Coughing up blood in the morning

[61Bill]

I’m a 61 year old male & have smoking pot nearly every day for about 4 years.  I have been wheezing for about 2 months.  Last week I coughed up a large wad of very red blood & my tonsils felt swollen. I don’t have a cough. Then nothing until again this morning I coughed up a little blood mixed with spit.  I have been under a lot of stress lately & have lost a dear pet. Any ideas of what I might have?  Thank you.  

[npc3]

Good lord, get to the doctor right away.  They need to take a listen to your lungs.  Sounds like you may have pneumonia and coughing up red blood is a cardinal sign of strep penumonia, this is the strain that can kill you and is the one you get vaccinated against every 5 years.  Given your age, if the dr. makes a diagnosis of pneumonia you will be hospitalized for treatment (its standard protocol for anyone over 60), your also going to need to get a chest xray.  In the mean time it's a good idea to take a break from smoking pot.  Don't play games here, if you really do have s.pneumonia it can kill you.

You may get lucky and just have a case of chronic bronchitis but blood is typically not seen with that.

[doodad1974]

I can't offer a guess as to what you have, but I will offer that coughing up blood is nothing to play around with.  Seek medical attention promptly.  Good Luck!