What Causes Running Nose, Cold And Muscle Twitching?

Posted on Wed, 15 Jun 2016

Question: For Doctor Rovena Murati..
i hope u will be fine . as u know all of my history of stomach problems and muscle twitchings. now today i faced again some disturbing thing. from last one week i am in a cold and flue condition . near about all in my place having this problem i think thats not a big issue. because here weather is changing.my nose is runny from last 6 days and i can feel chest cough sound. now problem that gives me a lot of fear is today morning i found blood in my cough.it was red and for investivagion reason i checked again and again it was blood and it was enough . not very less. ۔ i coughed again and again found that. but aftet that now again cough is clear no blood therr i am in a trouble .
6 days before when i feel problem in throat and feeling like chilling etc i take panadol 2 days. after that i have not taken any medicine. what i should tak now. because i checked on internet that it might be due to pneumonia and that might be the reason of hiv. please tell me what is this.

Answered by Dr. Albana Sejdini (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Not related to pneumonia neither to HIV in your case

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX

I have gone through your medical history carefully and understood your concern.

From what you are reporting, it seems that you are going through a viral infection. As your throat is inflamed due to infection, it explains the presence of blood in sputum.

This is .nothing to worry about. I advise to wait a few more days to see if the symptoms will persist or improve.

During these days, please :
- keep good hygiene of your mouth
- gargle with warm water with salt
- take antiinflammatory medications, but with caution to avoid aggravation/precipitation of stomach problems
- can take antacid to optimize stomach hyperacidity

Wish fast recovery.
Dr.Albana

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

Follow up: Dr. Albana Sejdini (9 hours later)

thanks for your reply .. ok i will update you .still i have not received blood in cough it was only one time in morning . i have taken Betamethasone tablet. because always i recover with this tablet even in my childhood.
is it possible to receive blood in cough in normal viral infection? i have never observed such thing thats why i am more curious and feared.

Answered by Dr. Albana Sejdini (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Nothing to fear...

Detailed Answer:
Hi back my dear,

1. When you have cold or viral infection, there is inflammation of the throat. The mucosa is fragile and can be easily broken resulting in minor lacerations with blood

2. Bethametasone is a potent antiinflammatory drug that will help reduce inflammation.

Wait for a few more days and follow the advice as given above. If still blood or aggravate the symptoms, further consultation is needed.

For the moment, relax and try to be calm to fight this viral infection.

Keep well hydrated too.
Wish fast recovery.
Dr.Albana

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

Follow up: Dr. Albana Sejdini (7 hours later)

after yesterday morning incident. all the day cough was going on but clean without and blood. but now again in morning i found a very thin line of blood in my cough.but after that again no blood found. i dont have any specific pain only this flu was very strong . now flue reduced to much after the medicine. but my real fear was the blood that comes yeaterday .it was properly changed the color of my cough.i have never received such thing in my line. but after that everything was normal again.

Answered by Dr. Albana Sejdini (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Inflammation due to virus;wait until Monday...

Detailed Answer:
Hi back,

I still think it's due to inflammated throat due to virus. Please wait until Monday. If still blood, then, should:
- split on a tissue : if blood, then, should go and send the tissue at the ER doctors there
- if no blood, then, nothing worrisome.

All the best!
Dr.Albana

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

Follow up: Dr. Albana Sejdini (37 hours later)

hy doctor. last all the day i was trying to cough to check the blood in cough and could not found any thing in phlegm. but now today a very tiny dots of blood i found in phelgm. now my cough decreased very much . i am not taking any medicine .only one Bethametasone .5mg i have taken in morning and night. but i very much scared . i dont know how a flue can cause such problem. from tuberculosis to lung cancer evrything in my mind now.fear of hiv already make gave me health anxiety. but this problem is worse then all previous. kindly tell me i should check somedays more?

i could not understand why i dont have any pain ?its too much scary for me bcz everytime such things happen i start contineous thinking about that

or it may v merce virus which is common in middle east?

and this blood does not come with everythime i cough. it comes one in a day. first day it was proper blood now it decreased to dots. but its fear is very much.

i can clearly say that from friday (first day i receive blood in phelgm)to now monday its very much decreased. but my fear is about blood. does it happened to normal people?
i could not understand why i dont have any pain ?its too much scary for me bcz everytime such things happen i start contineous thinking about that
or it may v merce virus which is common in middle east?
and this blood does not come with everythime i cough. it comes one in a day. first day it was proper blood now it decreased to dots. but its fear is very much.
i can clearly say that from friday (first day i receive blood in phelgm)to now monday its very much decreased. but my fear is about blood. does it happened to normal people?

