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Avatar universal

Help with diagnosis or plan to get better with my lungs that feel enflamed.

I will try to provide a full picture so I can finally figure this out.  Every year at the turn of the seasons I get a cold (any cold they seem to be different symptoms each time) that leads to my lungs feeling enflamed, ticklish feeling where I am coughing up clear to yellowish mucus at a pretty frequent rate.  This season it started 1 week ago with a soar throat. I took off the following day then had to work from 9-9pm the next day.  I continued to rest the next 4days until today when I went to the Health Center who said he doesn't see any evidence of a throat infection so he gave me Zyrtec to try until friday.  In 3 days if the Zyrtec hasn't dried me out he wants me to come in to take an antibiotic over the weekend.  I told him I have to return to work next Monday so I need an aggressive action plan. I am already taking ipatropium bromide spray daily for runny nose in the last week. The Dr said I have a lot of fluid draining in the back of my throat.  My airways are making this crackling sound when I breath out but it is only noticeable at night when there are no sounds around, then I can hear it. Last season (october) I had mycoplasma pneumonia after a cold/cough I had then.  They did not run any tests this time. Last March I had the same crackling sound in my lungs after a cold for about 4 weeks.  I did not see a Dr at that time. This last September I saw an allergist who tested for outdoor allergies and I tested allergic to all of the items on the test. I do not have pets, I do not smoke, I never thought I had allergies before but I have always had this nasal drip in the back of my throat.  It never effected me much until these last few years.  I would like to find out if it is really just allergies or could I have other underlying problems I could work on too.  I have a pretty high amount of stress because I own a daycare center with 65 kids which on its own is a lot of management.  There is a higher likelihood of me getting sick because of the this exposure as well.  I am also 36 years old and have a pretty high bmi (173lbs and 5'2") that could contribute to my overall immune system not being great.  I rest a good 8 hours a night.  I eat ok but could use more vegetables but do eat vegetables at least twice daily, and I eat lots of fruit.  I drink a lot of fluids and take turmeric to see if this would help.  I have been taking the normal cough expectorant and suppressant liquids according to directions with not much effect, in fact I have gotten worst over the few days I was in bed and taking cold medicines.  I also have an albuterol inhaler I have taken daily since I started getting sick.  I don't notice an effect but, its hard to notice to begin with. My eyes are not itchy or watery, my nose is only slightly running, but the drip in the back of my throat is always a lot.  I have no history of asthma.
Last October we tried flonase, afrin, bronk aid, mucinex dm, Azalestine and a few other antibiotics.  They all helped but did not clear the drip.  Eventually it went away after a few months of suffering.  I hope this was a good enough snap shot of what I am experiencing.  I really just want something that will help me kick this and maybe even prevent it next year.  Having your lungs feel swollen and like there is fluid in it is pretty scary to me. I am willing to try different methods for improvement.  I tried to take action early on this time but it did not seem to fix it.  The weather here in Iowa just got warm about 2 weeks ago, so I am sure the allergens are out strong.  It seems whatever my issue is, my source is the nasal drip and maybe my lungs are just overloaded from the constant drip.  My allergist could be consulted again for advice.  It is also possible since I go to a health center maybe having primary physician could have more focus on it than a health center.  I will be looking for a physician for myself today to see if that can help the scenario any.  Any hypothesis or ideas will be greatly appreciated. An outside view could be helpful.
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Avatar universal
Update, although I have had a nasal drip and some phlegm , since then I have been better. No inflamed lungs to report. It may be bc of masks when I’m out. I also haven’t been working directly with students.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well, I'm going to go completely contrary to the above on this.  You have a problem without a diagnosis.  I'm baffled as to why you're being given antibiotics when you don't state having been diagnosed with anything antibiotics would be helpful to treat.  If you take them, they kill off a major part of a healthy immune system, the beneficial organisms that die off along with the bacteria you're trying to kill, and if you take them often they can cause chronic problems such as yeast infections, digestive problems, and, well, allergies.  The CDC has long been warning against the use of antibiotics for this reason unless they are absolutely necessary, and they are not necessary if you haven't been tested and found to test positive for something they can actually treat.  