Tight chest, minor cough and NO phlegm

[brianau]

Developed a tight chest with a monor cough but with no phlegm 14 days ago . Doctor put me on a course of anti-biotis for 5 days but the problem remains about the same as in the beginning. I have been back to him and had numerous checks done, but no blood work or chest x-rays at this time. The cough only occurs about every 10-15 minutes as a tickle in the throat and it rarely ends up in a coughing fit orin  a shortage of breath. Love some help. Thanks.

[Altitude_not_my_friend]

Hi I have something similar, a very tight constricted chest, an occasional cough that doesn't bring up any phlegm although I can feel something in the back of my throat but it is unable to come out. It started when I had a bad head cold and then went to cusco in Peru with high altitude for 10 days, but I have been back on normal level for a week and a half and the chest is still so heavy and I have difficulty breathing. The doctor gave me the antibiotic clarithromycin, and some cough syrup but it is not getting better in fact I feel worse. They have checked my heart when I was in Peru (it was beating too fast as well as the constriction) and ruled that out as a problem. Really want to feel better but with no phlegm coming out I don't know how long this will last. Anyone have any advice?

[brianau]

Thanks for that explanation, but problem turned out to to be some kind of virus that lasted a total of 24 days. During this period I developed a total loss of energy requiring either sitting or lying down for up to an hour often extending to 3-4 hours at a time. Completely removed my taste buds and a subsequent total loss of appetite which just added to the overall energy loss. During the worst of the period, up to first 16 days, I felt listless and slightly nauseated most of the time with the cough occuring regularly throughout. I reached the worst point on Dec 25 and since then have been recovering and gaining back my strength day by day. This was a horrible virus and I hope this explanation will help anybody who might catch it. I live in Sydney and have not been travelling, so it was local. I have not been able to find anything similar on the internet.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
A chronic cough of this type can be due to two main reasons. One is a gastric reflux and the other is COPD/asthma.
Take Omeprazole empty stomach in morning and an antacid gel at bedtime. Refrain from smoking, alcohol, fuzzy drinks and spicy food. If cough is due to reflux, this will help you.
Otherwise you will need X-ray chest and spirometry to rule out COPD. If this is the case then you will need treatment with bronchodilators, steroids and maybe antihistamines. Please consult your treating doctor. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.