Phlegm!

[Jaxa Logan]

I hate phlegm!
This is the second weekend in a row that I have the same cold. Chills, fever, headache, etc. have been gone for days, but the tickling throat, coughing and gallons of phlegm won't go away! I need a good night's sleep for pete's sake!
I can't take most decongestants or antihistamines because of other meds I'm on- HELP! I need some good old-fashioned home remedies. Let's see some of that good old Scaper ingenuity at work!

Jax
Tired of feeling like dren...

[Mrelia]

You could probably try some capsules of Stinging Nettle. They don't totally clear you up, but they to help to decongest a little. Also effective are mullien and horehound.

[Sunderflame]

Are you a smoker? Or just quit...Are you usually in good health? Let me know and what color is the sputum....green, thick or sticky..like gum? Then maybe I can get you on track a little bit anyway.....

[Jaxa Logan]

Sunderflame, the psychic. Guilty- I'm a smoker. Been trying to quit for months, with little success. I have cut waay back, from a pack a day to a half.
Not green or especially sticky. More white and clear, kind of snotty looking. A little yellow sometimes. I'm sure this is really pleasant for all those lurkers out there!

Whatcha' think?
Jax

[Antrobus]

One thing that can help is gargling with a small amount of Hydrogen Peroxide in a glass of water. Don't use too much - maybe a teaspoon or two to an average sized glass of warm water. Otherwise it will burn your throat. But it does loosen the mucus up a great deal.

Another good thing is something called Alcalol (or something like that). You can get it at most pharmacies, but you have to ask for it because they usually keep it behind the counter. Again that's something you dilute with water and gargle with.

I sound like a mucus expert! Actually in my job I have to handle it sometimes and look for bacteria and plant it to agar plates!! Not pretty!!!!

[grinner]

take some tylenol PM and sleep for 10 hours.

[Third EYe]

Originally posted by Jaxa Logan
Sunderflame, the psychic. Guilty- I'm a smoker. Been trying to quit for months, with little success. I have cut waay back, from a pack a day to a half.
Not green or especially sticky. More white and clear, kind of snotty looking. A little yellow sometimes. I'm sure this is really pleasant for all those lurkers out there!

Whatcha' think?
Jax

I think you need to switch brands.

I am in the process of quitting right now. I'm down to half a pack, it's taken me 3 weeks. I'm hoping that by 2 mos I will be smoke free.

Good luck Jaxa Logan


If you are sick, try Zinc, echanatia, and golden seal. Cold snap seems to work well too.

[grinner]

best way to quit smoking is to go cold turkey. I haven't touched a cigarette since November 23, 1995. Before that I was a 2 to 3 pack a day smoker.

[Third EYe]

I was up to 4 packs a few years ago.

I've tried cold turkey, didn't take. This is the best I've done in years. I get angy when I don't smoke. I'm really hooked.

[Frellster]

Good, if it were green, you'd likely have strep or a broncial infection and should be on antibiotics. White just means wait it out.

[grinner]

after I quit... I would have brown and red and black and all sorts of lovely colors coming out of my lungs... usually in the shower when the hot water would loosen the lungs. I DON'T miss that.

[Judith]

Originally posted by Antrobus


I sound like a mucus expert! Actually in my job I have to handle it sometimes and look for bacteria and plant it to agar plates!! Not pretty!!!!

I think you and Sunderflame just got the honor of being the people that everyone on the FMD board talks to when they have a mucus problem.

[Jaxa Logan]

Thanks for all the advice guys and the encouragement on quitting smoking. I've decided to give in and go to the doctor tomorrow-probably should've gone sooner, but my insurance sucks and it costs so much for a ten minute visit(after sitting in the waiting room for three hours).
grinner- what was your impetus for quitting? Did you have an epiphany or something? I quit drinking six years ago and haven't had a drop since, but kicking this habit is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. My father-in-law just had quadruple bypass surgery and they found abcesses in his lungs. He's 65 and gets winded taking a shower. He's smoked for years. I really need to quit.
I'll let you know what the doc says.
Have a good night, I'm going to try.<hack> to get some<cough> sleep now.
Jax

[talyn3]

Speaking of mucas type stuff, I have a mysterious cough/ phelgm deal that worries me some days. It's like a smokers cough only I don't smoke. It's kinda funky. It's probably just TB or something.

[grinner]

I don't know if it was an epiphany or not... I woke up on the morning of the 23 of November 1995, and grabbed a 2 fresh packs out of the freezer and headed off to work. The first cigarette I lit that morning tasted really bad. Which was weird for a fresh pack out of the freezer. It hit wrong. So I threw it out the window and lit another one. It tasted even worse than the previous one. I was stopped at a light... and looked at myself in the rear-view and I shooked my head. I looked at the packs and threw them both out the window. Haven't touched one since.

I don't know if it was my time to quit... I started smoking in 1985 when I was 14... maybe that was all. I was done. I have never had a craving for a cigarette... infact a few days after I stopped I got sick from being around cigarette smoke. It has gotten worse in the years since... I get very sick when I am even standing by someone who had just smoked. I think I might have had an allergic reaction to it... but my doctor said that it wouldn't have an effect like it did.

I feel tons better for quiting...

[grinner]

Originally posted by talyn3
Speaking of mucas type stuff, I have a mysterious cough/ phelgm deal that worries me some days. It's like a smokers cough only I don't smoke. It's kinda funky. It's probably just TB or something. ever have bronchitis? or Bronchial Pneumonia?

[Third EYe]

I'm taking wellbutrin to help with the edge. Most insurance companies won't pay for it if it is for smoking cessation. I got mine for panic attacks. I didn't lie, I had one, then went to the doc.

I find it is working great. I'm able to consciously space my cigarettes, and now, I've noticed that I often forget to smoke according to my scheduel. This is great, because when that happens, I don't try to make it up.

I smoke more on weekends, and I'm still not going over 14 smokes a day. This is a great thing.

Smoking is a sport for morons. I don't like being a moron. So it's time to stop.

I think the main reason that smoking is so hard to quit is multifold. The physical addiction, it's subtle, yet it has a really big grip on the user. The habbit, I think this is stronger, it's something that we do so frequently, probably the most repetitive activity we smokers do in the course of a day, it's dificult to just stop that behavior on it's own. Emotional, we have convinced ourselves that we need it. I know I have. Almost a perfect paradox. I know I don't need it, yet I beleive I need it.

There were a lot of issues when I quite abusing drugs and alcohol, and anger was a small part of that. Whith smoking it is the major side effect when I don't smoke. I get beligerant and even violent. I don't like that part.

I want to run for President someday and I don't want my VP being affraid of me.

[talyn3]

Originally posted by grinner
ever have bronchitis? or Bronchial Pneumonia?

I had pneumonia years ago, but this has only occured in the past say year. Pneumonia was fun, I never knew you cough up that many colors.


I want to run for President someday and I don't want my VP being affraid of me.

Scapers in the Whitehouse???? Be afraid Skiffy, be very afraid.

[Jaxa Logan]

So I went to the doctor today and I have an upper respiratory infection /bronchitis. Fun!!:yuck:
At least now I have some antibiotics and very potent cough syrup. I even got a nice lecture on how I need to quit smoking :gasp: and that I should 've come in sooner.
At this point in time, I really want to quit smoking- now I have to strengthen my resolve for when I'm not sick!
And talyn- go get checked out if you're worried about it!!:)

Jax
Hopefully soon to be phlegm free

[talyn3]

Originally posted by Jaxa Logan

And talyn- go get checked out if you're worried about it!!:)


I'll just put my faith in blind optimisim, like everything else.