smelly phlegm balls?

I am a 44 year female; ex-smoker and have COPD/Asthma.  I currently take daily medications (Advair, Singulair, daily xtra stregnth Reactin, and a pill for GERD - severe acid reflux).

I have had excessive phlegm since being diagnosed almost two years ago - but today - I woke up with a very strange and foul taste in my mouth, so foul I can smell it.

Then I coughed and out flew (seriously flew) a small greenish/tan coloured pea shaped ball.  It looked like a small pea - except the colour was more tan/brown than green.  When I picked it up and squeezed it, it squished like a pea...and the odour almost took my breath away.  I have never smelled anything like that...except maybe when my sister had bad mononucleosis when we were very young....I remember she "smelled|" really bad...and the doc said it was the infection in her body.

I have coughed up three more - two similar in size and one very small pieces of the same stuff since this morning.  Wondering if I should be alarmed?  My back hurts (lungs) - but it always hurts ....

I live in a community with no doctors - only an emergency type health centre and they look at you like you have 101 fang riddled teeth if you go in and don't have obvious signs of illness...

Thanks...for any and all feedback...

[bsmsl]

It sounds like either you have an infection or tonsiliths.  

Tonsiliths are foul smelling balls of gunk.  They "grow" in the tonsils, but are really food debris that collects in the tonsils' nooks and cranies and decomposes - hence the foul smell.  You can try gargling after eating to dislodge any food debris that may get stuck in the tonsils.  Acid reflux can make this worse if it is not well controlled.

If you have any other signs of an infection - fever, headache, yellow/green phlegm...-  you should go to the clinic for antibiotic.

I hope this helps you.