The fever is long gone, no other cold symptoms remain, except this lingering cough and fatigue. I have a few post ideas and I want to get newsletter #3 out, but it has been really hard to focus.
I have zero plans to visit a doctor (or explain why), however I am open to any suggestions. Other than more sleep, do you have any ideas for home remedies that I can try? This year is off to a VERY SLOW start.
Photo by Paul Townsend
Charles Grashow
Jan 18, 2015 — 12:52 pm
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20031222/elderberry-fights-flu-symptoms
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA300839
RetailTrader
Jan 18, 2015 — 4:57 pm
Hi MAS, I’ve been sick since new year too. Finally saw the doctor after trips to the pharmacist didn’t help, and the meds that were prescribed by the doctor helped a lot..
MAS
Jan 18, 2015 — 5:38 pm
@Charles – Thanks
@RetailTrader – Can you tell me what the doctor prescribed?
Brock in HK
Jan 18, 2015 — 6:43 pm
Have you tried Oil of Oregano? That seems to be quite good at cutting through a lot of biofilms, which is what could be causing the cough and fatigue to linger. It works for me around plane flights if I feel a bit of nasal congestion coming on if I take it as soon as I feel off. Biofilms is one of those buzzwords around diseases that are difficult to fix, but I think it has some merit as a cause of lingering illness and fatigue, so worth googling a bit to see if there are at-home remedies for such.
Also, while it may not be bacterial exactly, it could be related, and the Healthy Home Economist blog has a long list of natural antibiotics in a recent post that may be helpful.
RetailTrader
Jan 19, 2015 — 6:31 am
@MAS – The doctor threw the cavalry at me and prescribed: 1) Dexcholorpheniramine 2) Papain 3) Fedac Cough Syrup 4) Cofsil lozenges 5) Fexofenadine (Telfast) 6) Acetylcysteine (Fluimucil). Unfortunately I don’t remember what each was for specifically but one of them helped reduce the endless phlegm.
Pauline
Jan 19, 2015 — 7:42 am
Coughs – try cooled boiled water, apple cider vinegar (1 Tablespoon) and 1 Table spoon honey, sip through a straw as its acidic for teeth. Taken as you need. The cough is usually caused by nasal drip at the back of throat into lungs, sleep propped up on pillows if possible to prevent the night time coughing. Most times I take an over the counter cough syrup that works for night time chesty cough. Iodine drops 5% Lugols twice a day, for 5 days, cleared up any serious infection in sinuses for me. Hacking coughs are the worst, so tiring! Take care of yourself, it does get better somehow. And the energy returns. We are almost through the January Blues after Xmas and year end festivities.
Pauline
Jan 19, 2015 — 7:44 am
Be careful of Oil of Oregano it is extremely potent! I bought some and tried it – its extremely strongly flavoured, almost burns and I find I don’t get on with it very well.
Pauline
Jan 19, 2015 — 7:53 am
Maybe its time to rustle up some Liver and onions! All those real live vitamins could be just what the doctor, making some tonight with bacon, as January is a very busy month for us, and I want to keep our energy clear and strong.
Jillian
Jan 19, 2015 — 11:39 am
Just make sure you don’t have whooping cough! It’s going around, and a friend of mine had it, and the cough lingered forever. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whooping-cough/basics/definition/con-20023295
Though I imagine if it was that bad, you’d have already figured it out. 🙂
Hey, you might try yoga. I was a bit surprised at how I got clear of something after doing a few poses. *shrug* could be worth a shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U3acfPlx_c
http://www.indianmirror.com/games/yoga/yoga-chronic.html
MAS
Jan 19, 2015 — 2:48 pm
Oil of Oregano looks interesting. It also has skin applications.
@Pauline – Eating a lot of bone broth. Will have some organ meat tonight.
@Jillian – It is not whopping cough. I do a HIT version of Yoga called Foundation Training.
https://criticalmas.org/2014/08/merging-foundation-training-hillfit/
Alan Galinsky
Jan 20, 2015 — 7:00 am
Got sick last April. Similar situation, fever for a few days and lingering cough and fatigue for 3 weeks. I wish there were a quick solution.
