An Atrocious Cough

[Lainey]

CathyA,
is it possible you have some acid reflux too? when you mentioned the coughing spells 1-2 hours after eating it makes me think something's not right with that area. Ask me how I know ...

I just finished my 3rd cold this year, but fortunately no fever. I used Robitussin Severe cough and Sore throat, and that worked well for me especially in being able to sleep at night.
You have my sympathies!

[Rogar]

One of the best natural cough treatments I can recall was a warm syrupy mix of honey, ginger, and lemon juice. A friend brought it by, so I really don't know the exact portions, but it was very soothing and helped the cough. It probably wouldn't be hard to come up with something similar. I get a cold every couple of years and usually resort to Robitussin.

Edit to add, here in our dry climate I run a humidifier in the house most of the winter, but especially when I have any hint of sinus problems or sore throat. I can get lucky and avoid a cold some winters, but routinely have sinus problems and infections. I use a steam inhaler a couple of times a day to treat the sinus issues.

[catherine]

Cathy, I just woke up my husband with a horrendous wet coughing fit. I came down with a cold on Monday. My sinuses felt like someone superglued them. Nothing was getting out and I had headaches. Flying was absolutely horrendous--it took two days for my ears to pop. Then my sinuses kind of broke loose and I've been hacking and wheezing and bringing up nasty stuff since then.

I, too, get rare colds. Maybe it's something going around. I'm in Vermont this weekend attending the house inspection, and I am worried about staying at my son's house--my DIL is pregnant and the last thing I want to do is give her this nasty cold.

Anyway, I'm on day 5 of my cold, so we'll see what happens. Hope yours gets better soon. I'm just taking Dayquil.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Me too. I am one of those people used to say "I am never sick". But in the last couple of years or so that has changed. I got this coughing/lung thing this week and it is horrible. I have run a temp near 100, either a bit below or a bit above, and just feel yucky in general. The last couple of days I have stayed in an tried to rest, but today I am going to have to venture our and get a few things. Particularly honey and lemon. I only had a little honey and used that, and I have not had a lemon to put in it. I have been putting cinnamon on a spoonful of honey however. If I could see improvement, a light at the of the tunnel that would be encouraging, but so far it has stayed about the same. I don't want to go to the doctor if I don't have to, don't want to take an antibiotic if I don't need it and I SURE don't want to be swabbed for flu!

[Float On]

Not cold related but I have a stupid cough related to one of my blood pressure meds. So aggravating. Its one of the side effects. The alternatives have worse side effects like headaches so I'm back on my cough medicine as I call it. That commercial that says something about "knowing the truth about that 'just a cough' cough" drives me batty! Yes, this one is just a cough. I do hope you get over your real cough soon!

[CathyA]

Float On......can you be on something like Toprol? I don't think that causes coughing. I'm on a smidgen of it for blood pressure, but it also took away my migraines.

[Teacher Terry]

Topral was the first bp med the doctor put me on. I was only 50 and in great shape. Soon I couldn't walk around our work building without getting winded and people could hear me breathe. I went to a pulmonary doctor and after some tests said when I walked my oxygen level was going very low which can be a side effect. Add to that I had asthma and that med was a no go for me.

[Float On]

No CathyA, not Toprol, that one actually caused migraines for me. I don't have my list with me and I always misspell meds.

[CathyA]

Hmmm....that's interesting Teacher Terry. sounds like maybe it was lowering your heart rate too much?
And Float On.......how curious that it caused migraines in you.
My BP has been fine for years, but I've stayed on the Toprol (well, metoprolol.....the generic), because I always had spells of feeling very hypoglycemic, and like I was going to pass out..........and all those went away on the metoprolol.
I would love to try getting off that and my tiny dose of sertraline (zoloft), but I've been on them so long, I fear it would get ugly. But who knows........maybe I'd eventually feel better off them!

[CathyA]

Well, I decided to stop the Mucinex and see if it was actually making me too dry, since I seem to not hold in water very long. So Pinkytoe, I appreciate your input. I don't know if it's just that, or I'm slowly improving, but things are loosening up a bit. I actually had a good night's sleep......even without my cpap. I found that taking an 8 hour tylenol and just a smidgen of xanax seems to give me the best sleep. But who knows. It may all be coincidental. I have to say, it's wonderful not using that cpap though. But I can't go without it too long, or I'll have insurance issues....

Anyhow.....something funny this morning. I got up early before the sun came up and worked on my puzzle. I had to change the puzzle table location last week because of the christmas tree, so now I'm in a corner in the dining room with windows in front and to the side of me........which is great light for puzzling. I might just leave it there. Anyhow, sometimes around this time, birds start to wake up. I kept hearing a tweet..........tweet............tweet........tweet . Was it a wren? a sparrow? I couldn't see one. Finally figured out it was coming from my lungs. hahahaha Every inspiration was making a tweet noise. Then a little later I thought I heard some kind of animal on the porch.........come to find out it was my stomach growling. hahahaha What can I say..........I'm very musical this morning.