Cough for a year

[Liberty82]

Hi, I'm new here. I'm a 37 year old female. I used to smoke but never heavily, just socially from the age of 11, I stopped at the age of 27 but I would have the odd one when I had drink. Last July after a 3 day bender on holiday and smoking a fair bit I came home with a cough, it was like post nasal drip tmi but gunk coming from everywhere. Ever since then, especially in the mornings I was coughing stuff up nothing too nasty looking just normal looking phlegm. I was totally convinced it was my stomach causing the problem as my oxygen levels were normal and I'd go to the gym doing HIIT regularly and it caused no problems. I began smoking fairly heavily last Oct after a family tragedy, I gave up at the end of March and went on the e cig. 2 weeks off the cigs my cough almost disappeared. But it's come back, maybe not as bad, my chest crackles and wheezes a lot. It has come back a fair bit cuz I puff on my e cig fairly regularly. I was still convinced it was my stomach even when a doc heard crackling in my left lung, he gave me antibiotics but I didn't take them cuz my chest had improved.

Roll on 2 months, I'm still vaping and the wheezing was so bad the other night the doctor gave me an emergency appointment and said I had a lower lung infection. My sis was with me who is a nurse so helped explained to me afterwards that's it's not like a usual URI, this was more serious in the lower lungs. She didn't say what it was just gave me antibiotics and made an appointment for me at the respiratory clinic. I feel well, but I've been told to rest and not do anything physical like go to the gym. Would anyone have any idea what this could be? I know you cannot diagnose but I'm a bit baffled when things come up about pneumonia and things even more sinister, could I have this for so long and feel well? Thanks for any replies x

[hypercat54]

Hi it sounds like what it is - a lung infection. Make sure you take the ab's this time and it should sort it. x

[Liberty82 in reply to hypercat54]

Thanks for your reply. I'm taking my antibiotics religiously. I haven't noticed any improvement yet but I'm hoping to get off the ecig over the next few weeks too x

[hypercat54 in reply to Liberty82]

Well I would have a word with your sister then and see what she says. You might need a different ab or even a course of steroids as well.

I was just going to reply saying exactly what Badbessie said. I gave up for 17 months and I couldn't use the vapour coz it made me cough again. However I tried a friends one and that was fine. I have unfortunately gone back to smoking though.

You might be better off with the little white inhalator which you can either get free from the doctors but you can buy them in the chemists. They have a nicotine cartridge in them so there is no smoke and they don't make you cough.

I hope you feel better soon. x

[Liberty82 in reply to hypercat54]

Thanks, my dad used these coming off cigs and he was successful as he hasn't smoked in 6 years. I'm going to buy some of Monday, it's a great idea which I hadn't thought of. Thanks

[Liberty82 in reply to hypercat54]

My docs actually has a smoking clinic so I might be able to pick some up there.

[Badbessie]

I gave up smoking a few years back. I vaped to help me stop. Even after a year I still had the cough etc. Basically I formed the opinion that it was the vaping that was causing the problem. More specifically the type of juice I was using and my inability to alter the amount of vapor from my ecig. I brought a more expensive machine which allowed me to control the amount of vapor and played around with the various juices and found that certain types caused real problems with my chest. My first thought after reading your post was is it the vaping that is causing the problem?

[Liberty82 in reply to Badbessie]

I first noticed a mild crackle when I was given a short course of diazipam last Jan and I didn't smoke at all then. The problem really reared its head last July after a 3 day holiday in benidorm where I was drinking and smoking. It continued and then I started smoking last Oct so I never thought it was the cigs, til I stopped and noticed a big improvement but now with vaping I don't cough up gunk every morning like I used to but the wheezes and crackles are still there. I took a MASSIVE panic attack last Oct, I'd never had one before and I couldn't breathe (well that's what it felt like) my husband had to phone an ambulance because we both thought I was dying. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. It took the paramedics an hour to get me breathing properly and I still didn't believe it was a panic attack, I was sure they would leave me to die, at that time my lungs sounded clear so it's obviously worsened a fair bit since then. They said it was the worst panic attack they had ever seen, I had pins and needles everywhere and was starting to black out but apparently it because I was taking in too much oxygen. When they left it started all over again. It lasted 4 hours and it happened it our business so I was stuck there until my mother in law came and gave me a diazipam and I could start breathing normally again. The paramedics gave me great tips for controlling a panic attack but now I feel like I've got fairly good insight into how it feels to not be able to breathe and I don't feel I could tell the difference if it was a panic attack like that or it was my lung function diminishing. I have an absolute new sense of respect for people with serious lung conditions, how terrifying it must be to actually not be able to breathe.

