I've been coughing for nearly 3 months now

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iliopsoas

Golden Member
Jul 14, 2001
1,844
2
0
Originally posted by: neonerd
wtf is going on :confused:

*i coughed 3 times while making this post*

went to the doctor, he gave me some pills or whatever....well they're not helping

you may have cough variant asthma, which is often underdiagnosed.

other things to consider: pneumonia, bronchitis, other infectious etiologies.

 

badmouse

Platinum Member
Dec 3, 2003
2,862
2
0
Originally posted by: Ornery
Pffft, I coughed for well over a year. Actually, it was about 9 months before I went to the wondrous doctors. Then, I coughed another 9 months under their care. First the GP gives you the standard allergy meds and X-ray. After he's billed you for a few follow up visits, he sends you to a pulmonary specialist. He gives you more meds, breathing tests, and cat scan. After he's billed you for a few visits, he sends you to an ear, nose & throat guy. He shoves a scope up your nose, gives you meds, and maybe an X-ray and/or cat scan. After he's billed you for a few visits, he lets things alone for a while to see if the meds (which you've taken since day one with no improvement) do any good.

After a while, you go to your new GP, because the old one wouldn't OK a visit to a specialist, and complain that you're still coughing. He notes in your records that you've been to the best specialists in the area, so he doesn't know what to suggest... oh, and he gives you more of the same allergy meds you've been taking.

After a couple years go by, the cough will be replaced by a nearly constant runny nose, but you'll sleep well knowing how you've added to the income of your neighborhood doctors, specialists, medical centers, and all the people who work under them!
Wow. Been there, done that. I'm printing out your reply and putting it on the bulletin board that has the phone numbers of all the doctors, just to remind me that I'm not the only one.

Cough, cough, sniff.
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,022
17
81
That's not all, Pat. I was recently turned down for low cost life insurance because my records indicated to the insurance company, that I had chronic bronchitis. Funny they could come up with that diagnosis, yet the doctors couldn't. :roll:
 

damonpip

Senior member
Mar 11, 2003
635
0
0
I would guess whooping cough. I had it, along with several other people I know, and we did not have the distinctive sounding cough. It was bad for a month, but it is getting better now (2 months). Apparently the coughing can continue for several months after the infection has been killed.
 

Bryophyte

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
13,430
13
81
If you haven't already, get your doctor to test you for asthma. The fact that you already have allergies makes you a good candidate for it. I coughed for months when I was 18, until I couldn't stand up and would cough up blood sometimes, and my doctor called it bronchitis repeatedly. He finally tested me for asthma. DOH, sorry! Here's an inhaler.
 

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
21,330
1
81
When I was younger, I actually coughed for over 8 months straight. Went to the doctor's office numerous times, and it only got better after the doctor prescribed steroids. Your theory about the dry air attributing to it is also true. I couldn't have the air conditioner turned on in my room or cars because it also dehumidified the air, causing me to cough like a mofo.
 

z0mb13

Lifer
May 19, 2002
18,106
1
76
Originally posted by: BigJ
When I was younger, I actually coughed for over 8 months straight. Went to the doctor's office numerous times, and it only got better after the doctor prescribed steroids. Your theory about the dry air attributing to it is also true. I couldn't have the air conditioner turned on in my room or cars because it also dehumidified the air, causing me to cough like a mofo.

steroids??

did you grow a lot of muscle?
 

skim milk

Diamond Member
Apr 8, 2003
5,784
1
0
Originally posted by: FoBoT
Originally posted by: slycat
u got TB...tubercolossis.

yeah, TB

i had that once, but i got better

don''t worry


too much

I got that as well

I never had any health problems so when I tested positive for a TB infection, I started getting paranoid

anyways, the doc gave me some pills, I was supposed to take them for 6 months to a year everyday, i took my first load for three months, after i ran out of the pills, to get a refill, I had to go see another doctor. Since I'm not insured and dont have my own physician, I never got around to doing that. This summer, I'm going to see a doctor and a prescription again and get rid of this infection.

How does it affect you? i don't cough that much, but will it get worse?
 

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
21,330
1
81
Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: BigJ
When I was younger, I actually coughed for over 8 months straight. Went to the doctor's office numerous times, and it only got better after the doctor prescribed steroids. Your theory about the dry air attributing to it is also true. I couldn't have the air conditioner turned on in my room or cars because it also dehumidified the air, causing me to cough like a mofo.

steroids??

did you grow a lot of muscle?

Steroids (in small dosages) are actually prescribed a lot more often than people think. And no I didn't grow a lot of muscle, I was 11.
 

neonerd

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2003
8,746
1
0
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: BigJ
When I was younger, I actually coughed for over 8 months straight. Went to the doctor's office numerous times, and it only got better after the doctor prescribed steroids. Your theory about the dry air attributing to it is also true. I couldn't have the air conditioner turned on in my room or cars because it also dehumidified the air, causing me to cough like a mofo.

steroids??

did you grow a lot of muscle?

Steroids (in small dosages) are actually prescribed a lot more often than people think. And no I didn't grow a lot of muscle, I was 11.

my brother is 11....sounds like he has whooping cough
 

Farbio

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2000
3,855
0
0
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: BigJ
When I was younger, I actually coughed for over 8 months straight. Went to the doctor's office numerous times, and it only got better after the doctor prescribed steroids. Your theory about the dry air attributing to it is also true. I couldn't have the air conditioner turned on in my room or cars because it also dehumidified the air, causing me to cough like a mofo.

steroids??

did you grow a lot of muscle?

