I’m new here but am glad to find this place!

[0420]

Hello, I live in Las Vegas. I am post esophagectomy from 3 1/2 years ago. I am now in remission from esophageal cancer. I am having excessive mucus within my throat and need to cough it up and out. Can anybody advise me on what I can take to relieve this? Also, my thoracic surgeon performed a myotomy on me 4 weeks ago. This procedure relaxed my muscles at my anastomoses, but the mucus has gotten worse. Scar in photo is from the myotomy and where they removed my esophagus.

[AlanWare]

The mucus is your way of clearing the lungs. If you are anything like the rest of us, following surgery, you probably suffer aspiration of bile /acid. This will damage your lungs and airways. The mucus will help protect you. It is also the only way to remove the aspirated fluid. I on the other hand do not produce mucus, which causes me a lot of problems. Almost every night, I wake up choking. My lungs and Airways are burning and I have difficulty breathing. The only thing I can do is get up and smoke 2 cigarettes. This makes me produce mucus. I can then cough up the damaging bile/acid. It can take up to 1 hour to work. In the meantime the burning is agonising.

Bottom line is don't worry about it, it is probably doing you a favour.

Good luck

[ccfc]

I am nearly six and a half years post op and I too often wake up coughing up mucus. I think it is just one of those things you learn to live with. Life is never going to be perfect after an operation of this magnitude but it’s a lot better than the alternative. Best Wishes, James.

[Ronk511]

I was given a a spirometer in the hospital to help cough up the mucus . I took it home and used it for about 4 months. It helped clear up this problem. You should ask your doctor about it.

[Ronk511]

Here is a link I found on how to use a spirometer.

medlineplus.gov/ency/patien...

Ron

[0420 in reply to Ronk511]

Thank you for the advice, but the problem is in what’s left of my esophagus which is now only 2 inches long, not my lungs. Heavy mucus production at that site.

[970jbob]

Have you tried claratin or other antihistamine to dry out mucus? I had esophagectomy at UCLA 1-29-19 and also live in Las Vegas. It helped me.

[0420 in reply to 970jbob]

Yes, I’ve tried both! Unfortunately, didn’t really help. I’m now trying Carafate which was just prescribed to me yesterday. I also had my surgery at UCLA in October 2015. We should get together and trade notes!

[970jbob]

Yes definitely should get together to chat. I just had a revision surgery 3-29 after original reconstruction 1-29, was Dr Jay Moon Lee your surgeon? Contact info e mail 970jbob at gmail and 702 428 3712. Might be a bit though still recovering.

Regards Jeffrey Wagner

[0420 in reply to 970jbob]

Dr. Robert Cameron was my UCLA surgeon. I’ve found a fantastic thoracic surgeon in Las Vegas believe it or not. My name is Ken. [e-mail]. [phone].