whats wrong with me?

Im a 17 year old female. i've had what i assume is just a bad cold for about 4-5 months it gets better then it gets worse i keep coughing up thick yellow phlem, my nose is always runny or blocked...or both at times and now my voice his gone. No fever tho. I dont eat particularly well, Im vegetarian which probably doesnt help, (this probably doesnt matter but i thought i should tell you just incase.) i do get depressed a lot, but after that i get really happy for a while. the cold started about 4-5 months ago and just doesnt seem to want to go away , cough syrup hasn't helped at all. i know its not allergies cause iv been to my GP and he said it was just a cold. Im really getting fed up of being ill all the time and so is my boss! Im always tired and i tend not to sleep to well. I've had regular headaches since i can remember, nothing too painfull though. So really i just want to know why iv had this cold so long, or if it could be anything else?

lucy

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

It sounds like a cold to me...and it is depressing to be sick for so long...talk to your doctor.

[Jaquta]

Diet plays an important part in all our lives.  It may or may not be relevant to your current situation.  Certainly a healthy diet would help with immunity.
Maybe you should re-visit your GP?  If your chest isn't clearing then maybe antibiotics would be appropriate.  I had something similar a while back.  I got the flu then got a sore chest, etc from that.  Then I just got over it then got the flu again.  The second time it took my chest about a month to clear.  It might have been a bit quicker had I continued running, but I didn't (and it took ages to get better).
Being tired could be from the cold and not sleeping well.  You could always discuss that with your doctor too.  They may choose to run some tests.
Being vegetarian you could also quite easily be anemic.

You should also discuss with your doctor the feeling depressed and then happy stuff.  If you do get depressed then it's really important to address that early.  Psychotherapy or counseling may be helpful.

I would start by talking to your doctor.

Good luck!

[Paxiled]

The problem is your immune system if it's true you've had a virus hang around that long.  You might want to consult a holistic nutritionist and work on that.

[Jaquta]

You may like to check out the journal by one of the experts.
Look at the expert activity to the right of your screen and click on, When your cold is NOT a cold.