Weird Phlegm Problem: Any Ideas? Posted: 09-10-07 11:04am
For over a year now I've had this problem,
and it's getting steadily worse, and my GP
doesn't know what it is, so can any of you
fine chaps throw me a bone here?
Some background first - I've always had
problems with my ENT bits. When I was a
kid I got terrible earaches and had to
have my tonsils removed and a vent placed
in one ear. I always seem to have a
runny/blocked up nose, and coughing up
phlegm has never been uncommon for me.
Decongestants and other medications never
seemed to make a difference (nor did my
tonsil/vent operation).
The current problem is quite specific and
quite pronounced, in that I get an
[enormous] build-up of phlegm in my throat
immediately after (or sometimes during) a
meal. Actually, it doesn't even have to
be a meal, even a few biscuits or an apple
or something like that will cause a
substantial phlegm build-up. There is so
much phlegm that I can barely breath, and
I can hear it gurgling with every
inhalation. So, after every meal I have a
little ritual where I go to the bathroom
and spend a good 10 minutes coughing this
crap up, much to the dismay of my family,
and of course much to my own dismay. It's
soul-destroying.
During the day, phlegm is almost always
caused by eating something, but at night
when I'm laying in bed I tend to have at
least 3 or 4 bouts of this coughing up
ritual without having eaten anything.
First thing in the morning is always a
treat, with a nice big wad of phlegm
waiting to be coughed up.
I'm afraid to eat out because of this; I
don't wanna put the other restaurant
attendees off their dinner by hearing me
in the bathroom hocking up lung-butter for
10 minutes haha. And like I said, it's
soul-destroying to have to go through this
every time I eat/wake up.
When I went to my GP I was given a blood
test and a sputum test. The blood test
showed nothing, and the sputum test showed
"something" but I don't know what. As a
result, the GP prescribed Distaclor which
didn't work. So, back at square one it
seems!
Any ideas as to what this may be?
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PaddyM
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 4 Location: ,
Posted: 09-21-07 17:45pm
This is getting much worse with time. I
now vomit when I try to cough the phlegm
up, just because there's so much of it and
it makes me gag. I also spend
considerably longer trying to get rid of
it; I have to take breaks during the
coughing to catch my breath and let my
headache settle, but it takes several
visits to the bathroom before it clears to
a tolerable degree.
Does anyone have ANY idea as to what this
might be?
Have you considered being checked for CF,
or a pancreas problem?
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PaddyM
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 4 Location: ,
Posted: 09-29-07 06:29am
Thanks for the reply
I'm almost certain that I don't have CF.
No one else in my family has it, and I
don't have any of the other symptoms
mentioned on the page. The page also says
that 70% of sufferers are diagnosed by age
two. I've been to doctors and hospitals
about my ENT problems since I was a kid,
dozens of times, so I'm sure it would have
crossed their minds if it was a
possiblity.
As for the pancreas; would there be
anything else happening with me that would
go hand in hand with the phlegm problem
that might point to a pancreatic problem?
I'm unaware of any other noticeable
symptoms besides the phlegm itself.
Cheers!
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PaddyM
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Sep 2007 Posts: 4 Location: ,
Posted: 10-03-07 05:49am
I was at the doctor again today, and asked
about the sputum test I was given a month
or so ago. She said the test showed that
I had "Moraxella Catarrhalis". I was
given 2 new medicines to take; the first,
a liquid, is Galpseud Linc. The second, a
pill, is Co-amoxiclav. I'll report back
when I've finished the course(s) and say
whether or not these new meds have
helped.
Thanks!
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younglad
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 104 Location: , UK, England, London
Posted: 10-14-07 17:05pm
You need to see a type of endocrinologist
who knows about the glands etc. They can
play a part. Research on google about the
glands dysfunctioning and causing coughs,
runny nose etc. Become an expert on it
yourself, never rely a GP's help or
someone who is supposed to be a
specialist. Do your militan research and
on doctors on www.drfoster.co.uk
and pin point who can help you. And
reconfirm all your findings with your GP.
My GP is good and tells me to research
more, and agrees on my problems.
