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nearly 9 weeks!! feel clueless...

Posted , 7 users are following.

danny1981
danny1981

I'll keep this as quick as possible... Im just looking for any suggestions / opinions.

 So 9 weeks ago, i woke up with a cough, mild fever for a few days. no cold etc. just flu type symptoms. the cough was really bad and chesty for around 4 weeks... it then started getting better, to a point. But since 6 weeks, ive had this tickly throat still. Now its at a point where, i'll wake up in the morning and it seems fine. But without fail, about 30mins after breakfast, the irritation and coughing bout starts. Once i get that morning out of the way, its just tickling all day with mild coughing. and sometimes, if im speaking at length to someone, my throat gets clogged up, and need to clear it. Its still there enough that it bothering me.

Ive been to see doctor more than once... Ive had chest Xray, results were all clear. blood tests, all fine. ECG etc, nothing out of the norm.

Im 34 a smoker, but socially... not that it makes a difference. but i really dont smoke a lot. im slightly over weight. but otherwise healthy.

where do i go from here?! is there anything else i should be asking of my doctor... should i just leave it. I mean 9 weeks is so long in my opinion. Doesnt help when friends see me and say "you've STILL got that cough"

Thanks.

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • MaggieMuffin
    MaggieMuffin danny1981

    Posted

    Before you  had the flu-like symptons did you have this lingering cough?  I have some of the same symptonsm I was a light smoker for almost 20 years but quit about 5 months ago after a COPD diagnosis.  I have many other health problems but the only one that has been a real problem for years and that has brought on occasional coughing fits, throat clearing etc. is my Acid Reflux (GERD).  I am also a little overweight which does make the likelihood of an acid reflux problem more probable. I see an ENT for this problem and with his insistance for me to change for diet/eating habits and also taking prilosec (omeprazole is the OTC generic name) 1-2 times a day before meals my coughing has almost gone away completely.  I also suffer with allergies so if I'm outside on bad air quality days I get quite congested and I will start coughing a bit.  But just following the diet for acid reflux and taking the omeprazole has helped so much.  You may want to look into this possibility if you no longer have any cold or flu symptons like fever or nausea.  Wish I could help more.

    • danny1981
      danny1981 MaggieMuffin

      Posted

      Hey. Thank you for your time. appreciate it.

      I didnt have any cough at all prior to the flu symptoms and onset of cough the same day. I did have a similar throat infection/cough around 3-4 months prior, but that only lasted 3 weeks.

       I do get a LOT of heart burn. sometimes for seemingly no reason... even a glass of water can give me heart burn sometimes. I dont get the feeling of food coming back up though... Its funny though, about two years ago, i had a 6 month period of being a health freak. strict diet, excerise etc. and my heart burn literally vanished... I guess this cough maybe linked to that. i'll mention it to my doctor at next appointment.

      Thanks again.

    • MaggieMuffin
      MaggieMuffin danny1981

      Posted

      Sounds like the cough may still be hanging on from the flu like illness you had and not be anything serious.  Like I said, I have acid reflux but I don't always have that sour acid coming up and out and with mine I don't get the heartburn feeling in my chest very often.  I also have terrible sinusitis and have been on Flonase nasal spray for years and I guess like Josephine said that would cause a nasal drip as I can actually "taste"  it when I use the spray. That too would cause coughing and a lot of throat clearing.  I guess you never know whether any medication one might be on could have effects where the good outweighs the bad or vice versa.  I just got to trust that my doctors have my best interests at heart.  Hope things get much better for you soon!

  • josephine_30311
    josephine_30311 danny1981

    Posted

    Hi Danny,

    Could be you might have some residual 'nasal drip' from the flu you had? I get it a lot, and its a damn nuisance.  It's like it drips down my throat and into my airways (gone down the wrong hole'?) ..  and If I don't catch it in time, it causes me to cough .. and cough and cough.

    Doctor prescibes me 'Nasobec' nasal spray, and it really helps, but I'm sure the chemist could sell you something over the counter?

    As for the tickly cough, I found Bronchostop the best  .. and even Covonia (for tickly coughs) .. calms it.

    But if it persists, best go back and see the doctor ..

    Jo

  • martin0
    martin0 danny1981

    Posted

    Same here. Mine started last year after the flew as well. Ive given up smoking and now trying to eat healthy. Also bought a mountain bike and trying to get fit again. Things are a little better. Some people say its in the stomach aryngopharyngeal reflux. which is what im working. Worth a try. also have a nutri nija top blend up foods such veges and berries 
  • juliebrat70
    juliebrat70 danny1981

    Posted

    Setting the smoking aside I can tell you that I've been dealing with the same exact symptoms since June. I'm a 46 year old female and I have never smoked a day in my life but what started out as a bronchial and bronchitis type cough 4/6 weeks went away and then came back in the form of chronic post nasal drip through some trial and error I have found a routine that works for me to keep it at a very minimum I don't have the coughing anymore per se but I do have the need to clear my throat a lot because of the chronic dripping that is sitting right on my voice box which is probably what you have as well. It's not actually even coming from your lungs it's just coming from your sinuses. I've learned all this the hard way. What I do now is first I upped my intake of water. Secondly I take an allerclear first thing in the morning when I get out of bed then I take some local bee pollen and a half of a teaspoon of local unpasteurized honey those two things desensitize you to the allergens in your own area so you must get them locally. Then in my coffee I open a capsule of marshmallow root and I put that in there because it's a new salon and it pulls the mucus from your body and makes it easier to expel so that you only have to clear your throat maybe for an hour or so in the morning and then it's gone for the rest of the day. Lastly I take one Mucinex at night with a full glass of water so that the lamb doesn't get sick overnight which is what creates so much of the problem in the morning. These are just things that work for me I'm not saying that work for everybody but I was going insane trying to figure out why all the sudden out of nowhere I was coughing for 3 months on end I am probably 95% better now

  • martin0
    martin0 danny1981

    Posted

    Hi I think your right. In my case i started after getting the flew last year and it has slowly gotten worse. I have taken up mountain biking and it seems to help. I take a big shot of lemon and ginger when i wake up. It all seems to help  but slowly. i will look at trying your method but are trying to do it the natrual way
  • sam33225
    sam33225 danny1981

    Posted

    hello. i have the same problem now for 9 weeks!!! it started after a cold. did your tickle problem go away? what did you do?

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