choking on phlegm

[cheryl1955]

how to stop choking on phlegm

[gogogogogo77]

I have had this nearly every year for a long time, it's SO scary. Seriously interrupted breath always triggers panic. It's a real threat - for a moment or so - but I'm told it almost always passes; it just feels like hell while you're going through it. So; I have a lot of solutions, most continue what is mentioned above.

#1 taking Mucinex DM or Robitussin DM; this is the secret weapon. It thins your mucus to watery, which doesn't get caught in the throat. The thicky, sticky mucus is the dangerous kind, it comes up in lumps. So, taking the DM medicines helps the most. Note that normal cough medicine is actually NOT what you want; you want to cough OUT all the crap in your lungs.

#2 Neti pot - someone mentioned it above. It takes a little bit to get used to it, but when you feel the difference, it's amazing! It truly washed OUT your nasal cavity and all that nasty junk that would have gone into your throat and lungs washes out into the sink instead. Nice part is, it's not a medicine, you could do it every hour, every ten minutes, whenever you need it. It FEELs so much better to open up your sinuses and wash them clear. The water should be between warm and hot, enough to loosen tightened passages. It works.

#3 Hot liquids, tea and even just hot water - when I have anything caught in there, this immediately dissolves it and it goes down. Not too hot, just enough to make sticky phlegm loosen up instantly.

#4 Cough drops or gum: keep your mouth wet and SWALLOWING. This is key - if nothing "goes down the wrong pipe" (into your lungs) it won't cause a problem. I use them whenever it's happening, all day, but be careful that some cough drops should not be used that much (sugar or laxative effects). Gum is good. Be careful if you use these when falling asleep, you don't want to choke on them.

#5 Nasal Strips - like Breathe Right. They keep you nose open, especially at night, which helps keep the nose drier and not produce as much phlegm.

#6 Positioning - your trachea (the pipe where you breathe) is in FRONT of your stomach pipe. So bending forward while you cough is not good! It makes the mucus stay over the trachea, so stand upright and even hold your arms over your head and things will drop down into your stomach when you cough them up.

SO - number 1 is the most important I think. If the phlegm is watery and thin - it's really not dangerous. Easy to deal with. Also check with your doctor when you can - for the first time, I had a full day of panic attacks from this being so serious. I went to Emergency care twice in one day. Second time, they realized the panic was part of the problem (it's not THAT dangerous, but it feels like it). The prescribed Prednisone, which has a calming effect - he says they use it for asthma patients who are panicing. Hard to say, but I think it helps, too.... just starting it this week for a few days.

Good luck, hope it passes!

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

You can take sputum thinning agents like mucinex. If you have wheezing you may need bronchodilators. On initiating therapy with this, the cough symptoms are likely to increase in an effort to bring out the secretions. Repeated steam inhalations can help loosen up and bring out the secretions, though this should be done prior to meals.  

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.