Uncontrollable Phlegm

[Lord Shearer]

Since I was a child, I have hacked up loads of phlegm on a daily basis. But for the last two weeks, I have been coughing up heavy amounts of phlegm, from clear to yellow, to light green and back to yellow.

The cough is hard and uncontrollable and I thought it was a bronchial infection. When I laugh, I hear (and feel) a wheezing that instantly produces coughing and phlegm. My doctor can't see me until next week and people have told me it could be anything from pneumonia to tuberculosis.

As I'm freaking out waiting, can you tell me what this most resembles and how i can treat it until i see my doctor in six days? Many Thanks.

EJ

[National Jewish]

Increased mucus production along with a cough can, indeed be due to many different causes.  The mucus can be from an upper airway problem, such as allergy or chronic sinus inflammation.  It can also come from the lower airways.  The most common cause is asthma.  No one can really help you until you do see your doctor.  A thorough examination and perhaps some tests, including a lung function test, a CT scan of the sinuses and possibly a chest x-ray, should help to make the diagnosis and get you on your way to an effective treatment.

[Inanga]

hi

i have posted details in other threads so i'll keep this short - i have had problems with excess respiritory mucus for years. it turned out to be food reactions for me. specifically salicylates and amines. by avoiding certain fruits, vegies, etc I have elimintad the symptoms. I'm in the process of getting the diagnosis confirmed with an elimintaion and challenge process. Then I hope there's a desensitisation option.

My biggest problem now is brushing me teeth with minty toothpaste - peppermint is very high in salicylate. hadn't thought of that as food - don't eat it but my mouth gets a good does of it.

the mucus color seems to me to be an infection of some sort. antihistamine might help sry things up in the meantime.

good luck.

[HacknCough]

I suffered with excess phlegm since 2001 when I had a uvuloectomy and tonsillectomy.  Actually, my problem probably started before then as I’m not sure the phlegm didn't steer me toward the surgery.

I was diagnosed with asthma and have slowly from 2001 to 2006 increased my doses of asthma medication as my symptoms worsened.  I found my self wheezing almost constantly.  I also frequently had to clear my throat.  (Most recently at a rate of once every minute.)  I had so much **** (heavy thick mucus/phlegm) in my throat all the time that it took all of my energy to get through the day.  My voice was also affected.  I would get hoarse because the crud would coat my vocal cords.  I couldn’t sing which I love to do.  I never really felt good.  Not for a very long time.  

Things got to the point where I began to wonder if this was the beginning of the end for me.  I couldn't envision living like this for years to come.  

I have seen five different doctors in three different clinics during this time. None of the docs could understand why my asthma and phlegm seemed to get worse despite the fact that I was taking the increasingly larger doses of asthma Rx's.  Things came to a head recently and I went to Mayo clinic hoping for something...anything that would alleviate my symptoms.

IT WAS POST NASAL DRIP!!!  The doc at Mayo spoke with me for 15 minutes and looked in my throat and mentioned that I had a little bit of post nasal drip.  He also said he doubted that I had asthma at all.  I assured him that I did as I carried and used my albuterol inhaler frequently in addition to Singulair and Advair.  He had me tested for asthma and I didn't even have asthma!  

I have been on two nasal sprays now for 2 and 1/2 weeks.  Fluticasone Propionate and Ipratropium Bromide as well as over the counter Claritin tablets and Nasal Crom.  My symptoms are GONE!  I am more keenly aware of the post nasal drip but that is not bothering me at all compared to what I've been suffering with previously.  By the way I stopped all asthma medication the day I started the nose sprays.  The doctor was right.  I have not had any asthma what so ever since I started the nose sprays.

No clearing my throat constantly, no wheezing or asthma, no hoarseness.  Nothing.  I am feeling as healthy as I ever have and relieved beyond what words can convey.

