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Suggest Treatment For Chest Congestion And Post Nasal Drip
Question: A month ago i got flu symptoms..chest congestion without being able to spit anything yet seemed to swallow it. Took guafenisen and albuterol to try and get mucous out. Now have post nasal drip and always clearing ticklish throat but still no mucus comes up instead small amounts of watery liquid. Just started taking Allegra in morning and Benadryl at night for post nasal drip. Really tired of feeling sick. Any recomendations?
Brief Answer:
Steam inhalation can work wonders.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Steam inhalation can work wonders.Treatment you are taking is fine.
Take steam for three times a day, after that you can plan a short walk or some exercise.This cause dilatation of bronchi and mucus comes out.You might get small cough bouts, it is attempt of body to throw out mucus.
Stop benadryl for time being.It is more of cough suppressant.
Hope this helps.Regards.
Steam inhalation can work wonders.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Steam inhalation can work wonders.Treatment you are taking is fine.
Take steam for three times a day, after that you can plan a short walk or some exercise.This cause dilatation of bronchi and mucus comes out.You might get small cough bouts, it is attempt of body to throw out mucus.
Stop benadryl for time being.It is more of cough suppressant.
Hope this helps.Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
What is bothering me the most right now is the post nasal drip causing tickly throat. Pharmacist told me to take antihistmines to dry up the post nasal drip and guafenesin or albuterol inhaler to help break stuff up. Without the benadryl at night it's hard to sleep because of post nasal drip. I appreciate the advice of the steam but what do you reccomend for post nasal drip. Thank you kindly.
Brief Answer:
Its a double edged thing.
Detailed Answer:
Benadryl will dry up postnasal drip and also reduced mucus production.But it will reduce your cough.Coughs are of two types a dry one and wet one.In dry cough one needs to suppress it with antihistaminics.But in wet cough one need to dilate airway to get mucus out whenever you cough.In wet cough, body ia actually try to get the mucus out by coughing.So the cough is good to get mucus out.And in such cases treatment is directed towards getting mucus out by dilating airways and making mucus thin.
So benadryl infact is acting towards getting mucus collected.
You can take benadryl in the night and then steam and cough expectorants during day.Try this for three days, most of your symptoms will resolve.
Take good steam for 15 minutes, then make attempts to get the mucus out.By second day even postnasal drip will also improve.
Also there is option of chest physiotherapy, but I guess you wont need it at the moment.
Hope this helps.Regards.
Its a double edged thing.
Detailed Answer:
Benadryl will dry up postnasal drip and also reduced mucus production.But it will reduce your cough.Coughs are of two types a dry one and wet one.In dry cough one needs to suppress it with antihistaminics.But in wet cough one need to dilate airway to get mucus out whenever you cough.In wet cough, body ia actually try to get the mucus out by coughing.So the cough is good to get mucus out.And in such cases treatment is directed towards getting mucus out by dilating airways and making mucus thin.
So benadryl infact is acting towards getting mucus collected.
You can take benadryl in the night and then steam and cough expectorants during day.Try this for three days, most of your symptoms will resolve.
Take good steam for 15 minutes, then make attempts to get the mucus out.By second day even postnasal drip will also improve.
Also there is option of chest physiotherapy, but I guess you wont need it at the moment.
Hope this helps.Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Since no mucus comes up I assume that I have a dry cough so benadryl is good at night. I was told to take the Allegra Antihistimine in day time to keep post nasal drip under control and to also take the guafinesen expectorant and albuterol inhaler. Does this seem correct? I will add the steaming and hopefully the antihistimines will help collect mucus that could be expectorated. I have not seen any mucus plegm so does that mean maybe I only have thin watery post nasal drip that is causing this tickling in my throat and chest? Thank you kindly.
Brief Answer:
Yes, postnasal drip can cause tickling.
Detailed Answer:
I feel you are taking too many medications for this.Do stop them as soon as you can.
Combinedly they will make you feel sleepy most of the time.Do not drive or do work that needs concentration.
I personally would have suggested steam inhalation, guafinesen expectorant and albuterol inhaler. And if at all needed benadryl in night.
Regards.
Yes, postnasal drip can cause tickling.
