Hello.
OK, honestly I think I ask this every time I get a cold, but since there are always new people on here, thought I'd ask yet again and see what everyone does/thinks.
I have had a head cold for the past week. It recently moved into my lungs with that persistant hacking "moving nothing up" cough. I upped my treatments to 3-4 per day and am trying to get decent rest (which with DH deploying has NOT been easy) and trying to stay active and do things around the house. I plan on heading back to the gym to walk on the treadmill (not feeling quite like running yet).
My chest is rumbly.... All the time when I breathe out deeply, I feel and hear it rumbling. Sometimes when I huff cough I can cough stuff out (gagging nearly every time from the effort) and sometimes with the extra H.S. treatment I can get stuff up, but mostly it just feels kinda "heavy" and like it doesn't want to budge.
I honestly don't FEEL sick. My sinuses are draining like crazy and aside from the heavy rumbling feeling and congestion in my chest, I do not feel any different than any other day. I just can't seem to shake this congestion in my chest and know its residual from the head cold heading into my lungs.
So... what to do?
I know we CFers grapple with whether or not its IV time ALL THE TIME... I think we've been trained to become so astute to every little change and quirk in our bodies that maybe at times I overreact. Wouldn't a normal person at times have their colds move into their chest? Wouldn't a normal person at times have a cruddy cough that doesn't go away for days or weeks? I know I've had family members that have had colds for much longer than my 8 days. I feel my immune system has been doing a pretty stellar job knocking this thing down. I'm not taking anymore cold meds, no tylenol, and maybe only 400 mg. ibuprofren per day to help with the throat pain from coughing. I also don't feel I need my O2 or anything else. I can walk from room to room (and even walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes). I just don't feel that "exacerbation" sick.
BUT, it is clear things are not moving in my lungs and this concerns me.
What do you do when this happens? I know many people jump on antibiotics immediately (I'm resistant to all oral meds for this very reason as a child it was all I ever did for a cold) when they get a cold that turns into a productive cough.
I know the reasons one would choose to do this... i.e. reduce scarring and further lung damage, etc.... however, I'm curious what your reasons for NOT doing it would be?
I can think of lots of reasons I DON'T feel sick enough to go on meds... The only one I can think of for going on meds would be the rumbling and crappy productive cough that seems to be sitting in my chest. Is that good enough reason? Does it matter that the cough has literally gone through "stages" that I can basically feel every waking day...
For example, started not bringing up anything, next day brought up tons and was super rumbly even with breathing, next day was not as rumbly and only rumbled with huff, today about same rumble, but does it when I breathe out hard and feels "heavy" in my chest. Every day the cough has evolved into something different, not necessarily worsening.
Am I to believe its my body and lungs trying to fight this thing?
So, sorry for the long long story, but what are your thoughts? What do you do when the only thing that is making you question abx is the rumbling crud in your chest? How long do you give yourself to get over a cold?
I know we're all different and just really am curious what everyone does and thinks. What do your docs think?
I have a doc appt. in a week, so I WILL get my situation checked out, however until then, I am just curiuous how sick is "sick enough"?
Thanks everyone!
Cheers,
OK, honestly I think I ask this every time I get a cold, but since there are always new people on here, thought I'd ask yet again and see what everyone does/thinks.
I have had a head cold for the past week. It recently moved into my lungs with that persistant hacking "moving nothing up" cough. I upped my treatments to 3-4 per day and am trying to get decent rest (which with DH deploying has NOT been easy) and trying to stay active and do things around the house. I plan on heading back to the gym to walk on the treadmill (not feeling quite like running yet).
My chest is rumbly.... All the time when I breathe out deeply, I feel and hear it rumbling. Sometimes when I huff cough I can cough stuff out (gagging nearly every time from the effort) and sometimes with the extra H.S. treatment I can get stuff up, but mostly it just feels kinda "heavy" and like it doesn't want to budge.
I honestly don't FEEL sick. My sinuses are draining like crazy and aside from the heavy rumbling feeling and congestion in my chest, I do not feel any different than any other day. I just can't seem to shake this congestion in my chest and know its residual from the head cold heading into my lungs.
So... what to do?
I know we CFers grapple with whether or not its IV time ALL THE TIME... I think we've been trained to become so astute to every little change and quirk in our bodies that maybe at times I overreact. Wouldn't a normal person at times have their colds move into their chest? Wouldn't a normal person at times have a cruddy cough that doesn't go away for days or weeks? I know I've had family members that have had colds for much longer than my 8 days. I feel my immune system has been doing a pretty stellar job knocking this thing down. I'm not taking anymore cold meds, no tylenol, and maybe only 400 mg. ibuprofren per day to help with the throat pain from coughing. I also don't feel I need my O2 or anything else. I can walk from room to room (and even walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes). I just don't feel that "exacerbation" sick.
BUT, it is clear things are not moving in my lungs and this concerns me.
What do you do when this happens? I know many people jump on antibiotics immediately (I'm resistant to all oral meds for this very reason as a child it was all I ever did for a cold) when they get a cold that turns into a productive cough.
I know the reasons one would choose to do this... i.e. reduce scarring and further lung damage, etc.... however, I'm curious what your reasons for NOT doing it would be?
I can think of lots of reasons I DON'T feel sick enough to go on meds... The only one I can think of for going on meds would be the rumbling and crappy productive cough that seems to be sitting in my chest. Is that good enough reason? Does it matter that the cough has literally gone through "stages" that I can basically feel every waking day...
For example, started not bringing up anything, next day brought up tons and was super rumbly even with breathing, next day was not as rumbly and only rumbled with huff, today about same rumble, but does it when I breathe out hard and feels "heavy" in my chest. Every day the cough has evolved into something different, not necessarily worsening.
Am I to believe its my body and lungs trying to fight this thing?
So, sorry for the long long story, but what are your thoughts? What do you do when the only thing that is making you question abx is the rumbling crud in your chest? How long do you give yourself to get over a cold?
I know we're all different and just really am curious what everyone does and thinks. What do your docs think?
I have a doc appt. in a week, so I WILL get my situation checked out, however until then, I am just curiuous how sick is "sick enough"?
Thanks everyone!
Cheers,