Any suggestions for relief?

[Tessybear]

I’m taking amoxicillin for an upper respiratory tract infection and have a horrible mucous cough that just isn’t clearing and is keeping me awake at night. The phlegm just keeps on coming! Any suggestions for a good way to clear it? I’ve been doing steam inhalations and drinking lemon with honey. Need some sleep!

[Hidden]

It sounds to me that you are on the wrong antibiotic. Get your GP to send off some sputum to be tested and hopefully they will come up with bacteria which is causing the trouble and the right antibiotic to knock it on the head.

[sassy59]

I agree with Littlepom, it sounds as if you need a different antibiotic.

Hope you feel better soon. Xxxx

[O2Trees]

Agree with LP and Sassy re the AB.

Another thing might be to temporally stop eating dairy products (if you do eat them!). When Ive been ill I have learnt not to eat milk, cheese, butter etc as they make me even worse. Dairy products do not, according to research, cause extra mucus in the lungs, but DO appear to cause this in the upper respiratory airways, sinuses etc with some people.

Despite being well for some time now, Ive had a non-infected ongoing cough producing loads of mucus which at times almost choked me with laryngospasm where the airways would temporally block and air not be able to get in or out (about half a second but it feels longer!) So this last Friday I decided to stop milk and cheese and have had a dramatic reduction of mucus in my throat in just three days. Not nothing, but about 2/3 reduced which has made the situation manageable.

So not a solution in itself but it might be something to try alongside getting the best AB. Wishing you better

[RoadRunner44]

Hi, Ask your physio to show you how to huff. This is a way of moving the phlegm to enable you to spit it out. I have bronchiectasis and use an ACAPELLA a small hand held object specifically designed for you to blow into, which shake the contents of the lungs. The phlegm can then be coughed up more easily. Ask your consultant about having one.

[victoriablue]

Agree with other comments wrong medication. I have copd and found Amoxcillian is no help to me I now take Doxycicllian for 7 days had a sputum test to find out x

[Carnut]

I suffer with the same symptoms but not as a result of taking amoxicillin which has been beneficial to me in the past. I use the breathing and cough technique to clear the mucus before going to bed. I also find sleeping on my left side in the classic recovery position helps me. I hope this is of some help to you. 😊

[Maverick2]

It may be the case of wrong antibiotic or viral infection. you have to wait for culture results. vitamin C or D in the meantime may help.

[Tessybear]

Thanks. I did go back to see my GP, and a mucous sample has been sent off. He said meanwhile I should take another broad spectrum antibiotic alongside the amoxicillin called Clarythromycin.

Things have slightly improved and I have managed to get some sleep. Still having awful coughing bouts, though not continuously, and bringing up white instead of green mucous, so some change has happened. Fingers crossed .