Bronchitis Help!

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Okay DIS Doctors, I need your advice. I am at my wit's end.

Three weeks ago I woke up with a gnarly sore throat, the kind that means a cold is coming on. By the end of the week I was experiencing some significant chest tightness (I have been told I have virus triggered asthma) as well as congestion. I called my doctor's nurse and verified that I should refill my Advair and leave it at that.

At the beginning of week two I went to the doctor because that was not helping. I was told I had a sinus infection. I was given a script for antibiotics and prednisone and told to take Delsym. This is in addition to the Advair, Zyrtec, Nasocort, and nasal irrigation (and cold medicine).

Monday I went back to the doctor because it was still pretty bad. She took a chest X-Ray. I was told no signs of pneumonia (good) and that the X-Ray did not show signs of asthma, I have bronchitis instead. I was taken off the antibiotics and prednisone. She switched me from Nasocort to Astepro and from Delsym to Promethazine with Codeine.

The congestion finally cleared up a day ago, although there is still some drip. The cough is just as bad as it was however. The cough syrup is only helping a minimal amount, and I'm not sure that I can take it and do my weekend job at Worlds of Fun since I operate a ride.

It's getting annoying. This is now the end of week 3 and it's still here. I have a very physical job at school and it's making it difficult. Yesterday I had to restrain one of my kids and could barely breathe by the end. Today I had to run after a kid who bolted and once again was having a horrid coughing fit when I was done. I can't go work out because anything strenuous leaves me coughin and out of breath. I want to give it some more time to work before I go running back to the doc, plus, I hate to bother her so much (not to mention pay all those copays!)

Does anybody who has been through this have any suggestions?

 

[kellydizfan]

I know the cough will stay around for quite awhile after the meds are finished. Mine usually does. I have a sinus infection now. I would still keep a close watch on how you are feeling. Not to scare you by any means but don't feel bad about bothering the doctor. Just last December, my cousin had a bad case of it that it wouldn't go away. His infection went to his heart and we came very very close to losing him. He spent three weeks in ICU and was on a heart transplant list. He did not end up needing the transplant as his heart made a 100% recovery without need of any surgery. The hospital calls him their miracle man as they did not expect him to live.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Drink ALOT of water. Are you taking something similar to mucinex or mucinex itself? Whenever I have bronchitis, I have to start a week of mucinex dm which helps supress the cough and thins out the mucus to cough it out. Cought it out is why the water is so important.


If you need a good cough suppressant but can't use something like mucinex, I also have taken tesslon pearls. Little yellow pearl things that are great for lots of coughing.

Also, when I start a coughing fit I have a cup of hot tea or coffee. The coffee really helps but some don't take it because of the caffinee.

The cough could stay with you for a few more weeks. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[LindaR]

Oh gosh! You sound just like me! I too, was diagnosed with a severe sinus infection and bronchitis. I went to a walk-in clinic first (my doctor was not in) on a Friday. He gave me amoxocillian (sp?) and Tessalon Perles. The tessalon was great!

By Monday, I was really having difficulty breathing and not feeling ANY improvement other than the supression of the coughing. I called and got in to my own doctor. He said the amoxocillain was not a strong enough antibiotic for how sick I was. He switched me to Augmentin for double the amount of time. He also put me on an inhaler.

This was two weeks ago. The sinus thing is pretty much over. My chest does not hurt anymore and I can breathe BUT I still have a mild cough. It takes a while to go away.

 

[Christine]

The cough will hang on for a long time. I'm surprised that you are out of breath though. I would think that this cough and inflammation has now flared your asthma up.

My DD, who does not have asthma, got bronchitis over the winter. She cought for months it seemed. Finally, at the end they gave her an albuterol inhaler and within a week she was all better. Her airways were just very inflamed and the albuterol brought down that inflammation. Maybe you could try that?

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I have an inhaler, but it does not seem to do much for me other than make me feel shaky. I wouldn't mind the cough so much if it weren't interfering with my daily activities.

The Tessalon pearls several people have mentioned, are they OTC or does that require a prescription?

 

[heatherwillmom]

I am a Primary Care provider & we see a lot of Bronchitis in the office this time of year. It seems to be harder to get rid of than it used to be. My typically treatment is a steroid shot & a Rocephin (strong antibiotic) shot in the office. The I place the pt on a strong antibiotic that covers the lungs well so to prevent pneumonia. I also give a cough suppressant & expectorant, an inhaler, along with a steroid pack. I don't always give all this, but most of the time the patients are already so sick & having so much difficulty breathing, that if I don't, they end up coming back any way