Cough is back
Hello all. I now have a persistent cough with stuff coming up. As I reported back in June, I was taken off of antibiotics (I had been on them for 7 yrs). I had been doing well, but now the cough is back. I think I may have caught it from a six yr old neighbor. We usually walk our dogs together and try to socially distance, but being only 6, she would drift in close to me at times. She got very sick with a bad cough and very infected throat. Against my better judgement, I still walked with her. Anyway, my dr had prescribed me an antibiotic to keep on hand in case of an exacerbation. Not sure whether to start taking that or go back on my tobramycin in case it is mac or pseudo trying to come back. This cough could also be from my daughter's cat (she moved in with me at the end of June in may be allegic). What to do, what to do???
Hi Sue. I used to have a hepa filter that fit into the air intake opening. I have not been able to find them anymore in the box stores like Lowe's, or Home Depot. I will have to look into a whole house hepa system, or look online for the hepa filters. Cats are bad news for those of us with lung issues because their dander is sticky and sticks to everything in the house, and inside the lungs. I hope that you get the frost you are looking for and see your family. Take care!
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?
Hello John. I am so glad that you are feeling good! I am a little envious of your weather right now, this S.C. humidity is killing me right now. We have rain here today and yesterday; and with it came a little bit cooler temps. I am headed up to Virginia this week and believe it will be cooler there too.
@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?
@lorifilipek Lori, Wow! Thanks for that great info! I am on it because I'm not getting rid of my cats. Thank goodness my allergy is only mild and my two cats are indoor/outdoor (we raised them from feral kittens) so I don't let them stay in the entire day. I will go to that website and then get some of the acepromazine. Nan
Rita, I have been cooking up new recipes in the kitchen. My daughter now lives with me and she loves to eat. I sold my boat this summer and turned the boat lot into a garden with both veggies and flowers. My daughter loves gardening and yardwork so we putz in the yard daily. I am teaching her how to propagate plants. She has been painting colorful flower pots for me, and we have created a colorful 'happy place' in our new garden space. I took in a puppy this past June and she takes up some time between playing with her and walking her. I am about to set up a spare room and turn it into an art studio. I am hoping that will inspire me to get back to my artistic roots. I am essentially trying to make my home an even better oasis since we must spend more time here due to covid. I stay busy.
Thank you Lori. I had forgotten about this as you had told me about this when we met in person.
Lori, is this medication for the cat 'by prescription only'?
@windwalker Yes, acepromazine is by prescription only for animals because it is used (at much higher doses) as a tranquilizer. That's why it's important to find a vet who is amenable to trying its use in an almost homeopathic way for allergies (kind of like finding a lung doctor who is willing to prescribe 7% saline…) According to my first vet in Colorado, its use for allergies was discovered by accident. A vet whom she knew in Denver (probably Dr Linda East) got comments from clients who had cat allergies that they were less allergic to their cats soon after the cats had their teeth cleaned. The vet had given the cats acepromazine as a tranquilizer during the teeth cleaning operation.
In reply to Teri-I am experiencing daily significant allergy symptoms even though we have already experienced a few times of frost; along with the feeling of increased mucus that I can’t get out (I’ve always been a dry cough person-reason why I have a vest). I don’t seem to be feeling bad, but do I need to be concerned about bacteria build up? What do you think? Thx for listening and hope things improve quickly for you😊
Hi Terry…is it time to get a sputum sample…. can this be allergies?..is soutum coloured or clear?.