The neverending illness

[RoxMonster]

Does anyone else have the upper respiratory crud that will not go away? It isn't influenza. And I finally made myself go to urgent care yesterday and it's not a bacterial infection or pneumonia or anything.

But I have had these for over two weeks. It started with the sore throat, then became head congestion/runny nosy and then about 10 days ago, the lovely cough started. Right now, that's probably the biggest annoyance. The doctor gave me prescription cough pills (the pearls), but they don't do much for me. I am taking Mucinex and she told me a nose spray to use, which has helped open my nasal passages. But I still have so much mucus in the back of my throat and a hacky/dry cough that keeps me up at night and bothers me during the day since I have to talk a lot (I'm a teacher). I had taken NyQuil at night for about 10 days but didn't want to stay on it long term.

Anyway, I'm frustrated. I feel like I'm never going to be well. Usually I can kick a cold in a week or so. So I guess I'm just looking for commiseration or a light at the end of the tunnel if you had this and finally kicked it.

[stephking]

I had this. Two weeks two days for me. The coughing was the worst. I didn’t sleep well for those two weeks because i was constantly waking up from my cough. I hope you feel better soon!

[cricketintx]

I'm finally on the tail end of this exact illness - exact same progression you describe. And, just like you, the cough keeping me up at night was keeping me from getting better, because I was so freaking exhausted! The tessalon perles, which usually have helped me with coughs in the past, were doing nothing.

The things that helped me before bed were a hot toddy (yup, super old school with TONS of honey), or a swig of very warm salt water. That calmed the cough down so I could fall asleep.

Good luck!

[Eagles]

The pearls don't work for me. Promethazine syrup does. It's a non-narcotic (actually an anti-emetic) so your doctor should have no problem prescribing it since the Tessalon isn't doing anything. It suppresses the diaphragm reflex that gives you the hacking, dry cough.

My other tips, having had it three years in a row: pour a little eucalyptus oil in the shower to make a vapor sauna type deal, and get a humidifier that has slots for the Vicks tabs and basically let it mist right in your face all night.

Chamomile tea has natural antihistamines and mixed with honey, it'll soothe your cough. Plus you should get as much warm liquids as you can to help your body clear out the gunk.

[jezebel]

My whole family had it and it lasted about a month. I’m sorry!

[Gato]

I had this same thing. I did take a strong dose of Nyquil because it was better than staying up all night.

It took about 6-8 weeks for it to completely clear, but then I'm a lot older than you. Take care of yourself, and know that it won't last forever!

[Eagles]

Oh, and get the good, behind the counter Sudafed. The 24 hour one.

[RoxMonster]

My likes are all in commiseration. Sorry others are suffering/have suffered from this crap too. I know in the grand scheme of things, a nasty cough/cold isn't all that bad, but I am just SO OVER IT right now.

[RoxMonster]

And I can't stand tea, but I am at the point that I will try anything! So I will choke it down if it helps.

[lostrn]

I had this too. When I hit week #3 it finally mostly went away...I only need Sudafed occasionally now. Honestly I don't like tea either, but I got vanilla chamomile, added a ton of honey and some half and half and it helped so much. Other than that I did the good Sudafed, Mucinex, Flonase, cough drops and I complained a lot.

[scorpion]

Commiseration, as I'm still looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.... I'm three weeks into the same symptoms (sorry, that's probably not helpful!), and I'm so tired of it. I finally went to urgent care today and they said it's likely a virus, but that they had actually seen a lot of allergies lately, so I'm trying a nasal spray and an antihistamine (along with a ton of hot lemon water and honey). I'm hoping one of them will do something, but if not, the doctor also said that this kind of cough averages 26 days, so hopefully I'm on the tail end. Hope you're feeling better soon!

[rachers]

Ugh, it really sucks. I’ve had it since Christmas and it will not go away. Hope you feel better soon!

[sunnysally]

Today is day 28 for me. It sucks. Hope you are better soon.

[FastHands]

Jan 22, 2018 21:33:57 GMT -5 Eagles said:

Oh, and get the good, behind the counter Sudafed. The 24 hour one.

Yep, the meth sudafed.

I've had it since Christmas, but I'm also pg so not super surprising (since I can't take any of the good stuff!). I sleep propped up in an attempt to avoid the nastiness going into my chest, which I've learned is key for me. If it settles in my chest, I'm basically guaranteed 3 more weeks and a 2ndary infection, lol.

Good luck and godspeed.
There are tons of teas out there. Grab a few multipacks and find something you can tolerate. But really fluids of any kind are most important. And rest, of course.

[cleo29]

I went through this in November. I went in to make sure it was not bronchitis or something of that nature, nope, just a crappy virus.

I am now sick with something new and hoping it will not turn into something more serious.

[JayhawkGirl]

Ugh. Yes!!!! I came down with it the evening of 12/26, hours after my two week follow up post sinus surgery. Know what fucking sucks? A big nasty head cold when your sinuses are still bleeding and have packing. Gahhhhh.

I had my 6 week follow up Tuesday and he sent me home with a script for prednisone, which I had to start Saturday.

Mucinex, real sudafed, doubled up nasal steroid spray, and delsym help me somewhat. Hot tea is from heaven. And I have to Neti rinse 2-3x a day anyway so that’s good and gross. I’m back to acupuncture tomorrow for the first time since the surgery and hoping she can help me along

[Deleted]

Methy decongestants and no dairy. Sleep uprightish? Sorry. Hope it clears soon.

[Eagles]

Jan 22, 2018 21:40:58 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

And I can't stand tea, but I am at the point that I will try anything! So I will choke it down if it helps.

