My God, Will This Cough/Cold/Virus EVER End?

[Christine]

Okay, I have been "sick" for at least 10 days now. Started out with fatigue, scratchy throat. Then I got what I thought was a simple cold. Had a bit of a cough over Easter weekend, feel BLAH, tired, couldn't taste my food, lots of post nasal drip. But, I never had to blow my nose.

I went to work Monday and thought "okay, this isn't too bad."

Tried to go to work on Tuesday but had to leave because I was having really bad choking fits. Stayed home Wednesday due to choking fits. Planned to go to work on Thursday but coughed for 4 hours on Wednesday night and couldn't sleep. No more choking fits on Thursday, but still lots of coughing.

Yesterday (Friday) I went to work. Coughing is moderate, but darn I'm so tired. I just happened to have an appointment on Friday with my Internal Medicine doctor (follow up for thyroid cancer that I had 10 years ago). He listened to me, said my lungs were perfectly clear and that whatever it was (a lower respiratory infection) was just settled into the trachea area. No medicince required. That's fine and all but I just want to feel better.

I went to bed at 8:30 last night (had about an hour of coughing before it settled down) and slept until 8:00 a.m. this morning. I'm up and moving around but still so tired.

I've heard that "whatever" this is lasts about 10 days. I'm certainly coming up on that.

So has anyone had this and can you tell where the light is at the end of this tunnel?

 

[bananiem]

I have it but mine went into a sinus infection as well. After 5 days of a fever they finally gave me antibiotics. It helped the sinus part but I still have some congestion and coughing.
I did finally sleep well last night and this is day 12.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I haven't had this particular cold, but I got a lot exactly like what you're describing, a couple years ago. Always, I started finally seeing a major improvement about 2 weeks (I know you didn't want that answer) into it. They're miserable. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Christine]

Thanks. I guess another week then. The good news is that I don't have any fever. I always worry about it turning into an infection and having to go BACK to the doctor. It does seem like it's loosening up but, geez, I'd like to get my energy back.

 

[we3disneygo]

same thing with me.....it's been a couple of weeks and now I'm feeling better....now the pollen count has been high this week

 

[Meezers]

Same thing here...but got diagnosed with allergy related asthma! Asthma? ME?! Steroid inhaler treatment, injection and pill pack. Made me want to eat everything in sight and still took about 3 weeks to get rid of the cough!

Hang in there...everyone I know who has had this has had a heck of a time getting rid of it!

 

[Christine]

Hang in there...everyone I know who has had this has had a heck of a time getting rid of it!

Do you think it could be "whooping cough?" I was reading about this during one of my many days off of work. Seems that it is real easy to get whooping cough as an adult since the vaccine wears off after 10-12 years. They think that whooping cough goes undiagnosed most often, is sometimes diagnosed as "walking pneumonia", and leaves you with a cough that lasts from weeks to months. Also, apparently, adults that have it don't whoop. I seemed to have the classic "coughing fits" that go with this. A few people in my office have had the same thing and have coughed for at least a month.

No big deal either way--they really can't treat it.

 

[PlutoPony]

Took at least 2 weeks to lose the cough (but don't think it was as bad as yours) and a total of over 4 weeks to get completely over it. Mine was more sinus related tho, and went thru 2 antibiotics - and I never take them! Most of my friends have had the same type thing this spring and it's running 2-5 weeks to be back to 100% I'm afraid. Hopefully you have something that doesn't last this long....
Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Christine]

Took at least 2 weeks to lose the cough (but don't think it was as bad as yours) and a total of over 4 weeks to get completely over it. Mine was more sinus related tho, and went thru 2 antibiotics - and I never take them! Most of my friends have had the same type thing this spring and it's running 2-5 weeks to be back to 100% I'm afraid. Hopefully you have something that doesn't last this long....
Hope you feel better soon!

Did you have sinus pressure/pain? I don't but I've certainly got the "drainage" which is obviously coming from the sinuses.

 

[ilovepcot]

My poor father has had this year's flu drag on for *6 weeks*! Granted, he's elderly, but the family began to wonder if he'd pull through. He's lost 17 pounds in the process and is really beat down from it. People in his area of NC seem to have had a horrible bout with this stuff.

 

[PlutoPony]

Did you have sinus pressure/pain? I don't but I've certainly got the "drainage" which is obviously coming from the sinuses.

