Bloody Sputum - Is it ever normal if only in AM?

[Diane-K]

I've made some other post on coughing asthma that I've been off work with.  Throughout the day, I have white, frothy sputum, preceded by violent coughing fits (much like when your drink goes down the wrong pipe).  

I am sleeping for longer periods at night now, rather than hacking all night.  However, now I am bringing up yellow with blood speckled sputum in the AM and sometimes brown/rust colored.  It goes away within a few hours after being up.

I've been on Vantin (200mg) to prevent infection, for 5 days.  The chest x-ray was negative, but the doctor thought for sure I had pneumonia when he first listened to my lungs.  

I first thought the blood speckles were from my raw throat (like, raw from excessive coughing).  

Overall, I am feeling better since starting threatment with the strongest dose of Xopenex (don't have it with me atm), Azmacort, Humibid DM, and Zyrtec 10mg.  I'm extremely fatigued.  

I go back to the doctor on Tues afternoon and was hoping I could have some idea, what to ask him at this point, other than telling him about the morning, rust colored sputum.

[National Jewish]

I’m sorry that this response is coming after your visit with the doctor.  I hope your visit went well.

Asthma and postnasal drip can cause coughing as a result of irritation of the lungs and throat.  This irritation can cause some blood to leak from the blood vessels that are close to the surface of the inside of the airways and your throat.  This may appear as blood speckled sputum.  It’s a good sign that it goes away within a few hours after being up.  When sputum is brown/rust colored, especially first thing in the morning, it means that it has been sitting in your lungs longer.  It’s good that you are finally coughing this out.  If the blood speckled sputum or brown/rust colored sputum were to continue throughout the day, it would probably mean you have an infection.  A lung infection can certainly make the irritation worse.  If the infection is due to bacteria, then an antibiotic would help.  If it is due to a virus, then it’s a matter of time until the infection clears on its own.  Yellow sputum usually means that your immune system is effectively fighting an infection.  Again it is a good sign that the yellow sputum goes away within a few hours after being up rather than continuing throughout the day.  I hope that your doctor was able to clarify all of this for you during your recent visit.  Certainly if this blood speckled and/or brown/rust colored sputum continues, you should let your doctor know.