Coughing up phlegm, throwing up, temp for 2 weeks… no infection

[coughingforever]

I’ve been to the drs twice with this and I’m losing my mind.

2 weeks ago I woke up in the night with a temp of 39.1 and feeling nauseous, shaky and just unwell. Then I got the chesty cough and coughing up bright green phlegm. On and off I’ve had vomiting, which got a lot worse yesterday where I couldn’t even keep down water. Temp is down to 38 with regular paracetamol.

I’ve been unable to leave my bed for 2 weeks. DH dragged me to the doctors who said it was viral. Then it got worse, the cough means I can’t sleep. I am achey all over and I’m not able to eat anything. I sleep with a sick bowl in bed which by morning is filled with either sick or green thick phlegm.

I managed to get to drs again on Friday who said again it was viral and will pass, and also diagnosed a UTI. I haven’t been able to keep the antibiotics down for the uti.

just feeling hopeless. Anyone had anything similar? What helped?

To be honest I'd be going back to another GP. That is a long time for something nasty to be on your chest.

Hi OP, not exactly the same but my daughter has had something similar without the cough that has lingered for a month. But the nausea, fatigue, aches and chills/fever have been awful. She was ill a week initially, then it sorted of lifted for a couple of weeks and then came back and floored her again. It has been a really difficult month. I really hope you feel better soon, I would go back to GP if you can't keep down the antibiotics and also for the cough.

Rest is the only thing that has helped her.

Sounds like the flu. Which usually does last 7-14 days but you'd be hoping to see an improvement by now. Have you genuinely had a fever for 2 weeks solid or does it come and go?

A virus is an infection but 2 weeks is a long time to not be starting to get better. How is your health normally?

Are you still unable to keep water down? I think you need to be seen by someone else.

So the doctor says it’s viral. Very possible that it is, indeed, viral. What do you expect the doctor to do? Antibiotics do not work on viral illnesses so there is absolutely no point in prescribing them.

I think in this day and age people think that illness can just be overcome, fixed, medicated, disappeared. The reality is the body takes a while to get over things.

Our expectations are not in line with what actually happens. The amount of times I hear at work, if someone has been unwell for a bit, had a lingering cold/flu/congestion, 'have you seen the doctor'

What do you think the doctor is going to do? These things cant be magicked away.

I had the most incredible virus for about 3 months once, unfortunately it left me with life long conditions but I was ill for ages. Really horrible.

A UTI is an infection and if you can't keep the antibiotics down that's a problem. I'd consult the GP again. Hope the virus side of things clears up soon OP, it sounds horrible

I would see another GP. You should be getting better from a virus after two weeks - you might still feel rough, but the fever should have gone. Fever is a sign of infection. I'd be worried about pneumonia.

How does he know if it’s viral, if she has a chesty cough. My husband soldiered on for 3 weeks, finally went to the GP, who listened to his chest and instantly prescribed doxycycline. He got better, but having left it so long, he was worried he was on the verge of pneumonia.

@soupyspoon,

I must say I do disagree.

Obviously rushing off to the doctor with a fever after a couple of days is overkill. But, doctors are there to exclude things and treat symptoms.

If you are getting worse after 14 days, you should seek further medical help.

In the OP’s case, she probably needs anti nausea medicine in order to be able to take the antibiotics for her UTI. In addition she may need rehydration with a drip.

Finally, viruses can lead to opportunistic secondary bacterial infection, which should be ruled out.

I know this, I have unfortunatley had more than my fair share of infections

But, there is such a need for education, not just on this site, in general. Things like a virus should be getting better after 2 weeks, this just isnt the case

Colour of phlegm isnt an indicator of either infection or type of infection.

Listening to a chest also doesnt indicate infection or not

The problem with GP surgeries is that they just arent equipped to actually test properly for presence of infection or type of infection. We know that GPs (and I dont blame them) will just give anti biotics as a matter of course in situations like this, half the time to cover themselves, half the time because the patient badgers for it.

Anti nausea meds to keep food and medicine down, absolutely

It was pneumonia

Sounds like flu,it lasts ages and knocks you sideways. I think people are surprised when they get a proper take to your bed virus that they can't battle through. You've probably got the UTI as you haven't been drinking enough. Keep up your fluids, rest and keep taking paracetamol. Another week and you'll probably be in a very different place.

Sorry. Took me ages to type that out and I missed you had pneumonia. Hope you're on the mend soon .

Wow. I would be putting a complaint in to the surgery for sure.

1. how does the GP know it’s viral without sending a sputum sample off for testing??
2. This actually happened to me years ago, and I ended up admitted to hospital for iv antibiotics. I didn’t complain to the GP, but I received a letter apologising!!!

Ah. Sorry to hear it was pneumonia in the end, as I suspected. I hope you're recovering now.

@coughingforever How did you realise it was pneumonia? I've been sick for 4 weeks, seemed to be improving but then floored again since Friday. It's really getting me down!

I went to see an out of hours GP because of repeated vomiting and I couldn’t keep water down and fainted. He sent me straight to A&E. they ordered me a chest xray and bloods.

Hmm I am concerned as I was vomiting yesterday morning, very shaky for the day but seemed much better today and I don't quite have a temp. I'll keep an eye on it! I hope you feel much better soon!!!

I couldn’t get out of bed to vomit, just into a bowl my DH brought me. It was non-stop and eventually when I couldn’t keep water down my DH forced me to the doctors. It didn’t improve at all until I’d had IV antibiotics.

Get checked over but hopefully it’s not pneumonia for you. But good to get checked

that’s terrible your gp missed that you had such a serious infection op.

I didn't see this thread when you first posted before Christmas, but was going to reply asking if your GP had sent off a sputum sample, what with your green phlegm being very indicative of a chest infection/pneumonia. Now I see that that is indeed what it was. Please do write to the practice manager at your GP. You knew you weren't well and you were not listened to or treated properly. Thank goodness for the OOH GP who sent you to A&E.

Take your time recovering and don't be afraid to make a nuisance of yourself with your GP if you ever have anything like this again.

Hope that you start feeling better soon. From my experience of having pneumonia, best to rest a lot and gradually work up to going back to work, don't try and go back too soon.