Steroids (in small dosages) are actually prescribed a lot more often than people think. And no I didn't grow a lot of muscle, I was 11.

a couple of things - these are not anabolic steroids which are the steroids that are used for bulking and such, and are all illegal. the steroids doctors prescribe are corticosteroids, like prednisone and epinepherine which are used to help increase blood flow and open up passages that are otherwise restricted.

second of all, neonerd, how old are you? are you on any other medications? what did the doctor prescribe you, as in the name of the medicine. a long term cough can be symptoms of a few other diseases not mentioned here, the most serious of which is chronic heart failure. in that case, the cough results from an enlarged pericardium due to water collecting in it, which presses on the lungs/diaphragm and triggers a cough to get it to move out of the way.
 

neonerd

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2003
8,746
1
0
Originally posted by: Farbio
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: z0mb13
Originally posted by: BigJ
When I was younger, I actually coughed for over 8 months straight. Went to the doctor's office numerous times, and it only got better after the doctor prescribed steroids. Your theory about the dry air attributing to it is also true. I couldn't have the air conditioner turned on in my room or cars because it also dehumidified the air, causing me to cough like a mofo.

steroids??

did you grow a lot of muscle?

Steroids (in small dosages) are actually prescribed a lot more often than people think. And no I didn't grow a lot of muscle, I was 11.

a couple of things - these are not anabolic steroids which are the steroids that are used for bulking and such, and are all illegal. the steroids doctors prescribe are corticosteroids, like prednisone and epinepherine which are used to help increase blood flow and open up passages that are otherwise restricted.

second of all, neonerd, how old are you? are you on any other medications? what did the doctor prescribe you, as in the name of the medicine. a long term cough can be symptoms of a few other diseases not mentioned here, the most serious of which is chronic heart failure. in that case, the cough results from an enlarged pericardium due to water collecting in it, which presses on the lungs/diaphragm and triggers a cough to get it to move out of the way.

I'll be turning 16 pretty soon. I take "Allegra-D" for allergies. My mom took what the doctor prescribed to check with the pharmacy because I think they screwed up the labels....giving me a refill on antibiotics against sinus infection, and not giving me a refill on the heart burn pills the guy gave me (I'll post the exact name of the pills tommorrow). The one against Heartburn, i know is kind of an ovalish shape, and smells like vanilla; in some cases when swallowed with water can taste like Krispy Kreme Doughnut :). The antibiotic is just a small, white, round pill.The other thing, is I can not cough for a while, but I have to constantly keep clearing my throat; coughing or not. I feel bad for clearing my throat all the time, because even thought people don't say it, i know it bothers the hell out of everyone around me :(
 

Philippine Mango

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2004
5,594
0
0
Originally posted by: neonerd
wtf is going on :confused:

*i coughed 3 times while making this post*

went to the doctor, he gave me some pills or whatever....well they're not helping

seriously and I'm not being a dumbass, get near something your illergic to or get sick. I've had the same thing as you and when that happen (second time that happened), I happen to be playing with my cat for extensive periods of time and since I'm illergic to him, I started to get horrible running noses and so on, then I started to develope phlegm and was coughing it up and after a few days, the reaction went away and it too went away. I think I some how developed the cough because the phelgm from my last cold didn't go away completely. Though I warn you, if you have asthema be sure to have an inhailer ready because there will/can be a time when you might need it (got so serious for me I had to use mine, and I've not used mine since the last time I got sick).

OR
You could just try using the/an inhailer first and see if that works;)
 

Farbio

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2000
3,855
0
0
ok, disregard the serious diseases for the most part after finding out age and other medications, sounds more like need of moisturized air and perhaps an albuterol inhaler and maybe advair or spiriva as well
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
19
81
Originally posted by: Ornery
Pffft, I coughed for well over a year. Actually, it was about 9 months before I went to the wondrous doctors. Then, I coughed another 9 months under their care. First the GP gives you the standard allergy meds and X-ray. After he's billed you for a few follow up visits, he sends you to a pulmonary specialist. He gives you more meds, breathing tests, and cat scan. After he's billed you for a few visits, he sends you to an ear, nose & throat guy. He shoves a scope up your nose, gives you meds, and maybe an X-ray and/or cat scan. After he's billed you for a few visits, he lets things alone for a while to see if the meds (which you've taken since day one with no improvement) do any good.

After a while, you go to your new GP, because the old one wouldn't OK a visit to a specialist, and complain that you're still coughing. He notes in your records that you've been to the best specialists in the area, so he doesn't know what to suggest... oh, and he gives you more of the same allergy meds you've been taking.

After a couple years go by, the cough will be replaced by a nearly constant runny nose, but you'll sleep well knowing how you've added to the income of your neighborhood doctors, specialists, medical centers, and all the people who work under them!

Unless you have bones sticking from your skin docs are a waste of time (other than a yearly blood work up)..they spent ~25,000 and about 9mo. trying to fiqure out what was wrong with my back... eventually I fixed it myself with situps, powercleans and running.
 

Nitemare

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
35,461
4
81
Originally posted by: neonerd
wtf is going on :confused:

*i coughed 3 times while making this post*

went to the doctor, he gave me some pills or whatever....well they're not helping

Black Death