They don't treat allergies, and post-nasal drip is a classic allergy problem.  One common cause of it is second-hand smoke exposure.  Another are seasonal allergies, which you are probably suffering from as spring is here.  Others are pollutants and foods you are either allergic to or intolerant to, the most common of these being wheat and dairy.  A constant array of meds that don't treat what y0u have but treat what you might have may be making this get worse and worse.  I don't know, of course, but am suggesting that you have a common problem that has been made a lot worse by doctors, which is extremely common in our drug first ask questions later medical system.  Again, I don't know what you have or have had, only suggesting you haven't said after seeing doctors what it is you might have that would actually respond to the meds you're continually taking.  Perhaps it's time to focus on balancing your immune system, which has been stressed to the point you're constantly getting sick and have chronic allergies.  It's not an easy problem to fix, as it requires dietary and lifestyle changed and takes time, but maybe it's time to ease up on yourself rather than keep going hard on killing stuff off.  That hasn't seemed to have worked.  I'd focus on prebiotics and probiotics, eating well, losing that weight, exercising, you know, the usual, and maybe some natural anti-histamines such as quercitin and bromelain and vitamin c combinations and many other things that may or may not help but won't make the problem worse.  This is just a thought, not a diagnosis, again, I don't know, but I've had post-nasal drip in my life.  It was worst when I was young and lived with my parents who both smoked.  It hasn't been a chronic problem since, but allergies have been.  They are really uncomfortable, but are a lot less of a problem than the medications used to suppress them quite often.  Just a thought.  Also, how do you know you're getting colds?  Are they caused by allergies?  They can be, and when they are, really, only an immune system that isn't working too hard, which is why we have allergies, will calm them down, though probably won't entirely get rid of them.  So either you have got something that can be treated or you don't and are being treated anyway, making it worse.  You need to find out which it is.  Peace.
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Thanks. My dad smoked when I was growing up. This may have caused some this though I don't smoke nor am I around anyone who does anymore. Allergies I think are contributing. Pollutants could beat as well, I live in a manufacturing town known for air pollutants from the Quaker Oats factory etc.  I think I also have food allergies however my allergist refuses totes for them if I don't keep a food journal.  I can try cutting out wheat and dairy to see if this improves.  Though they are my favorites. I take probiotics not prebiotics so I will add these in and natural antihistamines are something I would love to try with vitamin C,I just started taking.  I also work in a daycare which may be why I get frequent illness/ colds that eventually all lead to the lung inflammation.  I just got over another more severe cold this week but now feel no inflammation just a bit of mucus in my lungs so I have gotten better thankfully. I started juicing greens and carrots to build my immune system additionally.  I will update as things progress.
1081992 tn?1389903637
Diana, the following also occurs to me: azithromycin (as in Z-pack) is being talked about as a possible med against coronavirus induced lung problems. It's well known as an antibiotic, but also has antiviral activity and also is anti-inflammatory. Maybe a doc can write that so you can have some on hand if you get suddenly worse. Just a thought.

Otherwise, if in fact your problem originates in the lungs and yet antihistamines haven't helped much: have you tried an anti-leukotriene like montelukast?
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I have tried a Montelukast not leukotriene.
1081992 tn?1389903637
"the drip in the back of my throat is always a lot."
Hi, I literally just happened to come across this vid from an ENT, and remembered your post:
"Causes of Constant Phlegmy Throat or Throat Mucus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk5saygEvA8

It's about going for years and trying all standard meds, with no help.

There's an associated web page that seems better than the vid, which suggests sleeping with the head of the bed elevated. You can try that tonight, as a shot in the dark.
https://www.fauquierent.net/phlegmymucusthroat.htm

At least that vid and page gives you an overview from an ENT's perspective.
Helpful - 0
973741 tn?1342342773
Hello, well, a whole week has passed.  I"m sorry no one answered you.  How are you feeling now??
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
I improved for a few days. Got a deferent cold and have the same inflammation n my lungs back.
Today I have improved a small amount
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