Cough assist - life saver!

[Danijela]

All three of us have a cold. For me and Stan it is a minor issue. For Laurence, however, it could have been the end of the road. He simply could not cough up the secretions which have turned into a green infectious gunk.

I knew a cold was coming some time (Stan is in the nursery and brings everthing home), so we had both a pack of antibiotics ready to take and the cough assist set up. I had to use it quite a few times (several cycles) before anything happened. But then, Laurence started bringing up pleghm, and a lot of it. Had this stuff stayed in his lungs I can see how things would gone out of control quite quickly. Coughing is so tiring. And when he is coughing unassisted nothing happens.

We have now used cough assist for 3 days, and his lungs seem clear. He had 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night, and so did I. A valuable piece of equipment.

 

[tmasters]

I have one of these also. So far (knock on wood) I haven't had a cold in all the time I've had the machine. Glad to know it helps.

Do you have a suction machine? I'm thinking that can be invaluable also. I don't have one of those yet but am anxious to hear from PALS and CALS how important it would be. My FVC is 68 sitting and 48 laying.

-Tom

 

[rose]

Dani,

Thanks for expanding on how you used it to get results. (That just one cycle didn't bring results). I have not had a cold in over three years, probably longer. Totally dread the thought.

I hope all of you continue getting sleep and rid of the cold!

 

[notme]

And definitely treat any green or yellow gunk--it's either bronchitis or even pneumonia. A basic cold should only have clear or light yellow gunk.

Suction helps with there are also bulbar symptoms--as it helps get the stuff from the back of the throat when the patient isn't able to help move it out of the way with their tongue, if that makes sense.

There is always a hazard of causing aspiration with suction if you try to suction too deeply--because they can gag...so don't try to go too far back.

 

[Danijela]

We had to wait for several months to get cough assist here in the UK. I am glad we put our name on the list when we did, the machine costs around £4000, so we would not have been able to purchase it privately.

Tom, we don't have a suction machine yet, but I understand they are much cheaper and easier to get hold of. notme, thanks for your advice.

Diane, I tried cough assist myself, just to get the feel for it. It felt like it was not doing much (we have ours on auto settings, done by hospital). I learned that persistance pays off. Plus the mask needs to have a good seal, which means holding it tightly against the bridge of the nose and the face (L actually said that the bridge of the nose was a little sore afterward). At the same time as running the cough assist cycles (tight sealed mask!) I was using my other hand on L's side and back in the way a physio showed me when demonstrating manual assisting with the cough. I think this may have helped too. It looked utterly unprofessional and chaotic, but it worked. D

 

[tmasters]

Dani,

I was also surprised that ridiculous looking machine could be so expensive. I paid about $750 total in ten installments which is supposed to be 20% of the total cost. The thing looks like it came out of a 50's time warp.

I don't see much apparent benefit either. I'm told to use it even when I'm not having coughing troubles. The inflation of the lungs is supposed to be beneficial.

I've been offered a suction machine. Don't know why I put it off...I'll need it eventually anyways. Good to know it's not as expensive.

-Tom

 

[BarryG]

If you have any bulbar issues then the cough assist and suction machine are essential. Along with the mucomyst nebulizer these two machines have kept me alive for the past year. And as far as deep suctioning is concerned, just like a porn star I have trained my gag reflex so that I can go as deep as I need to to get the sticky gunk.

 

[LizT]

Barry the porn star... you could be onto something here... LOL

 

[Danijela]

Oh Barry...one particular 1970s movie does come to mind...What is this mucomyst - what does it do? Glad to report that Laurence's cold/chest issues all sorted now. I am still coughing up though.

Tom, I know what you meant about the 1950s look. And the noise the thing makes if the mask is not attached to the face! I asked at the hospital and was told that there is a more contemporary model 'in development'. Apart from all else the machine is just not very portable, and it is heavy. Ours did not come in any kind of protective case either. I would take this thing on any longer trip we may take, for just in case. D

 

[Okie2]

We found a small rolling suitcase that the cough assist fits in, so it goes with us on trips. Friend of mine whose wife has some bad issues even found an inverter that he plugs in his van so they use it if needed on the road. Not just any inverter will do it though he found a more powerful one.

 

[Georgia Peach]

We're getting the cough assist tomorrow so I'm glad to read the posts about what to expect. Scott is finishing up his antibiotics for his 2nd round of pneumonia. This is one scary disease.

 

[joshuawilson]

Suction machine is very useful to clear the lungs from cough, it was quite unbearable for me to go without sleep in night because i always had problem inhaling and continues coughing would always keep me awake..

 

[usntron]

Where and how does one go about finding and obtaining cough assist? Any experiences with private insurers, medicare or VA?

 

[sadiemae]

If you are in the VA, the pulmonoligist will order it. Do it through the VA so you do not have to pay for it

 

[citytom]

I got mine through the VA.