When you're talking about a "flare" what do you mean? Is this a coughing spell with sob that you recover from fairly quickly or is this something that lasts all night and sometimes leads you to a doc for treatment? Just trying to get a good feel for what you're talking about. That said, the previous poster gave you lots of good ideas that will certainly help you to avoid them in the future. The most important thing she shared was to think back and try to figure out what preceded the flare. Once you think you know what it was, try to stop or reduce it from happening. If that doesn't help, think about your most recent flare and what happened in the two or three hours preceding the flare. Analyzing your own behavior and that of others in your home ought to help you figure out what's going on. Then, if that doesn't work, go to your doc and tell him what you've either ruled out or stopped doing entirely and maybe the two of you can figure out how to proceed.

Hi, @A MyCOPDTeam Member, do you have an idea of your nighttime triggers?

Does the flare happen when you lie down?

Do you share your bed with a pet?

Is your bedroom too hot? Too humid? Too cold?

Do you do a nebulizer treatment just before bed?

Do you have a snack just before bed?

How about a warm cup of tea or other beverage before bed?

So many things could be triggering a flare, so it may be helpful for you to keep a wellness diary to track what you’re doing and eating all day to ensure you’re staying hydrated, or if you do treatments, and how you react for a half our or an hour after the treatment.

In my case, no pets are allowed in the bedroom, and I’ve raised the head of my bed about 4” as I can no longer lie flat without coughing due to mucus buildup.

If I’m having a bad night for congestion, I do a Simply Saline decongestant spray treatment, and if it’s Winter (when I’m at my worst), I may have a warm cup of soup both to stay hydrated as well as clear some of the congestion.

I hope some of these suggestions give you some options to consider. Don’t hesitate to talk over any breathing pattern you find with your respiratory therapist or pulmonologist. Hugs to you.

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A MyCOPDT...

Such good advice and very true. I wish everyone had the support I had after diagnosis, especially doing Pulmonary rehabilitation programme was my saving grace. Breathe Easy xxx