Answered by Dr. Albana Sejdini (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes happens to normal people, no fear unnecessarily

Detailed Answer:
Hi back my dear,

From your last post, I noted that you have been caught by anxiety unnecessarily.

What I have been trying to explain is that what's happening to you can also happen to normal people when going through a bad flu. Again, let me tell you that this is due to inflammation of throat.

As the cold is at its end, the symptoms are not as severe as at beginning and you won't get blood anymore.

I think you should wait a few more days. If you will note blood even spots again, should see ENT specialist first to check your throat.

Keep good throat hygiene and let me know.
Dr.Albana

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

Follow up: Dr. Albana Sejdini (2 days later)

hy.. doctor now from last 2 days i could not found any thing like blood in my cough phlegm . and also my cough decrease with the help of salt water i think. but still my throat is not completely ok . i think it will take time. the only fear now that i have is, i think that when i will stop this medicine Bethametasone (which i am talking to tablets in a day of 0.5mg) again the same blood in phlegm will start. thats the fear i have. becasue its most scary thing i have until now. bcz i never observe such thing before in my life. can u please suggest my any syrup or medicine for cough aslo that will help me ?

Answered by Dr. Albana Sejdini (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Following meds you can find otc

Detailed Answer:
Hi back,

I am really glad to hear that your cough is decreasing and no blood is present in your phlegm.

I usually prescribe following to my patients with the same cough as yours:
- mucolytic like carbocystein to dissolve phlegm and help getting out
- antihistaminic to reduce spasms of airway
- antiinflammatories like ibuprofen to reduce inflammation

I too agree to stop taking bethametasone gradually, by taking it once in two days then after 3 days until stopping it.

Bethametasone use is also associated with bloody cough and weakening of immune system, that's why I do not like to prescribe it for a common cold or flu.

By taking the meds I mentioned together with increasing water intake and keeping good oral hygiene, your symptoms will fade in a few days.

Wish fast recovery!
Dr.Albana

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

Follow up: Dr. Albana Sejdini (4 days later)

hy thanks a lot for your suggestions. but now doctor i have to discus one more problem that i have faced 2 days before. as you know i have told you that this blood in phlegm finished and i have still not faced that . not even a single dot of blood in cough. but now i have some stomach problem , means i was feeling like heart burn. like something burning in chest. and when i swallow something like food or tea i feel pain in chest. the same thing i felt near about 2 years before . and at that time doctor suggest me gaviscon , and i have taken that and after that i am feeling very much ok. but now my question and fear is about the previous issue . i am relating this chest burning with that blood in phlegm. ? is there any relation ? i am fearing about that. but 7 days before when the blood came , at that time i felt nothing in chest. can you please tell me what could be the possible reason?

does betamethasone can cause such problem?
means that can cause this sore and burning feeling in throat and chest? but i was not feeling any pain when i was having cough and flue and a small amount of blood in cough. but now i am feeling pain in chest that is very much decreased with gaviscon. kindly reply me

Answered by Dr. Albana Sejdini (13 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Following answers to your questions...

Detailed Answer:
Hi back,

I am so sorry for the late reply due to my XXXXXXX clinical overload during this holiday weekend.

Now, regarding your worries, I can say as following:

- Your past episode of stomach problems is suggestive of acid reflux which is commonly associated with hyperacidity. The acid liquid of the stomach is getting up to the esophagus and throat, giving the symptoms you had. As the liquid is so acid, it can irritate the throat and oral mucosa to the extend of giving a strong inflammation which was associated with blood when you cough. This is not worrisome. The stabilization of the hyperacidity of the stomach through Gaviscon, has succeeded in normalizing the inflammation and no more blood.

- Your actual chest phlegm with blood is a possible upper respiratory tract infection after the flu you had. The mucosa has got inflammed, this has been associated with phlegm. And when you cough, the irritated mucosa results into laceration of tiny blood vessels there, resulting in blood.

- Unfortunately, such upper respiratory tract infections are associated with hyperacidity status of the stomach. Both hyperacidity and viral infection have given a strong inflammation effect, which has precipitated the presence of blood in phlegm.

- Betamethasone is a strong anti-inflammatory steroid. I usually do not recommend them until other meds have failed to treat the symptoms of viral infection you had.

Betamethasone can irritate the stomach increasing hyperacidity which may further irritate the stomach mucosa or precipitating acid reflux or other stomach problems. This further irritation might have also aggravate the inflammation of the upper GI leading to presence of blood in the cough.

I am happy to hear that you do not have any more blood in phlegm or any phlegm at all. But, please keep in mind that if it is repeated then a further clinical examination if required.

All the best!
Dr.Albana

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