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Dr. Hive - help me with a cough


AmandaVT
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Oh man, I have been dealing with the worst cough I've had, in years, possibly ever. It started just about 2 weeks ago when I felt like I had swallowed something wrong and needed to clear my throat often. It got progressively worse over that week and I went to the walk-in clinic this past Sunday. The Dr. told me that it sounded like a post nasal drip reactive cough, said my lungs were clear, o2 levels good, no fever. Prescribed Tessalon Perles which I've had before and said to come back in a week if I'm not better. 

 

It's not quite been a week, but the cough is much worse. It's almost constant now, the Perles aren't helping and it's changed from dry to productive. My stomach muscles are sore, I'm exhausted from not sleeping. Mucinex is helping a bit, but not a ton. I'm thinking I'll head back to the walk-in clinic today? Although I'm not sure what they can do. I still don't have a fever, no sore throat, nose isn't congested. It's just a cough that won't quit. 

 

Other things I've been doing - lots of hot tea and hot water w/ honey and lemon juice, humidifier, cough drops, trying not to complain too much. 

 

Any words of wisdom?

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Sounds like bronchitis.  Head back to the clinic.  I'll bet your lungs are worse now.  When I had bronchitis, they gave me a steroid and a nebulizer treatment and some medicine that didn't work, so I had to call and get something else, which turned out to be prescription cough syrup which was great.  Definitely go back and see a doctor.

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That's a long time to continue on.  I'd go back and make sure it hasn't settled into your lungs by now, as in bronchitis or pneumonia. 

 

Any chance it could be whooping cough?  It seems like I hear of a few people in our town who get it every year, even though they've had the shots.

 

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When my son and I had similar symptoms, he ended up pneumonia and I'm pretty sure I was on my way to it.  The doctor prescribed antibiotics for both of us.  My son took them immediately and was significantly better within 24 hours.  I waited several days because I thought I could just tough it out but I felt worse and worse and when I finally took the antibiotics it only took 24 hours for me to feel better as well.

 

All of this is to say that it is probably time to go back to the doctor.

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I would go back.   I was out of town, and had a horrid cough that got bad fast.   o2 fine, low-grade fever. . . . urgent care said maybe bronchitis and gave me an antibiotic. 

 

I  ended up in the ER <an hour after I got home.  I had pneumonia.

 

eta: the cough was worse, cough drops barely helped - and my tongue was *screaming* at me about them..

my temp in the ER -  was 100.9, O2 fine.  the ER staff wanted to treat it like an asthma attack (which actually made me worse) - until they did an x-ray.

Edited by gardenmom5
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Thank you - shortly after writing my original post, I had a coughing fit so bad I saw stars and got lightheaded. I headed back to the urgent care clinic. It had settled into my lungs, walking pneumonia. Antibiotics and prednisone - hoping they kick in quickly! While picking up the scripts, I indulged in some of the really good yogurt that I never get because of $$ and sugar. And I need to remember to take my probiotic - I hate z paks, they mess with my tummy. Also got soup from Panera and we're going to have Pho for dinner. Hoping all the ginger and garlic they put in the broth will help too. 

 

Seeking - could yours be GERD? I've been doing lots of cough research recently and that's one that came up as a cause for a cough that won't quit.

 

Gardenmom - yes! My tongue has been killing me! The roof of my mouth too - I made poor DH look in my mouth with a flashlight and he said I clearly had mouth leprosy (thanks, honey) and ran away.

 

Thank you!

 

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I've had the same thing this last month. It's the cold that never ends.  The first dr gave me cough syrup with codeine so I could sleep, flonase, and sudafed. My second dr suggested I not do the flonase but take flovent (maybe?), a steroid inhaler to reduce swelling in my throat, which was to help me cough less. 

 

The codeine has helped me the most. Sudafed and hot water have been good, too. 

 

I hope we're both better soon!

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