Question about Mucus Plugs?

[jarca]

This may sound rather gross, so if you don't like reading or discussing "new" body functions, plesase pass this post by.

I have emphysema & PF so I don't produce much mucus & when i do it is in the form of a "mucus plug"
I will go into a coughing/choking fit 1 or 2 times a day until i finally choke up a small mucus plug about the size of a dime.
It's kind of the color of straw, which my dr said is normal & that it's good to get them out.

However, Since Thursday (3rd), I have been coughing up large mucus plugs, size of a quarter or larger about every 15 minutes ---ALL DAY & night
This is a LOT for me!!!
I don't have to choke & work them up, I just give a little cough, or clear my throat & one will come up.

Still the same consistency & color; just a 2-3 times larger & happening so often!
I don't have a fever. I've been a bit more tired than usual, but i don't feel sick or bad in any way.

I know it is "good" to get these things out, but I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced this sort of thing and if so was it a sign of a flare up, or anything that might explain this?
also, was it a "change" that stayed that way over time & just part of my disease progression?
I would really appreciate any experiences or ideas why this may be happening & if its just normal progression or what may be causing it.

[jade]

If you are using diary products,maybe if you stop for a couple of days and see how you feel.

[ozboy]

Hi Jarca, although we spoke today about my issue with these ''Plugs'' and why I think it is fantastic to get rid of them, more frequently....I did some research and below is a ''compressed report''.....This is only MY situation re-Mucous Plugs....

QUOTE ''

Excess mucus and inadequate coughing

Mucus plugging occurs when bronchial secretions accumulate to the point that they obstruct airflow. If the cough is weak and the plug cannot be cleared, the situation can be deadly.

Normally, the moist lining of the lungs produces small amounts of clear mucus, which trap dirt and bacteria from the air. This mucus is slowly swept out of the lungs by tiny hairs called cilia, and is cleared from the body by the forceful expulsion of air from the lungs — a cough.

In ALS, however, several factors reduce cough effectiveness:

Weak muscles in the abdomen make it hard to cough forcefully.

Weak muscles in the throat impair closing the glottis, or top of the throat, in order to build up pressure inside the chest for a cough.

Weak diaphragm muscles, or a chest wall that’s stiff from underuse, make it difficult to take a good deep breath to initiate a forceful cough.

The result of a weak cough can be the buildup of dangerous quantities of mucus, creating a life-threatening medical situation.

...........................................................

''In the clear''

The only treatment for a mucus plug is to somehow get it out.

One mucus-removal method is to produce a cough, either with a manual assist from a caregiver or through the use of a cough machine.

An abdominal thrust is a way to manually assist a cough. The person with ALS takes a deep breath and holds it. The caregiver places a hand on the person’s abdomen and thrusts in at the same time as the person coughs. If the person can take in enough air at the outset, this maneuver supplies the extra force needed to clear the airway. (Note, ask your MDA clinic for a demonstration of this maneuver.)

A cough machine, such as the In-Exsufflator distributed by Respironics, first delivers an inflow of air, and then rapidly reverses the pressure to produce a cough. Adapters can be purchased that allow these machines to be used with tracheostomies.

Another way to remove mucus is to suck it out. Suction machines use a wand or catheter to capture secretions from the mouth or throat.

“It can be difficult sometimes to get the plug high enough to reach with the suction catheter,” Mark notes. “When this happens, we’ve found that tilting the chair back is helpful or, sometimes, going to bed to get horizontal is helpful.”

..........................................................

''Pulse ox to the rescue''

Bach says he always prescribes pulse oximeters for people with weak coughs and ventilation problems. The device can be programmed to issue an alarm when oxygen saturation drops below 95 percent. This allows a growing mucus plug or other respiratory problem to be handled before it becomes life-threatening.

“Normal is 95 percent or greater oxygen saturation,” Bach says. “If it falls below 95 percent, it means either hypoventilation or airway mucus plugging,” and failure to take care of the latter can lead to pneumonia, lung collapse, and respiratory failure.

..........................................................

Thinning the mucus offers another route for helping to prevent a plug. The first step is to keep well hydrated. From there, some physicians recommend over-the-counter expectorants such as guaifenesin (i.e., Mucinex), which thin out secretions and make them easier to cough up. Papaya, pineapple or lemon juice in water also can thin mucus. Surfactants, or wetting agents such as saline, loosen up mucus and help the lungs inflate more easily. Ice cream lovers beware: Some people find that dairy products seem to thicken their mucus.

Although there’s nothing that can definitively prevent a mucus plug, knowing what to expect and being prepared for the eventuality can turn a potentially life-threatening situation into one you can handle.

BTW.....I hardly ever touch Dairy Products on a regular basis....Even my Coffee is with powdered Ensure......

[gerald]

Jarca, the cold I am just getting over did exactly the same thing to me. 

For about 1 week the mucous volume increased but the color stayed the same. 
After a week or so as the cold settled in the mucous tended to become more foamy,
filled with air bubbles, the increase in volume made it challenging. It came very
often.

When it was coming on there was no sign of fever, discomfort etc. Just felt a bit
stuffed up. Then it hit full blast and settled into the lungs.  Prednisone etc did
not seem to affect things very much.

Not sure if that is what your problem is but thought I would pass it along.

[jarca]

thankyou for the replies.

Jade, i do love my dairy products & usually don't have a problem but maybe i will cut back & see if that helps. after all the infections i had & meds that caused the horrid taste in my mouth i have been happy to be able to enjoy milk again, but maybe i'm over doing a bit---i'll have to cut back a bit & see if that is it.

After all the antibiotics & infections i went thru the last couple of months I kind of wonder if i'm just finally clearing out crud from then.
I did get into the habit of sucking on hard candy & lozenges that i'm trying to cut back on, but it's like an addiction, so maybe that is doing something.
what ever is happening, I am happy to get this crud up & out (surprises me so much can be in a human), my main concern was if this is a progression of the disease & is something that i will always deal with. (i hope not, as rather embarrassing in public)

of course with our insane weather here it could be from that. We have gone from the warm spell where everything was starting to sprout, to cold & snow again. In fact i've had several people mention their bulb flowers are coming up, so maybe this has something to do with allergies or just my body rebelling!
I see my dr thursday for a regular monthly check up & he can have a listen to my lungs just to make sure all is okay.

Today, i noticed that when i did my spiriva, i really coughed up a lot. In 2012, when i 1st started spiriva that was when i first saw a mucus plug. over the years i hadn't notice it doing anything spectacular, so maybe i just got a really good inhaler this time! i did start a new one the 1st of the month.

Ah well, the mysteries of life. I still don't have any signs of illness so i'm not too worried about it, it's just an anomaly (my word for today)