Dreadful coughing

tryingmybest

Registered User
May 22, 2015
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My Mums coughing has been getting worse the past few days and I'm really worried. I've taken her to the doctors three times in the past two months. Sometimes there is blood in the phlegm on tissues and on her duvet. She had a chest xray two weeks ago and nothing showed up. The doctor keeps saying her chest sounds clear but she sounds dreadful, especially in the mornings. Its obviously quite debilitating for her.

I've suggested it could be her new blood pressure tablets as they can cause problems so she has temporarily come off them but no change after two weeks as yet. I tried to get another appointment with the doctor yesterday but as usual they were full. I asked for a doctor to phone me. He said he will refer her to a respiratory specialist.

In the meantime, I'm wondering if it would be worth buying an air purifier in case its an allergy to something. Does anyone have any experience of these please? Argos sell a few so I thought I might purchase one today, mid range priced one, as I must do something to try and help Mum.
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
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Durham
My daughter has asthma and she bought one for her house about a month ago it was from Argos and she is a lot better now, she uses it in the bedroom and was waking up with asthma attacks and now she sleeps all night, it has worked for her,

I hope you find out what it wrong with your mum soon,


It is one of these but she got hers at Argos clearance and it was about £46,
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2273763.htm
 
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Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
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London
It could be allergies, it could be asthma related or one of those viruses that she can't shake. I've also had the worst cough for over a month, had chest x-Ray done etc. In the end the GP prescribed me an inhaler, an antihistamine and a nasal spray. I am slowly getting better. I can't see anything wrong with an air purifier.
 

tryingmybest

Registered User
May 22, 2015
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Thank you both. That is the one I was thinking of getting jeany123 but the next size up. Fingers crossed it helps. Tried antihistamines but they don't seem to work. Maybe you should try one Beate too! You sound as though you've had a rough time of it.
 

tryingmybest

Registered User
May 22, 2015
638
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Thank you both. That is the one I was thinking of getting jeany123 but the next size up. Fingers crossed it helps. Tried antihistamines but they don't seem to work. Maybe you should try one Beate too! You sound as though you've had a rough time of it.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
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South coast
A thought from a different angle here. You mentioned blood pressure tablets. Does your mum have any degree of heart failure? If so, you can get fluid backing up in the lungs from it.
 

bemused1

Registered User
Mar 4, 2012
3,402
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Another possibility does she have excessive saliva or post nasal drip? Excessive saliva can cause choking which can be improved a lot by Scopoderm patches.

Air purifiers can help but make sure you change the filters as necessary. Are you thinking dog allergy? I' 've thought about that because jess doesn't shed her undercover so well now. In hubs case it doesn't seem to be consistent though.
 

tryingmybest

Registered User
May 22, 2015
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No Canary, she doesn't have a heart problem just her blood pressure was high when last tested so they decided to put her on them and all of a sudden she started getting this horrible cough. Last year, before she lived with me she was on blood pressure tablets but they took her off them although I'm unsure why? A gentleman volunteer at a National Trust house we visited recently, alerted us to the fact it could well be related to the tablets as he said he had been on them and has now stopped taking them for a couple of months and is fine now.

Bemused1 Mum doesn't have any saliva or nasal problems to my knowledge, it's just the cough. I didn't want to say the dreaded dog word as I so am hoping it's not an allergy to my dogs. She did live with dogs when she was with my sister so am desperately hoping it's not this. My friend, who cares for her Father in the original family home has just had an extremely upsetting experience where she was told to rehome her dogs by an SW!! She will not be however I hasten to add. How dare anyone say that. As if life isn't hard enough caring for somebody without losing your beloved dogs!!

Anyway, I bought a air purifier today and had it plugged in the lounge for a couple of hours then put it upstairs in Mums room. It is a little bit noisy even on the lowest setting but she says it doesn't bother her and she's now in bed so will see how she is in the morning, although I'm not expecting miracles straight away. I was just so very worried this morning as she really was quite bad although it's usually in the mornings when it's worse. Fingers crossed it does the trick!!
 

sleepless

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Feb 19, 2010
3,223
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The Sweet North
Have you thought about an extra pillow, to raise her head and shoulders a little when she is in bed?
Since my husband has slept in a hospital-type bed with the head raised a little, he coughs less and seems to create less phlegm.
 

tryingmybest

Registered User
May 22, 2015
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Oooo you've reminded me Sleepless, I did think about that this morning. The only trouble is, she has a severe coccyx problem which is especially bad at the moment too and she is going to have an xray on Thursday, so I am wondereing if having her head up higher may affect her spine and make that worse??
 

Linbrusco

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Mar 4, 2013
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Auckland...... New Zealand
My Dad was put on blood pressure tablets ( Cilazapril) a year ago.
They said one side effect could be a cough. He has a slight cough but not to worry him.
I wonder if with the blood in her phlegm it could be from her irritation to her throat from constant coughing.
A respiratory specialist should be able to see whats what. Your poor Mum.

I have just now recovered from a virus and resulting cough which lasted 6 weeks.
 

sleepless

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Feb 19, 2010
3,223
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The Sweet North
Oooo you've reminded me Sleepless, I did think about that this morning. The only trouble is, she has a severe coccyx problem which is especially bad at the moment too and she is going to have an xray on Thursday, so I am wondereing if having her head up higher may affect her spine and make that worse??

I really don't know. I just tried myself, and didn't feel any more pressure on my coccyx, but that's not very scientific, so maybe ask advice of whoever she has seen about the problem? I wouldn't risk making things worse if I were you.
 

tryingmybest

Registered User
May 22, 2015
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Good news........Mum has not coughed hardly at all!! Seems as though the airpurifier unit may have done the trick?! Lets hope so.

Linbrusco I'm glad you are feeling a lot better. 6 weeks is a long while! Sleepless I will leave the pillow for now and ask when we go to the hospital about her coccycx but it certainly would make sense as it could be lying so flat, the fluid sits on the lungs?
 

jeany123

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Mar 24, 2012
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Durham
That's great, it was worth trying and I hope it continues to work x


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point
 

tryingmybest

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May 22, 2015
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You know they will Bemused1 hee hee. Actually she has been coughing a little bit again the past two days but nowhere near as much. Im now thinking its the copious amounts of hairspray she wants me to spray on her new hairstyle??!! Anyway she is going to the hospital on Monday to the respiritory dept for a check up so watch this space. x
 

sleepless

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Feb 19, 2010
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The Sweet North
You know they will Bemused1 hee hee. Actually she has been coughing a little bit again the past two days but nowhere near as much. Im now thinking its the copious amounts of hairspray she wants me to spray on her new hairstyle??!! Anyway she is going to the hospital on Monday to the respiritory dept for a check up so watch this space. x

Whoa! Could be the hairspray you know. I won't use any aerosols at all, just don't think it can be good for us to breathe in all those tiny droplets of whatever.