I know something's wrong...

[Rafalem29]

but I'm just not sure what.

About 6 weeks ago, I began to have a dry, hacking cough that worsened late at night. After about 9 PM, I'd get a persistent tickle in the back of my throat, and any deep breaths would cause me to have a coughing spasm. The thing was, it was a completely unproductive cough - there was no phlegm or anything of that nature that I was trying to get out of my lungs. Then, for about a week, my voice practically disappeared; it took great energy and effort just for me to make myself heard.

While that has not been a problem, I've had swollen lymph nodes under my jaw and painful swallowing on and off for about 3 weeks now. I also get severly distended (to the point where breathing becomes difficult) after eating light meals. This last symptom has been going on for two weeks. My blood test, according to my doctor, showed nothing alarming, though she did mention my liver enzymes and red blood cell count were slightly elevated, plus I showed signs of dehydration. I'm worried that something serious might be wrong with me. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[Lost-in-Time]

The first part sounds like sinus drainage to me. That is how mine works. I feel the tickle, I cough and cough but nothing comes out. All that stuffiness and drainage affects my asthma so that I often have trouble breathing from the chest when the sinus up above are having trouble. Sometimes I don't even know the sinus are acting up...no stuffy nose, etc...until the tickle starts, usually at night. It (I guess draining down past the vocal cords and such) affects the voice and I often lose my voice. I don't have swollen lymph nodes though..so that is different. I don't about the other stuff. Maybe they are not related?? Good luck finding something out and feeling better...

[FromSqueaky]

My lymph nodes have been swollen under my jaw in my back for over a month. 3 weeks ago I started having problems breathing like I had water in my lungs. Had blood work done nothing out of hte ordinary except after 4 months of bloodwork my T3 count was 4 points below average.

I was tested for Lyme and it came back negative. I asked for antibiotics and I was given bactrim for 30 days twice a day yet it's been I think a week that I've taken them and the ones in my back are very swollen but the ones in my jaw are slightly down.

I have no idea what's wrong.

Good Luck in finding your cause

[butrfligirl28]

I would get a chest x-ray just to make sure it is not something serious. I would also follow up with the doctor. Are you a smoker, now or previously?

[Andrea84]

I would get another opinion and perhaps a chest X-ray.