Yeah - not a lot but enough for the dr. to give me an antibiotic since I'd been fighting this for 10+ days when I went in. First drug did nothing, so went back 5 days later and got another. This one knocked whatever I had down, but it still took a while to throw it completely.

 

[VickiVM]

Try taking a decongestant with guafinesen (sp??). Or ask your doctor if he/she can prescribe it in a stronger form than otc. It specifically targets the nasal drip that causes all that coughing. Here in San Antonio we all suffer from winter allergies terribly (mountain cedar) and the nasal drainage almost always hits everyone in my family. It's annoying more than anything - can't sleep throuh the night, can't get through a conversation without a coughing fit, can't yell at your kids...

 

[U2_rocks]

I had something similar for about 3 weeks. I didn't go to the doc at all, and it did clear up on its own. I wasn't ill enough to make it worth taking antibiotics in case there was a bacterial element - I am very careful with antibiotics. But I was extremely tired and dragging and just generally feeling very blah. The effects of a bad virus can linger for quite a while - especially as these days we all push ourselves to keep going and don't take the time to rest and recover properly!

 

[Christine]

I had something similar for about 3 weeks. I didn't go to the doc at all, and it did clear up on its own. I wasn't ill enough to make it worth taking antibiotics in case there was a bacterial element - I am very careful with antibiotics. But I was extremely tired and dragging and just generally feeling very blah. The effects of a bad virus can linger for quite a while - especially as these days we all push ourselves to keep going and don't take the time to rest and recover properly!

Sounds like what I've got. I really don't want antibiotics either. My congestion is clearing for the most part. Still got some drainage. My biggest issue now seems to be fatigue. I slept about 10 hours Friday night and did another 10 last night. I woke up this morning, after 10 hours sleep, and literally had to force myself out of bed. I feel okay now, but I just don't have any PEP and it's certainly starting to depress me. I've got to go to work tomorrow and I'm sure getting up at 4:30 a.m. is going to kill me. I can't wait to get back to normal.

I haven't had a cold/virus in SO many years that, I swear, it makes it even worse when you actually do get something.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I ended up with bronchitis with this.....and on antibiotics. It started the same as yours, wonder why some end up with it going into the bronchial tubes....

I also had something for the cough at night so I could sleep and heal my body. Maybe you should ask the doctor for a decent cough med that has a little codeine in it so you can sleep.

 

[Christine]

I ended up with bronchitis with this.....and on antibiotics. It started the same as yours, wonder why some end up with it going into the bronchial tubes....

I also had something for the cough at night so I could sleep and heal my body. Maybe you should ask the doctor for a decent cough med that has a little codeine in it so you can sleep.

Well, actually mine was in the bronchial tubes; however, the doctor says "nowadays" they don't want to use antibiotics unless you've got dark green stuff coming up.

He did offer me a cough syrup with codeine if I wanted it but my cough was starting to subside at that point.

 

[Mi3stooges]

Okay, I have been "sick" for at least 10 days now. Started out with fatigue, scratchy throat. Then I got what I thought was a simple cold. Had a bit of a cough over Easter weekend, feel BLAH, tired, couldn't taste my food, lots of post nasal drip. But, I never had to blow my nose.

I went to work Monday and thought "okay, this isn't too bad."

Tried to go to work on Tuesday but had to leave because I was having really bad choking fits. Stayed home Wednesday due to choking fits. Planned to go to work on Thursday but coughed for 4 hours on Wednesday night and couldn't sleep. No more choking fits on Thursday, but still lots of coughing.

Yesterday (Friday) I went to work. Coughing is moderate, but darn I'm so tired. I just happened to have an appointment on Friday with my Internal Medicine doctor (follow up for thyroid cancer that I had 10 years ago). He listened to me, said my lungs were perfectly clear and that whatever it was (a lower respiratory infection) was just settled into the trachea area. No medicince required. That's fine and all but I just want to feel better.

I went to bed at 8:30 last night (had about an hour of coughing before it settled down) and slept until 8:00 a.m. this morning. I'm up and moving around but still so tired.

I've heard that "whatever" this is lasts about 10 days. I'm certainly coming up on that.

So has anyone had this and can you tell where the light is at the end of this tunnel?

Back in January, I had "sorta" the same thing. After Two weeks of not getting better I went to the Dr.'S and she checked me for mono, and yep, I had it.....
I would go to the Dr, epecially if you are NOT getting better and certainly if you are worse, it can't hurt!!
Hope you feel better soon