Help with breathing.

[maidservant]

I have a slight sinus infection (always have one this time of year). This time though, I have severe congestion in my chest as well. Slight cough, throat is not sore just a little scratchy, and it's hard to breathe. I do have slight asthma. I've used my inhailer twice today already, but it hasn't helped. My fiance has been "beating" my back to help me get stuff out. I've taken chest congestion meds already. Just got out of a hot bath that I took for the steam.

Does anyone have any suggestions that might help? I'm not really in serious condition, this has happened before, just when I was much younger. It's just annoying. I am coughing up mucus if that makes a difference.

Thanks,
Emily in NC

[tamsam]

What color is the mucus? Get some robetuson sp or the store brand of tussin dm and take it. It has meds to help loosen the congestion. I take it twice daily instead of a pres med for congestion. My doc told me to take it. Hope this helps and if mucus is green or brown or other yucky color go to the doc. Get to feeling better soon. Sam

[chris30523]

Mucophen or any genaric guafenisen. It helps move the mucus out.Don't take cough suppressant . If you have high temp or color to the mucus I would get checked. I use an inhaler and singular for asthma but when I get a bad infection I usually have to take an antibiotic.

[Wolf mom]

From my RN daughter: Drink lots & lots of water to help loosen the mucus.

Since she told me to do this, I have & it really works. In the winter I don't seem to want to drink as much so I force myself.

Best to you.

[SHELBY]

Cinn. tea, with honey and lemon

Boil cinn sticks (cinn flavored tea bags won't work) in water for 5 -7 minutes, add honey and lemon juice,

I was amazed with how well it worked.

[maidservant]

I'm so sick of honey and lemon now. I'm also recovering from a weekend at a camping event, where both my fiance and myself got extremely dehydrated. Guafenisen hasn't done a thing yet. Everything is clear (mucus), so it's almost like having bad allergies, just feeling like I'm not getting quite enough air. If I drink anything hot, it will upset my stomach (even as a baby, my mom had to give me room temp soy formula!).

I can't afford to go to the doctor, and since I am still living with my parents (until this Friday), I cannot apply for lower cost health care, even though I can't afford it.

Thanks!
Emily

PS - I'm feeling a little better, Ibuprophen does wonders for getting rid of aches.

[marusempai]

If you can't drink anything hot, maybe you could just swish with real hot water? Maybe salt water. I know this sounds odd, but the heat in your mouth goes very quickly into the sinuses, and can loosen things considerably. I know that when I have a sinus infection, I always try to hold hot tea in my mouth as long as I can, to let the heat transfer into the passageways. Also, if you are not TOO plugged, you could try a Neilmed. It is an over the counter system for flushing your sinuses with saline, the kits cost about ten dollars. I know I'd be in trouble without mine. Hope you feel better soon!

[lilmommajnn]

Simmer a potful of water on the stovetop. If you have it, add some mint leaves or oil and/or eucalyptus oil. Inhale the vapors. Drink plenty of water...aim for a half-gallon to a gallon a day. If you smoke, do it as INfrequently as you can stand to.

[maidservant]

I'm blowing my nose like crazy (thank goodness for tissues with lotion!), and everything is moving very well up top, it's the lungs that still have the cruds. I have found that if I just inhale the vapors from my vicks casero helps. I can't stand to have the stuff on me (it burns), but I love the lemony-minty smell, plus the citrus smell gives me a little energy boost.

I don't smoke, but my father does, and a lot. I've been trying to stay away from him, but it isn't really working. I'm moving Friday to Greensboro, and there will be absolutely no smoking allowed in my house! Right now I have my pet rabbit and her babies and the 4 sugar gliders in a spare bedroom with an air filter on. Same thing with the reptiles and my room. The filters don't do as much as I wish they would, but they do help. I'll be hooking up the humidifier tonight, although I can't put the vaporizer liquid in it because of the reptiles (the cedar oil can hurt them, even if it is just in the air).

I'm so full of liquids I feel like I'm sloshing, lol. I'm still thirsty, but I don't want to put too much in my stomach at one time.

Thanks!
Emily

[Shepherd]

Elevate your head and shoulders with pillows when trying to sleep/rest, or use a recliner. When you have a cough attack, lower your head and blow your nose (like in a sitting position, bend over) - it seems to help get rid of more mucus this way. Using a vapor mist in your room really helps the sinuses.