I just use the oils from home bargains. I didn't even realising vaping was bad for you until all this started. What oils do you use. I've managed to get down 3% oil mixed with the tiniest bit of 11 but I honestly hope to have stopped by the next week or 2. I think I enjoy it rather than be addicted to it because I go for hours without it if I'm out with my mum or the kids.

[Badbessie in reply to Liberty82]

When I vaped I found that the juice with the fruity and candy type of flavours caused the most problem especially the ones brought at the bargain shops which gave me a tight chest at times and a wheeze. I was a great supporter of vaping basically because it stopped me smoking. But now I have my doubts as since I stopped I have lost the symptoms I had. I can empathize with your anxiety because like most people who have a lung condition you can become hyper aware of your breathing and at times it can lead to a high anxiety state.

[Shaurene]

It is obviously the Ecig and your odd fag. I am 77 been suffering really bad with lung probs, accut bronchitis 2 times a year in 4 years pneumonia 5 times. Caughing none stop cups of flem, I smoked from 14 yrs old, September 16 last year I stopped with those smoke tablets have not had a puff since,I am breathing great,not had any Bronchitis since, it is great. You are 37 give it up NOW, YOU COULD EASY END UP WITH CANCER. Do not overdo the excersises at the gym. Do what is comfortable to you body. Come on, you can do it.

Stretch your lungs morning and night. Take a deep breath and swallow mouth fulls of air so your lungs expand/stretch till it hurts a little and then pucker your lips and exhaling slowly. Do it in bed morning and night. It is a well known Japanies thing. You will notice in less than a week your breathing feels so good.

[peege]

You've come to the right place. Crackles sounds from the lungs is a sign of infection. There are different sounds coming from our lungs, swishings, scratchings, gurgling, rasping and crackles! GPs diagnose with their stethoscope. There are so many lung diseases, not only copd so it's a great pity you didn't take the abs the first time round - they don't hand out abs lightly anymore - I did that for years too and got far worse in the long run weakening my immune system resulting in pneumonia 5 times in less than 2 years.

This time round, if you're not better a couple of days before the end of the abs course go back to the doc (don't be fobbed off with an appointment in 3 weeks time) you may need a second course. Which one did they give you?

Great they they're taking you seriously in referring you to a specialist.

Good luck, take care. P

[Liberty82 in reply to peege]

They gave me amoxicillin to be taken for a week. This is day 3 and there is still no change. X

[peege in reply to Liberty82]

Oh dear, a week is probably not long enough, most of us here would insist on at least 10 days. It could be that the fact you haven't had antibiotics for a long time it might work in 7 days.

Call on Tuesday to get get your lungs listened to to ensure they're clear, if not you'll need at least another weeks worth. Then repeat the process - going back to GP, until infection has cleared (with different antibiotics probably).

Drink plenty of fluids, effervescent vitamin c in a pint glass is my go to to help fight infection, that and probiotics.

And please, never smoke again! 😜

PS amoxicillin has never, ever worked for me

[Hidden in reply to Liberty82]

It is probably the wrong antibiotic. Old fashioned and anout as useful as smarties against most bugs.

[2greys]

Perhaps this article could give you an insight to what may be going on, time to quit nicotine?

news-medical.net/news/20190...

[Schmicter]

Hope the antibiotics work for you and clear up that cough. You have to stop vaping to prevent recurrence. Those chemicals in the vape (propylene glycol, and glycerine) you breathe in are large molecules that can settle in your lungs, and not get absorbed. Only one body reaction to that is coughing. I think the propylene glycol can absorb water, and the glycerine is a form of sugar, neither good to settle into your lungs.

[Liberty82]

I've really cut down on the vaping but I have to admit it is hard. It's odd, in all my life I was never addicted to cigarettes, my friends used to be baffled on how I could just start and stop by after my cousin died tragically 9 months ago I became addicted at the age of 36! I'm going to ring the docs again on Tues morning if there is no change, my sister is a nurse and thought it may be athesma? The sounds are much worse if I take anything with codeine in or I take diazipam sometimes if I feel really anxious and I notice I sound like darth vader and Im guessing because these are respiratory suppressants they make it sound much worse. It's massively improved after stopping cigarettes but I can still hear whistling when I'm trying to sleep at night x