Aa
Chest problems
I've been having problems with my chest for approx the past year and wanted to see if anyone had any advice solutions. It started with 2 guys I live with having a couple of parties and destroying a carpet in one room( loads of stains from beer/chewing gum/cigarettes etc. - I think there may have been spores in it after a while). Shortly after I began to get a cold, which gradually got worse.
Figuring it would sort itself out (prior to this year, I've rarely been Ill beyond a mild cold), I held off on seeing a doctor until maybe April. At the times I didn't know any reason as to what caused it, and prob said too much at the doctors, but in any event he just told me back what I'd told him, I prob had a chest infection, and prescribed anti biotics. I took them over 2 weeks and they made little difference.
The next time it got bad was around July and I went to a 24 hour healthcare clinic as it was worse than ever before. This time was given no explanation, told that there was no evidence of Chest infection in my X-ray & no irregularities in a cardiograph the doc did. It was suggested I may have asthma & I was given a temp inhaler and told to see a respiratory specialist if problems continued beyond a month.
I was a bit disillusioned with doctors etc. at this point so didn't waste another 250 on specialist. The symptoms have gone from being light to medium since then up until just before Christmas. The carpet in my apartment was replaced also in November when the 2 guys moved out. Also, around Christmas I began drinking apple cider vinegar and lemon in boiling water daily along with vitamin c tablets. This cleared me up until recently when due to a longer hours and more stress in work has resulted in symptoms coming back. The main ones which have effected me over the year are:
- tightness in the chest
- constant coughing up of mucus ( varying between dark yellow and White )
- fatigue
- occasional higher heartbeat (especially when waking up)
- very occasional mild dull headaches
I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the above and could offer advice on how to fix as I have spent a lot of money on doctors and gotten nowhere
Figuring it would sort itself out (prior to this year, I've rarely been Ill beyond a mild cold), I held off on seeing a doctor until maybe April. At the times I didn't know any reason as to what caused it, and prob said too much at the doctors, but in any event he just told me back what I'd told him, I prob had a chest infection, and prescribed anti biotics. I took them over 2 weeks and they made little difference.
The next time it got bad was around July and I went to a 24 hour healthcare clinic as it was worse than ever before. This time was given no explanation, told that there was no evidence of Chest infection in my X-ray & no irregularities in a cardiograph the doc did. It was suggested I may have asthma & I was given a temp inhaler and told to see a respiratory specialist if problems continued beyond a month.
I was a bit disillusioned with doctors etc. at this point so didn't waste another 250 on specialist. The symptoms have gone from being light to medium since then up until just before Christmas. The carpet in my apartment was replaced also in November when the 2 guys moved out. Also, around Christmas I began drinking apple cider vinegar and lemon in boiling water daily along with vitamin c tablets. This cleared me up until recently when due to a longer hours and more stress in work has resulted in symptoms coming back. The main ones which have effected me over the year are:
- tightness in the chest
- constant coughing up of mucus ( varying between dark yellow and White )
- fatigue
- occasional higher heartbeat (especially when waking up)
- very occasional mild dull headaches
I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the above and could offer advice on how to fix as I have spent a lot of money on doctors and gotten nowhere
Ive a strong feeling mold is the problem here one way or another. My symptoms (brain fog, fatigue, heavy eyes, tightness in chest etc.) fit the bill. That said I have changed my diet quite a lot recently and cut down my sugar intake drastically, dont drink dairy milk, take vitamin supplements daily, drink unfiltered apple cider vinegar and lemon in boiling water and while it has helped, its not been the overall solution
Before I go splashing out crazy money for a solution though, Id like be in the know about the precise location fo the problem. There are no visible signs of mold in my apartment at the moment and havent been since the carpet was changed 4 months ago. I also had a dehumidifier running daily for approx a month around this time.
With recommendations, I do have some options. I can (a) get a mold specialist out to test the apartment for the presence of mold. It is 60e for a test alone, so Im guessing it will be much more expensive to then follow up with solution.
