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Thu 6 Dec, 2012 10:18 pm
I started getting sick about a month ago. Had really bad sinus congestion and was producing a green discharge when I blew my nose. At that point, I wasn't coughing. I went to my doctor and was diagnosed with a sinus infection and prescribed Augmentin to clear out the infection. A few days after I started the Augmentin, I began to start coughing. It wasn't a productive cough, but it wouldn't get any better after I tried cough drops, Robitussin, and Sudafed with pseudoephedrine (all after I was finished with the Augmentin). When I breathe, there is a slight wheeze upon exhaling, and I can't seem to get rid of the cough. I've been to the doctor twice more in the last two weeks and have been told both times that my lungs sound amazing considering the cough I have. Right before I got sick, my mother was hospitalized with pneumonia and water in the sack around her heart, so I asked my doctor to check on that to rule out pneumonia. The doctors have both told me that I don't sound like pneumonia is present, however no chest x-rays have been done. On 11/26, I was prescribed Tessalon to take during the day and Robitussin with codeine to take when I went to bed. I did this for a week, and there was no improvement with my cough, instead it got worse to where it was waking me up in the middle of the night and making me physically sick. The latest doctor's visit resulted in another round of antibiotics, this time a Z-pack and advice to continue the current cough prescription with the adjustment being to take the Tessalon as well as the Robitussin with codeine when I go to bed. I know this may sound bad, but I've now developed a pain in my rib cage when I cough or move my upper body. Tomorrow is my last day on the Z-pack, but my cough is still not getting any better. I called my primary care doctor to call in a refill for my cough medicines, but haven't heard anything from his office and I am now out of the Tessalon. Last year, I was misdiagnosed with bronchitis three times and during that period was prescribed a Preventil inhaler, which I only used briefly during that period. I have used the inhaler more lately to aide in my breathing, but it's not helping that much either. What could this be?? I am tired of being sick but don't know what to do to make myself any better.
@taylor anne,
Have any of your doctors ordered a chest x-ray? If not, get one.
Rather than just calling your doctor for a refill, call and report that you aren't feeling better and that the meds being given to you aren't having an effect.
@taylor anne,
Maybe you need to have yourself thoroughly checked. This way you can be clearer on what your sickness is.
If at all possible, I would get a new doctor to check this out.
@edgarblythe,
I'm with Edgar on this one.
@edgarblythe,
I went to my normal doctor twice out of the three times, but then went to a different doctor the third visit and they both said the same thing, that my lungs sound clear and amazing considering how bad my cough currently is. I have a feeling that I have done somthing to my ribs with all the coughing, but it's a little better after taking some Ibuprofen. I got more cough medicine this afternoon, but if it doesn't get better this weekend, I will definitely be going back to the doctor on Monday.
@taylor anne,
I will say that there is a bad cold bug going around. I was down with it for about two weeks with a head cold and it gradually moved into my chest to the point that I thought I might be experiencing something similar to a bacterial lung infection I had about 12 years ago. I had some leftover antibiotics and took a couple of those and it cleared up almost immediately for the most part. It left me with a nagging cough and a lot of phlegm that I finally got rid of a few days ago after taking an OTC expectorate for a week to loosen up the phlegm.
You don't say how old you are or what your general health condition is. My 83-year old mother had pains in her ribs a few years ago and finally went into the urgent care clinic where they did a chest x-ray and noticed fluid in her lungs. The doctor wrote out a prescription for her, thinking she had pneumonia, but when she told him she didn't feel sick, he thought further and ordered a doppler test. Turns out she had massive blood clots that had traveled up from her leg to her lungs and she was rushed by ambulance to the hospital in an attempt to save her life. Thank goodness that doctor listened to his patient!
So, if you aren't feeling better, speak up. If you don't feel well enough to speak up for yourself, bring someone along with you that can be your advocate. Insist they get to the bottom of it and not brush it off as just a cough that doesn't sound like pneumonia. Insist, at the very least, they do a chest x-ray.
@Butrflynet,
I'm 23 years old. Generally good health. Quit smoking 3 months ago (YAY!) I also am very rarely sick, but when I do get sick, it tends to hit me really hard. I don't feel like I have any phlegm in my chest, it's just a dry cough that won't go away. Today was a better day than I've had in a long time. My cough wasn't as bad today and only occurred when I took too deep of a breath or righ after I woke up from a nap. I took ibuprophen for my rib pain because I called my Dr and he told me that I likely pulled a muscle between my ribs from coughing so much.
