When to see a GP with a productive cough? ADVICE please.

[BOOareHaunting]

Had a cold since Saturday and sore throat. (seems to be mostly gone now)

It's clearly gone to my chest - upper respiritory - and I'm coughing up some phlem.

It green with some brown flecks (looks very much like the crap that comes from your nose with a cold!)

I would presume this is normal after a cold? and no need to see a GP? However I had a chest infection after a cold at the start of the year and when I saw the GP he wondered why I'd left it so long - I obviously didn't know I was a few days from pneumonia (as he put it!) because most of the time we're told a cough can't be treated and when you thinks it's the chest the chest is clear iyswim?

I have to admit with my chest infection I could feel the cought coming from lower down.

So should I sit this out for a bit or should I see GP? (feel fine btw!)

Tbh, when I took dd to the doc with a cough she sent me away saying after acold you can have a cough for up to 6 weeks and to buy some cough mixture!

If you only started your cold on Saturday I reckon you're still in the middle of it, so for now,I'd probably just wait it out a bit longer (and lie on the sofa demanding sweetmeats from loved ones

My doctor told me that if you are producing pale green / yellowish clearish phlegm, not much they can do. Thick dark green stuff - can be sign of a bacterial infection.

Thanks. I'll stick it out then.

bucharest Lovely idea but DS (7) is on half term (as am I!) and I think unless I'm dead he'll not allow me to wallow anymore! (spent the whole weekend on lemsip and sympathy!)

grumpla Thanks. Thats great to have an idea of when I should go. Its not pale green but not really dark either so I'll just catch and monitor

Do you have any other symptoms? Like temperature, shivering, chest pain on breathing/coughing etc? If so I would make an appt. If you were close to pneumonia last time I would be more inclined to visit the GP.

nogood I hope your feeling better soon.

No temp that I know of, I don't feel feverish. Last time I did have back pain by my shoulder blades which I'd attributed to the coughing but this time no pain really. I don't have any tightness that I felt last time either.

I think I'm paranoid about it getting further in than it is rather than where it is now iyswim?

For me if I feel at all overly rotten with cold or cough then its worse than usual & either chest infection or sinus infection. Both make me feel almost flu-ey rather than 'common cold' IYSWIM.

Do the £5 test on yourself, if you were to see a fiver floating around outside would you go & get it or leave it & stay indoors?

When I've had sinus or chest infection I think I'd even ignore £50 note

It was my sinuses at the weekend I think - couldn't even lift my head and open my gob to nag DS when he was being a PITA

With regards to £5 test - I'd pass it now so I'll presume I'll survive!!!