Suction Machine for Secretions!

[carolinesimmons]

I cannot imagine why it took so long for me to remember how the suction machine my husband had in rehab helped him with his secretions! With a trocar (rigid tube connected to end of tubing) he was able to probe the back of his throat and suck up thick secretions that he could not cough out. He was in rehab six weeks and had stopped using the machine before he left.

Now, almost a year and a half later, I have remembered how much he was helped by that device. We are being seen by hospice now and I asked the nurse if he thought it would help as my husband is much weaker now and cannot seem to cough up the secretions that pool in the back of his throat. As a result, a suction machine is being delivered today. If he can no longer use the trocar himself, I can certainly do it for him. Anything to keep him from wearing himself out and from getting pneumonia if these secretions seep back into his lungs!

Has anyone else tried this? I will post again when we see how much this helps.

[mrsfarringdon]

Hello me dad had the same problem we are kept awake all night with the throat gurgaling as we call it. Even through the day his throat just croaks all day ,didn't know you could get something to ease it who would we see to get one of these devices , anything to ease his discomfort sometimes he gets so distressed as it gets lodged in his throat, thank you for this information x

[peterjones in reply to mrsfarringdon]

hi mrs faringdon the cheapest way out for a good nights kip is to try dark grape juice first mate before you go buying a secretion pump you can get \it in woolworths or stores probaly near you this will help break up the secretion or mucas from hes throat which he should be able to get it up from there give it a go peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer ps if it does not work on him im sure you will have only lost a couple of dollars but i think it will work

[mrsfarringdon in reply to peterjones]

Hi Peter thank you last week for your reply tried black grape juice for a nearly a week now its worked wonders no more loud gurgling its brilliant can here the TV now without having it turned up loud . defanatly on shopping list from now on

[peterjones in reply to mrsfarringdon]

hi mrs farringon i am happy that you have got results with the dark grape juice my speech therapist put me onto it years ago now i was glad to pass it on to you so you could have a bit of piece and qute i know us psp people can be a bit demanding at times and NOISY but we cant help it im afraid to say there was something else you could have tried but i cant think of it just now but it will come to me later on well i have no shares or anything monetry involved with the grape juice mate thanks foir your reply

i am glad i made someone happy well tweo people because your husband must feel a lot better but he will need to get up mucas or the secretion so it does not rattkle around inside hes throat so do not comp[lain if you hear a few other noises of clearing the throat but at least you can hear the tele now and probably get a nights sleep\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ good on yer mate stick with it take care all the best to you and mrs F peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[peterjones in reply to mrsfarringdon]

hi mrs faringdon the cheapest way out for a good nights kip is to try dark grape juice first mate before you go buying a secretion pump you can get \it in woolworths or stores probaly near you this will help break up the secretion or mucas from hes throat which he should be able to get it up from there give it a go peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer ps if it does not work on him im sure you will have only lost a couple of dollars but i think it will work

[peterjones in reply to peterjones]

hi mrs faringdon how s the grape juice going ok i hope io do not know if you saw the little piece i added on if your husband is diabetic i should check the sugar content good luck for continuing peace and quiet mate peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[peterjones in reply to peterjones]

hi mrs faringdon how s the grape juice going ok i hope io do not know if you saw the little piece i added on if your husband is diabetic i should check the sugar content good luck for continuing peace and quiet mate peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[cabbagecottage]

Glad to see this subject come up . The gurgling coughing is keeping both of us awake , it is so distressful . Will try the then dark grape juice . What country are you in we live in s Wales UK . How do you go about getting the suction machine and is it difficult to use .

[carolinesimmons in reply to cabbagecottage]

I live in the U.S. Here you would get an order from your physician and he would send the order to a local company that supplies medical equipment. I don't know how it is done in the UK. My husband cannot swallow so we can't try the grape juice. I don't know about a "secretion pump" that Peter Jones mentions, but the machine we have looks quite expensive. Medicare will be paying for it through the hospice benefit. Hope this helps someone out there!

[cabbagecottage in reply to carolinesimmons]

Thanks for that Caroline , My husband can manage the swallow solids (at the present time ! ) but the saliva is his biggest problem , the drooling really gets him down . . If he sleeps In his chair the gurgling doesn't seem quite so bad but once he is in bed it starts .

My mum had a stroke and eventually had a peg feed .fitted .

