bronchiectasis in Australia

[somdam]

I'm new here, in Australia and my wife has bronchiectasis, but not too badly. She coughs up phlegm regularly, but not a lot. I'm hoping to consult other members for tips on how she may handle her bronchiectasis.

[Ozzie3]

First thing is to get her GP to refer her to a respiratory physician who should manage her condition.

[somdam in reply to Ozzie3]

Thank you

[Ozzie3 in reply to somdam]

I live in Sydney and see Dr Nick Murray at Prince of Wales Hospital who is very good.

[somdam in reply to Ozzie3]

We're not far from Sydney and will see her GP today about the slight about of blood she has coughed up. I'll ask about a respiratory physician.

[Ozzie3 in reply to somdam]

A respiratory physician can also, if appropriate, refer your wife to a chest physiotherapist. I needed just one session with the physiotherapist in which she taught me techniques that made it easier to cough up phlegm. I didn’t need to see her again. I see the respiratory physician once every 6 months and he monitors my condition. The medication he prescribed has made me much, much better. Good luck with it all!

[somdam]

Breathing isn't a problem, but the daily coughing up of phlegm is. What is the medication you have been prescribed?

[GarryS in reply to somdam]

I'm on carbocysteine (2 twice a day). They make the phlegm easier to cough up. Also, I use an AirPhysio device to help clear my chest too.

[somdam in reply to GarryS]

thank you for the info

[somdam in reply to GarryS]

can you tell me if you have any side effects, please?

[GarryS in reply to somdam]

No side effects to the capsules. Btw AirPhysio is an aussie device and useful at loosening the phlegm in your lungs.

[somdam in reply to GarryS]

thank you for the tip and I'll follow it up

[somdam in reply to somdam]

We've noticed that most coughing takes place in the afternoon and not much in the morning. And sometimes very little coughing at all, so perhaps she is not doing so badly. She used to do some factory work when younger and suspects that dust and pollutants there may have caused it, but I've read that sometimes there is no cause or reason for the malady, so it will forever remain a mystery.

[Ozzie3 in reply to somdam]

Typically people with bronchiectasis cough up phlegm on rising in the morning, but I also only cough occasionally during the day and never in the morning. My respiratory physician says that this indicates that sputum is not accumulating during the night and that the bronchiectasis is mild.

[Ozzie3 in reply to Ozzie3]

P.S. Many more people seem to be diagnosed with mild bronchectasis these days. I think its at least partly due to the availability of CT scans of the lungs. In a lot of cases the cause is never found. It is worth while being tested to allergy to the mould aspegillus. This is often a cause in people with asthma.

[Teds4eva in reply to somdam]

If she is coughing in afternoon what is she eating for lunch. You could try and avoid foods that belong to the Nightshade family i.e tomatoes and potatoes.

[somdam]

coughing has decreased of late, according to my wife, and she thinks it could be because she now drinks a lot of water during the day...thank you for your thoughts and please tell me anything else you think we should know

[Ozzie3]

The only other thing I can think of is that it is important for a person who has bronchiectasis and who catches a cold or flu to ask their GP early on whether they need to go on to an antibiotic. This is very different from the situation for people who don't have bronchiectasis. People without bronchectasis don't need an antibiotic for such infections because they are due to viruses not bacteria. (Antibiotics kill bacteria but don't kill viruses). But when someone with bronchiectasis gets a viral infection, this often sets up a bacterial chest infection which does need an antibiotic to cure it and to prevent it doing further damage to the lungs.

[somdam in reply to Ozzie3]

thank you for that and her GP today prescribed some antibiotics because she thinks there might be a infection of some kind...she also recommended another consultation with a lung specialist wifey has seen before, but there are no free spots until August! We'll both get the flu jab from our GP on 22 April and the second booster in early June

[somdam in reply to somdam]

My wife has completed the 1.5 year course of antibiotics for MAC. No side-effects, Just the cough remains with the daily coughing up of phlegm. She is resigned to this now and uses the puffer as well as eating well to maintain her weight,