. i was wondering what is HI ? IS IT HIB VACCINE

you are referring?

Thank you very much for your response.

catherine1712

[Polly44 in reply to catherine1712]

Hi Catherine, no it’s Haemophilus influenzae a bacterial infection, although I might be wrong but I think the hib vacine is what they give children to prevent them getting a strain of Haemophilus influenzae. ( not 100% sure on that but think so)

[catherine1712 in reply to Polly44]

Thank you very much for your swift response.

[Hidden]

A trip to chessington world of adventures with the kids normally does it for me 😂

[Polly44 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Nik , ha ha whenever I think of that place I always think wasps ( so running from them would definitely do it for me to 😂

[Tinker26]

I too was like you ,was diagnosed with mild Bronchiectasis but kept getting hi and moraxella ,after numerous large doses of antibiotics I was hospitalised as a trace of pseudomona aureginosa was found to be hiding.After 2 weeks of iv drugs I have only had 2 chest infections after a cold .I was put on prophylactic azithromycin 3 times a week and have only just came down with a heavy cold and am currently on antibiotics.Dont let it take hold,keep sending in sputum samples to your doctor until a clear result comes back .Good luck.

[Polly44 in reply to Tinker26]

Hi I had it for over 2 yrs before they even bothered to take a sample to test (even then it was only when a trainee doctor asked had they ever tested it, that was my main symtom apart from wheeze and breathlessness. I think they just assumed it was my asthma but it never felt like my asthma. They stopped testing me cos of covid literally have had it checked once since covid, they just kept chucking the antibiotics at me. I was tested from august till march it was there every time after each 2 or 4 lots antibiotics then i gained the morellexa. In October they said the hi had gone from 2 to 1 after 2 courses, then a month later right back up again and had the morellexa . The last test i managed to have done was in july, but recently could tell by the 8 lots of green i was bringing up in one morning alone that something was back. I am literally playing a guessing game half the time eg not seeing a doctor holding off cos sick of taking the antibiotics not knowing if this in infection or just Bronchiectasis. I feel like the muscus is more cream atm so hoping the antibotics worked for now but its hard when i cant even see a doctor to dicuss it right now. got ct scan on 13th then follow up in novemember so guess its guessing game till then eh ha ha, thank you for your message hopefully the ct scan should give them more insight to whats going on, will try put in another sample if they let me. thanks Polly

[Tinker26 in reply to Polly44]

I also have a acapella which is free on prescription and use that occasionally as I nebuliser hypertonic saline daily and that clears any deep down muck that’s stuck !

[shouty]

Hi I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis after having CT scan. I too was colonised with Haemophilis infection which is kept in check with Doxycycline 3x weekly and Co-Amoxiclav for bad infection. Am on Carbocysteine tablets to help thin mucous too

[Polly44 in reply to shouty]

yes I have had both of them antibiotics usually 2 week courses. I cant wait to have this CT scan now. I suppose that no way I will hear back any sooner on results til i see the consultant in November :-/. Just want to be finally diagnosed or treated for whatever is going on finally.

[shouty in reply to Polly44]

Good luck to you & on a positive note I have been infection free for months & had a repeat CT scan that had improved. So there is life with B'ectasis 😊

[Polly44 in reply to shouty]

Thank you and thats great news and definitely good to hear too x

[Mooka]

Hi Polly44

Look up active cycle of breathing on YouTube. It’s a physio showing you breathing exercises to help shift the mucus. Usually after diagnosis the consultant will refer you to the physio to learn this but as your appointment is so far away it may be better to have a look now. There are devices you can buy but I can’t comment on these as I haven’t used them. Good luck.

[Polly44 in reply to Mooka]

Hi great thanks I will do that

[Polly44 in reply to Mooka]

oh wow, just tried all 3 of the exercises amount of times they said and on the last huff out one instantly brings up the mucus (did it about 5 times that one ) good to know way of bringing it up hopefully will help me alot while waiting eh. thank you for that, thats a great help.

[Mooka]

So pleased it has helped. You should do regularly at least once a day but more when you need to. Hopefully will get easier and more effective in time. 🤗

[Polly44 in reply to Mooka]

call me sad but Im over the moon to have found such an effective way to bring it up. yesterday rushing for the bus full on wheeze (obviously the exercise brings it up it will be good to know i can get rid of it before going out so hopefully don't have that as much fingers crossed.Twice latley its been rush/wheeze breath heavier suck in mask as breathing=panic feeling cos mask sucking in ha ha. I still would rather wear one (think we all should ) and may just help me bringing it up before going out or just help in general should do eh. so its a great help thanks for the info

[Mooka in reply to Polly44]

There will be no stopping you when you get prescribed carbocistene to help thin the stuff too. 😂

[Polly44 in reply to Mooka]

bring it on lol, after 3 yrs of this i will take whatever they give me lol. Also want to get back to my treadmill /cross trainer without coughing fits cos phlegm lol. (hopefully this gonna help so i can get back to that too cos need to shift the lbs again ( cos of the lockdown/shielding comfort eating cos there was nothing else to do) . I am now wishing i used the time more wisely ha ha. still never to late eh

[Ortho10]

Best way that I have found to bring the stuff up is an Aerobika device, followed by blowing in to my peak flow meter, this produces the best huff going.

These devices can be prescribed by your clinician or Physio.

I was also colonized with HI with very thick sputum, just keeping on top of things with AB's and clearance techniques have pretty much reduced the thickness to normal and clear.

Good luck

[Polly44 in reply to Ortho10]

Hi thanks for that I will ask the consultant about the Aerobika device ( I have a peak flow meter as I’m asthmatic ). Hopefully like you , that I can just manage it with all of the combined things. Just hate playing guessing games with it Cos can’t even see my gp right now it’s all Telephone appointments still. ( not that my doctors are much help ) be good to have face to face with consultant November. ( fingers crossed )

[Ortho10 in reply to Polly44]

Yes, I am a lifetime Asthmatic. Forgot to mention that I also take Azithromycin, one a day as a Prophylactic.

[Polly44 in reply to Ortho10]

yep me to life time asthmatic bit . I think the doctors just thought the wheeze /phlegm no air feeling, was down to the ashtma, changed my steriod inhaler to long acting fluiform steriod inhaler (i take montelukask also). 2 trainee docs said all signs were there I had something else going on . maybe the trainee ones hadn't done their job too long and bothered to look into stuff and listen to symptoms eh . oh well getting somewhere now at least eh :).