Can you do hot water with lemon and honey? That was the other recommendation from my pharmacist. She's the one who told me about the chamomile tea. I don't mind it because it's pretty mild. Otherwise, I'm a coffee girl.

[ifElse]

I'm so sorry. I got it xmas eve night. Ugh. The worst of it lasted a full 3 weeks. Then week 4 I started getting better. I'm now on week 5 and it's 90% gone. I still have some post nasal drip and a slight cough...but I can breathe again and I don't sound like hell.

The only way I survived was mucinex d, Advil for the sinus headache, sleeping semi upright, tea with honey, and a humidifier. I had to take the meds like clockwork otherwise it wasn't pretty. Thankfully no one else seems to have caught it from me.

[mmmomof2]

I have it too. When you throw in the stomach virus I got Christmas Day I think I've been sick more than I've been healthy this past month. The worst part is that I've totally lost my voice so any business I try to accomplish on the phone is so terribly painful. I can't read to my Kindergartener either. Tea is helping, but I keep hoping I'll wake up magically better - it's much more gradual. Thankfully the annoying cough is mostly gone. I also am lacking energy - I used to run at least 12 miles a week - the other day I took 2 mile walk and came back exhausted.

[tigress]

I had something like that for like 3 weeks, from Christmas until mid January. It sucked. And I'm pregnant and can't take much of anything that is useful. This week is the first week I feel actually GOOD. My voice is finally back to normal and I'm not coughing all the time.

Hope you feel better soon!

[sent]

Yes, I get this almost annually. I usually have a few days of laryngitis also thrown in the mix. Your story sounds exactly like what I experienced in 2016, right down to going to Urgent Care. Though Urgent Care gave me promethazine with codeine because the CVS minute clinic had given me the pearls the day before. (We were out of town and I was desperate). Spoiler alert - neither worked. And then bonus! I wound up in the hospital 2 days later with my horrifying GBS ordeal which they suspect may have been triggered by the respiratory illness but we'll never know.

Anyways, last year I finally established a PCP who told me the lingering cough happens after all the other symptoms go away because of post-nasal drip and to take an anti-histamine like Zyrtec. I did that this year and it helped.

[amandakisser]

Jan 23, 2018 8:53:03 GMT -5 mmmomof2 said:

I have it too. When you throw in the stomach virus I got Christmas Day I think I've been sick more than I've been healthy this past month. The worst part is that I've totally lost my voice so any business I try to accomplish on the phone is so terribly painful. I can't read to my Kindergartener either. Tea is helping, but I keep hoping I'll wake up magically better - it's much more gradual. Thankfully the annoying cough is mostly gone. I also am lacking energy - I used to run at least 12 miles a week - the other day I took 2 mile walk and came back exhausted.

Saaaaaaame. I had this respiratory shit, the stomach bug, and a good case of laryngitis all since Xmas. I haven't felt healthy in a month!

Plus I'm like the final candidate for one job and it has been HELL talking on the phone and interviewing. I apologize before starting, and then I literally need a nap after because it takes so much energy just to talk.

I'm so over this winter already. Only two months to go :/

[pandora89]

Jan 23, 2018 8:53:03 GMT -5 mmmomof2 said:

I have it too. When you throw in the stomach virus I got Christmas Day I think I've been sick more than I've been healthy this past month. The worst part is that I've totally lost my voice so any business I try to accomplish on the phone is so terribly painful. I can't read to my Kindergartener either. Tea is helping, but I keep hoping I'll wake up magically better - it's much more gradual. Thankfully the annoying cough is mostly gone. I also am lacking energy - I used to run at least 12 miles a week - the other day I took 2 mile walk and came back exhausted.

I have it now, too. Also had the stomach virus shortly after Christmas and prior to the stomach virus I had another cold. I think I have only been healthy for a week going back to the beginning of December. I also really cant take any medicatiosn so the past few weeks have sucked.

[fernweh]

Ugh yes. I have from the sounds of it exactly what you have. It’s veen two weeks now. I FEEL fine but the dam cough is still lingering. I’m tempted to go to th doctor but it seems to be tapering down so I’ll probably just wait it out.

[bookchick]

I had this the entire month of November. It got so bad I developed pneumonia and a bacterial bronchitis. 2 antibiotics plus steroids. I have asthma, so I just assumed that was why it was so bad, but I got to where I couldn’t move off the couch and almost had to be admitted! 

Im so sorry, you may want to go in just to get them to listen to your lungs. I hope you kick it soon!

[RoxMonster]

Thanks for all the commiseration. I went to urgent care three days ago and they listened to my lungs and said they were clear, that it was just viral.

The Afrin nose spray helped immensely but I could only take it three days. Today I took Sudafed in the morning and that helped with my nasal congestion all day. I still have a slightly sore/scratchy throat on one side (I think from the post nasal drip), and my ears/head still feel just....clogged kind of. I tried some chamomile tea last night and it wasn't awful lol. I think it helped with my cough a bit and I found that some cough drops with menthol really help me when I got in a coughing fit.

So I'm hanging in there and have at least been able to sleep through the night. Still have a hoarse voice, which is compounded by talking all day.

[mich1]

This sounds like the cold I picked up on a flight a couple years ago. The woman seated next to me had a cold, and as careful as both of us were, I still caught it.

The dry, hacking cough stuck around forever.......I want to say well over a month to 6 weeks. During the day, I was sucking down Costco sized bags of Ricola cough drops, which did help. Nights, I remember being horrible.

Sorry.