[peterjones in reply to cabbagecottage]

casbbage cottage if your husband sleeps in a chair hes head and neck would be upright \\ but when he lays down to sleep the mucas or secretions would have nowhere to go except to gurgle around in the throat why dont you try and prop the bed up at hes head end just put a couple of bricks -underneath the bed or you can buy bed raisers im sure of it that way the secretions might go down instead of hanging around in hes throat again i hope this helps in some small way but you might have been told this before good luck peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[cabbagecottage in reply to peterjones]

I do that , and at the moment I am tilting the bed backwards and raising his head and feet so he is sat bucket like in the bed . His bed is all singing and dancing LOL.. I find that raising the knee part a little it stops the cramping pain .

[peterjones in reply to cabbagecottage]

hi cabbage cottage did you try the dark grape juice mate peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[cabbagecottage in reply to peterjones]

No not yet where is the best place to but , it IN A HEALTH SHOP ?

[cabbagecottage in reply to cabbagecottage]

He has green grapes every morning

[peterjones in reply to cabbagecottage]

hi cabbage cottage i would be very careful of the skins of the grapes mate i have had them caught in my throat but i found that the dark grape juice was best for me it did help tp get some of the secretions up \\ the trouble is you have to be so careful all the time i have just had a spell in hospital having my tubes and lungs washed out i ate an apple after i had peeled it i cut myself off a piece and there i was with it stuck no matter how much i coughed i could not shift it this was only a couple of weeks ago now i had not had an apple for nearly 20 years [ and i will not be having one for another 2o should i live that long which i doubt very much at this time of life plus the psp which got along the way anyway mate i getting off the subject yes you should be able to get it in a health shop or a grocery shop would be better i think you will find it will be cheaper for you where i live its costs about 2 dollars fifty for a fairly large plastic bottle

as i said to you before its worth a try mate it should get some of the secretions out which there should be less gurgling anyway let me know how you get on would you \\\

good luck with that its quite pleasant to drink trust me \\\\ take care hope he gets some relief \\ and yourself of course we do not want to many sleepless nights mate do we

peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[cabbagecottage in reply to peterjones]

I have been replying but they don't seem to be getting through all the time .

[cabbagecottage in reply to peterjones]

I have been replying but they don't seem to be getting through all the time .

[peterjones in reply to cabbagecottage]

ps i hope he is not a diabetic it is a bit sweet mate check the sugar content first peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[mrsfarringdon in reply to cabbagecottage]

hello ive been using dark grape juice for a week now since PETER mentioned it last week for me dad with brilliant results ,gurgling down to bearly nothing at all.I get [WELLS from concentrate] from sainsburys in a carton in the juice fridge .Its a must try on my shopping list every week now its also nice for us too, hope it works as good for you too good luck

[Hidden]

If you google in suction machines for home use an array come up and I am sure the medical companies do them as well.

[jimandsharynp]

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

Jimbo

[cabbagecottage]

Just received my on line shopping from Tesco including the Welchs pure purple grape juice . will let you know how we get on . Th asks so much everyone

[peterjones in reply to cabbagecottage]

hi cabbage cottage hows it going with the grape juice ok i hope and you get some peace and quiet now and hubby is quite content good luck with it mate i hope your husband ls not diabetic mate if he is then check the sugar content first ps dont forget\\\\\ peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[cabbagecottage in reply to peterjones]

Hi . He has started to use the grape juice . I usually give him some after a meal and at bedtime . Although he is still coughing /choked it is seeming to be a little looser .

Fingers x it will help even further ,

We try anything within reason .

[peterjones in reply to cabbagecottage]

hi cabbage cottage i would give him the last drink half an hour before he goes to bed this will give it chance to settle down before he finaly goes to sleep and the same with any food if he has a snack at all \\ you dont want any staying around in the throat area i know when i have had food or drink last thing\\ i end up coughing and spluttering through laying down imediately afterwards i was silly but you live and learn maybe its the hard way all what we do with speech\\ falling over\\ coughing and sputtering its hard to change the habits of a lifetime\\ how we used to, behave any way good luck with it i hope it does you good or your hubby i should say mate wish him all the best from me never give in peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[cabbagecottage]

By the way my husbands mouth drops open especially when he is in bed relaxed . This doesn't help because his mouth and throat keeps dry .