Detailed Answer:
I feel you are taking too many medications for this.Do stop them as soon as you can.
Combinedly they will make you feel sleepy most of the time.Do not drive or do work that needs concentration.
I personally would have suggested steam inhalation, guafinesen expectorant and albuterol inhaler. And if at all needed benadryl in night.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
The only medication that caused drowsiness was benadryl and I take that at night. Sounds like you approve of everything I'm taking except the Allegra daytime antihistimine that doesn't cause drowsiness.I've only taken one dose so far of that and didn't notice much change. Someone else just suggested taking a decongestent called Sudafed but sounds like you feel I am already taking too many medications. Guess I've been feeling pretty desperate because I'm a singer by profession and have important gigs coming up. Curious though about the chest physiotherapy that you mentioned. Anything at all that you think might help I appreciate knowing about. Also a friend was telling me I should order a nebulizer that is used with some natural medicines..Serrapeptide and reduced-L-glutathione instead of the Albuterol inhaler. Have you heard of this and approve of it? I am certainly appreciating your input!
Brief Answer:
Medicines are fine.
Detailed Answer:
Though I might sound conservative , but I would not suggest anything more.
Chest physiotherapy is recommended only if there is to much chest congestion and you are unable to get mucus out.
Yes, I do approve most thing you are taking.
Natural remedy nebuliser, I wont support it to great extent, content being less known.
Try steam inhalation with exercises after that.Exercise increase your breath and clear it off secretions.This will just play the trick.
Regards
Medicines are fine.
Detailed Answer:
Though I might sound conservative , but I would not suggest anything more.
Chest physiotherapy is recommended only if there is to much chest congestion and you are unable to get mucus out.
Yes, I do approve most thing you are taking.
Natural remedy nebuliser, I wont support it to great extent, content being less known.
Try steam inhalation with exercises after that.Exercise increase your breath and clear it off secretions.This will just play the trick.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I am doing the steam as you suggested. Still have problem but feeling a little better each day. Still can't sing. Freinds keep bugging me to go to Doctor and get antibiotics but since I've had this lingering for so long..like a month.. but I'm not so sick like I was so my intuition is not to go to dr. cause I really dislike antibiotics. Don't you feel I can cure this even if it was some sort of bacterial infection without going to Dr and getting antibiotics?Also I've still never seen any thick mucus plemgh..but can tell there is still liquid deep in my lungs or bronchial tubes. lDon't have much of a cough but have to clear my ticklish throat a lot and very small amount of thin mucus comes up that goes straight to my stomach. This should clear up without antibiotics...don't you think.
I have not heard back from the Doctor about my last two questions. If I indeed actually had a bacterial infection..could I cure it without antibiotics? How could one tell if it was Bacterial? I've heard golden seal was natural antibiotic. Should I be taking this in case its bacterial infection.
Thank you kindly,
I have not heard back from the Doctor about my last two questions. If I indeed actually had a bacterial infection..could I cure it without antibiotics? How could one tell if it was Bacterial? I've heard golden seal was natural antibiotic. Should I be taking this in case its bacterial infection.
Thank you kindly,
Brief Answer:
Getting tested is only definite way to know.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I was XXXXXXX Getting tested is only definite way to know whether its bacterial infection.
Bacterial infection may get cured without antibiotics as they did when there were no antibiotics but this will take long time and there is fear of chronic long term infection.
Goldenseal is used in cases like yours but there is no sufficient medical evidence to prove its helpfulness.
What you can do is go to doctor, get investigations done, after that depending on test results you can decide whether to opt for treatment or not.
So it won't be blind empirical treatment.Hope this helps.Please ask if there are doubts.Regards.
Getting tested is only definite way to know.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I was XXXXXXX Getting tested is only definite way to know whether its bacterial infection.
Bacterial infection may get cured without antibiotics as they did when there were no antibiotics but this will take long time and there is fear of chronic long term infection.
Goldenseal is used in cases like yours but there is no sufficient medical evidence to prove its helpfulness.
What you can do is go to doctor, get investigations done, after that depending on test results you can decide whether to opt for treatment or not.
So it won't be blind empirical treatment.Hope this helps.Please ask if there are doubts.Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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