Coughing and hacking

Mwezzi · 3rd March 2008, 3:21pm

I've probably told you guys before, but I've been coughing away since I got tonsillitis at the start of November. First it was tickly, then it went into my chest and was like that for over a month, then I though it was lightening up but it's started getting productive again. The GP who saw me was dismissive and seemingly more concerned about his pending house visits than the person he was currently seeing and treated me like I was wasting his time, writing it off as a viral cough. It's keeping me up at night and putting a damper on any night out I have, and I get the feeling I'll be following his advice and returning in a month because it's showing no sign of clearing.

My question is: has anyone experienced anything like this before? Any advice?

bikuki · 3rd March 2008, 3:30pm

How do your tonsils look? TBH your GP's probably right - it most likely is a viral infection and there's very little you can do about it other than trying to keep yourself as healthy as possible (plenty of sleep, exercise, not getting pissed etc) and taking plenty of fluids. As it's a chronic cough I'd see about being checked out for asthma, as an infection can set it off and you might need an inhaler to shirt if. Do you have allergies/eczema? Does anyone in your family have asthma, allergies or eczema?
A few other questions:
Is it worse at any paticular time eg. around animals, in bed at night, first thing in the morning?
Are you still bringing anything up with it? What colour if you are?
Do you feel wheezy or out of breath?
Any chest pain?

Mwezzi · 3rd March 2008, 4:00pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikuki

How do your tonsils look? TBH your GP's probably right - it most likely is a viral infection and there's very little you can do about it other than trying to keep yourself as healthy as possible (plenty of sleep, exercise, not getting pissed etc) and taking plenty of fluids. As it's a chronic cough I'd see about being checked out for asthma, as an infection can set it off and you might need an inhaler to shirt if. Do you have allergies/eczema? Does anyone in your family have asthma, allergies or eczema?
A few other questions:
Is it worse at any paticular time eg. around animals, in bed at night, first thing in the morning?
Are you still bringing anything up with it? What colour if you are?
Do you feel wheezy or out of breath?
Any chest pain?

I've tried healthier diet, bedrest, no dairy/caffeine and I'm teetotal. No asthma or allergies in the family, my peak flow's normal and my brother had eczema when little but no longer. My tonsils are fine - the antibiotics cleared up that problem. I'd be more certain of the doctor's opinion if he'd been anything like the one who saw me for the tonsillitis, but he was the most patronising person I've met and treated me as a hypochondriac despite a very slim medical file, so that's why I'm asking for the second opinion.

Worst around midnight and late afternoon (regardless of where I am), continuing sporadically until 3-ish in the morning but can go on longer (hence the disturbed sleep). Tickly at first, then I start bringing up slightly greeny-yellow stuff. Not as much as before, but it's getting worse. Not wheezy or out of breath, though my throat obviously gets very dry and painful after a bit - I was out on Saturday for the opening night because I felt fine, but ended up close to losing my voice because of an unexpected coughing fit. Chest pain only occurs if I'm coughing for ages without rest - not common.

*Potatojunkie* · 3rd March 2008, 4:07pm

1. Locate frog.
2. Extricate frog.
3. Humanely dispose of frog.
4. Frog.

Largest of Gregs · 3rd March 2008, 4:08pm

i had a tickly and chesty cough for months. I got cancer

Mwezzi · 3rd March 2008, 4:11pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Potatojunkie

1. Locate frog.
2. Extricate frog.
3. Humanely dispose of frog.
4. Frog.

YOU'RE THAT FRENCH QUACK, AREN'T YOU?!

*Potatojunkie* · 3rd March 2008, 4:54pm

You know what I like having? Lovely, healthy lungs.

And frogs.

Christie. · 3rd March 2008, 5:02pm

The same's actually happening to me!

I think my last bout of tonsillitis has just caused my chest to be weaker now and I keep catching colds all the time. I found it difficult to sleep as well, especially when I had a tickly cough [chesty coughs didn't stop me from sleeping, just woke me up] so I went to my GP who gave me simple linctus. It does help but I've found that madam pearl's gets me to sleep quicker.

Pantgirl · 3rd March 2008, 5:04pm

I've had a cough since before I went away to Italy end of october beginning of November. It got slowly better but now its back with a vengance along with fluey symptoms and coughing up shit (yay). I dont feel out of breath but when I take a deep breath in it makes me cough and I have a burning feeling in my chest and i've been wheezy when I breath out for a few months now

Doing my tits in but doctors has a 3 week wait

Pink punk · 3rd March 2008, 7:13pm

Yup, I'm the same. Chest infection started in November, I'm wheezing so much at night I want a nebuliser so I can actually take my inhalors. My peak flow reading are on the shite side of normal (about 390), and I'm coughing up GREY stuff. I blame it on the mascara. I've not been back to the doctors, I really don't think there is much they can do bar tell me to keep taking my inhalors and come back if it doesn't go away.

I hate being low level sick.

Mwezzi · 5th March 2008, 4:08pm

Update - now I'm getting chest pains every time I cough, like having a needle rammed through my sternum Pulp Fiction-style.

Pink punk - grey = bad. Not sure what mascara would have to do with it - did you ingest some? - but there may be an infection there which needs a-treatin'. Give it a week or two if you want, but that sounds more convincingly ill than me.

**LesMTS** · 5th March 2008, 4:13pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mwezzi

Update - now I'm getting chest pains every time I cough, like having a needle rammed through my sternum.

Sounds like costochondritis, possibly because of irritation to costochondral joints from all the coughing.
Speak to a doctor, though.

Pink punk · 5th March 2008, 7:02pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mwezzi

ot sure what mascara would have to do with it - did you ingest some?

Honestly, mascara gets everywhere. Especially in my nose. Think it works its way down at night.

In more exiting news, I think I'm starting to get better. Only coughing for about 2 hours a morning now. Hope you get over the lurgy soon.

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