One-Month Cold

[Koolau]

DW arrived on a flight and began to feel the mild symptoms of a cold coming on within hours. Within a few days, she had "a cold". But, the symptoms seemed not to go away, while they did jump around a bit. Mostly, though, she had the symptoms of bronchitis - deep hacking couch, with or without "productivity". Never did we detect any actual fever though she often "felt" feverish.

Within a couple of weeks, even though we did what we could to prevent transmission, I got the same thing. Eventually, DW went to her doc and got a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia (negative). After a month, her symptoms finally began to subside and she is more or less over the "cold" as nearly as we can tell. My cold is hanging on with similar symptoms, though occasionally, I have spiked a temp to nearly 102. It's easily controlled with acetaminophen. I have not been to a doc. I seem to get better and then relapse. Other than a nagging, mostly nightly cough (with "lung sounds" but no difficulty breathing) it just seems like a "cold" that won't go away. The coughing fits are not every night. Maybe a couple times per week. I'm actually beginning to suspect "asthma-like symptoms" perhaps brought on by pollen - on top of a cold. Sounds like I'm playing doctor, but I quit that in child-hood

A friend has had a similar cold-experience It hangs on with lots of nightly coughing. I'm not one to run to the doc for every sniffle, but beginning to wonder if I should go. I'm extrapolating from DW's chest x-ray that I probably do not have pneumonia.

Anyone hear of this "going around" or had similar experience (and lived though it, heh, heh.)? Any thoughts welcomed with thanks.

 

[Walt34]

I did once have a mild cold (or something) that lasted about six weeks but I did eventually recover. That was two decades ago though. Now if I had something like that that lasted more than two weeks I think a visit to the GP would be appropriate if for no other reason than to rule out anything more serious.

 

[cj]

Had the exact same thing - coughing for a month (as you said - deep, hacking cough, sometimes productive, sometimes dry). I didn't feel terrible, and never went to the doctor. I think it was more annoying to the people around me. Coughing would be non-stop at night, until I sucked down some Nyquil (the wonder drug).

It slowly went away, and two months later, I'm done coughing...

 

[RockyMtn]

hmmmm...i'm not a Dr. and I don't play one on TV but sounds like something I had last year.

CDC - Pertussis (Whooping Cough) homepage AKA as "Whooping Cough". Very nasty bug.

 

[DayDreaming]

Some years ago I felt like I had a summer flu that just wouldn't go away. I finally went to the doctor and it turned out to be Lyme Disease. I started the usual routine of antibiotics and felt fine within a couple of days.

 

[Koolau]

Some years ago I felt like I had a summer flu that just wouldn't go away. I finally went to the doctor and it turned out to be Lyme Disease. I started the usual routine of antibiotics and felt fine within a couple of days.

I actually wondered about that but neither DW or I have been any place we would expect to be exposed. Of course, tics or other vectors could be just about anyplace. I'm guessing a doc would take a look at me and say, yep! you've got a cold. Get over it. A month later, s/he might be willing to do a lime disease test if no improvement. Thanks for the thought!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Every time I had the lung sounds in the past it for me was always pneumonia. Sometimes I had to go back and be retested before the doctor's tests showed positive. But every time I could hear gurgling in my lungs it always ended up being pneumonia.

In my case I went off a vegetarian diet, starting eating red meat, cut out most sugar and I stopped getting pneumonia every year. I just wasn't on a good diet for my body type before.

 

[MRG]

Where was she?

 

[gardenfun]

Maybe it's a sinus infection? When I get one, there's lots of coughing because of sinus drainage, especially at night when laying down.

Sinus infections can drag on forever--ugh.

Has anyone used a Neti pot? I was skeptical at first, but now I use it twice a day at the first sign of congestion. It's a weird feeling while using it, but it makes me feel a lot better.

 

[Koolau]

Where was she?

Hawaii

Of course, exposure these days is from the entire world when ever you get on a wide-body aircraft.

 

[MRG]

Nettie or the more modern alternatives are great treatments. The won't cure, but I've had good benefits.

Glad to hear she was stateside, not in 3rd world country. I know infections diseases can spread rapidly in the small environment of an airplane. Good luck.

MRG

 

[daylatedollarshort]

One other thing I started doing for coughs was to take Olbas cough syrup. If it a natural type syrup made from honey and herbs. It works so well I take a bottle on vacation just in case someone gets sick.

 

[tmm99]

hmmmm...i'm not a Dr. and I don't play one on TV but sounds like something I had last year.

CDC - Pertussis (Whooping Cough) homepage AKA as "Whooping Cough". Very nasty bug.

I just got this vaccination with combined diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis(whooping cough) vaccine called Tdap vacccine which was on my order list. My arm is so sore right now, but at least, I will be good for 7 years or something like that.

 

[travelover]

My sympathies. I had a one month cold this spring. Doc said just wait it out. I did and thankfully, it went away. A friend had something similar and it was pneumonia.

 

[spncity]

A cautionary reminder: a "negative" Lyme disease test does not guarantee you don't have Lyme. False negatives abound.

Excerpt from a recent press release: NatCapLyme | Governor McDonnell Ceremonially Signs the Lyme Disease Testing Information Disclosure Act of 2013 | Press Releases

June 25, 2013

RICHMOND - Surrounded by legislators and community leaders, Governor Bob McDonnell ceremonially signed today HB1933, the Lyme Disease Testing Information Disclosure Act of 2013. The legislation makes Virginia the first state in the nation to require health care providers to notify those tested for Lyme disease that current laboratory testing can produce false negatives, especially in the early stage of the disease.


Kindest regards.

 

[Easy Rider]

I gotta say I had almost the same symptoms as mentioned here for almost exactly a month. Just recovered about 10 days ago.

It was real misery, really seemed like a combination of allergies triggering asthma and a cold all happening at the same time. Couldn't sleep for a couple weeks and could here my lungs gurgling as I a was trying to sleep. Never took allergy medicines but Allegra did relieve the worst symptoms. It also seemed to fit the whooping cough description. So hard breathing I thought I may need to go to emergency room if this keeps up. When I did sleep, I'd sleep for like 10 hours and then wake up exhausted needing naps throughout the day.

But after the month and taking the allergy medicine, everything seemed to completely subside. Just wanna say how great it feels to get back to normal. Health is the most important item on my retirement list. I almost forget how bad it was. I was trying to convince myself then that it was only allergies, since that really did make things worst when I was directly exposed to pollen - but it clearly was a combination of things.

 

[Koolau]

Update -

I believe I have finally recovered from the 1-month cold. Still have an occasional cough, sneeze and a bit of throat "scratch". I am convinced this was, indeed, a combo of summer allergies on top of a "bad" cold. Still, it's difficult to think in terms of a "cold" (even with allergies) causing such a long illness. So glad it appears to be over. Never did go to the doc as I decided to wait it out. If I did have pneumonia, it too has passed.

Thanks to all for your contributions to the thread. Thanks too for the "sympathy". It helps to know others have had similar symptoms and recovered. Aloha to all.