Cough driving me mad!!!

[CAJ1]

I have a cough, every 5 seconds I'm coughing away and its really starting to annoy me!!! Anyway, I went to the cupboard thinking I had cough medicine but I don't...does anyone have any homemade remedies that will help...(keep it clean, you know who you are lol!)

[sophie_1003]

cough medicine is basically sugar water and paracetamol isn't it? maybe mix your own up but use honey instead of sugar to get a really syrupy effect?

[4getmenot]

have you got a cold with this cough or have had one?

[daffy654]

Boil a kettle,tip the water into a bowl and hold your head over it and inhale, this loosens the secretions in your lungs and makes it easier to cough them out...thus reducing the need to cough so often. Keep well hydrated and avoid dairy produce.

[CAJ1]

Sorry, only seen your answers now. I found some cough medicine eventually it did no good whatsoever!! I was awake at 2.30am coughing again.

Some good ideas I will try them all out today. I trust your advice daffy but I'm curious to know how does dairy produce affect a cough?

I have mild pneumonia 4get :(

[NoMercy]

Can't your doctor give you some sort of bronchial dilator? I always find paracetemol reduces coughing if I'm desperate.

[DrFilth]

spoonful of honey to soothe your throat

[CAJ1]

Hi NoM

Was at the docs on Tuesday, all he gave me was antibiotics which as of yet have not had any affect! Is a bronchial dilator like an inhalor?

Will try some paracetamol x

[CAJ1]

Ah honey, I think we have some of that, will go and rummage through the cupboards, thanks DrF

[Sqad]

Cough is a symptom, not a disease.

What did your Dr. say was the cause of your cough?

[mrs_overall]

This has always puzzled me.
If someone has a cough, say from a bad chest, how does swallowing cough medicine (via your oesophagus and into your stomach) do your chest any good?????

[CAJ1]

Hey sqad,

How you doing?

Glad you popped on because I wanted to ask you something. Firstly, I had a cold virus, Dr checked my chest and said there was crackling in my left lung, I had a temperature and diagnosed mild pneumonia. He then gave me 500mg clarithromycin. This was on Tuesday, should they not have started working by now sqad? I'm not feeling a whole lot better.

[Sqad]

morning Olive....it's called absorption i.e the pharmacological ingredient in the medicine doesn't stay in the oesophagus and stomach, it gets absorbed into the blood stream and hence to the chest.

[Sqad]

Caji....give it a bloody chance to work. ;-)

[mrs_overall]

Morning Sqad. I still think the over the counter cough medicines are a waste of money.
Mr O has spent a small fortune on them over the past 3 weeks, to no avail.

[Mysterons]

Sounds like you probabably have a viral infection in the upper airway - ask your pharmacist for some pholcodine, but don't overdo it, especially if you drive. Antibiotics are over-prescribed, and he may have given them as a precaution - if you had pneumonia you would be very ill, 'mild' or not. If you are over 40, smoke and the cough hasn't gone in another 10 to 14 days, ask for a chest radiograph (and stop smoking)

[zzxxee]

my nan used to swear by
1clove garlic(crushed)
1 inch ginger (crushed)
i generous squeeze fresh lemon
i tablespoon honey
mix in warm water and drink

[Sqad]

Olive....by and large.......I would agree with you.

How's our medical student doing?

[mrs_overall]

Sqad, he was home (briefly) at Easter for his washing doing. Communication is still restricted to grunts.
i told him ages ago that the Goth look is not good for an aspiring doctor. He was last seen wearing a bloody kilt! Argh!

[CAJ1]

Fed up waiting sqad! :(