Incredibly painful cough - any miracle cures?

[Enid]

I think I may have a throat infection (have had fluey cold, dd2 has had bad ear infection). Will go to the docs tomorrow if I can get an appt but does anyone have any suggestions?

Have a slight tickle but whenever I actually cough it is AGONY - not particularly sore when I swallow but it feels as though there is a lump there.

I have a meeting tonight and I have to give a presentation so any miracle cures gratefully welcomed!

Message withdrawn

Covonia always works for me.

well I am now in the office and feel like putting my head down on the desk and crying - NOT a good look for a presentation

really MUST go to the doctors tomorrow - caught myself eyeing dd2's antibiotics with envy

hope you got to the doctors. I had a horrible cough recently, with me I was just coughing so much and so hard that I strained a muscle in my side. I was given a great cough medicine, Sudofed for coughs by the pharamcist, also drink lots of pineapple juice as there is something in it to suppress coughs. It certainly helped me.

hope you feel better soon.

Sounds like you need antibiotics. Gargling with soluble paracetamol as suggested by yorkiegirl should help in the meantime. Poor you!

am going to docs later - I think it is a chest infection (which I have never had before) as it now hurts there and sounds like I am drowning everytime I breathe! Pleasant...er not.

Ooo, this sounds like a touch of bronchitis. Does it hurt when you breath in?

smoker?

not smoker, didnt get to docs either. now hurts lower down in chest and yes, it hurts when I breathe, its yuk-ola

Well, hun, you have a chest infection. You can wear it out and grin and bear it or get antibiotics for it. I am one for grinning and bearing it mind you. If you dont use antibiotics (and you live through it!) you will develop a resistance to this particular virus. Of course, if it gets so bad you cant breathe that is another matter!

If its moving down your chest, in my experience of many many chest infections, its going to start to get easier to "cough up". My doctor told me that a chest infection can take up to two months to clear completely so get ready for some hacking. Nice hot baths with eucalyptus wouldnt go amiss. I use tiger balm at night. I put it all over my chest. AND plenty of garlic. Raw. If you cant eat it by itself, douse it with a glass of milk as well. This works a treat for me!
hope that helps. Good luck.

have some zinc as well.

Yes, zinc and loads of vitamin c. Though zinc should be taken at the onset of a cold or flu/infection. I just take it every other day. Mind you i still get sick!

i dont WANT to take antibiotics, they give me thrush and I like the idea of fighting it off myself. Have hacked up some truly impressive specimens today , thank god dh is away to america tomorrow, I can hack in peace

Enid, dont forget piles. I got piles from taking antibiotics. I took the mildest form of antibiotic and even though i never got piles in pregnancy, got them from the damned drugs. My god, it was awful. I still have the cough too.

No, if u are healthy otherwise, just hack away. Of course, watch out for pneumonia. We have a long way to go before summer comes and you dont want to get a bad chill or anything. You do have to be careful. Drink lots and lots of water and stay away from milk.

by the way, i take coltsfoot. Its an herb which really helps with coughs and itchy throat. It did wonders. Get it at your local health food/herb shop. Just make it into a tea with honey if you like honey.

Keep your chest warm, prop up slightly in bed, loads of fluids and loads (as much as you can!) of sleep.

Chest infections can get very bad so if it does you will have to go to the dr, but I know what you mean about hating antibiotics

went this am and I do have bronchitis.

Have a prescription for antibiotics but he said I could wait a couple of days if I liked - apparently bronchitis can be bacterial but the coughing up phlegm is your body's way of getting rid of all the stuff naturally.

Have been drinking lots of hot water, honey and lemon and have a day off today (unfortunately so do the girls as they are poorly too!). I actually feel a lot better than I did yesterday so hopefully I can fight it off.

Thanks so much for all your good advice, particularly mamadadawahwah who identified the problem

Well, enid, bronchitis is just another scary name for an inflamed brochial tube, respiratory tract, etc. Common as muck i'm afraid. Glad its not something else though. As i said takes a long time to recover from a chest infection. Even though you might feel great in a week or so, you are still recovering and might tire out easily. Its going around, we still have it. All will be well.