"fluttering" mucus irritation, increased cough for a year+

erock77

Member
So I've had this different kind of mucus symptom the last year or probably more.
Many days I get frequent irritation where I can feel and hear mucus fluttering as I inhale. It feels and sounds almost like sucking through a straw with a hole in it. I can feel the vibration and audibly hear it through the entire inhale, especially if I inhale fast. This irritates my airways and almost always makes me cough, usually until I cough something up which stops it. But then this could continue every few minutes. The mucus is a thinner consistency, like pudding. I don't think the really thick mucus can do this.
My docs at first were not concerned (I have 2), then we tried oral antibiotics and it went away for a week or 2. Sometimes it'll go away for weeks. In the last year or so I've stopped the months off between Cayston & Tobi and now go straight from one to the other. Sometimes they seem to help. Two months ago I had an intense bout of IV drugs after some severe bleeding episodes (cups of blood). The symptom went away for a couple weeks or so. Some days or hours it's better. One doc also theorized it could be mucus webbing, where a solid web is catching the mucus and then air blows through it like blowing soap bubbles. A bronchoscopy was brought up months ago, but they said it's probably too invasive and don't seem to be worried about this unusual symptom.
Has anyone else had this specific mucus symptom? Have you or your doc discover the cause and a solution? In my 34 years of coughing up mucus, this felt different, more irritating then anything. Advice is much appreciated.
Thanks. Eric
 

erock77

Member
So I've had this different kind of mucus symptom the last year or probably more.
Many days I get frequent irritation where I can feel and hear mucus fluttering as I inhale. It feels and sounds almost like sucking through a straw with a hole in it. I can feel the vibration and audibly hear it through the entire inhale, especially if I inhale fast. This irritates my airways and almost always makes me cough, usually until I cough something up which stops it. But then this could continue every few minutes. The mucus is a thinner consistency, like pudding. I don't think the really thick mucus can do this.
My docs at first were not concerned (I have 2), then we tried oral antibiotics and it went away for a week or 2. Sometimes it'll go away for weeks. In the last year or so I've stopped the months off between Cayston & Tobi and now go straight from one to the other. Sometimes they seem to help. Two months ago I had an intense bout of IV drugs after some severe bleeding episodes (cups of blood). The symptom went away for a couple weeks or so. Some days or hours it's better. One doc also theorized it could be mucus webbing, where a solid web is catching the mucus and then air blows through it like blowing soap bubbles. A bronchoscopy was brought up months ago, but they said it's probably too invasive and don't seem to be worried about this unusual symptom.
Has anyone else had this specific mucus symptom? Have you or your doc discover the cause and a solution? In my 34 years of coughing up mucus, this felt different, more irritating then anything. Advice is much appreciated.
Thanks. Eric
 

TheSim1derful

New member
Hey! 21-year-old female here with CF, and I've been experiencing the same thing for about a year now. Unfortunately my doctor's solution has been to treat me with antibiotics, wait until my condition worsens, and then pump me up with antibiotics again. The only relief I've experienced has been with the inhaled Tobi leftover from my Children's Hospital days, which they now refuse to prescribe to me because I don't culture pseudomonas. It's very frustrating and I feel your pain. I find that postural drainage can definitely offer some temporary relief too.
 

TheSim1derful

New member
Hey! 21-year-old female here with CF, and I've been experiencing the same thing for about a year now. Unfortunately my doctor's solution has been to treat me with antibiotics, wait until my condition worsens, and then pump me up with antibiotics again. The only relief I've experienced has been with the inhaled Tobi leftover from my Children's Hospital days, which they now refuse to prescribe to me because I don't culture pseudomonas. It's very frustrating and I feel your pain. I find that postural drainage can definitely offer some temporary relief too.
 
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