18 replies to this topic

[caston]

I've been coughing a lot lately and have even been coughing up some phlegm. I find coughing an annoying thing that I am prone to a lot of time anyway even for non-phlegm producing coughing. Coughing is normally an action to clear the airways of phlegm. Perhaps there is often very small amounts of phlegm that causes us to cough?

Is there a way to achieve a healthier respiratory system so that less phlegm and coughing is produced?

thank you,

Chris

[Matt]

Have you been to a doctor about this? Sometimes the problem can be simple, like acid reflux which is a common cause of coughing, and even productive coughing because particles of food and even stomach acid trigger inflammation and mucous in the trachea. Is the problem worse after you eat non - dairy food?

Edited by Matt, 20 May 2009 - 12:26 PM.

[Jay]

Have you been to a doctor about this? Sometimes the problem can be simple, like acid reflux which is a common cause of coughing, and even productive coughing because particles of food and even stomach acid trigger inflammation and mucous in the trachea. Is the problem worse after you eat non - dairy food?

Good point. I would add that it might not only be acid reflux that causes coughing. Acid reflux, weakly acid reflux, or alkaline reflux may cause coughing -- in other words, reflux. I know because I have coughing from reflux even when I am on 40mg nexium + 150 mg zantac, which is fairly close to total acid suppression (achieved only with 3x daily 40mg nexium).

[Matt]

From my own experience excess mucous and coughing was from acid reflux, which resolved after I started manuka honey (and green smoothies but dont know if they had additive effect). Anyway its gone now.

[caston]

Have you been to a doctor about this? Sometimes the problem can be simple, like acid reflux which is a common cause of coughing, and even productive coughing because particles of food and even stomach acid trigger inflammation and mucous in the trachea. Is the problem worse after you eat non - dairy food?

Not yet. On the websites i've been looking at it says you should see a doctor after 8 days of coughing up phlegm and it's only been about 2. It's cleared up a lot actually but I had to go outside today while I was on a job and showing a customer how to do something in outlook. After a small fizzy lemon drink I felt a lot better.

It might have been that I got a bit sick after a night out drinking on Saturday as alcohol depresses the immune system or a bad reaction to some probiotics I had taken.

I hadn't thought of acid reflux. i'll look into that.

Edited by caston, 20 May 2009 - 04:39 PM.

[StrangeAeons]

In the short term, as a comfort measure you can take an expectorant (like guaciinfine sp?) and a cough suppressant like Delsym (dextromethorphan). If you see a doctor now there's a good chance that's what they'll recommend. Obviously if it persists you shouldn't keep on taking that stuff.

[caston]

StrangeAeons:

Yeah but I'm a no pain no gain man. If it's too easy your not doing it right and so on. I don't want to suppress coughing i'd much rather remove the underlying reasons causing me to cough. Having said that i'd never heard an expectorant (mucolytic agent) before.

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Expectorant

Have you used or know anyone that has used a mucolytic agent before?

I did cough up phlegm this morning actually and i've been coughing and looking glassy eyed a fair bit today so i'm not out of the woods yet.

[StrangeAeons]

I honestly think you're just a little sick, so like I said this is just about comfort measures; nothing long term or dangerous.
And you've never heard of Mucinex or Robitussen? These are fairly common drugs, at least in the U.S. They work fine, like I said, as a comfort measure.

[caston]

I went to the healthfood store that I frequent and unfortunately the owner wasn't there but I asked one of the girls there for advice. She recommended some homeopathic product called Respatona Chesty Cough but I remembered another product called AstraForte which contains:

astragalus, ligustrum lucidium, and reishi mushroom.

I grabed that one and also grabbed some olive leaf extract (peppermint flavor) while I was there. OK i'll admit it in a moment of weekness I also bought the homeopathic product.

I have been using all three and this morning I took me about 10 minutes to cough up all the phlegm that had accumulated during the night. I am feeling a bit better and even worked today but few people (one in person and one on the phone) asked me if I had a cold etc because my voice was husky.

I decided not to go to the sexpo because of still being a bit off colour. I could still go tomorrow though but meh. I'll see how I feel but will probably go to the gym though.

Edited by caston, 23 May 2009 - 08:56 AM.

[ajnast4r]

NAC to loosen the phelgm.

umcka to clear out any infections in the airways.


most people find a reduction in phlegm by stopping diary.

[caston]

Hi ajaast4r,


I have some cysteine should that be ok?

Do you recommend umcka for it's pelagornium sidoides content?

