Coughing up 'plugs'

[gwenllian111]

Hi

I've been coughing up green plugs from my trachea for a while, and unless I can cough and move these plugs, my breathing becomes very tight. Does anyone else get this?

[Brooke]

I have had this before as well. Maybe ask your doc?

[gwenllian111]

I will do when I see rheum on thursday. I suppose it must be fleghm or something stuck on the narrowing?

[Brooke]

I think mine was all sinus drainage...

[Psyborg]

I had a cold in may and got this. I attributed it to drainage as well, but that might be wrong. Definitely scary when you cant get air though.

[pberggren1]

I am going through this right now and had it back in 2006 as well. Both times I was not flaring. Both times the throat was very dry. But this time I still have that darn lung infection and am coughing up stuff from my lungs as well. All the stuff I cough up is very hard chunks. But back in 2006 it would have been all post nasal and drying up in my larynx and blocking the airway.

[Widthofacircle]

I get this all the time. Constantly hoarse and clearing the throat and blowing nose. Otherwise fine.
Brendan

[renidrag]

I haven't had a PFT since 2008 and was thinking of asking for another one soon. My lungs are no where near they used to be, SOB from a stairway, no long walks on the beach, etc. I don't think they can differentiate damage from WG or forty years of smoking. Diagnosed with COPD same time as WG. But remember drug free remission since June 2010 and hanging in.
Dale

[Dirty Don]

Actually, a CT scan can differentiate between smoke damage and WG damage in the lungs. Smoking damage appears more as a silt gathered usually at the bottom of the lobes while WG damage is usually in the form of lesions & interstitial 'marks' (I have no idea what doc meant by that!!). I've smoked, albeit sparingly (half pack a day, maybe - a closet smoker, etc.), for 45 years, docs pointed out that my lower right lobe has 12% damage from that time of smoking...hmmm, do the math, there are 5 lobes. Considering the kinds of jobs I've worked, the urban smog, and a few chemicals I've absorbed....not bad at all! LOL! No, please don't lecture on the pitfalls of smoking, I'm CRAZY, not dumb...hehe!