Coughing....

[TryingSoHard]

Now, apologies in advance if this gets a little graphic, but I'm just wondering how common this is.

When I get back from a run, for the next few hours I find I'm coughing quite a bit. It's a kind of wheezy cough, but I do sometimes cough up green gunk.

My lungs aren't in brilliant shape (had a few run-ins with pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy etc etc over the years and have been left with scarring), so I can kind of understand the wheeziness. But the green gunk worries me a little - I've always been told that when gunk goes green there's an infection to blame. I don't feel ill in anyway though, so am just wondering whether it's possible that the extra exercise my lungs are getting is giving them the opportunity to clear out their furthest and most darkest corners of the stuff that's lurking from infections gone by.

Has anyone else experienced similar?

[sfb350 Graduate]

I coughed nastily for a long time after I gave up smoking. I think, in your situation, I'd speak to the doctor for peace of mind.

[TryingSoHard Graduate in reply to sfb350]

Hmmmm... I know you're right.... I just hate going there unless I really need to! I feel perfectly well, and am doubtlessly fitter than I have ever been!

[geenance]

I used to cough 'mightily' after engaging in 'anaerobic' exercise (short hard bursts, like playing basketball or squash)particularly if it was early in the season. As I got in better shape through the course of the season, it would disappear. The coughing would start about 15 minutes after I stopped the activity and would go on for about an hour.

I was told it was 'exercise-incuded bronchoconstriction', sort of like a mild type of asthma. Apparently the bronchial tubes would be irritated by the sudden, excessive 'activity'. While I have always been prone to respiratory weakness (when I get a cold, it quite often lingers with a cough for weeks) I have never smoked. I suspect that the end result would be similar though.

Having said that, I never coughed up green gunk. I think that is worth asking your doctor about (in addition to the fact that I am not a professional so you should take anything I said above with a grain of salt).

Hopefully it means that this exercise is getting rid of some 'stuff' that it wants to expel from your body?? Good luck!

[geenance in reply to geenance]

typo: 'exercise-induced'

[TryingSoHard Graduate in reply to geenance]

Thank you. Yes, I definitely want rid of that 'stuff'!

[geenance in reply to TryingSoHard]

Looking back at my reply...it sounds kind of harsh, certainly not the tone I meant. All the best with your running! Hopefully the coughing will ease gradually from here.

[TryingSoHard Graduate in reply to geenance]

I don't think it sounded at all harsh - it was very informative and gave me a good explanation as to what might be going on with me!

[Jennyh543]

Hello

I have mild asthma and get exactly the same if I don't use my inhaler before a run. Personally I find antihistamines also help with it too. But that's just me. Maybe its worth you popping to the docs to ask?

Jenny

[TryingSoHard Graduate in reply to Jennyh543]

Thank you, it's good to know I'm not alone. And yes, I will mention it to the doc and see what she has to say.

[roundbutsound Graduate]

I cough a lot for a while after I've finished running, I haven't examined the 'produce' so I can't comment on that but it doesn't taste good I just thought I was clearing out bits of my lungs I haven't used for about 40 years or so. Ask the doctor to set your mind at rest.

[TryingSoHard Graduate in reply to roundbutsound]

Clearing out unused bits of my lungs - That's my assumption too, and between us, we can't be wrong.

Thanks.

[Oldgirl Graduate]

After all the lung problems you've been through I commend you for doing C25K, I know how bad pleurisy can be as my eldest son has had it twice. I'm also asthmatic and cough after running but don't usually bring anything up. I would say like the others get your doc to check it for you, if for no other reason than to give you peace of mind. Good luck with the rest of the programme.

[TryingSoHard Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Thanks. And yes, you're right - pleurisy in particular is no fun.

Admittedly there have been times in the past when I've thought "I can't do that, my lungs are rubbish" but at a certain point I realised how much better it feels to think "I did that even though my lungs are rubbish".

Sometimes it is nothing more than mindset that decides whether we're victims or survivors.

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to TryingSoHard]

The nurse has be amazed at the improvement in my lung capacity when checking my asthma since I started running.