more phlegm at home than in hospital

a222

New member
Hi All. I have to ask, am I the only one who experiences more and thicker darker phlegm when at home than when in hospital? I realize this may be an indoor air quality issue, but I seem to have this no matter where i live past or present. I am somewhat allergic to dust and i use mattress and pillow covers, and although i'm not a neat freak, my place isn't that dirty. I doubt mold isn't more of an issue in my home than anywhere else. Trouble is, my healthcare administrators think i'm not coughing up all that much based on what they observe when i'm in hospital, but i'm coughing my brains out much more at home. Anyone else experience this? thanks for your attention and any input :)
 

SaraNoH

New member
I'm so like this. I don't cough up nearly as much, even with the constant nebs and vest usage (which is total crap in my opinion). They had me doing so many hypertonic nebs to make me cough up stuff that I lost my voice for 2 days and didn't cough at all. I don't know what it is, but this just happens. It's like when your Check Engine light comes on. You take the car into the mechanic and whaddaya know? The car is fine!
 

a222

New member
It's not that I enjoy being in hospital, lol. To clarify, in the beginning of a hospital stay, i'm obviously more congested because of perhaps, a viral infection, but by the end i'm usually not bringing up that much. as soon as i get home, within hours, the phlegm increases and is thicker and darker. Maybe i'm wrong, but I'm told the antibiotics remain in your system for a couple of weeks afterward, not just a couple of hours. I'm probably getting more exercise at home, but i think i'm drinking the same.
 

CyrilCrodius

New member
It's not that I enjoy being in hospital, lol. To clarify, in the beginning of a hospital stay, i'm obviously more congested because of perhaps, a viral infection, but by the end i'm usually not bringing up that much. as soon as i get home, within hours, the phlegm increases and is thicker and darker. Maybe i'm wrong, but I'm told the antibiotics remain in your system for a couple of weeks afterward, not just a couple of hours. I'm probably getting more exercise at home, but i think i'm drinking the same.

Depends on the antibiotic but most of them no. They will stay in your body at most a few days. Ceftazidime has a half-life of 1.6 to 2 hours for example. And even though they might still be in your body, it's not in a concentration high enough to have real effects.

So yeah. It is quite normal that your sputum is much different while you take antibiotics.
 

scanboyd

Member
Plenty of fluids, esp. H2O, is the key ingrident of getting mucous thinned and HTS helps me get it up and out. I hydrate myself for one hr. in the A.M. prior to starting my neb. rx. As Printer has stated coughing is a CFers friend, never pass up a opportunity to cough mucous up and out. I use 3% HTS have both 3 and 7 for me the 3 works just as well. With out this technique I would have been dead long ago. Good luck!!
 

dream2live

New member
This happens to me every time. I don't if it's because I live in an order home or whatnot. Of course, the hospitals keep it freezing cold so no germ can "stay alive". BUT, yes, i do cough more phlegm up at home than i do at the hospital. You are not alone.
 

Hardak

New member
I know for me other then home/hospitals I with out thinking about it suppress my cough once I step out the door. for me its a comfort thing with those I'm around.
 

dream2live

New member
It happens to me every time. It takes a week of all the breathing treatments & CPT before I can cough anything up. I guess we are more exposed to irritants at home than the hospital, where they keep it freezing cold (so those bugs can't travel around)
 
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