How many of you have bouts of seeing reddish or blood tinged sputum? I know it is not uncommon in BX patients but it flips me out every time it happens! . If you do experience it, does it signal infection to you or could it just be irritation in the airways? -
Oh gosh. Hemoptysis is my primary symptom (not blood-tinged sputum–just blood), usually several times a month. (I’ve had it a couple decades now.) And it tends to occur separately from active infection, so my pulmonologist treats it as caused by inflammation and tissue damage. I get corticosteroids and antibiotics if it’s particularly heavy or frequent.
I will say, after 20+ years of dealing with it, it doesn’t really scare me anymore unless it’s particularly heavy. It’s more like “oh, this again.”
Hi, I think Bronchiectasis is a very confusing illness.
Right now I am suffering with a head cold but am taking antibiotics just to prevent any infection, this was my respiratory nurses advice, I have now become quite chesty so she was right.
I have on about 5 or 6 occasions coughed up about 3/4 spoonfuls of blood which is quite scary, on these occasions I have started antibiotics as I know the way I feel that I need them.
I have also as you say had tinged sputum and I generally wait a few days to see if it gets worse before taking antibiotics.
If you’re unsure you should check with your GP, it could be inflammation.
After 3+ years, i pay close attention. If it keeps getting bloodier, i call my pulmo’s nurse & get meds.
My experience happens ONLY after I’ve been given some kind of steroid. And its dark red blood. My doctor did a bronchoscopy just to make sure it wasn’t coming from a “serious situation” and determined it wasn’t. He said not to worry, unless it was A LOT of blood.
Then after that I got an injection in my shoulder for bursitis… forgetting that the injection was a STEROID (duh) and bled again. This time I knew why, and didn’t freak out. No more steroid shots for me.
I get treated for Immune Deficiency Disease- which is at the bottom and source of having Bronchiectasis . I get monthly IV’s with donated plasma that has healthy immune cells. I hardly ever get sick any more. I have Bronchiectasis- but no infections from it. And I don’t have to take antibiotics all the time either.
The test for Immune Deficiency Disease is expensive- and it HAS TO INCLUDE the subclasses. It’s a rare disease and doctors don’t know to order it right.
It’s genetic, and now my 8 year old grandaughter is showing signs if being sickly all the time, with numerous lung infections. I can’t stand the thought her lungs are scarring up and developing Bronchiectasis herself… this is how it all started for me. 
Thank you for sharing your experience. it really helps to know how fellow sufferers have dealt with different issues.
Thank you so much. I can relax about it more now. It helps to hear from others who have dealt with the same problem for so many years.