I had bronchitis for about a month. I seem to be over the worst part... not being able to breath, coughing alot. Now I am left with really thick mucus in my throat. When I do cough, I cough it up. Not be be gross, but it is sometimes yellowish and never clear. Does it sound like I need to go back to the doctor? Do you have an suggestions on what I can take to help thin it all out and get it back to normal? I feel so much better than when the bronchitis was taking over. I just want to get rid of all of it.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going to try Mucinex with a warm compress or shower and see if that will help. If not, I will go on back to the doctor. Thanks again!
I woud suggest Mucinex D, you have to get from the pharmacist but no prescript needed.
Yellowish brownish tan is just what mucus looks like when it congeals - very common. Mucinex is wonderful stuff - it really helps thin the mucus. Steamy showers, keep up your fluids (hot tea and soup are good), and I like a heating pad on my chest at night if I have a cough that just won't quit. Vitamin C and echinacea sometimes help me if I have a cold that is lingering. I also use a neti pot to rinse my nose out with a saline solution. You are coughing up the phlem from your throat / lungs, but it drains down from your sinuses, so it helps to rinse them out. I love the smell of Vick's Vapor rub. I don't know if it helps or not, but I find the smell to be comforting if I'm not feeling well.
B's suggestions are what work for me. If you're gradually getting better, your body has probably dealt successfully with any bacteria that might have complicated things, so antibiotics are unlikely to help. But if it gets worse again, that could be a new infection settling into the mucus and inflammation.
I've gone to 2 different docs for bronchitis in the past few years, and they both gave the same advice: after dealing with infection, if it's there, keep the mucus loose so you can cough it up. Mucinex works well for that, and hot showers and tea with honey can also help. There's also a natural supplement that works much like Mucinex and helps boost the immune system; N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC).
My 2 docs also recommended a cough-suppressing med, because just a lot of coughing keeps irritating the bronchial passages, resulting in more mucus and more coughing. Good luck.
Perhaps some Mucinex, lots of water, lots of vitamin C supplements, and maybe some vicks on the chest at night?
Maybe research it online as well for suggestions on vit C megalevels?
Bronchitis is so stinky!
I had a bad bout of bronchitis when I was young and was out of school for about a month as well. I was put on antibiotics and stayed at home for a long time, lots of liquids, soups, salads, warm showers. If it's cold out, always cover your mouth and nose with a scarf. Another visit to the doctor, or even a call, might help, as sometimes you can get complications (I got asthma).
Stephanie,
I've had bronchitis before, so I feel your pain. If I was you I would go back to the doctor's office. You might need some more antibiotics to help you clear that out fully. Try the steam bathroom, that might help as well. Also, if you can drink a lot of water (liquids) I find that drinking water helps me as well.
Blessings
I know you've already closed the ??? But the last couple times I had bronchitis, I required 2nd rounds of antibiotics to completely clear the infection.
