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when do you see a doctor for a cough

U

unsped

Platinum Member
ive had a nagging cough for about a week, past few days its been productive phlegm started out white, now its green.

no wheezing or rails though, and i can generally clear my lungs in a few hours after i get up.

generally i just wait it out as i hate people who go to the dr for every little thing and expect antibiotics.

i think its mostly sinus drainage from when i sleep at night, and the morning im just hacking it up.
 
my experience is that for a common cold cough, all the doctor will do is prescribe some stronger cough medicine like tussionex, and maybe some antibiotics to control any infections (e.g. bronchitis). even with insurance discounts these prescriptions ended up costing close to $80, so i said no thanks to the cough syrup. the antibiotics didn't really help either.
 
There's a lady here who has been coughing for something on 3 months now. same degree of coughing the whole time, she insists it's just a cold, and hasn't done anything about it. She's in the cube across from me. Nice lady, but I'm looking forward to her retirement at the end of the month....
 
Start taking Robitussin.

Decongestent. Cough it out and spit it out. If you don't see results within 3 - 4 days, keep going. By 1 week, then you gotta be messed up... See a doctor.

If it's the common cold you don't need freaking antibiotics.
 
Wait about 2 weeks, if it doesn't get better then I would see someone. IMHO drink lots of water and eat oranges and other fruits/veg for their antioxidant properties.
 
every year i cough for a few months. it's annoying, but it does go away. it's only this year that i tried various cough medicines and without any improvements. like previous years, i'll just ride it out.

irritated throat. no plegm. no blood. no coughing while sleeping. no body temp changes. etc.

just long-lasting cough.
 
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Start taking Robitussin.

Decongestent. Cough it out and spit it out. If you don't see results within 3 - 4 days, keep going. By 1 week, then you gotta be messed up... See a doctor.

If it's the common cold you don't need freaking antibiotics.
Click to expand...

Not a decongestant, it's an expectorant. Thins out the mucus so you can bring it up easier. I agree, though, it's good to try that.

It could be bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory infection, allergies causing drainage at night, asthma, or something worse. If you've had allergies in the past, try taking an allergy medicine (like generic Claritin or a nasal spray or decongestant) and see if it helps. Allergies have been worse for everyone I know (including every member of my family) for the past two or three weeks.
 
Originally posted by: djheater
There's a lady here who has been coughing for something on 3 months now. same degree of coughing the whole time, she insists it's just a cold, and hasn't done anything about it. She's in the cube across from me. Nice lady, but I'm looking forward to her retirement at the end of the month....
Click to expand...

Guy at work had the same problem, kept coughing, wouldn't go away after a few months. Went to the doctor, they said it was nothing. He went to another doctor and they found a huge cancerous mass bumping up against his lung causing him to cough. He died 3 months later. 🙁

It was so bizarre. He was a presumably healthy 50ish year old man, goes to the doctor because he has a cough, and before you know it he's gone. That was the first funeral I had ever been to, and it was a military burial. Taps and the 21 gun salute hits pretty hard...
 
well some people have persistance cough from sinusitis, acid reflux etc.. well its more of a 'throat clearing'
 
Originally posted by: jtusa
Originally posted by: djheater
There's a lady here who has been coughing for something on 3 months now. same degree of coughing the whole time, she insists it's just a cold, and hasn't done anything about it. She's in the cube across from me. Nice lady, but I'm looking forward to her retirement at the end of the month....
Click to expand...

Guy at work had the same problem, kept coughing, wouldn't go away after a few months. Went to the doctor, they said it was nothing. He went to another doctor and they found a huge cancerous mass bumping up against his lung causing him to cough. He died 3 months later. 🙁

It was so bizarre. He was a presumably healthy 50ish year old man, goes to the doctor because he has a cough, and before you know it he's gone. That was the first funeral I had ever been to, and it was a military burial. Taps and the 21 gun salute hits pretty hard...
Click to expand...

Yeah my dad had a little trouble swallowing, then a month later he couldn't swallow any food, put into the hospital and given a tube into his large intestine to feed him. Dead of esophageal cancer 4 months later.
Personally I feel blessed it was quick and relatively painless, there are worse ways to go. At least your friend got to enjoy normal life nearly to the end.
 
Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Start taking Robitussin.

Decongestent. Cough it out and spit it out. If you don't see results within 3 - 4 days, keep going. By 1 week, then you gotta be messed up... See a doctor.

If it's the common cold you don't need freaking antibiotics.
Click to expand...

Not a decongestant, it's an expectorant. Thins out the mucus so you can bring it up easier. I agree, though, it's good to try that.

It could be bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory infection, allergies causing drainage at night, asthma, or something worse. If you've had allergies in the past, try taking an allergy medicine (like generic Claritin or a nasal spray or decongestant) and see if it helps. Allergies have been worse for everyone I know (including every member of my family) for the past two or three weeks.
Click to expand...

I just saw a bit on the news this morning about pollen levels being much higher than normal this year.
 
if it gets multicolored (seriously) then see a doctor. Clear is fine- not sure about green.

thats what my dad always asked when I had a cough (if it was multicolored). He is a doctor.
 
Originally posted by: jtusa
Originally posted by: djheater
There's a lady here who has been coughing for something on 3 months now. same degree of coughing the whole time, she insists it's just a cold, and hasn't done anything about it. She's in the cube across from me. Nice lady, but I'm looking forward to her retirement at the end of the month....
Click to expand...

Guy at work had the same problem, kept coughing, wouldn't go away after a few months. Went to the doctor, they said it was nothing. He went to another doctor and they found a huge cancerous mass bumping up against his lung causing him to cough. He died 3 months later. 🙁

It was so bizarre. He was a presumably healthy 50ish year old man, goes to the doctor because he has a cough, and before you know it he's gone. That was the first funeral I had ever been to, and it was a military burial. Taps and the 21 gun salute hits pretty hard...
Click to expand...



Exact same sh1t happened to my mom! :Q

Don't fvck around with a cough that last more than 2 weeks. My mom ended up getting diagnosed with leukemia... 🙁 She was doing horrible! But thank god for Gleevac.... that new drug has helped her blood count get back to normal and now she is doing really well, compared to how she was prior to.

Don't mess around with your health. If you're cough doesn't go away after a week go to the doctor and get checked out. Hell, if you have insurance, get your bloodwork done and a physical.
 
ya im debating it, i can just drop by urgent care. there is a big bug going around one lady in our office has pnuemonia
even my student assistant is coughing green.
 
Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Go see your doctor. Green usually means bacterial infection. I'm a doctor...of psychology...but still, what I say is true.
Click to expand...

yeah, on the one hand, your body might be able to fight it, but if it lasts a couple weeks without getting better, or if you're not in the best shape, a doctor (of medicine) might be a good idea.
 
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