i am 56,female and have never smoked although my mum did. for the last 12 months i have had 3 long bouts of flu?-where i had a very drycough

[patsy57]

cough ,sore throat glands ,total fatigue and then a chest infection.

in between these bouts my cough continued but not as bad as it was.

for the last 6 weeks i have had the cough plus raised glands,temperatures and sweats especially at night,a very hoarse voice and sore chest from coughing.i have coughing fits that i cant control and make me feel i am choking.

no phlegm or blood in cough.i have difficulty breathing when i do anything requiring some physical effort such as climbing the stairs or unloading dishwasher,and my SATS at the gp last week were 92 with a peak flow of 300.

after a year of this i am desperate to sort it.

i had one xray in may and another one next week-plus bood test,

is there anything else i should do or talk to my gp about?

[LorraineD Partner Roy Castle]

Hello Patsy

It can be very worrying when you are having repeated problems and don't have an obvious answer. It is good that you have had a chest x ray and the Doctor is following up. Some people find keeping a record/ diary of their symptoms, what might trigger them and how they impact daily useful. It is also worth talking to your doctor about the range of symptoms you are experiencing and the overall impact it is having on you.

Do talk to your doctor about your concerns regarding lung cancer, it is better for him/her to know how worried you are. Although your risk is lower as a non-smoker it is worth ensuring you have all the relevant tests to find out whether you have an underlying cause of your chest problems. Take a list of questions with you if that would help you to feel less stressed during the appointment.

Our website has some useful information if this becomes relevant to you.

I hope your doctor and these tests help get you an answer,

best wishes

Lorraine

on behalf of the Information & Support team

Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

[patsy57 in reply to LorraineD]

thankyou that is very helpful

pat