Anyone else just a sickly person?

[ginnyginmy]

Every time I get a simple cold it 'goes to my chest' and I am hacking up great hunks of green mucous for weeks. It drives me bonkers. It's what I'm known for in my family 'oh look Ginnys got one of her coughs again'. I've had enough! I can't sleep or function for the cough, and this happens about 3 times a year every year for as long as I can remember. DP and my immediate family have never once had a cough like it.
Is there anyone out there who gets 'the cough of doom' on the (semi) regular??

My DH gets exactly the same cough on his chest with green mucus. We have a 2 year old with frequent colds and he only just seems to get over one before he catches the next one. I am not sure what the answer is though OP. He will not go to the GP with it.

Sounds really similar. Bloody annoying, I imagine it's annoying for spouses too

Yes, my DH! He's always had 'a bad chest' like he's in some kind of Victorian novel. The medical diagnosis these days is asthma. He has various inhalers to take when it gets bad. He's pretty fit (runs marathons etc) which I think does help but we have a toddler who brings home all manner of germs so DH has struggled a lot in the last year.

Have you had the pneumonia vaccine op? Might be worth paying for privately if gp won't give it. I had mine two years ago at the chemist, after a really awful chest, I just didn't want to risk anything worse than that!

I get the awful cough after most colds and even more if I manage to get the flu. My chest has been like that my whole life. I think it is because I have asthma.

The viral infection causes inflammation in the airways which worsens the asthma symptoms and voila, bronchitis.

I have learned over the years I need a short course of prednisone and antibiotics.

If I manage to escape without all that I feel incredibly pleased.

I have missed more work than I would like because of it. My only advice is keep on top of it. Seek medical care. The longer you wait the worse it gets.

Have you ever thought you might be lactose intolerant? Milk, yogurt, cream, chocolate etc can be very mucus forming, ie phlegm.

Yup, me too. Recurrent pneumonia, bronchitis, never just get a cold I get a chest infection ... current one has been since mid November.

As PP said - it's asthma and you'll need inhalers, prednisolone and antibiotics every winter. This will help though. You shouldn't get hospitalised or the worse effects of pneumonia. Get all the jabs. Rest. Do exercise which increases your lung capacity and cut out diary. Take it easy over the winter.

It's manageable but I have a shocking attendance record at work too. Good luck 🤗 with it all.

I am a bit and often joke that I’d be the one who is feeble and dies early in a historical novel.

It could be a chest infection, for which antibiotics could be prescribed. I think you should make a GP appointment.

I get an appalling cough usually when I get a cold. Oddly, it’s eased since I had kids. Have it at the moment. Have had it for four weeks now and just starting second cold or perhaps Covid (pending PCR).

After two weeks, I used to drag myself to the GP (pre-Covid). My chest is always clear. Even if I hadn’t slept for 24 hours due to coughing. So I don’t bother any more.

Thanks for comments.

I was tested for asthma 7 years ago (peak flows) and chest X-ray, both normal. Have tried brown and blue inhalers during episodes, no improvement. And I have no symptoms of asthma during the 95% of the time I am well. Actually would be easier if I did had asthma as then, as you say, I could ask for pred and antibiotics.

There's no way I would get prescribed antibiotics 3x year for coughs, not without systemic features. My GP would tell me to bugger off

@CrystalMaisie

Have you ever thought you might be lactose intolerant? Milk, yogurt, cream, chocolate etc can be very mucus forming, ie phlegm.

would this not be more consistent rather than whenever I get a viral infection?

would this not be more consistent rather than whenever I get a viral infection?

Actually no - if you're blocked up from an infection, then dairy products can exacerbate it.

Yes. I get one million and two colds a year. Three or four times a yr I go down w smt that needs rest/anti biotics. Once in my twenties I got tonsillitis which wouldn’t you away. Had it on and off for six mths before they removed them. I am sick of being sick.

The family joke is that if I had been born before the age of anti biotics I wouldn’t have made it thru childhood.

I never used to get il, literally never, however since getting Covid three months ago I’ve needed antibiotics twice and have had really bad chest pains and I haven’t got rid of my Covid cough.

I don’t know anyone who gets so ill everytime without some random underlying condition

If you were tested 7 years ago I’d repeat them now based on your condition

@CrimbleCrumble1

I never used to get il, literally never, however since getting Covid three months ago I’ve needed antibiotics twice and have had really bad chest pains and I haven’t got rid of my Covid cough.

That's really interesting- I've not had Covid to my knowledge but I wouldn't be surprised if I had it at some point before mass testing. I'm also not a sick/cold person but three or four times in the last year, I've had a cough I can't shake and tightness in my chest. It's never Covid (have tested when it happens) but I do wonder if it's a hangover from a previous bout because it's never happened to me before the last year or so.

mynameiscalypso it could be.
My illness have been very intense and close together, every three to four weeks with a normal week or two in between.

DH suffers from post viral bronchial hyperreactivity (also called post viral asthma), so whenever he gets a cold it goes straight to his chest and stops there. He's been unwell since October so far, and has had antibiotics for a chest infection as well as using his Salbutamol inhaler...... and then got Covid 2 weeks ago. His coughing is driving him mad (and me).

His diet really doesn't help........ he eats crappy processed carbs non stop and will only touch a few veg.

Me too! I've had a chest infection for over 3 months now. I'm on steroids, have had 3 rounds of antibiotics. Can't bloody shift it. Really worries me about getting covid!

The best thing to do is find a go who specialises in chest issues, or a prescribing specialist nurse. They won't need x rays etc & in fact asthma is diagnosed via x Ray it's diagnosed through history and symptoms.

They have way more to help you than just blue or brown inhalers. For a start there are white and pink inhalers too! And there are breathing exercises you can do. A respiratory physio is also a great investment - you may need to pay for a few sessions but this really helped me.

Think about your home environment too - is it damp / cold / are you exposed to mould, smoke, pet hairs etc? When you go outside do you cover up and cover your mouth (a real help and not just anti Covid, stops cold air or damp air or polluted air triggering your airways).

@BelladiMamma

The best thing to do is find a go who specialises in chest issues, or a prescribing specialist nurse. They won't need x rays etc & in fact asthma is diagnosed via x Ray it's diagnosed through history and symptoms.

They have way more to help you than just blue or brown inhalers. For a start there are white and pink inhalers too! And there are breathing exercises you can do. A respiratory physio is also a great investment - you may need to pay for a few sessions but this really helped me.

Think about your home environment too - is it damp / cold / are you exposed to mould, smoke, pet hairs etc? When you go outside do you cover up and cover your mouth (a real help and not just anti Covid, stops cold air or damp air or polluted air triggering your airways).

*Find a GP

Do you keep a very clean house, op? Could be a problem

I think I’m half and half. If I get a cold or viral infection it tends to go straight to my chest as I have mild asthma. But as a payoff the high temp, sore throat etc seems to be milder than others get.