My “cold”just won’t go 🤧

I had some sort of flu/virus for about three weeks over Christmas. Constant coughing that kept me awake most of the night. Runny nose, occasional sneezing. Eating was pretty much disasterous as any crumbs/tiny bits of food would get caught in the mucus in my throat and cause horrendous coughing fits.

I now do warm salt water gargles every night, which has stopped the coughing. I gargle five or six times after brushing my teeth. After 3 or 4 days I noticed the coughing decreasing and now I hardly cough at all and am sleeping much better. My throat is healing after all the coughing too. Salt water apparently thins the mucus and breaks it down so there is less phlegm gathering in your throat and chest.

It clears the symptoms rather than the cause, so I'm hoping whatever was causing it is clearing up at the same time.

I had Covid at the beginning of July followed up sinusitis which wouldn’t clear, the Dr gave me Clarithrymycin in August, since then I’ve used these three nasal sprays and Sudafed tablets. I still have bunged up sinuses, pain in the top of my cheek and occasionally without warning my nose will run like water down my face and chin. If I bend over the smell up my nose is disgusting.

My Dr and a pharmacist have told me that this is an after effect of Covid.

I can highly recommend Solgar VM-75 multivitamins but obviously check with your GP first if you are taking any medications to ensure they're ok for you to take (warning, it does make your urine a neon colour but that's just the excess vitamin C that your body hasn't absorbed)

I also second a neti pot but really do read instructions carefully

The sinus spaces in the head are very narrow and can easily get clogged with dry mucus, saline solution does help as does breathing in steam and eucalyptus or menthol from a bowl of hot water

work on your own immune system. Green sputum consists of dead cells, showing that your body is working to overcome the infection. Some good tips above and it is especially important to stay hydrated and to raise room humidity. The lungs cannot expel dry mucus. Honey and lemon warm drinks

Shinamae

OldFrill

Possible allergy? To winter maybe ☹️Allergies can cause chesty coughs, runny nose, headaches.

Never had anything like it before, but as I say, I am seeing my doctor next week…..
Just a cough and runny nose, no headache at all or sore throat 🤷‍♀️

Also meant to say, I sneeze a lot and once I start, I sneeze for five or six times..🤷‍♀️
Cough is more or less gone now but still got the runny nose and the sneezing. I’m wondering if it could be some sort of allergy but as far as I know I’m not allergic to anything but I suppose allergies can come on at any time can they? 🤷‍♀️

Sterimar saline spray helps a lot.

I am of the opinion that medical staff tell you anything! My daughter has had a terrible cough since well before Xmas. She is normally very healthy and never needs to see a GP. It’s a deep chesty cough with yellow/green phlegm. She saw an Associate Physician who said modern thinking is that the colour of phlegm is no indication of infection! She spent at least 4 days in bed which is the first time in her life she has been to bed in the day.

My niece had similar (no contact with daughter) and the first question her GP asked was What Colour is Phlegm?

So daughter was told she had a chest infection and was given antibiotics as they said it wasn’t a virus. She finished the course and was just as bad. She went back last week and they wouldn’t give her any more. She has been on Hot lemon and paracetamol sachets and chesty cough medicine for weeks.

Niece was told she has a virus and was given antibiotics!

I have a similar chesty cough with earache and yellow phlegm and they won’t give me antibiotics as it is a virus. How does the paramedic who saw me know that? He calls mine an upper respiratory chest infection. Take paracetamol and nasal spray.
I was awake on and off all last night.

OldFrill

Possible allergy? To winter maybe ☹️Allergies can cause chesty coughs, runny nose, headaches.

Never had anything like it before, but as I say, I am seeing my doctor next week…..
Just a cough and runny nose, no headache at all or sore throat 🤷‍♀️

Possible allergy? To winter maybe ☹️Allergies can cause chesty coughs, runny nose, headaches.

After such a long bout of cold, you should see a doctor re possible secondary bacterial infection.

Davida1968

Perhaps you have a chest infection? As
other GNs here have advised, a visit to the surgery may be needed. (Our "nurse-practitioners" are brilliant and are qualified to prescribe a lot of items.) In my experience Rest, Rest, and more Rest is very likely to be helpful, too. Give yourself a break! Hope you're feeling better soon.

I’m a carer in a high dementia care home. I only do three afternoons a week two till eight and I’m still going to work because I don’t actually feel that bad but I am wearing a mask at work to protect others….

Allira

I had the virus with sore throat and cough for weeks before Christmas.

Just when I was hoping it had more or less gone, it came back at the weekend although I do feel better today.

It could be a different virus if your immune system is low. Can you take Vitamin C, D and some zinc?
I hope you feel better soon.

I take this every day and have done for years.
The mucus is clear
I had a chest x-ray a few weeks ago because of shoulder pain that could’ve been linked to lung cancer fortunately that was clear..

Perhaps you have a chest infection? As
other GNs here have advised, a visit to the surgery may be needed. (Our "nurse-practitioners" are brilliant and are qualified to prescribe a lot of items.) In my experience Rest, Rest, and more Rest is very likely to be helpful, too. Give yourself a break! Hope you're feeling better soon.

Sometimes , a cold or flu that just won't go away is a sign of an underlying health issue .
Are you in good health?
If your sinuses are infected you could have the drip !
Is your mucous clear
- indicating a virus or a yukky yellow or green colour - indicative of a secondary bacterial infection ?
Wash out those sinuses !
I recommend buying a Neti pot from Boots and using it very carefully after reading the
instructions .
Perhaps, ,you need more vitamins in your diet .
I recommebd Berocca .
Try not consuming so much mucous causing dairy products and drink more pure orange juice and drink homemade chicken soup with as much garlic and onions as you can tolerate .It's full of beneficial amino acids and natural antibiotics .
Chilli is also beneficial .
Wear a mask when cleaning .
Add moisture to the air with a damp flannel on the radiator.
And rest::
Sleep a lot .
Veg out in front of the telly .
Get Well soon !

Consult the doctor about the persistent "chesty cough".

When I was a nurse 1950s we gave children with post -nasal discharges and runny noses what we called "salt water sniffs". These involved normal saline to be taken carefully up the nose until the saline ran down the back of the palate.
The little patients probably did not do it very effectively. However the treatment can be effective if done properly and can even stave off a threatening cold.

Do not try this without medical advice unless you know what normal saline is!

I had the virus with sore throat and cough for weeks before Christmas.

Just when I was hoping it had more or less gone, it came back at the weekend although I do feel better today.

It could be a different virus if your immune system is low. Can you take Vitamin C, D and some zinc?
I hope you feel better soon.

luluaugust

A friend with a similar problem was told it was ‘nasal drip’ and given a spray. Sounds like a visit to the Dr is needed

Had to wait three weeks, but I’ve actually got appointment with my doctor next week..

A friend with a similar problem was told it was ‘nasal drip’ and given a spray. Sounds like a visit to the Dr is needed