with all respect ej0820 i dont believe what was described was autogenic drainage. maybe i do something different and just was told its AD?? my technique is very difficult to master and requires a kind of different state of consciousness. it is very low lung volume breathing moving the air very gently. forcing air out hard generally collapses the airways and causes coughing fits as well, that is counter productive. there is basically no coughing in AD and only gentle huffing to remove phlegm.it takes a few months to build up tolerance and gain the required stomach muscle control and fitness to perform lengthy sessions if needed. my health and fev1 and fvc have improved 60% (fromfev1 of 33% n fvc of 50% to fev1 51% fvc 78%) i have managed to plateau out my lung function and am fitter physically now more so than at any stage of my adult life. i perform AD whilst using a pep mask with hypertonic saline flowing in when i inhale. i have been on the news nationally in Australia and New Zealand with my doctor and physio for founding the benefits of HS. my doctor presented my case at a recent world wide conference which listed the sustained improvement since beginning HS trials. the HS has only minimal benefits if only inhaled through a neb like ventolin for me. obviously each of us are different however i believe anyone who masters this lung clearance technique will dramatically improve their ability to exercise if they desire due to clearer lungs, less infection load and less frequent exacerbations. lung function should improve initially then plateau or decline far less rapidly. obviously these are only my beliefs and not proven science however they are true of my case. i believed i could do nothing to halt the decline of cf's rampage when i got sick at 28. my teen years were pretty easy with only three hospitalizations. i went from 16 to 28 without being admitted for a chest infection. by 30 i was on oxygen at home, and at 31 the social worker was giving me information on transplants. my mental health plunged into that horrendous and torturous black bottomless abyss of helplessness and aloneness im sure many people here know of. i just resigned myself to the fact cf was to powerful and i bowed to its relentless assault on my mind and body. i am now 38. what happened to give me the courage, belief and desire to fight like a demented man is another story, however i believe as adults having dealt with cf we gain a different ability to endure and fight than most. many people i know have given in just like i did as we never saw anything different than a progressive decline culminating in transplant or death. i have faith each of us can tap into that power to endure and fight if we see a reason to hope. i have recently started talking to younger people with cf who are losing hope. without fail i am told by them and their family i have given them renewed reason to try. it has been a long and agonising journey to this point and i found my mental state dictated my physical response in many ways. as i look at what ive written i see im manic (im told i have bi-polar) however my desire is to offer hope and inspiration. for the last 2 or 3 years people have urged me to tell my story but i felt like a fraud. i hurt many people i love and cherish. i lost many friendships and became addicted to gambling drinking marijuana and pornography. i emotionally withdrew from life and became a loner. i had an affair which caused carnage. i was like a wild animal fuelled by fear, grief self pity and anxiety. today i am free from participating in any of those addictions. i am finding my relationships being steadily restored and am very fit and giving of myself to others. i still suffer from anxiety and am not the most grounded person but hey, im much better now and getting better everyday!! in gaining such positive feedback as i start to open up i feel inspired and it helps me. some people just seem to cope and am where i am today without causing such havoc,i greatly admire them. any help i can give i appreciate being asked. cheers Blacky
ps. please understand all of what ive written is totally my thoughts and beliefs only.