The other option (b) is to visit a doctor and try see if he can properly diagnose my problems.
The only reservations or issues I have with these is that to do both will be costly, so if its a case that my issue is down to me having mold in my lungs only and not the apartment, then I would only do option (b). That said, no point in doing option (b) if (a) is a problem as Ill be back to square one in no time.
Anyway its worth noting that my 2 flatmates who moved in after new carpet and changes to apartment were made, seem fine and have been living there 4 months, so this makes me question whether the problem goes beyond my body.
Has anyone got any tips on mold detection, warning signs in a house if it isnt overly visible? Any tests I can perform myself?
Same for my lungs, I havent coughed up blood or anything black, its only ranged from clear white saliva to slightly dark yellow/green phlegm (As would be present in cold/chest infection), but Ive noticed enough difference in myself overall to know I have an issue that needs dealing with.
Hopefully someone can help provide some further insight in solving this issue?
Before I go splashing out crazy money for a solution though, Id like be in the know about the precise location fo the problem. There are no visible signs of mold in my apartment at the moment and havent been since the carpet was changed 4 months ago. I also had a dehumidifier running daily for approx a month around this time.
With recommendations, I do have some options. I can (a) get a mold specialist out to test the apartment for the presence of mold. It is 60e for a test alone, so Im guessing it will be much more expensive to then follow up with solution.
The other option (b) is to visit a doctor and try see if he can properly diagnose my problems.
The only reservations or issues I have with these is that to do both will be costly, so if its a case that my issue is down to me having mold in my lungs only and not the apartment, then I would only do option (b). That said, no point in doing option (b) if (a) is a problem as Ill be back to square one in no time.
Anyway its worth noting that my 2 flatmates who moved in after new carpet and changes to apartment were made, seem fine and have been living there 4 months, so this makes me question whether the problem goes beyond my body.
Has anyone got any tips on mold detection, warning signs in a house if it isnt overly visible? Any tests I can perform myself?
Same for my lungs, I havent coughed up blood or anything black, its only ranged from clear white saliva to slightly dark yellow/green phlegm (As would be present in cold/chest infection), but Ive noticed enough difference in myself overall to know I have an issue that needs dealing with.
Hopefully someone can help provide some further insight in solving this issue?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Symptom wise it does sound like asthma or allergic bronchitis. If mold is the problem, then even if you have removed the carpet, the spores stay around for long. Asthma can be treated in many ways and one has to find the best method by trial and error. One way to treat is through nebulization. In this the drug goes directly into the lungs just like inhalers. Rotacaps is another such method. You can discuss this with the asthma specialist. The medicines used can be asthalin, trebutaline, steroids, ipratropium bromide, and chromolyn sodium amongst a few options available. You will have to keep the house, bed linen etc dust free. Check for more molds at home—under sink, bathroom, toilets, drains, damp wall, under carpets etc. Mold spores can make asthma worse. Special masks are available in the market to take care of dust and pollens. HEPPA filters can be installed at home to take care of the allergens. Please consult an asthma specialist or any chest specialist and a change in prescription medications may help. Also pulmonary function tests should be done to assess the degree of obstruction and this will help in dose adjustment. Hope this helps. Take care!
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Symptom wise it does sound like asthma or allergic bronchitis. If mold is the problem, then even if you have removed the carpet, the spores stay around for long. Asthma can be treated in many ways and one has to find the best method by trial and error. One way to treat is through nebulization. In this the drug goes directly into the lungs just like inhalers. Rotacaps is another such method. You can discuss this with the asthma specialist. The medicines used can be asthalin, trebutaline, steroids, ipratropium bromide, and chromolyn sodium amongst a few options available. You will have to keep the house, bed linen etc dust free. Check for more molds at home—under sink, bathroom, toilets, drains, damp wall, under carpets etc. Mold spores can make asthma worse. Special masks are available in the market to take care of dust and pollens. HEPPA filters can be installed at home to take care of the allergens. Please consult an asthma specialist or any chest specialist and a change in prescription medications may help. Also pulmonary function tests should be done to assess the degree of obstruction and this will help in dose adjustment. Hope this helps. Take care!