@taylor anne,
UPDATE:
had a really bad night last night so I went back to the doctor. Got a chest xray and it came back clear. No pneumonia (thank God) but the doctor wants me to have some further lung testing done to determine if my issues are stemming from asthma (which is present in my dad's side of the family). The doctor also put me on cipro as well as a steroid to see if those help. The pharmacist said to continue the cough meds and maybe things will get better sooner rather than later.
@taylor anne,
I'm sure this is distressing, but it sounds like someone is paying attention now.
@ossobuco,
the first thing my doctor said when he walked into the room was, "you're supposed to be better by now." we talked about what all I'm going throughhow I've been tobacco free for 3 months and he listened to my heart and lungs. I brought up asthma because it was something my mom and I talked about that. I thought it was a long shot but when the doctor mentioned the testing, it became a real possibility.
@taylor anne,
Let this whole episode be a good incentive to not slip back into smoking again.
You should also be aware that now that your own lungs are healing from all that smoke, and with your impaired breathing, you will indeed be very sensitive to secondhand smoke and smoke of any kind.
I used to love occasionally going to casinos or bingo parlors with my dad and his relatives when I visited with them. One of my last visits with him before he got too sick, we went to a smoke-filled bingo parlor and sat in the no-smoking section. I thought I was going to suffocate. I couldn't stay in there. And, yes, I used to be a smoker too. In fact, this year may make it 20 years since I last smoked.
@ossobuco,
I thought I was doing better after starting the steroids. Yesterday morning, though, I had a pretty intense coughing fit that landed me in the ER. Thought I may have broken a rib because as I coughed, I felt a crunch in my side and then couldn't move or breathe for a good period of time. I called my primary doctor's office and his nurse told me that I needed to go to the ER, so I did. I was given another chest x-ray, which came back clear, but the ER doctor listened to my lungs after hearing that I had been sick for the last month (now going on close to 6 weeks) and ordered two nebulizer treatments. They made me have to cough more, which killed my side, but they helped me breathe a bit easier, which is pointing my issues towards my potentially having asthma (makes my quitting smoking even better now). The nurse came in the room to give me my discharge instructions and asked me if I'd had asthma for long, I told her I had never been formally diagnosed with it but that I have testing scheduled for January. The ER doctor told me I don't need the third round of antibiotics, but to continue the steroids I've been prescribed as well as my inhaler and to stay away from narcotics, so no more robitussin at bed time. He told me for my side to just take ibuprofen otc (because he "wouldn't want me on narcotics if I was his sister" so he didn't want to prescribe them to me) and after a couple of adjustments to the amount, I am doing much better today. I am able to get up and somewhat move around where I couldn't yesterday. I'm still sore, and more so when I cough, but the ibuprofen is definitely helping. I'm also going to my primary for a followup tomorrow morning.
@taylor anne,
Thanks for the update. Ai yi yi, a lot of trouble to get what is going on figured out. I'm liking the ER doctor and nurse.
Did this all start when you closed up your house and turned on the furnace? I don't know where you live but it sounds like bronchitis and cipro isn't going to help. I really, really wish drs would stop writing cipro scrips without a culture-based diagnosis. Make sure you're taking a good probiotic when you take the cipro. That stuff is brutal on your gut flora/fauna.
If, perchance, you live in a part of the country that gets cold in Nov and you started breathing furnace air around that time then I suggest you get a humidifier and increase the humidity of the air you're breathing.
@taylor anne,
they may be missing the simplest cause, a deep sinus infection. Do you have any tooth problems besides?
I had a deep sinus infection many years ago when working in a tropical environment and it took about a year to get rid of
JPB's idea of bronchitis with furnace association makes sense as a possibility to me; I have a nasal version of it each year.
I also agree with her, extremely strongly, being against prescribing Cipro with no culture (or culture and sensitivities, as I used to do in my lab days). I don't at all like the antibio push as a kind of envelope to help - JPB will know what I mean.
I'm sorry I didn't mention this opinion before - I don't always speak up about what someone's doctor does.
This year, the week I turned the furnace on, I sneezed for four days straight. My nose dripped as I walked down the hall, my pockets already full of wet tissue. Good thing it's tile and that I have pockets. I recognize this from past years in this house with its antiquated furnace contraption. I also have had asthma in my past, but not lately. Still have an inhaler handy, though it is probably out of date.
I've never had, knock on wood, a sinus infection in my life, but I hear about them. A friend got a sinus infection around the time I became queen of sneezing, and is still dealing with it. We turned our heaters on around the same time.
Anyway, taylor anne, keep pushing for this to be figured out.
Whooping Cough.
Do a culture.
Joe( It's back and MDs under 5o years old have never seen a case.)Nation
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