What can I do to help my mother to stop gagging, coughing and choking!

[danelady49]

For the last 40 minutes my mother has been coughing, stretching, filling up with congestion in back of throat and nasal passages.
She is 98 and this seems to be happening more and more, with each instance lasting longer and longer.
I feel so help less!
It's starts as if something went down the wrong  and she can't breathe.
I put her recliner leg section down, grab a bucket and BOX of Kleenex.
Her throat stretching is heart wrenching because I know it hurts, it's scary but she rarely is able to expectorant and her nose sounds full, her chest fills up and I don't know what to do.

I hand her tissue after tissue telling her not to swallow the throat mucus, and ask her to blow her nose or throw it up.
I have had her hold her breathe for a second or two to give the gag reflex a break in pattern.  I tried gently putting a teeny dab of menthol under nostril.  Of course I have patted, rubbed and changed to different areas on her fragile bent over back (osteoporosis).
I tried a sip / drop of water and finally an ice cube and hammer to make ice chips.

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW OF A WAY TO BREAK THROUGH THE COUGHING MUCUS BUILDING CYCLE????

Now an hour later she is still coughing gently and not so terrified of drowning in her mucus.

HELP.  PLEASE.

[margypops]

I am so sorry its hard to see a beloved mom in such trouble have they not given her any meds to ease the cough?

[EmergencyMed]

If the mucous is threatening her airway call the local emergency number to activate the emergency response system. A healthcare professional can suction the mucous out to prevent her from choking or aspirating, and administer oxygen to ease her breathing. She may need to be evaluated for pneumonia and/or given medication to reduce the mucous, but I would definitely recommend you contact her doctor.