Persistent cough making it difficult to sleep

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meanwhile do things that will comfort your throat so that it will less likely be irritated and cough, like continue the menthol and humidification.

Thanks. I have been applying the Vicks Vaporub. I see as well that in the next couple of days the absolute humidity will increase tremendously.

Well, I've still been using my meds and I just finished my antibiotics today. My cough seems to have improved a bit, but I still have coughing fits. Like when I came to work and ran from the car to the entrance and sat down, I started having a major coughing fit and at the end I had difficulty breathing, though now it's improved. And yes, I applied Vicks Vaporub before coming to work; also, today is not nearly as dry as it has been, which might have contributed to some of the improvement, though it wasn't enough to stop that coughing fit.

please don't run at least until you are healed up more, especially in this cold weather, that will only aggravate and delay your healing.

Actually, it's mild today. Nevertheless, I will take what you say under advisement.

I seem to be having some breathing issues. At lunch, I lay down a little bit, and I started feeling congested and my breath started sounding a bit like Darth Vader's. I also noticed I had to work a bit harder at breathing and I started having some mildly productive coughs, some of which were high-pitched. Even after returning to work, I still have this.

EDIT: I notice too that I've gotten this a lot in the past.

that sounds like asthma.

Thanks. I'm calling my doctor.

Ugh! This high humidity causes me to feel congestion in my throat.

Doctor called back and said she's prescribing a decongestant. I wonder if she misunderstood me, however, because I did leave a message. I see decongestants are used for the upper respiratory tract and nasal congestion, which is like from the throat up, but my congestion has been mostly in the chest. I've had little to no nasal congestion. Now that it's the weekend, however, with Christmas coming up, I may not be able to rectify this any time soon.

maybe the decongestant is related to post nasal drip that keeps irritating your lungs and making you cough?

Possibly. I've moved my tongue up into my nasopharynx, though, and I feel some mucus, but it's not particularly voluminous or thick. My cough is somewhat productive, though.

I guess it's worth a shot.

moved your tongue up into your nasopharynx? that is a flexible tongue. anyways, post-nasal drip is not thick mucus but thin and runny.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/16-way ... asier.html
the above link has some useful suggestions for dealing with breathing difficulties.

Thanks.

Well, I went last night to my pharmacy expecting to get a decongestant, but they just gave me an antibiotic instead. I took it back, because no one told me I was getting an antibiotic. This is the 2nd time in the last month the doctor's office messed up my prescription--first time was because of illegible handwriting. Maybe I should go back to my allergist.

I spoke to the pharmacist about what I should take; he said that because I'm taking an asthma medication (the Dulera) I should not get an over-the-counter decongestant, but that I could try Mucinex. Since I already had Mucinex at home, I thanked him, and went home and took it. Haven't noticed much difference, though. Nevertheless, the air will become dryer starting tonight, after becoming even more humid than this morning later this afternoon.

EDIT: As well, the doctor's office always has Fox News on in the waiting room.

I'm seeing my allergist Thursday morning. My coughing seems to have gotten a lot better over the past few days, but I did have some issues today. When I put on the Vaporub, my breathing seemed to get heavier--I wonder if the Vaporub irritated my lungs? When I had some popsicles, I started having a coughing fit--it seemed to be because of the cold.

the sugar in the popsicles also could have been an irritant to your throat.

I spoke with the doctor's office again; turns out she intended to prescribe me antibiotics again: a second round of the same antibiotic I had just finished last week. They denied ever mentioning anything about a decongestant. I'm just going to go see that allergist, I told them.