Suggest Treatment For Pneumonia And Cough With Phlegm When Diagnosed With MS

Posted on Wed, 12 Aug 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 Answered on

Tue, 1 Sep 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : my husband has ms he recently choked and got pneumonia .In the hospital they use a cough assist machine also went down through his nose to his lungs to clear out the fluids . I have at home now and feed him through the stomach and give him breathing trearments, use the cough assist machine then I suction him out. It seems I'm SUCTIONING HIM OUT CONSTANTLY HE WILL SOUND BETTER BUT SOMETIMES AT NIGHT HE HAS PROBLEMS And in the morning. My nurse said there is a medication my Dr. could order for him but the Dr won't give it to him , it is called Atrotine and it helps dry the mucus up, why won't the Dr give him thisHIS dR SAID THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE EXCEPT WHAT I'M DOING. iS THIS TRUE IT WEARS HIM AND I OUT.

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
ATROPINE

Detailed Answer:
Hello

Thanks for the query

I think what the nurse is referring is is Atropine and not atrotine. It is true that Atropine can cause drying up of the mucous and reduces the secretions but it comes with a lot of side effects like increase in heart rate, blood pressure and also neurological symptoms like irrelevant talking and violent behaviour. It also increases the temperature. It can only be given under supervision in the ICU.

I suggest N-acetylcysteine nebulisation instead. It will have similar effect and also bring the sputum out. Please approach your doctor with my suggestion

I hope I was of help, if you have any further queries please get back to me

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar