[dbussone]

Originally Posted by LuckySevens

The prednisone was partially for the tendonitis I got in my shoulder from taking Levaquin mixed with prednisone last month. I wrote about it on Talk a few weeks back, and warned people NOT to take Levaquin with steroids. Doc said prednisone would help the shoulder pain, which it did in only 4 days, but that it should also help my congestion. Which it didn't.



I am still going to search for a Pulmonary specialist because this has happened 2x in 2 months. Still asking everyone if they have a good Pulmonary doc. Thanks for your advice. I mentioned to others that I just got home from quick med and was diagnosed with walking pneumonia and colitis.

Wow. Best wishes for a quick recovery.

[kaydee]

I agree with all of the advice regarding chest xray, apt with pulmonologist etc but in the meantime you would benefit from some good sleep. I'm guessing your bronchial frame is inflamed and you are having a great deal of drainage causing the excess coughing. Delsym is a very helpful OTC cough syrup which will calm your cough. I have had many issues with all that you have described along with terrible allergy's mostly yr round, therefore, I have to take Allegra D more often that I'd like to but otherwise I am miserable. I do not handle antibiotics well at all therefore it makes me nervous to even think about ever if they might be needed.
I truly do sympathize with you and do hope you soon get feeling better.

[Fraugoofy]

Your symptoms could be way beyond this, but when I am having cold-like issues I drink 5 packets of Emergen C a day. Buy at Walmart or Walgreens or amazon... tons of vitamin c in those packets!

[Nucky]

I have had a cough for the better part of 40 year's. What a fool I have been. I can remember standing in line at Walgreens with a bottle of cough medicine and a pack of cough drops and then ask for 3 packs of cigarettes when I got to the cash register. The money I spent and the others around me that I possibly could have hurt with second hand smoke is hard for me to accept. I am normally a very respectful person. I'm ashamed of my past behavior. When I'm out in public and I smell smoke it is like a fine perfume, I don't ever ask someone to put the smoke out I just move, its not my mission to change the world. The reason I saw your post at 1am eastern time is I have to get up several times a night and take a breathing treatment. This is the price I pay for my actions and I'm grateful that for now this is my only sentence. My doctor says my xray is clear and that I can't undo 40 plus years of damage in 2 years. Even after everything I've told you I must admit I'm still tempted to puff every once in a while. Unbelievable. Smoking is the worst habit I ever had. The doctor can stop that cough in ten minutes with an injection of steroids followed by the pills. I also found some relief from Mucinex with the green label. Best of luck to you.

[big guy]

Originally Posted by LuckySevens

Hello fellow 'Talk' friends,

Twice in 2 months, I have caught a simple cold and it immediately went to my lungs. I am on day 17 and still coughing like crazy. I am not getting much sleep. My ribs and back are so sore from coughing. Note...I do not have a fever or a runny nose.
I took 10 days of Prednisone, which didn't help, then took Amoxicillin 3 days, which caused severe diarrhea, and was told to stop taking that.
I have also taken over the counter meds every day and night for decongestant, which help a little for a few hours.

Has anyone had this awful long lasting cough, and if so, how did you get over it. I feel horrible!
Perhaps I should see a Pulmonary dr. Does anyone out there know a good Pulmonary dr. in or near The Villages?
Thanks.......

You didn't say if you are on other meds...... My husband and I both caught something like you are experiencing last January. His lasted about 4 weeks. Mine went on forever it seems. I was still coughing in July. After a visit to the heart doctor, the Dr told me he was taking me off Lisinopril (blood pressure medication) since I was coughing so much (he heard me through the wall). I Have been off Lisinopril for 2 weeks and no longer cough. I never coughed until the bronchitis. I was assuming that my lungs were probably weak due to being a former smoker and that I deserved to cough because of it. I am enjoying my cough-free state.

[KathieI]

A few years ago I had a similar problem. The most awful coughing all day and night, where I thought I would pass out from it. I finally saw a small black stain in the corner of my dining room and it was mold, which I hadn't seen. I had a remediation person come in and confirm it was mold. I developed the worse case of pneumonia which lasted about 4 weeks. I had to move out of the house while the mold remediation was going on. I was still sick and nothing was helping. Thought I was going to die. I found a pulmonologist through my primary doc and he cured it eventually. His name is Dr. Diaz and his number is 352 315 1627. He is great and so is his other doctor in the office. His staff was great. I would highly recommend him. I went to his office in Leesburg which is not far and I'm not sure if he has an office in the villages now, but you won't be disappointed.

Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

[courtyard]

I had the same thing for 3 weeks last January. Tried drinking cool water, cough drops, cough syrup, but found that hot chili powder worked best. I bought some organic chili powder and cans of organic black beans and made lots of chili. Chili powder is now a staple in my pantry :-)

[Floridagal]

The first thing I would do is go to my primary doctor and stop taking all those drugs unless a doctor told you to take them.

[LuckySevens]

Originally Posted by gomsiepop

If your cough is productive you should be seeing a pulmonologist who would take a culture of your sputum. My husband had two very serious lung bacteria that could only be detected by taking a culture. His pulmonologist is Dr. Raul Carrillo, 352-391-1115. Good luck, don't waste any more time. It could be nothing, but then again why take a chance.

Sorry I am just now getting back on this. For the past 4 days , I have felt horrible, and only left the house for dr. visits. I have seen Dr. Carrillo's name a few times in a positive light. Thank you for sending the info. Rose

[Carl in Tampa]

Don't take medical advice from anyone on TOTV......not even if the person is a doctor, if you have not been examined by the person giving advice.

Find a pulmonologist. You need a specialist to treat your problem.

Good luck.

[LuckySevens]

The holiday weekend didn't help me any getting to see my Internist, but I did go to Quick Med (or whatever U call it) and he diagnosed the Colitis and Pneumonia. I also saw my primary care dr yesterday and today. I had a CT scan and it came back today. Really don't know much more, but he wants me to see a Pulmonary dr. immediately. It suggests I might have a small airways disease...something about Mycobacterium (?????) As soon as I can get in to see a Pulmonary dr., he wants them to run a tube and camera down my nose/throat into my lungs, and aspirate the Multifocal clusters of micronobacterium. I'm really confused because I don't have a name of the disease. Sorry about rambling on.

[queasy27]

I highly recommend Dr. Delgado for pulmonology. He has offices in Leesburg and Laurel Manor in TV.

Humberto Delgado
1950 Laurel Manor Dr # 150
(352) 753-2510

It could be that you have an underlying condition such as sarcoidosis that flares up and isn't really a cold at all.

[LuckySevens]

You didn't say if you are on other meds...... My husband and I both caught something like you are experiencing last January. His lasted about 4 weeks. Mine went on forever it seems. I was still coughing in July. After a visit to the heart doctor, the Dr told me he was taking me off Lisinopril (blood pressure medication) since I was coughing so much (he heard me through the wall). I Have been off Lisinopril for 2 weeks and no longer cough. I never coughed until the bronchitis. I was assuming that my lungs were probably weak due to being a former smoker and that I deserved to cough because of it. I am enjoying my cough-free state.[/QUOTE]

Hmmmmm, I hate Lisinopril because it makes me cough like crazy too. Glad you got off of it and are feeling better. Your original problem was probably over and it was the Linisopril making you sick I'm still in Limbo trying to find a Pulmonary oc. 2 don't take Blue cross and one is not really a pulmonary dr. and another one can't see me until the 23rd. Going down the list. Unfortunately tomorrow is Friday again, and then I wait the weekend. No one will put you on the cancellation wait list unless you have an appt. GRRR WHAT US A GIRL TO DO?

[davekroupa]

My wife had that problem. Finally got an X-ray, had a tumor, she is cancer free now but it was worth the X-ray. Doesn't hurt and covers lots of bases.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by LuckySevens

The holiday weekend didn't help me any getting to see my Internist, but I did go to Quick Med (or whatever U call it) and he diagnosed the Colitis and Pneumonia. I also saw my primary care dr yesterday and today. I had a CT scan and it came back today. Really don't know much more, but he wants me to see a Pulmonary dr. immediately. It suggests I might have a small airways disease...something about Mycobacterium (?????) As soon as I can get in to see a Pulmonary dr., he wants them to run a tube and camera down my nose/throat into my lungs, and aspirate the Multifocal clusters of micronobacterium. I'm really confused because I don't have a name of the disease. Sorry about rambling on.

Please, please, PLEASE stick with your medical professionals and ignore just about every post on this thread (except my plea). I am a professor of Internal Medicine at a NY Medical School and practicing clinician Board Certified for 30 years and I wouldn't even dream of throwing out the kind of advice I've read here----runs from pro-biotics, to vitamin C, to spiral chest CT to repeat antibiotic courses, sleep, and probably the kitchen sink. Everyone means well but this is not a problem for amateurs. A little scary that they are thinking some species of mycobacterium (this is the tuberculosis family)---perhaps they said mycoplasma which is totally different. Now that you have a pulmonary specialist the odds are good they will definitively diagnose the problem and treat it. GOOD LUCK AND GET WELL