whats this constant need to clear my throat all about??? please help

I don't believe we should encourage anyone to ask for medical advice on this forum, which may result in them not seeking REAL medical diagnosis and treatment.

Isn't this the place to share experiences rather than give medical advice?

I did not give medical advice Jude. To gargle with salt water is hardly medical advice. It is sharing simple creature comforts that may or may not help, but would do no harm to try. I cannot help that I have a Bachelor Degree in Science and can add a bit more factual detail.

Also did you not notice that I referred Maisiemarie to her doctor?

I wasn't replying only to your post, but to the general tendency of some people diagnose and make recommendations to other posters with very little knowledge of the situation.   Of course gargling with salt water won't hurt, but it could mask something more serious:  I guess I feel that if someone is concerned enough about something to seek advice here they should be seeking it from someone qualified.

Jude, I look at it differently. We share experiences and often obtain simple solutions, or at least some ideas to help us explore further with our doctors, to help formulate questions for the doctor that one might have never thought of without asking others in this forum.

And the biggest most important part of this forum or all forums, is to no longer feel alone with our particular problems, to feel cared about and to receive encouragement.

Jude, there is nothing wrong with that

Fair enough, as long as we don't encourage prople to self diagnose and self medicate, which I don't believe is appropriate with serious conditions like COPD

Well said ,reading about how others cope with problems is reassuring,& sometimes helpful,but yes of course our GP is the one we go to with our health problems,but on these pages we get to hear how other medications have helped others ,,and could help me/us,,,,,such as the lady who suggested the bottle of with some water in and a straw then blow bubbles into it ,,,,this works on the same principle as my flutter devise,,,anyway ,,,,,when we go to our GP we go armed with questions ,,,,like "Doctor would this be of any help to me "...

 

I'm 63, and was diagnosed with copd 5 years ago, and I have received more reassurance, and learnt more about the progress of this horrid disease during the one short hour I've spent reading this forum, than I ever learned from my doctor or any other health professional. Thank you all so much. Suddenly, I don't feel so alone.

There's much I still can't figure out, so I'm hoping I might get a few more answers here:

My copd was diagnosed 5 years ago as 'mild', and I will admit that I was in denial for years .. I had absolutely no symptoms, no cough, no fatigue .. nothing. Walked a lot (fast!), ran up the stairs, never got tired, went to gym .. I actually thought I'd been mis-diagnosed, (and even carried on smoking, fool that I was).

Then, just over a year ago, I caught a cold, along with a bit of bronchitis, and it took quite a while to clear up. So I stopped smoking. It cleared up, everything was fine .. and six months later, I decided (just out of interest) to go for another spirometer review thingy. Happily, it was a huge improvement on the previous one, and I was really chuffed! I was told that with regular exercise, a good diet, and the proper medication there was no reason why I shouldn't live a realitively long and healthy life. I thought I'd cracked it!

Then, about a fortnight ago, I wasn't feeling well and developed a dry, hacking, sort of 'choking' cough ..I was in real trouble.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, after two visits to the docs (blood oxygen levels great, no bronchial infection) another chest xray (still waiting for results) a referral to the local copd clinic (for which I was turned down .. not enough funding to treat 'mild' copd, apparently .. only 'late stage') and some very helpful 'counselling' on how to manage the anxiety of living with a chronic illness, I wasn't much further on. Still had this goddam awful cough. My poor lungs ached so much, and my chest was so raw, I was sure that one more serious bout would finish me off! It doesn't help that I panic like mad when I can't get me breath ..

Thing is ..It's just the cough! No phlegm, no infection, no 'fatigue', nothing! I can cough solid for half an hour, attempting to 'bring something up' and the results might be one tiny speck of perfectly clear sputum. It was driving me nuts!

I almost begged the doctor (and the Triage nurse) for a cough supressant .. even if only so I could get some sleep, but they refused .. kept reckoning I 'have to cough up all the gungy stuff'. That I don't HAVE any gungy stuff, seemed to go over their heads!

So, this afternoon, in desperation, I typed 'hacking choking cough, no phlegm' into Google, and it returned hit after hit about this years seasonal flu. Seems it's one of the symptoms.

Went straight to the chemist, bought a bottle of Bronco-stop (that new one thats advertised on the telly right now .. supposed to stop all kinds of coughs) and within an hour my coughing had calmed down and for the first time in days, I had blessed relief and now (for the moment at least) I feel fine.

My questions are .. (a) has anyone else here had the same sort of non-productive 'chokey' cough, and (b) does anyone find that because they've been diagnosed with copd, that, AS A PATIENT they become defined by the disease? I mean, that the doctors just ASSUME it's the copd playing up (getting worse?) Is it possible I might simply have had a touch of flu?

Personally (and I know every GP practice is different), my doctor has been been little help. I know General Practices are very stretched, but I always get the impression I'm wasting her time, and that she obviously thinks I'm one of 'The Worried Well'. I'm just fobbed off with more medication, and 'referrals'.

I have copd. I KNOW, that the damage to my lungs is irreversible, and I know that for the rest of my life, I'll probably be more surceptable to lung problems than most people, but I want to learn how to MANAGE it, so that my QUALITY of life will be the best it can possible be. The thought of being confined to a wheelchair, with an oxygen mask glued to my face, is too depressing for me to even contemplate. I'd rather top meself, I think.

Oh .. one more question: Does anyone have problems swallowing? Sometimes, I find it difficult .. food 'goes down the wrong way' and I start choking. I realise it might just be anxiety .. but I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who does.

I seem to have been typing for hours. Such a relief to find this site.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Jo

Acupuncture has no basis at all in science and in Australia many chinese herbal medicines have been found to contain highly unacceptable levels of mercury and lead.   Personally, I wouldn't be putting anything from China into my body:  we're currently experiencing an outbreak of Hep A caused by fecal matter in berries imported or packaged in China.   Needless to say, the Chinese regard Australia's "clean green" farming as desirable and import our berries which don't cause Hep A!

Jude65855

Come on Jude....I think you are being unreasonable and quite judgemental without a basis. In fact, I almost think you are looking for a debate forum instead of what we try to do here! Dawndee gives great advice and always encourages them to see their Dr.....as we all do. I think this forum does a great job of sharing what they have actually tried, what worked, and what didn't work and what more could you as for? It's beginning to sound like you have appointed yourself the critique patrol....and you are not. Your advice, as well as our advice comes from what we lived...I think you do well with what you tell folks too...up until lately. Please allow us the respect of sharing just as we do to you. There's nothing wrong with Dawndee ' s or anyone else's posts so far. Thanks for listening jude65855 and your respect from this point on. Ladyjack51

I haven't appointed myself to anything!   Sorry if I sounded abrupt  or critical, I"ve recently had a lot of very silly people (in real life, not on this forum) give me totally ridiculous advice about my emphysema and related health matters, so I guess my patience for wishful thinking has been considerably depleted.  I'll try and find it again

Aawww....now I feel kinda bad. Lol I appreciate you taking that so well and it says alot that you owned it. Hey, we all have bad days or bad moods. Let us know...maybe we can share a joke or two with you and get chu smilin!! Ladyjack51

Don't feel bad - I'm grateful to you for pointing out how my posts came across!   I'm a big girl, I can take constructive criticism