I had never heard of either umcka or pelagornium sidoide before and have been doing a bit of websearching to see if anyone sells it here in Perth. i'll keep looking. It does look very useful. Thank you.

I'm still not really well enough to go to the gym. I could probably handle the workout but I don't think the other gym members would want my germs.

Edited by caston, 24 May 2009 - 02:50 AM.

[ajnast4r]

Hi ajaast4r,


I have some cysteine should that be ok?

Do you recommend umcka for it's pelagornium sidoides content?

I had never heard of either umcka or pelagornium sidoide before and have been doing a bit of websearching to see if anyone sells it here in Perth. i'll keep looking. It does look very useful. Thank you.

I'm still not really well enough to go to the gym. I could probably handle the workout but I don't think the other gym members would want my germs.

i dont believe cysteine will work like NAC. i've been using NAC for my allergic asthma to clear phlegm, it definitely works.

umcka is just a brand name for a pelagornium sidoide made and studied by schwabe pharma. im not sure where perth is, but the schwabe extract is sold most everywhere under different names... contact them and ask what products are in your area.
there is a length discussion on it here:
http://www.imminst.o...o...c=29763&hl=
http://www.schwabeph...loabo/index.php

Edited by ajnast4r, 24 May 2009 - 05:34 AM.

[StrangeAeons]

NAC is also an expectorant, same as the one I mentioned earlier. It's sold sold under the trademark MucoMist in the U.S. and is used even in hospitals to clear out congested airways. Just to back up ajnast4r's stance. I'm not familiar with the other stuff.

I'd say it's a pretty solid bet to help you clear things out, though there is a bit of controversy over the long term use of NAC as a supplement (something about it generating lots of free radicals in hypoxic conditions...)
P.S. just in case you wanted to know, NAC is also the antidote to Tylenol overdose hepatotoxicity.

Edited by StrangeAeons, 24 May 2009 - 05:02 PM.

[imarobot]

I used to have a persistent minor cough. I didn't realize my cough was gone until someone here mentioned the same thing happened with a diet change similar to mine. My change was to paleo. I suspect wheat was the problem.

A quick search of Google doesn't reveal any studies but does show that other people seem to have a connection to wheat and coughing.

Wheat is my personal ax, but removing it is an easy thing for you to try for a trial period.

Edited by imarobot, 28 May 2009 - 05:29 PM.

[Doc Eight or DE]

Unknown contaminants in lungs, is one of the primary causes of phlegm. There are plenty of micro materials, like paper cardboard that can be missed on xrays and cause you reacquiring problems. I used to be a volunteer fire fighter and I inhaled a piece of cardboard material sometime ago, it caused me year of chronic bronchitis and only one doctor noticed something. I ended up smoking a bowl of ganga one day at a friends and ended up coughing up a piece of material. To my surprise a week later another each the size of a quarter, covered in black mucus. Which over a year of rattling around inside of me and causing infection after infection, I still am recovering 5 months since. Thanks for the suggestion on NAC, I will be adding that to my regiment of supplements.

Edited by Doc Eight or DE, 29 May 2009 - 04:39 AM.

[rhodeder]

Interesting i been coughing for almost months but haven't had any bad effects from it. I started coughing when i was smoking often but i stopped and i just thought my regular coughing might be my body cleaning out my lungs since i sometimes will find black matter in my cough gravy. lol that probably grossed you out.. I know i probably should see a doctor but i just cant afford it. Ive also have had a headache for about over a month that seems sinus related but it has just recently went away.

[ajnast4r]

Unknown contaminants in lungs, is one of the primary causes of phlegm. There are plenty of micro materials, like paper cardboard that can be missed on xrays and cause you reacquiring problems. I used to be a volunteer fire fighter and I inhaled a piece of cardboard material sometime ago, it caused me year of chronic bronchitis and only one doctor noticed something. I ended up smoking a bowl of ganga one day at a friends and ended up coughing up a piece of material. To my surprise a week later another each the size of a quarter, covered in black mucus. Which over a year of rattling around inside of me and causing infection after infection, I still am recovering 5 months since. Thanks for the suggestion on NAC, I will be adding that to my regiment of supplements.

thats nuts

[EmbraceUnity]

From my own experience excess mucous and coughing was from acid reflux, which resolved after I started manuka honey (and green smoothies but dont know if they had additive effect). Anyway its gone now.

I just read that the active ingredient in manuka honey is Methylglyoxal which is a primary precursor to AGEs... perhaps you ought to double check about this.

[Matt]

Yeah I'll continue with the manuka honey Chronic gastritis and acid reflu will be far more damaging to my health.