ARGH - I just had a long answer typed out and I LOST IT! GAH!!!!
I can understand why you are disillusioned with doctors. And I hate to say it, but seeing a doctor may be the only way to get rid of whatever this is. However, (and I hate to say this) it sounds a lot like allergies. It's such a catch-all, but there you have it.
Over the counter rememdies you may find helpful:
1- drink plenty of water. This will help thin the mucus you are clearing.
2 - cut back on dairy.... again, this creates a LOT of mucus.
3 - Try Zyrtec D .... I've personally found Zyrtec to be effective at controlling indoor and outdoor allergies. The "D" is a decongestant, and let me tell you - it ROCKS. I can BREATHE! It's AMAZING! :D
4 - Try taking a multivitamin and supplement it with a bit more vitamin C. Excess vitamin C is simply peed away, so it's pretty darn hard to overdo it. But there ARE other vitamins and making sure you are getting them all will help no matter what.
5 - try staying away from Echinacea. A lot of people swear by it for controlling or preventing colds... I find mine are actually worsened. It IS a weed, and if you're dealing with allergies it's not an illogical jump to think the Echinacea will make it worse.
6 - Zinc losengers are said to help.... I find them nasty and tummy-ache inducing, but a lot of people love them.
7 - Benadryl before bed... you'll sleep like a rock (this can be habit forming so try it once or twice and see if it helps. if it does, then it's allergies and see a doctor for longterm solutions).
8 - replace your pillows. (think about what can living in them!!! D= )
9- vaccuum and dust OFTEN.
10 - destress as often as you can.
In the end you will probably need to see a doctor... either for long term solutions (providing you identify an allergy) or if none of the above helps alleviate your symptoms, to get bloodwork completely. It doesn't sound like any of your doctors did bloodwork... a CBC will tell them if your WBCs are high. And they can also test for Epstein Barr and/or Mono.
Good luck hun! Keep us posted!
I can understand why you are disillusioned with doctors. And I hate to say it, but seeing a doctor may be the only way to get rid of whatever this is. However, (and I hate to say this) it sounds a lot like allergies. It's such a catch-all, but there you have it.
Over the counter rememdies you may find helpful:
1- drink plenty of water. This will help thin the mucus you are clearing.
2 - cut back on dairy.... again, this creates a LOT of mucus.
3 - Try Zyrtec D .... I've personally found Zyrtec to be effective at controlling indoor and outdoor allergies. The "D" is a decongestant, and let me tell you - it ROCKS. I can BREATHE! It's AMAZING! :D
4 - Try taking a multivitamin and supplement it with a bit more vitamin C. Excess vitamin C is simply peed away, so it's pretty darn hard to overdo it. But there ARE other vitamins and making sure you are getting them all will help no matter what.
5 - try staying away from Echinacea. A lot of people swear by it for controlling or preventing colds... I find mine are actually worsened. It IS a weed, and if you're dealing with allergies it's not an illogical jump to think the Echinacea will make it worse.
6 - Zinc losengers are said to help.... I find them nasty and tummy-ache inducing, but a lot of people love them.
7 - Benadryl before bed... you'll sleep like a rock (this can be habit forming so try it once or twice and see if it helps. if it does, then it's allergies and see a doctor for longterm solutions).
8 - replace your pillows. (think about what can living in them!!! D= )
9- vaccuum and dust OFTEN.
10 - destress as often as you can.
In the end you will probably need to see a doctor... either for long term solutions (providing you identify an allergy) or if none of the above helps alleviate your symptoms, to get bloodwork completely. It doesn't sound like any of your doctors did bloodwork... a CBC will tell them if your WBCs are high. And they can also test for Epstein Barr and/or Mono.
Good luck hun! Keep us posted!
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