Managing COPD
Right now I am looking for herbal supplements and concoctions that will help clear the congestion in my lungs. I just ordered some mullein and I am drinking breathing tea and echinacea.
welcome!
My recommendation would be to talk with your doctor. He/she is the person to advise, as you want to make sure that any herbal medications would not have a negative reaction because of your prescribed and other over the counter medications.
Here is a link on mucus that you might find helpful.
https://copd.net/clinical/mucus-with-copd
I hope that you feel better soon.
Janet (moderator/COPD.net)Hi I do the huff cough exercise two or three times everyday, that will bring up the phlegm which is what you want. You can find this exercise on u tube it’s the best for clearing your chest.
Hi Margaret, and thanks for chiming in here. We appreciate you sharing the success you have accomplished utilizing the breathing technique of 'huff coughing'. I know many patients who also use this technique successfully.
For those interested, we have some material (right here on COPD.net), which speaks to 'huff coughing'. For easy reference, here is a link to that article: https://copd.net/living-with-copd/breathing-strategies. You will see the heading, 'huff coughing', about 2/3 of the way down within the article.
All the best,
Leon L (author/moderator)
First let me say always consult your Dr...My problem may not be the same as yours..When I first was diagnosed with copd I had no idea what I was in for..well,I woke up one day and I was struggling for breath,I had no idea what was taking place..I was referred to pulmonologist who informed me I had emphysema..Holes develope in the lungs, basically they deteriorate over time..He suggested I try Anoro which I did for a couple months..the exacerbations continued and was bad..so basically I tried them all Wixella,Breo,Anoro..different inhalers...none worked..I was getting worse...I was 56 at the time,I prayed and prayed,didnt want to die,I started looking into getting all my thongs in order because I thought If God doesn't step in and help then I was gona see Him soon..Well,I started eating more vegetables..I tried every kind of erb concoctions to no avail..i slowed it down a bit..and I finally found (God) showed me...See my emmune system is very low,so my lungs were filling with mucus csusing me much stress..so much so I cuddnt breath .well..I needed something to control the mucus so I started taking an Allergy Relief pill from Walmart (cetirizine hydrochloride)...white not pink..pink is like benadryl..makes you drowsy...white ones dont...I use a nasil spray once at nite and i can finally sleep at nite...i drink l'arginine plus about 5mg of taurine mixed together everyday...My blood pressure went back to normal...threw away the blood pressure pills 7 years ago ..Dr doesn't understand it ..but I've had total exam done last month and im doing better than 10 years ago ..Oh,Im 66 now .so I understand the suffering that goes along with emphysema...Dr. took a cat scan in Jan...he says my lungs look like they have stopped deteriorating...I know one thing,Im walking longer distances and breathing better ..and smiling more...and Dr.didnt do it,God did ..just ask and you shall receive,After 10 years if stuggling,He led me to what helped me...
Hi Wayne. I am SO glad to hear you were guided to something that made a massive difference in your symptoms. I can only imagine how relieved and grateful you were to have your mucus less bothersome ... and clearly you are continuing to do well! Faith and a positive attitude can do so much and are not to be underestimated. Keep taking good care of yourself, physically and emotionally, and know that we are here to cheer you on. Thanks for sharing your story! -Melissa, copd team
I just started taking Mullein leaf, 1000 mg, (double wood supplements from Amazon.com). Although I've done no correct scientific study, this is what I've noticed--i take one capsule two times per day and I cough up a lot of mucus-much more than usual. I still do nebulizer breathing treatments 3-4 per day with Duoneb (combivent) I use Symbicort and Spiriva inhalers daily also. Since starting the Mullein capsules I have seen a real difference in how my breathing has improved. It may just be a fluke but I'm going to continue for a while and see if I get continuously better or even remaining where I am now it's better than a few weeks ago. Good luck if you try it.
Mullein is a great herb for the lungs. I’m glad it seems to be helping you. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I drink Mullein tea and find it helpful as well. It is so important not to let mucus build up in our lungs. Stay well, Becky (moderator) 
thank you for sharing! Just a reminder to anyone in this thread that what works for one might not be right for another so definitely check in with your doctor before trying anything new. All the best, Sam S. (COPD team).
