AIBU to not go to the doctor.

[Dextrodependant]

I have a cough, mostly in the morning which is productive and usually makes me vomit. Not bad during the day then bad of an evening but not really productive of an evening.

This had been going on about 3 weeks, following on from a heavy cold.

Now it is clear to me that it is the tail end of bronchitis, perfectly normal symptoms and no cause for concern.

My DP is being really shitty with me because he thinks I should see a doctor. He said a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks can be a sign of lung cancer.

I understand that he is concerned and I appreciate that he cares but I have no other symptoms of lung cancer, I am in my early 30s so not at risk there, never smoked in my life and don't get exposed to passive smoking or any of the other known lung cancer risks.

So AIBU to not waste the doctors time with this? Is he being unreasonable to be shitty with me because I won't go.

PoffleWaffle so sorry to hear about your friend.

GP here. Just wanted to clarify that green/yellow sputum absolutely does not mean you need an antibiotic in a normally fit and well individual! Snot from a cold is green and it’s caused by a viral infection. Most coughs are viral and can also produce green sputum.

OP, it’s probably a virus but worthwhile getting checked.

Good luck

I went a couple of weeks ago on the pharmacist’s advice - I had a rotten cold in mid-December and just felt awful still. I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics and a steroid spray. Other than a smear test it was the first time I had seen a GP in four years, so I figured they would realise I am not a person who pops in for no real reason.

There are some pretty nasty viruses going round at the moment but it’s better to be seen and foundto have a virus than not and end up with complications. It doesn’t sound very nice at all.

I'm another one who vomits with my coughs. I've been pretty poorly this winter and because it's 'normal for me' I don't rush to GP with upper respiratory tract infections. But even I went after about three weeks. My chest was clear this time but I haven't always been right about that.
I'd go. It's probably ' just a virus' but worth checking.

The public service ads say that you should go to the GP with a cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks, so there's nothing wrong with doing that.

I had pneumonia on the back of flu with a chesty cough a few years back, so I don't mess about with coughs now.

I'd say for a cough that's lasted that long and is making you vomit it's worth getting a once over.

Doesn't need to be a dr though if your practice has a nurse practitioner they would also be trained/qualified enough to assess you.

There's any number of things it can be that might require treatment you can't do alone.

I had a really nasty cough that was making me vomit once turned out to be a bad case of pharyngitis & I ended up needing 2 courses of antibiotics to clear the damn thing up! I was ignoring too initially until I took a coughing fit while driving, couldn't stop or pull over and ended up decorating the dashboard! Gave me a fright as obviously dangerous and also I discovered it's bloody murder cleaning vomit from all the nooks and crannies in an old cars dashboard! it stank for weeks!

Time before that when I had a not bad but persistent cough, that just wasn't improving but I stupidly ignored ended up in me collapsing at work with pleural pneumonia. Ended up in hospital for a few weeks. First few antibiotics didn't work at all and I learned later that the Drs were getting quite concerned, then that antibiotic started working and I "turned a corner" scary but.

DH had a persistent cough, non smoker, feeling a bit tired/run down but we had a young baby... was lucky - Lymphoma not lung cancer...

Get it checked - my mum cracked three ribs and ended up with pneumonia from 'just a persistent cough'.

Are you still experiencing symptoms? Just because you are young and don’t smoke doesn’t mean it can’t be lung cancer. I work at Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and we’ve just launched a campaign called #LikeMe. It features 10 women all diagnosed under 50, the majority of whom are non-smokers. The youngest was diagnosed at 29. There is also another woman who was diagnosed at 31 weeks pregnant.

If you are experiencing any symptoms including a persistent cough, breathlessness, fatigue, loss of appetite, back/shoulder pain or repeat chest infection, please see your GP. Your risk is low but it is ALWAYS better to be safe.

You can see our LikeMe campaign and the stories of the women involved on our website www.roycastle.org/likeme

Could be some underlying asthma - I spent my first 30 years or so suffering dreadfully like that from colds and coughs, only to find out I was in fact asthmatic, and what I thought was "normal" was completely not.

.My inhaler has been a complete revelation.

Is it improving? Or still just as bad?
Is it very productive? Is the phlegm dark?
Are you asthmatic?