Mastodon
08-09-2005, 11:35 PM
Hello, I am Mastodon and I am new to this forum but definitly not new to diseases of the throat & nose. For the better part of four years I have had a fairly consistent dry cough, I went to the doctor about a year ago and got diagnosed with allergies to airborne substances. Then I started having breathing problems along with the coughing and went in and came back with an inhaler, turns out I have asthma too.
The inhaler helps a little but the allergy medicine does nothing for my cough, so I just learned to live with it.
Recently though my cough has become extremely productive. About once every two-three hours I will cough up about a quarter-size amount of clear & yellowish mucus material that looks like thick, slimey, spit with snot in the center. This started about a month ago when I would just cough once or twice a day to remove the mucus. Now it has been getting worse.
I think it may be a postnasal drip because it feels like snot is running down the back of my throat from my nose, but I haven't heard of anyone with postnasal drip coughing up mucus as frequently as I do.
I am having harder times breathing and use my inhaler more often. This is a problem because I have to take constant breaks from work to cough up mucus and I ride my bike uphill there and get extremely exhausted from this.
Does this sound like allergies or something more complicated?
The inhaler helps a little but the allergy medicine does nothing for my cough, so I just learned to live with it.
Recently though my cough has become extremely productive. About once every two-three hours I will cough up about a quarter-size amount of clear & yellowish mucus material that looks like thick, slimey, spit with snot in the center. This started about a month ago when I would just cough once or twice a day to remove the mucus. Now it has been getting worse.
I think it may be a postnasal drip because it feels like snot is running down the back of my throat from my nose, but I haven't heard of anyone with postnasal drip coughing up mucus as frequently as I do.
I am having harder times breathing and use my inhaler more often. This is a problem because I have to take constant breaks from work to cough up mucus and I ride my bike uphill there and get extremely exhausted from this.
Does this sound like allergies or something more complicated?
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Imagine0591
08-10-2005, 12:10 AM
This sounds like you may have a problem. Try explaining it to your doctor, or your parents. I have had allergies for a while now, and I would get shots for it, and it would help me. Just tell your Mom what is going on, and have her call the doctor, because that sounds like it might be a bit frustrating.
:eek:
:eek:
Mastodon
08-10-2005, 12:17 AM
Thanks for your reply, I am pretty nervous right now that it might be something horrible like cystic fibrosis. I tried telling my mom but she hates doctors, she said that we all cough up mucus like I do and it's my allergies, if we go to the doctor then he'll do nothing because he's already given me allergy medication and an inhaler (before I was diagnosed with asthma my mom did not believe I had it despite my difficulties breathing).
karmakarmakarma
08-10-2005, 01:01 AM
Nope i cough up as much as you do and i have asthma. I suffer from sinusitis and i know it is definately post nasal drip and it probably occurs the most during my sleep.
I also cough up mucous plugs as well! currently trying to find something to reduce this, but i am definately steering away from prescribed medicines cos i hate them. they dont do anything! i'll let u know if i find out anything.
I also cough up mucous plugs as well! currently trying to find something to reduce this, but i am definately steering away from prescribed medicines cos i hate them. they dont do anything! i'll let u know if i find out anything.
ChippedAway
08-10-2005, 01:39 AM
Hi Mast, sorry to hear you're not feeling well.
I have cystic fibrosis, and if you're worried, get tested. You most likely don't have it, but it can ease your fears, and the test is simple, painless, and inexpensive, so you have nothing to lose! Anyway, asthma can cause you to cough up mucus too, from the inflamation. So it could be your asthma.
Feel better!
I have cystic fibrosis, and if you're worried, get tested. You most likely don't have it, but it can ease your fears, and the test is simple, painless, and inexpensive, so you have nothing to lose! Anyway, asthma can cause you to cough up mucus too, from the inflamation. So it could be your asthma.
Feel better!
Imagine0591
08-10-2005, 01:16 PM
Well...mention to her about the allergy shots.
