Blood streaked mucus and chest pain

[Beccamom]

My daughter 14, treated for not officially diagnosed with CF, coughed up blood streaked mucus before she vested with her hypersal. It looks like 4 distinct mucus balls that are orange in color. She cultured staph not mrsa most recently.

It started with chest pain and a brief coughing fit then ended with her sputting out mucus and the chest pain being gone. We went to karate. she had another coughing fit and spit out 4 blood streaked mucus balls.

What should I do? Can this wait until the morning? I can call the pulmonary fellow on call now or the pulmonologist in the morning? What do you recommend?

Can this happen without an infection or are antibiotics probably needed? She has no fever, but her cough has been on a slow increase for the past week. I stay in a separate room when she vests since I have CF and so far we don't culture the same bugs, but I hear her cough and it sounds loud and productive.

 

[stephen]

Beccamom,

You should definitely call the doctor in the morning, but I don't think you need to panic.

While I'm not a doctor, it's not uncommon for CFers to cough up blood, and even bleed.

The first time I coughed up blood I did panic. It was before being diagnosed with CF; I did have Bronchiectasis. After reaching a doctor, I was told this was common, and I eventually got use to it

Even worse was the first time I woke up during the night with a gurgling in my chest and blood in my mouth. Then I really panicked. It would have been nice if the doctor had warned me that with Bronchiectasis (or CF), this was a possibility. Although the bleeding reoccurred several times a year, I always got quite concerned, not knowing how long it would last. I never did get use to this.

Thank G-d, since getting the CF diagnosis and following the treatment regimen, I have not had any bleeds, and have rarely coughed up any blood streaks.

 

[Oboe]

Blood can be the result of a lot of things, and you sort of get used to it. It can be as simple as inflammation, doing one's vest too vigorously, an infection, or as Stephen said, from bronchiectasis. Normally it's just something to take note of and bring up at your next appointment unless it's more than a tablespoon or so within a short amount of time.

As with everything, when in doubt call your doctor, but it's generally not a panic-inducing thing if it's just small streaks.

 

[Melissa75]

If your daughter is treated with oral antibiotics, I'd call and explain she's got increased cough and blood, but feels good still, and can we have antibiotics on deck for if she starts to feel worse?

In my case, those symptoms could still go either way--better or worse. But if I didn't get meds to hold, I'd most likely pull a Murphy's Law move and get reeeally sick on Christmas or at least a Friday after office hours.

Best wishes.

 

[Beccamom]

Thanks I spoke to her pulmonologist and he called in oral antibiotics. Her last culture was positive when she fealt fine, so he fealt this change was worth treating. Hopefully she gets to feel good for Christmas.

The next step is to figure out if her surgical windows in her sinuses are blocked with mucus since she has no runny nose with this increased chest mucus and cough. I hope the antibiotics open the nasal flood gates because I don't want her to need sinus surgery again. She has been getting head aches which are very rare for her.

If your daughter is treated with oral antibiotics, I'd call and explain she's got increased cough and blood, but feels good still, and can we have antibiotics on deck for if she starts to feel worse?

In my case, those symptoms could still go either way--better or worse. But if I didn't get meds to hold, I'd most likely pull a Murphy's Law move and get reeeally sick on Christmas or at least a Friday after office hours.

Best wishes.