having to cough up secretions after lying down

Status
Not open for further replies.

Kristina1

Senior member
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
822
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
03/2017
Country
US
State
MA
City
Grafton
Lately I have to cough up secretions after laying down with the bipap all night. I am not sick and do not believe im getting sick. Is this because the bipap prevents normal clearing of secretions you might do in your sleep (throat clearing or grunting?). Basically im wondering if bipap is causing it or if it would happen anyway, and if so why?
 
I’m not sure of the answer, but are you prone to seasonal allergies? That could be a contributing factor.
 
The BiPAP can contribute in a couple of ways. It can dry you out, so maybe time to reconsider the machine and room humidity esp. as the weather is changing.

It's also time to change your furnace filter, if not lately.

Also, if the settings aren't quite right, e.g. EPAP is too high, PS is too low, IPAP is too high or low, Vt likewise, it can make it harder to exhale which can result in retained secretions. I'd be happy to revisit those with you, or you can check with your RT.

Unfortunately, just lying down can contribute, too, so you might also experiment with the pillow/angle of your bed. And Karen is right that allergies can contribute as well. If there is any nasal stuffiness, a nasal steroid before bed can be worth trying.

Best,
Laurie
 
definitely sleep with head elevated.
my secretions worsened as a ability to swallow lessened. at least it seemed like that k. Really I just couldn't swallow the saliva.
 
Kristina, is it phlegm/mucus (thickness/lumpy) or more like a saliva build up?
 
Last edited:
Thanks Laurie, settings are same as what you had helped me develop previously. I'll shoot you an email later to discuss if they still look appropriate.

We bought an adjustable bed for me so last night I increased the elevation and that did seem to help as I had no coughing this morning.

Clearwater, im coughing it up off my chest, but it is not too thick.

I do also choke on saliva sometimes in the middle of the night, it wakes me up choking and I panic immediately because the mask traps me making it hard to cough it out. But that does not happen every night.
 
Kristina, as far as adjustments you are probably working with the best
working with Laurie.

The reason I asked was I was having a nagging problem with mucus
thinking it was coming from the BIPAP.

But what we found out was I had a mild case of bronchitis. Most cases
of bronchitis are not treated with antibiotics. But, I had a bronchitis that
needed antibiotics. I knew it wasn’t saliva because of the consistency of
what was coming up.

I didn’t feel sick, not like a cold was trying to come on. I felt ok other
than that… but it just wouldn’t clear up. The antibiotics did the trick.

Glad this is working out for you.
 
clearwater thanks for sharing thats definitely something ill keep in mind!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top