HarajukuGurl2005
08-10-2005, 01:32 PM
I have the same problem. I even asked my ent about CF...said i would really know if i had it. i havent felt like this my whole life thats for sure. depending where u live the mold is very high where i am. the air quality hasnt been too good either which can exacerbate what u are already allergic to. i think i will go to a pulo doc later on just to rule out the cf for sure.
pluggedup613
08-10-2005, 03:17 PM
I also cough up mucous plugs as well!
What are mucous plugs?
What are mucous plugs?
sneezydiva
08-10-2005, 06:01 PM
I get chest congestion too, when my allergies get bad. I think it is all that drainage going into my chest. You siad the allergy medicine didn't work. Which one did you try? Allegra and Zyrtec are way better than Claritin IMO.
karmakarmakarma
08-10-2005, 09:34 PM
mucous plugs are like these hard small chunks that are yellow and it feels like something is stuck in your throat. hard to get out sometimes! they really really smell... so gross!
Mastodon
08-11-2005, 08:36 PM
I used Allegra. But I have been trying a different allergy medicine lately and using my inhaler a bit more. The symptoms have cleared up a little bit. I only coughed up mucus once or twice today!! Heh, that's not something normal people celebrate but I'm happy about it. But I dare say I'm getting better because then tomorrow I'll wake up covered in mucus or something. My mom works at a hospital and she promised to ask the doctors there about it on lunch break. I am definitely going to mention getted test for CF.
alergic-to-mold
08-12-2005, 11:22 AM
Mastodon,
I am new to this board as well. I came on today because I was looking for answers to my problems and ran into your post.
According to my alergy specialist, I am alergic to dust, mold, feathers, milk, and eggs. I was always sick as a child and my mother only took me to our family doctor and never a alergy specialist. When I was 22 I had a daughter who had major problems with breathing and I figured she had asthma. I was correct and at the same time we both got tested for alergies. She is also alergic to dust mold and feathers.
In response to your problem with heavy flem and mucis and your unsurity of the relationship that asthma may be related to the symptoms. I'm not a doctor, but you may want to get a few different opinions from specialists. Feeling sick and having to work is sooooo hard. People who are not as pron to getting sick as people with alergies and asthma do not understand how hard it is to work being sick and cloudy headed. My daughter's type of asthma is brought on by an onset of a cold. She gets sick up to 3 to 4 months sometimes and all that medicine doesn't help. I haven't truely found anything yet either.
I wish I had answers for you. If you firmly believe it is something other than asthma have some more tests done until you get the answers you are looking for. I have to tell you a quick storey. Last night I was at volleyball and a girl had the symptoms you decribed but after going to several different doctors she found out that the cause was that her reconstructive surgery she had posed a negative effect in her body and caused tremendous yellow mucus to profuse from her nose. The doctors she was seeing always diagnosed her with sinus infections. Doctors don't always get things right the first time. SOOOO be persistant if you know something is wrong.
I am new to this board as well. I came on today because I was looking for answers to my problems and ran into your post.
According to my alergy specialist, I am alergic to dust, mold, feathers, milk, and eggs. I was always sick as a child and my mother only took me to our family doctor and never a alergy specialist. When I was 22 I had a daughter who had major problems with breathing and I figured she had asthma. I was correct and at the same time we both got tested for alergies. She is also alergic to dust mold and feathers.
In response to your problem with heavy flem and mucis and your unsurity of the relationship that asthma may be related to the symptoms. I'm not a doctor, but you may want to get a few different opinions from specialists. Feeling sick and having to work is sooooo hard. People who are not as pron to getting sick as people with alergies and asthma do not understand how hard it is to work being sick and cloudy headed. My daughter's type of asthma is brought on by an onset of a cold. She gets sick up to 3 to 4 months sometimes and all that medicine doesn't help. I haven't truely found anything yet either.
I wish I had answers for you. If you firmly believe it is something other than asthma have some more tests done until you get the answers you are looking for. I have to tell you a quick storey. Last night I was at volleyball and a girl had the symptoms you decribed but after going to several different doctors she found out that the cause was that her reconstructive surgery she had posed a negative effect in her body and caused tremendous yellow mucus to profuse from her nose. The doctors she was seeing always diagnosed her with sinus infections. Doctors don't always get things right the first time. SOOOO be persistant if you know something is wrong.