I trust all have had a wonderful holiday season. We have been hit with some pretty bad sickness in our household, and my Momma is about a week and a half into a pretty significant cold. No fever until yesterday, but it was low grade.
My chief concern is that she is struggling with enough strength to have any strong coughs to get the crud out -- it is so obvious there is a ton in there, but she just can't get it out!!
I took her to express care for chest x-rays, all came back normally (this was four days ago now) --- she slept 14 hours yesterday, and woke up this morning with a smile on her face, feeling better for sure. BUT -- this cough with enormous phlegm sounds is just not going away. I really just don't know what else to do ...
Has anyone ever experienced this?
Written by
bazooka111
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I did a couple of years ago and was prescribed an inhaler but that was before diagnosis. I know there are patches to reduce mucus and saliva. If the urgent care clinic didn't find any fluid on her lungs, that is a benefit. But if it lingers it could change to bronchitis or pneumonia.
I think the best you can do right now is a visit to the doctors office or a quick call back to the urgent care to see what they advise. If her PCP is up on her current limitations with PSP, then I would try there first. Urgent care is ok for "normals", but we "exceptionals" sometimes require exceptional treatment that urgent care doesn't normally provide.
You could try the old fashioned solutions to phlegmy colds, as in Vicks vapour rubbed into chest and back, head of bed raised to aid coughing, tapping the sides of her back with cupped hands to loosen phlegm and then sitting up to cough, keeping chest warm with wool, etc.
The physio of tapping the chest is something I used when my son had bad asthma as a child and it helped him. Check out the technique.
Guess there could be difficulty with weakened cough muscles too. There are a few posts on tips for medications that have helped.
Try a cool mist vaporizer near her and tea with a little honey/lemon. The warm liquid will help loosen any phlegm and honey ease the cough. As previously mentioned keep a watch for a spike in fever or labored breathing as this could be pneumonia.
These are our experiences hoping could be useful to you:
•Phlegm and choking: The first thing is to remain calm during episodes of truly shocking coughs. The second is that a physician rules out an infection in the respiratory tract. Get a pulse oximeter to control. (Fever is an indication usually either pneumonia or urinay tract infection (UTI) in PSP patients).
•It is not a big problem that the patient swallows his phlegm. For phlegm to be fluid, it is important to drink liquids. Steam inhalation from boiling water in a bowl with a few drops of some floral essence (avoid mint plants and eucalyptus) that is pleasant to the patient, a small spoonful of marine salt and some pieces of lemon, with a towel covering head and bowl helps. (One to three times a day.) Medications like "Mucosan" (Ambroxol hydrochloride) twice a day or “Fluimicil Forte-600” (Acetilcisteine) one by day, help. Ask physician.
•In case of choking, raise both arms at shoulder height, breathe only through the nose intensely if posible. I not, inhale air intensely but not very fast through the mouth. Retain air a couple of seconds and then force the cough.
•Also here, to avoid in the diet drinks that can be irritating helps: coffee, carbonated beverages as pop or soda (or eliminate the gas by agitation before giving it to the patient), chocolate, orange or grapefruit juice, etc..
Note.- It has been described that: pineapple juice breaks down the protein very well and fluidifies the mucus (phlegms). It will have to be tested if the patient tolerates pineapple juice without coughing or choking.
There are some foods to avoid…. things like grapes, rice, couscous, lentils, peas etc anything small was problematic as were spicy foods. Foods that crumble easily, cookies, crackers, stringy foods, sticky foods, etc.
•There is a suction machine which helped a lot with the very sticky phlegm. We have NOT used it yet.
•A steam atomizer to keep the air in the room moist helped, too. (40% - 52% moist advisable.)
•The physiotherapists have exercises reinforcing trunk muscles to improve the cough response to choking. Engage a good speech/swallow therapist to learn swallowing techniques.
•Avoid dairy products, especially before bedtime, this seems to prevent the increase in phlegm viscosity.
•Raising around 15º a 35º (9” to 12”) the head of the bed also helps.
Your point on pineapple juice was interesting as my Mum can no longer tolerate orange juice, too acidic she says, but will happily have a glass of pineapple juice each day. I realise it won't suit everyone but might help others.
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Is severe coughing normal when neither eating nor drinking?
Any one having coughing difficulties?
Another chest infection