I have more trouble breathing when my sinuses are bothering me. It tends to make me feel a little more panicky. Try using some Vick's around your nostrils. Are you using decongestants? Use an expectorant/suppressant cough syrup, eat a lot of chicken soup, drink chicken broth, avoid dairy products and drink a lot of water and tea.

Has anyone changed the furnace filter recently?

[culpeper]

Be careful if you use Vicks around the nostrils. It can burn that sensitive area. Put some petroleum jelly on before applying a mere smidgeon of the vicks.

A better solution is to inhale some eucalyptus oil. Use the steam method suggested by Lilmommajnn, or put a drop or two on a handkerchief or your pillow and inhale from that as often as you like. If you use mint, try and get some of the Japanese Menthol Mint, which is best for the purpose.

I suggest a visit to the doctor is in order. You probably need some antibiotics to kill the infection which is causing these symptoms.

[Guinea mama]

A: Get mucinex maximum strength and use it
B: Use your inhaler every 4 hours even though you do not feel like it is helping, it will open your lungs.
C: If someone is beating on your back for you, have them use a cupped hand, that gets better vibration, and put yourself in what is called trendelenburg position, head down feet up.
D: If you still are not better go to the doctor. I know you say you can't afford it, but you can afford a hospital bill alot less, and with a history of asthma, smoking in the house, shortness of breath, and chest congestion, it is better to cut it off at the pass before you do end up in the hospital.
Speaking as a respiratory therapist, that would be my advice, because if you wait too long, it will be a hospital trip for you. Good luck.

[Alice In TX/MO]

A. Lots of water, hot tea, and hot soup. There are several herb teas for when you are sick.
B. Mucinex, which is guafinex, as mentioned above. It's in a lot of the OTC preps.
C. Get and use twice a day - a neti pot. Irrigate those sinuses. You'd be AMAZED at the results.
D. For me, slippery elm and goldenseal help a lot.

[Guinea mama]

One more thing, get at the pharmacy counter, or with the sinus stuff, what is called NeilMed sinus rinse. It works awesome at clearing out your sinuses, it is what mayo clinic told my mom to use.

[marvella]

Originally Posted by Wolf mom

From my RN daughter: Drink lots & lots of water to help loosen the mucus.

Since she told me to do this, I have & it really works. In the winter I don't seem to want to drink as much so I force myself.

Best to you.

i agree with this. i have found that drinking lots of water year round PREVENTS lung infections. the water things the mucus as well, or better than robitussin, mucinex or any of the others. you want to get the mucus out so it doesn't just lay there and grow bacteria.

[mustangsally17]

take care of ur self, hx of asthma chest congestion can slip into bronchitis/pneunomia quick...maybe need a nebulizer breathing tx to break it all up, lots of water...

[mustangsally17]

guinea mama...where did she find the sinus rinse pot?? have been looking for 1 for my bf since i saw dr oz talk about it...

[maidservant]

Ok, doing much better today. My aunt is a respiratory therapist, and she spoke with one of the doctors where she works and they saw me last night. Nothing but a sinus infection, just a really bad one. Gave me a script for rx strength Guaifenesin with 10 mg codine per dose. Luckily the codine doesn't knock me out. I still have a little pressure in my head, but even that is going away. I'm a little weak just because I haven't felt like eating, but now I have some food in me, so that should be taken care of soon. Fever was 102.2 this morning, but has since broken. I can breathe now (and I have been using my inhailer along with the vaporizer a lot).

Everyone, thank you for all of your suggestions! This forum is priceless.

mustangsally17, have you tried looking at CVS or Walgreens? I know that CVS carries them and the sinus rinse packets. I have looked into getting one, but with $5 to my name and bills coming in, it will be a little while before I can get one.

Moving tomorrow, even though it will be stressful, will get me away from the smoke and will put me in a place where I can have the animals in a seperate room so I can use my vaporizer as often as I need. The apartment we are moving into has been cleaned top to bottom. Our land manager knows about my severe allergies, so they called in a special team to clean it and test it for allergins. I'll have to keep it up once we get up there, but starting in a clean house (with no carpet!!!) will be wonderful.

The sun is shining really well here, so I think I will go out on the front porch to get some sun. That always makes me feel better.

Thanks again!
Emily

[mustangsally17]

thank you..i am new to minnesota so will search for cvs, did have them in georgia....

[maidservant]

Here is a list of CVS stores in MN. Hope one of them is close to you. If not, you can order them online I think.

http://cvsstore.geoserve.com/scripts...Filt=&x=84&y=2