What Causes Productive Cough And Back Pain?

Posted on Mon, 15 Feb 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 15 Feb 2016 Answered on

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I caught a cold on Thursday that turned into a cough with back pain constantly. Today when I coughed I brought up thick gray sputum that hurt terribly.

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (52 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Chest infection requiring more accurate management

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. Your symptoms of cough, back pain, and the production of sputum causing pain are all strong indicators of a respiratory infection (probably a lower tract respiratory infection).

In majority of cases, such infections are of a bacterial source and thus require antibiotic coverage. Your treatment regimen should include:

+Antibiotic coverage
+Mucolytics
+Bronchodilators
+Anti-histamine

I would thus like to urge you to visit a doctor for a chest X-ray, a few blood investigations and immediate prescription of medications to increase your speed of recovery. Please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.

Best wishes.

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar