I’ve been coughing since Christmas. I’m bringing up mucus that is sometimes colourful and thick, sometimes thin and colourless. My breathing sometimes makes a noise like crackly wheezy and my chest makes a noise when I move. I cough most at night but also during the day.
I’ve been referred to a consultant and he’s not really interested because my x-rays clear and my sats are all good. I’m very fit as I’ve found exercise makes me a lot better generally. I have asthma but it’s not brittle. I’m on Seretide 250. Montelukast gives me nightmares. Relvar made me cough more. Fostair made me crazy. I have a few chest infections and tend to take pred/anti biotics 4-5 times a year.
The consultant shrugs and says asthmatics cough. He says I’m fit. I went to my gp 2 weeks ago because I was coughing blood and had an x Ray which was clear but she gave me antibiotics and the coughing stopped for a week. Now it is back.
I’m at my wits end! I hate coughing. I sound like an old man. And I am a young-ish woman. What should I do? Go back and ask for more anti biotics? I think I have a chest infection that just won’t shift but the doctors think it’s viral and it’s my asthma.
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gamba
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If it’s your asthma then it’s uncontrolled. I coughed up gunk for years until they gave me new meds (I get asthmatic bronchitis).
Is your consultant an asthma specialist or just respiratory? It sounds like he’s looking for COPD or bronchiectasis. I’m a severe asthmatic, I’ve had multiple xrays which are always clear, and my sats only jump about and change when I’m really ill (I have also never coughed up blood 😵).
You could ask your GP to do a sputum test if they won’t give you antibiotics - that could show if it’s bacterial or viral! If the antibiotics stopped the cough and symptoms then explain that to your doc - it could be that it helped but didn’t kill the bug!
Thanks Emma - there’s some things to try at least. He is in respiratory, I don’t know if he is an asthma specialist. He’s confirmed it’s definitely not copd and it is asthma.
The blood seems to be from coughing so hard - the gunk is often really sticky and I can’t breathe until I cough it up, it’s like I’m choking on it.
I’ll try and see the gp again tomorrow and see if they can test it. Otherwise my next consultant appointment is November so I’ll complain loudly then!
If it’s a matter of just shifting it you could also try asking about carbocisteine - I know it’s meant for COPD but when my chest is bad it helps to break down the gunk so it’s easier to cough up so a short course helps (I don’t have COPD either!). Sounds silly but also drink lots, it can help make it less sticky x
I actually think the consultant recommended that but my asthma nurse didn’t think it was appropriate. It is frustrating when you don’t get the full story and you feel like you’re being talked about and talked to rather than discussed with.
See a McTimony chiropractor. If the head is out of alignment you can institute a coughing reflex. Coughing all the time drains the system.
See an Alexander Teacher who knows about breathing. To breathe effectively you need relaxed rib muscles. All the coughing you have been engaged in has probably tightened them considerably.
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