My wife has moderate dementia and a lot of phlegm that she can't seem to get rid of. Any ideas on how we can get rid of the phlegm?

If you can consult someone in chinese medicine. they could give herbs that will dry up the phlem. it's a sign of Kapha (Earth) imbalance. avoid dairy.. ice cream etc.

i have a dad i take careof at home.He is on a trach and was given weeks to live.  That was 2years ago.

July 2012

Keep in mind though Mucinex is a great product it can also drive their Blood Pressure up as much as 20 points. Please check vitals! I'm a nurse and have seen this many times.

More water, more water, more water! Really amps up the Mucinex! Hope she's feeling better.

I think that this has been going on for a long time. Can you take your mommas dentures out? sometimes things make my mouth juicy and it sits in the back of my throat. I don't want your momma to have a tube in her neckand my momma had congestion and she had conjestion heart failure when we only thought she had a cold and she was not 90 she was much younger 92 or something like that. I think you should read nik2r3 and do what nick2r3 saiys to be safe for her. medlaw take your mommas teeth out so she can breath better if she coughs real hard she might hit you with one amd the teeth might bight you or maybe she could get one caught in her where she swaloows. I don't like the machine until after when it is turned off. then I can breath good but that tube takes the air out of my chest-my lungs. did you look in her mouth real good to see if it is red or see if she has a sore or something under her teeth does she make a squeaky noise when she breaths in or out? I bet she is a nice lady. I hope she feels good very soon. You are taking good care of your momma. I would give you a bear to hug but I gave it to someone else this day I think.

I suggest Mucinex Expectorant , a twelve-hour pill for the mucus in the back of the throat. Check phlegm and see if is clear or pale yellow. If it is darker yellow, or green (!), pls call an ENT physician for further treatment.
Dementia has nothing to do with phlegm, as you know. Good Luck.

menohardys sister. My dad had to have a trach and I suction him several times a day and generally twice in the night. His trach tube is finustrated-sorry about the spelling. He can talk when he puts his finger over the trach and can breathe when a cork is in place that is attached to a tether. I learned sterile technique. The reason for the trach is I can suction his lungs. It was easy to learn and if I insert the catheter too far he coughs but I have learned not to insert it too far with practice. Since this he has had no pneumonias and is much happier. Before this he was getting one pneumonia after another. Also I have boxes of sterile water that goes in the trach before suctioning to loosen the mucus. They are plastic ampules that provides the right amount of water. Before this he wheezed constantly. I was dead set against the traheostomy at first but now realize it was the right decision. Do any of you caregivers have patients with this? I had to take a course before they would allow me to do it myself and the cost of having a nurse was getting too much. My experience with dad has made me eager to become a full time care attendant. I am a full time house wife and caregiver to my dad without pay. Dad has too many assets to qualify for medicaid unless he signs over the home, his cars and boat so I decided with him to take the course and arranged with his physician naming me his care attendant under 50 hrs per week but I give him round the clock care. I did the math and if he outlives the doctors expectancy and needs to go in a Hospice I will be able to keep him in a quality Hospice for at least 6 years but he was only given a matter of months to 2 years to live and he wants to stay in his home with family to the end if possible. We pay out of pocket any expenses not covered by his insurance or Medicare. I realy like this forum and it has helped my dad immeasurably. Thank you all..

Many thanks for your assistant. I have purchased mucinex and hope that this is our answer. I will wait to see what happens before I get the suction machine.

My mom is 93 has had a lot of thick phlegm that s in her upper bronchi. I give her mucinex. The Dr. said this is great stuff. Thins it out so it coes out easier. I asked the home nurse to supply me with a suction machine portable. It's a miracle device. When she struggles to cough to get it out it comes into her mouth but the dentures catch it and she can't spit it out so I take the suction and gently suction inside her mouth but not down the throat just inside her cheeks. You just don't know how much phlegm comes out. It's wonderful it helps her breathe much better.

just as long as she is a nurse-alot of times coughing and phlegm,wet lungs can be associated with congestive heart failure so I wouldn't put this off and lolasamber is correct-well hydrated is important also ask the nurse what the heart rate is-if high the heart is working hard like a race horse and could eventually give out. Our pulmonologist suggests a Oximeter to get a look at oxygen level and heart rate-low oxygen and rapid heart is not good-rapid heart is not good anyway and could indicate a more serious condition depending on medications- over the counter meds like mucinex, dimetapp can cause heart to race so be careful. If her heart rate is high already it could worsen her condition for CHF but if O2 levels are in a good range-upper 90s it probably is okay. Has the patient had an ejection fraction done?

Thanks . These were great suggestions. My husband also sits up alot of phelgm and I have just let it go. I will discuss this with his hospice nurse.

Seeing a Dr. is the primary thing to do. Mucinex works wonderfully, followed by fluids and hot lemonade with honey after taking it works wonderfully. Staying hydrated is extremely important. I'm constantly pushing fluids for my mom.

and I might add dairy products can cause phlegm to thicken.

I should add my husband's cardiologist gave him an "all's fine from cardiac standpoint" (despite shortness of breath, phlegm, fluid retention in ankles) in January.
In February we wound up in ER and got CHF diagnosis.(Different Cardiologist there ran chest X-Ray, echocardiogram - and because of "technically difficult" study ran Complete Blood panel - that's when diagnosis was confirmed. Also, you might want a pulmonary specialist (lung Dr.) He would be one to prescribe breathing treatments to help with phlegm and fluid build-up.

She needs to see a doctor right away. She might have an infection but my concern is that she has a lung disorder or congestive heart failure. My dad died at 59 of congestive heart failure and he was drowning in his own body.

Thanks @desert192 I will take her . Have an appoinment . They always find her healthy very well, except for her dementia of course but anything can happen at any given time, thanks again.

Has she been seen by a cardiologist?? My husband had this and it turned out to be CHF (Congestive Heart Failure). This is a treatable (but nor curable) condition.
If she is dehydrated she may need more fluids - if it is CHF a diuretic may help.
Check with your Doctor. Both concerns symptoms mimic each other, so a visit to Doctor is in order.

My Mom also has phlegm. I find it in her room on walls ,pillows, bedwear , you name it. I wonder if it's that they need more water or the medicines can give her drymouth. As much as it makes me gag, I do clean it up. I don't know what else to do.

My Mom also has a nagging almost choking cough that comes and goes throughout the day and a couple of times at night. She has some phlegm & we were told by a different doctor she had several years ago that it was part of her having smoked for 30 years or so & the effects it caused her lungs. She hasn't smoked the the last 15 to 20 years. She is 83 & has alzheimers, is incontinent, & is on antidepressants for sleep and attitude.

My mother has terminal lung cancer and I gave her Mucinex and it helped. It broke up the phlegm and made it thinner so it was easier to cough up. Its over the counter, in any pharmacy. I'm not a doctor but rubbing nose and eyes might be allergies- I'm doing the same thing right now because I'm allergic to some weed that grows in June/July. And again, I'm no doctor but crying in her sleep sounds like depression/anxiety.

She does not have swalling problems, but the eyes and nose remain congested and she does caugh up large amts of phlem and is constantly rubbing her nose and eyes. She is very weak and sleeps a lot. Lately she has been crying in her sleep.

What symptoms is she having? Coughing? Gagging? Give us a bit more info, please! We'd love to help. The first thing that came to my mind was hot lemonade.

Does she also have swallowing problems?