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Mucus cough in the mornings that won't go away! - Very worried, would welcome your thoughts

Posted , 3 users are following.

chris36318
chris36318

I've had this for about a year now every morning without fail I'll have a coughing fit until I bring up some mucus from what feels like quite deep down.. sometimes it's tinged with blood (bright red) which I assume is just from how forceful the coughing can be

sometimes I'll also have the same cough after eating

I'm not sure whether it's a mucus drip, or some sort of reflux, or maybe even a dairy intolerance

I've also currently got a bit of a cold which has triggered a few new symptoms (couple of mouth ulcers, cotton mouth, sore throat) which has caused me to worry more than usual

I went to the doctors a few weeks ago (before I got the cold) and they looked in my mouth and felt my neck for lumps, had a listen to my lungs and said it didn't seem like anything serious

sent me for a chest x-ray which came back normal, also took some phlegm to test it for bacteria and that came back ok too.

I'm 33, overweight, don't smoke (never have), drink very little (1 beer every 2 weeks on average), I have a poor diet though

The cough does worry me as on some days it literally brings tears to my eyes and is so forceful it'll bring me to my knees in a coughing fit..

I find that the cough is normally triggered when I'm brushing my teeth so whether it's because I'm not breathing as normal because of the tooth brush..

I'm also a mouth breather (such a nice name!) primarily so wondering if that's playing a part.. would explain why it happens when I'm eating too

The coughing fit usually brings up some mucus and also triggers a lot more mucus to be present causing me to blow my nose as my nose will be pouring with mucus too at this point

Anyone else had anything similar and have any advice for me?

I've feared the worst (as you do!)

I'm going to focus on getting into shape and changing my diet to see if that helps

but would love to hear from other people who have had a similar experience??

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • moon53540
    moon53540 chris36318

    Posted

    If you are coughing up blood you need a chest CT with contrast. Chest X-rays don’t show up most chest problems. I had a cough every morning for ages, which turned out to be multiple pulmonary emboli. I had other symptoms though, like palpitations, sharp chest pain and problems breathing in. Look up pleurisy and see if that is something you could have.
    • chris36318
      chris36318 moon53540

      Posted

      I don't cough up blood every time and if my coughing is relatively mild for a couple of days there is no blood, so I do think it's either from the brushing of my teeth (my gums bleed quite easily) or from the strain of coughing

      I do occasionally have palpitations but no more than the average person I would say, no chest pain or problems breathing in, but thanks for the info, good to rule some stuff out smile

    • moon53540
      moon53540 chris36318

      Posted

      There are foods which make you produce mucus more, like dairy, have you tried cutting it out of your diet to see if it helps the cough? 
    • chris36318
      chris36318 moon53540

      Posted

      I've not yet, but I've just this week started a new meal plan to help reduce dairy as much as possible, hopefully that helps

      I am hoping it's just diet/weight related as that's in my control.. though it's been in my control for years and it's over ever headed in the wrong direction but at least this might give me the urge to sort it out

    • moon53540
      moon53540 chris36318

      Posted

      Do you work around chemicals or cleaning products or have you in the past? Could you have been exposed to asbestosis anywhere you lived or worked? You could be allergic to some chemical or something. Think about any changes you have made before the cough, if you have a new pet or changed a cleaning product or washing detergent or maybe even shampoo. It maybe a long shot but worth thinking about possibly. Maybe get a carbon monoxide detector.
  • moon53540
    moon53540 chris36318

    Posted

    Also for the cough try a cough medication withguaifenesin in. It helps stop you coughing too much so it isn’t too painful.

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