rejlocal22,
the one thing that works for me is pseudophedrine (sudafed). You have to ask for it at the pharmacy, even though it is over the counter--no prescription. The dose is two pills, but I only need one. Anyway, it's worth a try.
It is almost impossible to get a doctor to take a sputum sample. My mom took a sample in a sterile cup. The doctor threw it away and gave her an antibiotic. She told him how much harm the wrong antibiotic could do.
After three days the doctor called and changed the antibiotic. He'd retrieved the sample from the trash and had prescribed an antibiotic that was not effective against her bacterium.
For my dad I'd call around to those rapid care clinics until I found one that would ask the doctor if he would take a sputum sample. Usually it's the older physicians that will.
We have so many bacterial types in our sputum that any,, or many of them might grow after days in a petri dish.