lilboops
02-11-10, 16:04
Hi everyone.
I stumbled on this board about a month ago, when doing the thing HAers shouldn't do: visit Dr. Google. I'm 39, and a mommy.
I was in Spain in mid September. The day after I got home, I started getting cold symptoms: itchy ears, stuffed nose, sneezing. A few days later, I had awful phlegm in my throat and a cough. The cough from the phlegm was so awful. For three mornings, I would have a coughing fit, and I noticed a pin-sized blot of blood in the phlegm I hocked up. That sent me into a total panic, and to Dr. Google (hence finding you), and my GP who said it was nothing to worry about. LC, though, has always been my biggest fear, which is not alleviated by the fact I smoke. Sigh. Mid you, the phlegm seemed to be coming from my throat, not from my chest (when I have bronchitis, I can feel the gunk down there, and I didn't have that).
On top of that, I have constant pain between my shoulder blades, and occasional chest pains, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and chest tightness. Oh, and I always have a bit of PND, and phlegm in throat (been like that for years). Aside from the PND, I've determined (hoped, actually) that these things were all anxiety related.
Anyway, I had three really rough anxiety weeks. I couldn't function. I couldn't eat. I was in my old spirals. I went back to the GP. He suggested that I give meds a go. I'm not big into meds, but I started Celexa and Clonazepam. the clonazepam helped to calm me, but I didn't notice anythingwith the celexa other than more fatigue. Sigh. Finally, the cold/cough went away about a week ago. Still a bit of a cough here and there, but nothing as severe as it was.
I was at my GP follow-up this past Thursday. I felt pretty good. Talked to him about NOT doing the Celexa, and sticking with Clonazepam or Ativan for my anxiety attacks.
Then, at home that afternoon, I felt a tickle in my throat/chest. I chalked it up to smoking too much. But by nighttime, I had a sore throat, and tons of PND. And sneezing. And itchy ears and sore teeth. I felt like utter crap on Friday, and Saturday.
And then, on Sunday morning (two days ago), it moved into my chest. I'm now coughing up crap that is green, yellow, and white. I'm wheezing, and feeling the gunk down there rattling around. Obsessively checking for blood again. Back to the GP yesterday. He put me on antibiotics and a cough medicine. He said this is a separate illness from the last one. I'm to go back in two weeks about the bronchitis, and my anxiety.
I'm resisting Googling. I had read last time that back to back chest infections are a sign of what I dread most.
I should mention that I had a clear chext xray in March.
I'm trying not to freak out, but it is hard. I am going to give up the smokes. Though while anxious, it seems all I want to do is smoke. Meh. I've read back on some posts here, and it seems others have had similar experiences, but I'm still fearful of hitting that spiral again.
My GP says to quit smoking. He says that I exhale longer than I inhale, and this is an early indicator of emphysema! :ohmy: So the ciggies must go. But I'm just wondering how many of you have had an infection so close to another infection. Should I demand another xray? the doctor doesn't think it is necessary. I also had a host of blood work done in April/May because of swelling in my joints and an uncontrollable itch (all resolved now, Dr. figured it was a virus of some sort).
Really trying not to panic.
Sorry for such a long first post.
I stumbled on this board about a month ago, when doing the thing HAers shouldn't do: visit Dr. Google. I'm 39, and a mommy.
I was in Spain in mid September. The day after I got home, I started getting cold symptoms: itchy ears, stuffed nose, sneezing. A few days later, I had awful phlegm in my throat and a cough. The cough from the phlegm was so awful. For three mornings, I would have a coughing fit, and I noticed a pin-sized blot of blood in the phlegm I hocked up. That sent me into a total panic, and to Dr. Google (hence finding you), and my GP who said it was nothing to worry about. LC, though, has always been my biggest fear, which is not alleviated by the fact I smoke. Sigh. Mid you, the phlegm seemed to be coming from my throat, not from my chest (when I have bronchitis, I can feel the gunk down there, and I didn't have that).
On top of that, I have constant pain between my shoulder blades, and occasional chest pains, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and chest tightness. Oh, and I always have a bit of PND, and phlegm in throat (been like that for years). Aside from the PND, I've determined (hoped, actually) that these things were all anxiety related.
Anyway, I had three really rough anxiety weeks. I couldn't function. I couldn't eat. I was in my old spirals. I went back to the GP. He suggested that I give meds a go. I'm not big into meds, but I started Celexa and Clonazepam. the clonazepam helped to calm me, but I didn't notice anythingwith the celexa other than more fatigue. Sigh. Finally, the cold/cough went away about a week ago. Still a bit of a cough here and there, but nothing as severe as it was.
I was at my GP follow-up this past Thursday. I felt pretty good. Talked to him about NOT doing the Celexa, and sticking with Clonazepam or Ativan for my anxiety attacks.
Then, at home that afternoon, I felt a tickle in my throat/chest. I chalked it up to smoking too much. But by nighttime, I had a sore throat, and tons of PND. And sneezing. And itchy ears and sore teeth. I felt like utter crap on Friday, and Saturday.
And then, on Sunday morning (two days ago), it moved into my chest. I'm now coughing up crap that is green, yellow, and white. I'm wheezing, and feeling the gunk down there rattling around. Obsessively checking for blood again. Back to the GP yesterday. He put me on antibiotics and a cough medicine. He said this is a separate illness from the last one. I'm to go back in two weeks about the bronchitis, and my anxiety.
I'm resisting Googling. I had read last time that back to back chest infections are a sign of what I dread most.
I should mention that I had a clear chext xray in March.
I'm trying not to freak out, but it is hard. I am going to give up the smokes. Though while anxious, it seems all I want to do is smoke. Meh. I've read back on some posts here, and it seems others have had similar experiences, but I'm still fearful of hitting that spiral again.
My GP says to quit smoking. He says that I exhale longer than I inhale, and this is an early indicator of emphysema! :ohmy: So the ciggies must go. But I'm just wondering how many of you have had an infection so close to another infection. Should I demand another xray? the doctor doesn't think it is necessary. I also had a host of blood work done in April/May because of swelling in my joints and an uncontrollable itch (all resolved now, Dr. figured it was a virus of some sort).
Really trying not to panic.
Sorry for such a long first post.