Awful cough and coughing up solid lumps

[Bluesheep8]

Hi, I started with a bad dry cough on Thursday afternoon, took the day off on Friday to rest as I felt genuinely awful. Cough has remained since then, so much so that I have pulled muscles in my back and stomach from coughing. It's really dry and hollow sounding but every so often I'm coughing up really big thick sticky solid lumps...think I need to see gp - has anyone else had this?

Do the lumps have any colour to them, are you running a fever, does your chest feel tight/like there is a heavy weight on it. If yes to all three, go and see your GP. If not then take a cold remedy containing guafenesin (mucus thinner) for 2 days (and nights) use lots of steam inhalations and keep well hydrated/rest. Then see where you are and reassess.

Hi thanks for replying. I've been taking the remedy you mentioned since Fri on the advice of a pharmacist. Chest doesn't really feel tight or heavy and no symptoms of fever. Lumps are kind of a khaki colour (yuck)

You should probably tough it out for a little longer. You clearly have a virus or a bacteria, hence the coloured chunks, but without a fever its more likely to be a virus. If you have ever been asthmatic, then you should be seen, but otherwise the doctor is unlikely to be able to do anything yet. Keep going with the guafenesin as it will keep the chunks moving and try steam inhalations.

There's a lot of it about. Do keep a close eye though as it could turn to pneumonia.

Thank you both for the advice. I'm not asthmatic but I do have MS although that's probably not relevant. Staying off work and resting....

One last thing, make sure you are taking deep breaths right to the bottom of your lungs. Pneumonia is more likely to develop in stagnant areas. People often only breath shallowly when they are sick. The best way to do it is breath all your air out. The breath out some more, and then the last little bits.... then breath in. Do that at least 2 or 3 times an hour and it will help

@seatoski...you've been really kind - thank you.

Actually bluesheep the MS might be relevant - esp if you get easily fatigued

It will make it harder to clear your chest and 'potentiality' puts you at more risk of an bacterial infection

It's important to keep moving to help clear your chest of phlegm

I struggle with this as I have CFS and wondered if MS (which also features fatigue) might be the same

Maybe chat to the gp on the phone if fatigue is a problem for you?

Hi Katy, thank you for your input-worth considering that.