I have been coughing since March. Why? Pease help.?

Question

I had a really bad cold in March of this year when I lived at school (dorm room) and as usual, figured it would go away. It hasn't, and I am home, in a different environment, experiencing the same symptoms: runny nose, mucus in my throat, persistent productive cough. I went to my doctor and have tried Allegra, Nasonex, Amoxicillin, Sudafed, Claritin, and Amoxiclav, and nothing has worked. Since the amoxicillin, my lungs feel as though they are "bubbling" with something when I breathe (not all the time, usually in the afternoon) and my symptoms are better in the morning and at night, and horrible in the afternoon. I have doubts that the Amoxiclav is going to work, and have doubts that my doctor knows what he is doing. Can anyone tell me what I might have? Or how to treat it? I'm not in pain, just annoyed and want it to go away.

I am not a smoker in any form.

I have never had a fever, and my school is in Ohio, and I live on Lake Erie in PA. The environment is rather humid in both places. I have never had allergies, chest pain, or a cough lasting this long. :(

Answer 1

I was going to say it sounds like allergies, but I think you tried enough decongestants to rule that out. If it's been this long and your doctor hasn't figured out what it is yet I'd recommend getting a second opinion.

Answer 2

Get another doctor.
Think back to what you might have been exposed to that caused the first symptoms. If there was anything significant: new house, new office, new neighborhood, new houseplant, some change in the stuff in the air you're exposed to, like someone's cigarette smoke, new pillow on the bed, new fabric softener, change in your detergent, new person in the house ... try to connect the severity of and changes in the symptoms to that exposure. A person's perfume or carpet glue can set off breathing problems. A failure of your vacuum to work anymore could have you breathing bad stuff.
Make sure you tell the dr. all the details (that you wrote in your Q).
If s/he stops you before you tell her/him of the duration, the mucus, the changes of symptoms over a day's time, s/he's not listening: get another doctor who listens.
ASK FOR an analysis of the mucus for germs/ bacteria/ viruses. That may cost money.

Too many doctors write a prescription because it will usually do away with symptoms, but it doesn't attack the cause. This is obviously NOT GOOD. Finding causes takes longer.

When I was 18 and went to a rural college after living with a smoking mother and a shedding cat for years, I coughed for 3 months. That's how long it took for my lungs to empty out the crap that had collected from those two irritants. I did not see a doctor because I suspected I was getting better.

I hope you find your CURE faster.

Answer 3

A doctor should tell you that this is not a cold, but allergies. Any cough that lasts more than a few days is usually allergies. I had this a couple of years ago & could not get rid of it. Then a friend of mine gave me an old remedy that helped me, & now everytine that I have a lingering cough I use it. If you have anise seed boil in water for 5-10 minutes. Strain the seed & drink the water which has become a tea. Add sugar til you get the taste that you like. If you don't have anise seed or can't find it you can always use the liquid, which I hear tastes like licorice.

Answer 4

Ur problem looks like pneumonia and allergy existing together. Change antibiotics to cefuroxime. Depending on how big U are, take 250 or 500 mg twice a day for 7 days. can U buy it without prescription? Amoxyclav is just a variation of amoxycillin.

Try taking water this way: Add sea salt to 1 quart of water. Depending on ur size too, take 16-24 ounces of this salted water upon waking up in the morning and at bedtime, 8-16 ounces half hr before meals and also 2 and a half hrs after meals. Replace ur urine with another 8 ounces. Avoid coffee, tea, sodas, chocolates and sweets, alcoholic beverages. If U have access to it. Take 350 mg of magnesium daily in 2 divided doses and also 1000 mg of vitamin C.

Proper hydration will facilitate the clearing of ur lungs of the phlegm and will also correct ur allergies if they are present.

Answer 5

It can either be allergies due to bronchial or post-nasal drip, for post-nasal drip it is a quick and easy way to treat it at home with "salinex" or a mixture of water and salt, spray nasal cavity 3-4 times a day, you should feel relief immediately, bronchitis is a little different, are you using a pump? Seems the doctor should have sent you for chest x-ray to see if there is something there. I'd suggest going to a clinic or hospital and get checked properly, they'll know how to treat it and rule out any other problems....hope you feel better soon!

Answer 6

Have your doctor give you a chest X-ray. He'll then be able to check to make sure that you don't have anything seriously wrong. If you don't have a fever, then I doubt that it's an infection. Because it's lasted so long, it sounds to me like you've got allergies. If your lungs are clear of infection (and cancer), then ask your doctor for a prescription for Singulair. It's a different kind of allergy med. Just remember, not all allergy sufferers get relief. Good luck.

Answer 7

Bronchitis is an illness in which you may cough uncontrollably. You may cough so hard that you throw up.
It can last for weeks and weeks. Do you have chest pains? Shortness of breath? Go to a doctor and find out what's really causing it. Excerpt from wikipedia:
Signs and symptoms

Bronchitis may be indicated by an expectorating cough,shortness of breath (dyspnea) and wheezing and occasionally chest pains, fever, and fatigue or malaise. Sputum characteristics do not correspond with a particular etiology (ie, viral vs bacterial)...

Go to wikipedia.org for more on bronchitis.

Feel better! :)

Answer 8

Upon reading your question the only disease that I can think is chronic brochitis. I am a physical therapist and I was able to handle patients who have this kind of symptoms. You see, chronic bronchitis is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with brochial irritation, increased secretions and a productive cough lasting atleast 3 months for 2 consecutive years. If you have doubts about your doctor's diagnosis, you have a choice to seek for a second opinion.

Answer 9

If you are just spinning your wheels with a regular medical doctor; have him send you to a pulmonary specialist like now.

They have different tests, scans, etc. that regular medical doctors don't do. Maybe you need breathing treatments to clear your lungs. Mucus in your throat is probably due to sinusitis; however, the sinuses and lungs are combined when it comes to upper respiratory illnesses. You don't have to be in pain to have a serious, but hopefully treatable, lung disease.

Answer 10

You're right, regular MDs don't always know what they're doing when it comes to specialized areas of medicine. You wouldn't let your MD deliver your baby, would you? You shouldn't let an MD work on your lungs. They've already tried everything they know, and you're still sick. Go see a specialist--a pulmonologist. Best wishes.