Coughing up a lot

I had a TAH Monday the 27th. I have been coughing up ALOT of sputum. I did take zpac the week before my surgery. The nurses told me that this is normal because the anthestia actually causes the mucas but Im still coughing up a lot. Every couple hours. I do have asthma so I know I am getting enough air.

I was just wondering if it should be going on this long. I have no fever and dont feel sick. The pillow is my best friend. I had the staples removed before I was dischared and some sticky stuff put there so I am not worried about pulling anything. I hsf never heard of anthestia causing sputum. They also said they had to give me alot more than normal. I was given this tube to inhale to get my lung strentgth back.
I also stopped smoking the day of my surgery (I smoked less than half a pack a day) so Im wondering if that has something to do with it as well.

hi julsilly I had the exact same problem it is now 3 weeks after my surgery and I am almost done coughing up the muck, it was hell to start with really painfull but in the last week the cough has almost gone, I was told it was a side effect of the type of anaesia used on me as I have some anaphalatic allergies they use an extra long intubation tube which irritates my lungs but gives them better control over my airway.
Hope this puts your mind at rest a bit, it does get better just takes time.

WOW Vicky thank you. You said anaphlaxis, I have been battling that and we arent sure what its from. They told me I had RA and/or Lupus and it could be from the sweeling from the lupus. My feet would start swelling huge and then evenutally my throat would close up. I too had that long tube and they were concerened about my airway so it sounds like we had same type. So 3 weeks, wow.

I started taking Indomehtacin as I havent been to see an RA yet but I am hopefully thinking it was all the endometrosis. My surgeon said it was really bad, all over my kidney, back bones, intesntines.

Did you experience any of this and do you know what was causing your anaphlaxis? Is it gone now?

I have anaphalaxis to all nuts, shellfish, some painkillers and some unidentified things as well hence the precautions as it seems to not be food related according to the tests, my histamine levels are constantly up so I take daily high dose anti-histamines and carry 2 epi-pens at all times, 1 not always enough to get me to hospital.

Still have hives, itching, swelling of mucus membranes wheezing at times and even uncontiousness but yet to find the culprit they think it could be a chemical related so surgery is always dodgy depending on what meds are needed and any other equipment that touches me that is not stainless steel. Even the catheter tube irritated me greatly and was removed shortly after surgery as I could not tolerate it.

I am one week post op and I too have this great muck that you are talking about. I was told by a friend that is a nurse that it is very common after anesthesia. I am a smoker too so maybe that is adding to the mucus. My Dr. gave me flonase and that seems to help. Hang in there I know that it is no fun to try to cough after surgery!