Hi everyone. Does anyone have any suggestions? Dad has alot of mucus and a bad cough. Took him to the Dr. He does not have pneumonia (chest x-ray was done). He was on a antibotic for 5 days and also has been on Mucinex. Took him back to the Dr yesterday. Dr. said no more antiboticis right now. To let things run it course and give him Tussin Expectorant. Sorry for rambling. Here is my question. Dad will not spit out the phelm, keeps swallowing it back down and coughing and coughing. Any suggestions on how to get him to spit it out??? Thanks.

dabodu,
I wish I could help you with the issue but I can't even get Mother to spit out the toothpaste.
Someone on this site will come up with something for you tho. So hang in there until they do.
Sheryl

I have a suction machine for the Diva. She holds saliva in her mouth until it makes her puff her jaws out and runs out the sides of her mouth. I think she's forgotten that she needs to swallow her saliva. Although she's on hospice, maybe your MD can prescribe one for your Dad. It basically works like the suction machine at the Dentist, comes with 2 different attachments. It dumps out in a plastic container. Of course, as fate would have it, I can clean poop with gusto, but emptying the saliva grosses me out like you wouldn't believe . Wierd, I know!

Blessings!

Hospice has given my mother Transderm Scops-- a small patch that's kept on the neck for 3 days--to dry up the secretions... Ask your dad's doctor about them.

I also have stopped giving her milk products --bought Lactaid, soy yoghurt, etc--since milk tends to increase phlegm.

It may help to have a nebulizer-- Medicare should cover this.. It can be used with salt water mixture as well as with the albuterol...

I know this isn't funny, but I couldn't help wishing I could get your dad to come over and teach my mom how to swallow the mucus. Or if you would rather, I could get her to teach him how to spit. She has a wonderful system -- keeps the clean tissues in her right hand pocket, spits into them, tears off the spitty piece and wads it up, and stuffs it into her left pocket. Then occasionally she empties her left pocket onto the floor next to the wastebasket. Or leaves the pocket full for me to empty when I do the laundry. And this spitting goes on throughout every meal and throughout the day. I tried stopping dairy products -- no difference. We all have our crosses, I keep telling myself it could be worse!

Thanks everyone.Goodness I dont know which is worse.. Not coughing it up til you choke or having phelm everywhere. Guess there is no easy answer.

My Grandma had a mucus problem. Her doctors kept calling it allergies or sinusitis- she does have sinus problems. After trying everything for sinus and allergies and nothing worked- it turned out that the mucus she was spitting up was due to acid reflux. She used Nexium twice a day for a month and now uses Nexium once a day and life is good. Not that everyone's problem is GERD, but maybe for some people............

Well I have Dad on Tussin (Expectorant ) for 2 weeks now. 2 Tablespoons, 3 times a day. Poor Dad he hates the stuff because when he takes it he coughs so hard. Talked to his Dr today. Dad has to go for a swallow evaluation next week. . He still eats good and doesnt seem to cough when he is eating solids.. The problem happens the most with liquids. . I hope its not something serious!! He has soooo much phelm, but he cant expel it. He does not have pneumonia. (xray for that was negative). Initial diagnosis was broncial and he did have a course of antibotics. He just cant seem to get rid of that cough and phelm. I feel so bad for him because he coughs so hard and I can tell it hurts him.. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes in case someone else here is going thru this.