Productive cough

[missgoddess]

Hey guys! Need some advice/cures/help!

Ever since I was little I get at least one really bad cold a year...i'm not just talking sniffles, i mean a really bad cough, where I usually end up having to cough stuff up about four times an hour. It keeps me awake all night and i find the whole thing distressing...it affects my life cuz i hate going out when i'm like it cuz i know the chances are i'm going to have a massive coughing fit and run to a loo to cough up the phelgm.

When I was 18 I had a particulary bad period of this cough during my A Levels. My GP was unsympathetic, saying i merely had a cold and basically would have to deal with it the best way possible. I think my teachers thought my illness was caused by my emet and were also unsympathetic. For one exam I spent so much time trying not to cough I ended up having to go outside where I had the most almighty coughing fit whilst shaking and crying. In such circumstances the cough is not only annoying for me, but for those trying to work around me. I ended up sitting the rest of my exams in the medical room where I could use the toliet as I wished, but i'm pretty sure it annoyed the hell out of the teachers.

Anyway so now i'm in my third year of uni and the dreaded cough hasn't visited me in a while...until now. I have exams next week and I am suffering with a stinking cold now which I think may turn into the cough. It's affecting my revision as I just feel so tired all the time. The thought of sitting in a huge exam room for two hours whilst i'm ill again scares the hell out of me.

Seen as my GP doesn't care, and no over the counter medicines help, does anyone know how I can get rid of this, or at least get rid of the phlegm out of my system now, before I have to sit the exams? Thr annoying thing is I don't know anyone else who suffers with this...i know people who have colds and coughs but no who has a cough that makes them cough stuff up all time. The only people I know who do get it are little kids, so I have no one to ask for advice. Please help people!!! I'm so scared (

[chicajojobe]

Are you a smoker?

I know that some people who smoke get bad coughs and bronchitis more often and worse than nonsmokers.

However, if that's the case, I understand that you might not like the idea of trying to quit while you're sick and just going into exams.

When I have bad congestion what helps me is running a humidifier at night, taking a hot shower in the mornings, cups of hot tea or chicken soup, and there's also an over the counter medicine that we have here in the US called Mucinex which is supposed to thin out the mucus. The actual drug in it is called guaifenesin so if you have an equivalent with a different brand name in the UK you can find it. The only thing is that which that medicine you have to drink a lot of water for it to work right.

Also for your exams. Don't worry about annoying people. You can't help that you're sick. It's not like you chose to be, as a matter of fact, if you had</span> a choice in the matter I'm sure you'd chose not to be. Plus, you're the one living through it so it's far more annoying for you than anyone else. Having a bad cough is annoying enough in itself, but having to concentrate on your exams at the same time is even worse.
I don't know if cough drops or lozenges help you, but if they do then maybe you could bring some in your pockets. Also you could bring some tissues with you if your cough does turn productive. That's gross to think about, I know, but, just remember, you can't help that you're sick.

Edited by: chicajojobe

[missgoddess]

thanks chica...nope i don't smoke...i kinda wish i did cuz then i'd at least understand why i was suffering so bad...i've just woke up from a nap...i still have so much revision to do yet all i feel like doing is sleeping grr [img]smileys/smilies_07.gif[/img] oh well...i will try drinking lots of tea and soup like you suggested...

any other tips would be much appreciated

[sqil30]

You can get cough syrup from the store that will control the phlem and mucus, trust me it will really help you!


I hope you feel better soon. I HATE productive coughs!

[missgoddess]

update: i went to a different doctor today and he took my coughs really seriously! he said it may be chest infections so perscribed me antibiotics and if they don't work he will run some tests! i'm really glad someone is finally listening! yay!

[Galadriel]

Hey glad you have a doc who is taking you serious! I hope he can help you figure out what the deal is with it.