Cough is back

Hi Sue. I suspect it is the cat also. I have been taking antihistamines which seem to be working, but I do not want that to be my permanent solution. I also put a hepa free standing air purifier in my bedroom and I think that has been helping. So, you are having the shortness of breath too? Me too, more than usual. I think mine is due to the high humidity here. I can't wait for that to go away.

Terri, I'm so very sorry you are having trouble. I know you will figure it out. I have had a tremendous increase in clear mucus over the last few months. My doctor said she could give me something but because bacteria love mucus, she would rather not dry it up. Today was particularly bad. Every evening, I chat with a friend on the phone before bedtime and I had such a hard time trying to talk tonight that we had to hang up.

Have you had allergies? If so, it sure sounds like
something triggered them. I have been allergy tested and, lucky me, I am ok except for dust mites. I wonder if pseudomonas is triggering my mucus. I know you are quite knowledgeable about that bacteria. Do they cause increased mucus?

I hope you are soon better. Coughing is so bothersome.

Rita

Hi Terri! So good to see you posting again. I'm doing better than I deserve and enjoying it. A balmy 55 degrees here and I can feel winter on the doorstep...it's way too early.

Thanks Rita, I am working on getting rid of this cough. Bacterias can cause an increase in mucous as well as allergens, that is why nebbing w/saline is so important. We have to be diligent about getting that mess up and out of our lungs. Rita, what are you doing these days to keep busy during covid?

@windwalker @nannette Terri, I’m so sorry to hear that your cough has returned. Terri and Nan, regarding cats, I have a suggestion to all who love them but are allergic. I used to be very allergic to them. However, about 25 years ago, I found 3 feral kittens outside our home in the Colorado foothills. I fell in love with one and adopted her. Fortunately, the vet who spayed her told me about ace promazine drops, which acted like allergy shots for me. At first, I lost my allergy to my cat only, but after a couple of years, I lost my allergy to all cats!! I introduced the drops to my relatives who were allergic to cats but loved them and the drops also worked for them. The drug is mixed into water. Here's info from the Jackson Galaxy website (https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/cat-allergies/): “Acepromazine can be given at ultra-low doses in the cat’s food and provides relief for a great many allergy sufferers. While a single small study on the use of Acepromazine did not find statistically significant results [in reducing a certain chemical shed by cats], in practice, about 50% of people report a complete cessation of symptoms, 25% report that symptoms are improved, and 25% report no change. It takes 2-4 weeks to see results.

To a one-ounce dropper bottle containing 30 ml water, add 5 mg Acepromazine (one 5 mg tablet crushed or half of a 10 mg tablet crushed). Instructions: Shake well before using. For an adult cat, add 5-6 drops of mixture to cat’s wet food daily. For smaller kittens, use 1-2 drops. Because there is no preservative, store the bottle in the refrigerator.” (I never stored mine in the fridge.)

Acepromazine at much higher doses is a tranquilizer for cats. For that reason, some vets will only sell the drops already prepared by them. That can be expensive. However, if you can show articles and convince your vet to give you a prescription of several pills, you can mix up the solution yourself very inexpensively. (I used to get 12 pills at a time, mix up one batch at a time, and save the remaining pills until I needed a new batch. The pills lasted a very long time!) BTW, the very dilute drops had no effect on the cat tranquilizerwise. It reacts with a chemical in the cat's saliva and changes it enough so that most people aren't allergic to the new chemical.

Thanks Terri. I hope you don't have a cat allergy or, if you do, you can find a way around it. I have had purring family members as well as barking ones. I remember when I failed my first spirometry test with an FEV1 of 31%, I thought I must have gobs of fur in my lungs. Haha.

I have a note in to my doctor re stopping airway clearance and taking azithromycin. I think I"m having an exacerbation triggered by a very challenging new formula bowel
prep for a colonoscopy last week. My throat is raw from clearing the tremendous amount of mucus coming up.

My cousins and I noted that we have seen each other more than usual due to covid because we are meeting in a yard where we can sit far apart. However, the weather has cooled already and last week may have been our last meeting.

I don't do much of anything but the days are passing very quickly. The major difference is that my health club membership is on hold. It was a big part of my life not only for exercise but socially and even the spa for a facial or manicure from time to time. I do have some exercise videos but I miss the water aerobics classes and my water pals. We have an indoor pool here and one of these days I'll schedule a time there.

How about you? Lots of changes?

@windwalker @nannette Terri, I’m so sorry to hear that your cough has returned. Terri and Nan, regarding cats, I have a suggestion to all who love them but are allergic. I used to be very allergic to them. However, about 25 years ago, I found 3 feral kittens outside our home in the Colorado foothills. I fell in love with one and adopted her. Fortunately, the vet who spayed her told me about ace promazine drops, which acted like allergy shots for me. At first, I lost my allergy to my cat only, but after a couple of years, I lost my allergy to all cats!! I introduced the drops to my relatives who were allergic to cats but loved them and the drops also worked for them. The drug is mixed into water. Here's info from the Jackson Galaxy website (https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/cat-allergies/): “Acepromazine can be given at ultra-low doses in the cat’s food and provides relief for a great many allergy sufferers. While a single small study on the use of Acepromazine did not find statistically significant results [in reducing a certain chemical shed by cats], in practice, about 50% of people report a complete cessation of symptoms, 25% report that symptoms are improved, and 25% report no change. It takes 2-4 weeks to see results.

To a one-ounce dropper bottle containing 30 ml water, add 5 mg Acepromazine (one 5 mg tablet crushed or half of a 10 mg tablet crushed). Instructions: Shake well before using. For an adult cat, add 5-6 drops of mixture to cat’s wet food daily. For smaller kittens, use 1-2 drops. Because there is no preservative, store the bottle in the refrigerator.” (I never stored mine in the fridge.)

Acepromazine at much higher doses is a tranquilizer for cats. For that reason, some vets will only sell the drops already prepared by them. That can be expensive. However, if you can show articles and convince your vet to give you a prescription of several pills, you can mix up the solution yourself very inexpensively. (I used to get 12 pills at a time, mix up one batch at a time, and save the remaining pills until I needed a new batch. The pills lasted a very long time!) BTW, the very dilute drops had no effect on the cat tranquilizerwise. It reacts with a chemical in the cat's saliva and changes it enough so that most people aren't allergic to the new chemical.