I increased my dosage of Vit D and Vit A, consumed chicken soup and got lots of rest.
Also initially took zinc lozences which included echinacea.
Glenn Whitney
Jan 20, 2015 — 11:36 am
Might be worth trying a few steam room sessions.
Glenn Whitney
Jan 20, 2015 — 1:40 pm
also… perhaps a really spicy curry with lots of garlic, onions, tumeric and ginger…
Galina L.
Jan 20, 2015 — 2:12 pm
Russian folk remedy – inhaling a steam of boiled potato skins while cover your head with a towel. I guess the solanines may have anty-bacterial properties. A variation of it – inhaling a steam of boiled dried eucalyptus or oregano leaves, mint is a possibility as well. Don’t put essential oils into the steaming water – it would be too potent.
April
Jan 20, 2015 — 4:49 pm
Wet cough or dry cough? What I would do for each would be different.
Wet: lots of eucalyptus oil and/or Vick’s + hot fluids/broths + 3-5 15 minute “power” walks/daily
Dry: lots of honey, then some more honey, then some warm (not hot) liquids/broths (if broths I’d lean towards ones that were a bit higher in fat content) + more honey.
MAS
Jan 20, 2015 — 4:54 pm
I took @Glenn’s advice and went to the steam room today. Although I suspect that is where I picked up my illness. 🙂
@Galina – The sauna had some sort eucalyptus in the air. I’ll likely go back again on Thursday.
@April – a combination. I’ll try both.
Becca
Jan 21, 2015 — 5:59 am
MAS, check out this blog post I made about how to heal a lingering cough. Let me know if you try any of it out 🙂
http://godmadedirt.org/2015/01/21/natural-cough-remedies/
MAS
Jan 21, 2015 — 10:39 am
@Becca – Thanks for the post! I sent a question into the Honey-Onion post author, which is pending right now.
@Glenn – My coughing got worse after the steam/sauna, but that might be a good thing as it could be working itself out faster now? Beats me.
thomas
Jan 24, 2015 — 11:34 pm
Sounds like its all in your head (specifically the lower-third portion).
Anemone
Jan 31, 2015 — 1:42 pm
I always have lingering coughs after colds. Probably postnasal drip. I’m trying saline spray for the first time and am not sure if it’s making a difference. I’ve had a chronic cough for over a year, much worse in winter, and started using a humidifier, which helps a lot. I’m guessing you don’t need a humidifier in SF, though.
MAS
Jan 31, 2015 — 5:16 pm
@Anemone – Been hitting the steam room and sauna, but I think it is making it worse. Was 90% better and then had a relapse after a steam/sauna session.
Glenn Whitney
Feb 8, 2015 — 3:10 pm
It appears I now have the same blasted cough as you. How are you now? The only thing that seems to be helping me is a cup of hot water with a tablespoon of honey and two teaspoons of powdered cinnamon…
MAS
Feb 8, 2015 — 8:56 pm
@Glenn – My posts are infective! 🙂
I still have a lingering cough, but it has been much better the last 4 days. So there is hope I will survive 2015.
Galina L.
Feb 9, 2015 — 6:03 pm
When cough is lingering that long, it is reasonable to suspect the presence of an autoimmune component. Nasty and long flues are famous for over-stimulating immune response. For example , people died during the Spanish flu epidemic mostly because that virus provoked especially strong immune response.
Another thing – no, a sauna is absolutely not the same by impact as a steam inhalation. However, when instead of bacterial infection you get into an asthmatic cough stage, aromatic oils may exacerbate your condition.
MAS
Feb 9, 2015 — 6:32 pm
@Galina – I stopped going to both the sauna and steam rooms. One or both were making my situation worse. Since I’ve stopped, I’ve been feeling much better.
Galina L.
Feb 10, 2015 — 7:06 am
Steam contributes to the mucus release.