Thanks everyone for all of your thoughts, and comments about your own experiences. I went to urgent care yesterday and they did a chest x-ray, which was normal. The doc there diagnosed asthmatic-type symptoms and noted the wheezing bilaterally by listening and was concerned about the excessing coughing. She wants me to get with my primary physician and get set up with further lung testing as she said my symptoms were going on too long.
She ordered prednisone 40mg per day for 3 days, then 30 for 3 days, 20 for 3 days, then 10 for 5 days. Also ordered cough pearls. She also has me starting the singular that my family doc recommended and my albuterol inhaler. I can feel that something is starting to kick in today, thank goodness as yesterday was terrible. I have been a potter for 25 years and it made me start to worry about silicosis. I will get the testing that is recommended for sure.