I looked at the postings here when I was trying to find answers and was alarmed that there are so many people that are suffering like I was.  It was amazing that so many people had similar symptoms to mine with no answers for their plight.  I was very worried and concerned.  Hopefully, this will steer at least one person somewhere in the right direction.  I don't believe for a second that this is everyone's problem.  I didn't suspect post nasal drip as the cause of my problem for a second.  I remember telling my doctors repeatedly that I felt like I was drowning slowly in my own fluids.  That as it turns out, wasn't terribly far from the truth.  A few squirts in the nose morning and evening and I have found relief such that I would have envisioned only with a miracle.

[caregiver222]

Whoa. An x-ray won't accomplish anything whasoever except increase the probability your children will be born deformed. You have a colored discharge. This means you have something bad down there. The bugggies are growing and having a ngrand old time. The bad news is that when things live in the lung long enough the usually cannot be removed, except by surgury. The good news is, that after treatment these colonies of bad things often become encapsulated, and don't cause further trouble. Square one is to get a sample of the discharge, preserve it according to doctors instructions, and have it analyzed by a reputable lab. They don't do that much these days, however you must not take no for an answer. You may have a bacterial viral or fungal infection or a combination of all three. The treatment is not a "broad spectrum antibiotic". The correct protocol is to find out what is in there. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. I am tempted to say your physicians have been negligent, however I can tell you first hand, that medicine has changed over the decades, and cultures are not routinely taken and identified. It is somewhat difficult to insist this be accomplished, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease and you must do this. You have to find out the hiding place of the buggies. This, surprisingly, is easier said than done. Often they reside in the sinus passageways, and drip down the trachea into the lung, causing re-currrent terrible infections. Often bacterial infections piggyback on viral and fungal infections.

[Jane2]

Caregiver - An X Ray may accomplish something, and only may be damaging if the person receiving it is actually pregnant.

Lord Shearer - I have Asthma and a lot of productive coughing - Don't know if this is what you have - but certainly the yellow colour always alerts me to a chest infection. i too have always had a lot of cattarh and phelgm since childhood and it could be post nasal drip - but the colour indicates infection - pneumonia would probably ( not always) come with a high temp and other painful symptoms. The cough will be looked into and PFT's should be ordered, the wheezing should also be checked - a regular chest X Ray will probably be needed too.

Hope you are feeling better - Antibiotics should clear up the chest infection and like another poster said the over production of phelgm could be a food allergy , I know as an asthmatic I was told to keep away from dairy.

All the best
J

[speckie]

I find that I start with a sore throat or maybe even a runny nose the next thing I know I am coughing non stop (much to the annoyance of all around) and then I take a chest infection which can only be moved by a course of antibiotics.   I have had x rays, and various chest examinations but drawn a blank, every winter is the same.   It really drags me down as I know that these symptoms last for at least a week - any solutions?

[constance flemming]

HacknCough--how long did it take for the combination of nasal sprays and Claritin to make the phlem go away?

Also, you seem to be treating the symptoms, but what is the cause and can it be cured?

I have seen many doctors and had many tests (x-rays, Ct scans of both chest and nasal passages, allergy, asthma and the works) and nothing shows up.  I clear my throat more than once a minute--sometimes 20 times a minute.  Also love to sing, but can't now due to phlem. I want a vacuum cleaner to vacuum my throat and trachea. Also can feel the drip. Tried every medication, including Claritin and nasal sprays, but not the ones you mentioned.  I only tried them for a week or so, so I am wanting to know how long it took for you to have relief.

If anyone has suggestions for me, I welcome them.  I have given up wheat, dairy and sugars, and still no relief.  Help!

[jrbobdobbs]

IT could be a milk allergy, I had a similiar problem through ealry childhood, I had constant colds and ear infections untill a wise doctor ordered me off of cows milk, it worked wonders.

I can still have milk in small amounts in cooking and coffee and tea but if I have to much the symptoms return. I'm not saying you have the same thing but it wont hurt to give up cows milk for a few weeks  to see what happens.

[bellyroll]

My husband brings up heavy doses of clear phelgm a few minutes after he eats his food. This has been going on for about a year. He has gone to the doctor and they ran several test (+ chest xrays), one being the "cookie test" to see if phelgm would occur but they are stating nothing is wrong. All his test came back negative. Do you have any suggestions of what he could do next?

[Richard1960]

A related discussion, Lite green phlegm was started.