Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
4-month Persistent cough, plus constant clear phlegm
by Delgado, Aug 02, 2008 10:17AM
Hi, back in mid-April I got a nasty cold after staying in a New Jersey hotel room for 2 days.
I had fever of like 101-102, plus cough, yellow-green phlegm and runny nose. However I got better after 2-3 days, so I never saw a doctor or took any pills besides Tylenol for symptoms.
The problem is, a dry cough has stayed with me ever since this cold. It's an unproductive cough, usually it's like a single cough after talking a lot. If I don't talk much I hardly ever cough.
Another symptom is constant mucous (phlegm) in my throat, this has lasted ever since the cold as well. I feel a lump of phlegm in the back of my throat whenever I swallow. Sometimes it feels thick enough that I bring it out of my throat and spit it out. When spit out, the phlegm is typically clear or white.
Finally I saw my primary care about 3 weeks ago. He said I have a post-nasal drip, and that I should have seen him when I first had the cold. He prescribed a 5-day dose of Zepac (azithromycin), an anti-biotic. About two days into this course of Zepac, I felt a slight soreness in my throat (the kind you feel before you get strep or a cold) that got worse for a day, then disappeared. This soreness was accompanied by a few productive coughs, which brought up yellow-green phlegm.
After I finished the Zepac, the phlegm resumed being clear/white. It is now two weeks after I finished the Zepac, the cough continues and so does the phlegm.
So I go and see an ENT, who does a laryngoscopy, throat culture and chest X-ray. All normal he said, although the laryngoscopy revealed "a little redness in the throa." He believes it could be acid reflux from stress, and told me to take Prilosec Over-the-Counter (OTC). I have been taking Prilosec for 5 days now without seeing any effect. The ENT told me he doesnt believe this is serious, and that this will self-resolve, though no idea how long it will take.
Oddly last night I felt a soreness in my throat again, it was NOT the same type of soreness. It was like a soreness as if I had been struck in the throat. It has lasted a day and is now almost gone. No change in phlegm color or anything accompanied this soreness.
In the interest of full disclosure I have also been worrying about a potential HIV risk (see this post http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/579528), and paranoia keeps making me think this cough is somehow a symptom. Of course I have had the cough well before the HIV-scare, but still. I also am dealing with some type of penile fungal infection (http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/582451) that my urologist believes was sexually transmitted.
So you can see why i'm worked about this long-lasting cough as well. Any ideas or thoughts or similar experiences?
I had fever of like 101-102, plus cough, yellow-green phlegm and runny nose. However I got better after 2-3 days, so I never saw a doctor or took any pills besides Tylenol for symptoms.
The problem is, a dry cough has stayed with me ever since this cold. It's an unproductive cough, usually it's like a single cough after talking a lot. If I don't talk much I hardly ever cough.
Another symptom is constant mucous (phlegm) in my throat, this has lasted ever since the cold as well. I feel a lump of phlegm in the back of my throat whenever I swallow. Sometimes it feels thick enough that I bring it out of my throat and spit it out. When spit out, the phlegm is typically clear or white.
Finally I saw my primary care about 3 weeks ago. He said I have a post-nasal drip, and that I should have seen him when I first had the cold. He prescribed a 5-day dose of Zepac (azithromycin), an anti-biotic. About two days into this course of Zepac, I felt a slight soreness in my throat (the kind you feel before you get strep or a cold) that got worse for a day, then disappeared. This soreness was accompanied by a few productive coughs, which brought up yellow-green phlegm.
After I finished the Zepac, the phlegm resumed being clear/white. It is now two weeks after I finished the Zepac, the cough continues and so does the phlegm.
So I go and see an ENT, who does a laryngoscopy, throat culture and chest X-ray. All normal he said, although the laryngoscopy revealed "a little redness in the throa." He believes it could be acid reflux from stress, and told me to take Prilosec Over-the-Counter (OTC). I have been taking Prilosec for 5 days now without seeing any effect. The ENT told me he doesnt believe this is serious, and that this will self-resolve, though no idea how long it will take.
Oddly last night I felt a soreness in my throat again, it was NOT the same type of soreness. It was like a soreness as if I had been struck in the throat. It has lasted a day and is now almost gone. No change in phlegm color or anything accompanied this soreness.
In the interest of full disclosure I have also been worrying about a potential HIV risk (see this post http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/579528), and paranoia keeps making me think this cough is somehow a symptom. Of course I have had the cough well before the HIV-scare, but still. I also am dealing with some type of penile fungal infection (http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/582451) that my urologist believes was sexually transmitted.
So you can see why i'm worked about this long-lasting cough as well. Any ideas or thoughts or similar experiences?
Post Comment
Related Communities
Recent Videos
Related Expert Forums
Recent Activity
Most Popular Trackers
RSS
Expert Activity
Community Members
Popular Groups
