Friday, August 13, 2010

Neverending Green Stuff

I went to the doctor on Wednesday for my horrible cough, and I was told allergies are the root of the problem and given all these allergy prescription meds. I'm actually taking them too. I know it's only been 36 hours, but I haven't seen any relief. My reason for going to the doctor was the horrible cough & consistently coughing up green stuff. Every time I have consistently coughed up green stuff in the past I have had some sort of bacterial infection. However, she wouldn't give me antibiotics this time because she says it's allergy related.

I think if you've been coughing up green stuff for a week that there is some sort of infection going on. All I want is some antibiotics. Last August I had this same thing (although the cough wasn't as bad), and I got the allergy speech + allergy meds + antibiotics. I told the doctor about the green stuff this time, and she said that's not an indication of infection. Whatever.

I can see if someone is begging for a Percocet/valium prescription every month that perhaps something illicit is going on. But I don't think a once-a-year begging for an antibiotic due to sinus/lung infection is too unreasonable. What does she think I'm going to be doing with it? Selling my antibiotics on the black market? Or does she think the once-a-year thing means I'm addicted to antibiotics?

My cough is starting to go into the scary territory. I woke up an hour ago coughing. But it's not just cough-cough-cough, go back to sleep. It's a cough where you lose your coughing leverage, you start wheezing, your husband wakes up because he thinks you're about to die because you can't breathe kind of cough. And then you can't get back to sleep because you spend the next 15 minutes coughing up an ounce or two of green stuff and trying not to puke when you cough so hard.

So do I go back to the doctor on Friday and be more adamant about the antibiotics? Or do I wait until Monday to see if it's better? Ugh, but it's been 2 weeks and it hasn't gotten better, and I dread another 3 days of this. It's just gotten worse over the past two weeks. Along with my disposition, which is also getting worse, since the cough is interrupting more and more of my sleep.

Maybe I can call and talk to a nurse and maybe ask for an antibiotic to be called in??? I don't think that will fly, but oh how I hate the rigamarole of getting an appointment and going through that whole thing.

2 comments:

Krista said...

I think it sounds like you need an anitbiotic. That is ridiculous she didn't give you one. It maybe allergy related, but allergies can cause infections if they are untreated or out of control like yours. So since this has been going on for a while it is likely the allergies are now combined with an infection. I am sure you already know all that, as you have been dealing with this your whole life. It is just stupid the Dr. didn't do anything. M has this problem and the last time the Dr. gave her an anitiotic and more allergy medicine. It seems like common sense to me.

B said...

Thanks, Krista! I called the doctor, and my begging actually worked. I'm on my 2nd dose!