One lung (only!) misbehaving

My asthma is behaving itself pretty well considering the weather, hay cutting time and the fact that our village is full of diesel generators while they replace our leccy pylons.

But... for about 3 days I've been coughing fairly regularly, producing the white sticky mucus that I usually associate with asthma exacerbations, and I have that familiar bronchitis burning pain - really bad, but only in one part of one lung. I've never had it on one side only before!

I'm not coughing violently or continuously enough to have 'caused it' by sheer irritation. The pain started simultaneously with the coughing.

I'm pretty 'well' in myself - perhaps slightly tired. But then I'm also adrenally incompetent so I don't do fevers and so on.

My dilemma is that I have rescue doxycycline and I'm supposed to take it at the first sign of infection... am I being ridiculous in thinking that this really *has* to be bacterial because a virus or allergy wouldn't be so localised? The area that is painful (8/10 pain, but only lasts about 5 seconds after the end of the cough) is only about the size of a 10p piece. It's about an inch the right side of the midline, at exactly the right height to be where the primary bronchus enters my right lung.

My peak flows are only very slightly down, I'm able to walk around and I'm not at all hypoxic.

The asthma side is twitchy - I'm having a couple of attacks each day but they're not super bad and are resolving ok, and I'd expect that given the weather and pollution.

My resp doc and the CF specialist (I don't have CF but I'm similar enough that they reviewed me) say it's better to err on the side of caution with infections as the doxy will decrease the bacterial load in my system even if it's viral... but it'll give me an upset stomach, the extra steroids will play havoc with my diabetes and doxy+sunlight is a bad combination!

Has anyone ever had this kind of really localised infection? It's completely new to me!

Cx

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Absolutely. Lungs are lobar and its perfectly normal for infection to be localised.

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Aha! Thank you NF - I had secretly hoped you would reply. I guess it's time to break out the doxy and stay out of the sun then... darn.

Cx

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My only thing that I would mention....doesnt a PE cause similar, very specific, severe localised pain?? Although I didnt think it was the kind of thing where it would only last for a moment after coughing. Just something I'd thought I'd mention coz it rings bells hope you're well Curiouser!! Ill drop you an email once my life is a bit less mental!! we need a proper catch up!! things have been CRAZY of late!!

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Thanks Soph - yes, when it first started I had a few moments of being a bit worried, but it feels so specifically like bronchitis, but really localised, that I'm sure that's what it is.

I think I feel a bit guilty taking abx when I don't feel super poorly, but not as guilty/stupid as I'll feel if it spreads to the rest of my chest, so I'll start Doxy in the morning (can't possibly take it at night or my oesophagus will dissolve).

And yes - email me when you have time! Are you back in Leeds for Summer? I'm there every few weeks at the moment for appointments so we could meet for a coffee - either in Costa (I guess that would be Costa in Costa, as it were) or somewhere totally different and nicer!

Cx

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Yes back in Leeds, body has a highly trigger happy self-destruct button just at the moment. Managed to really stress out my endo cons by being an inpatient under her (her having never seen me while captured) and I had turned into a stroppy, sulky,poorly mess and was just refusing to even think about talking to anyone (they had messed u fairly badly for over 24hrs and I was left in a quite considerable amount of pain)!! SHe said it was quite a contrast!! lol!!

Bit crazy till after my exams (the week of the 18th august) but should be good to meet up asap then

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Yikes - poor you!

Were you on her ward, at the top of G-wing? That ward is a total nightmare.

See you after the 18th then - I hope the exams go well.

My lung seems to be behaving so far today - will walk the dog in a mo and that'll tell me... hoping to avoid Doxy with all this sunshine. I don't go in it much because I'm so fair anyway, but I really need the vit-D!

Cx