Cough

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many
many Member Posts: 254

My wife has severe cough with phlegm ( white / yellow colour & mild fever ) we went to gp ,he says its bronchitis ,we did CA 15.3 a day back and it came back 11 ,would it be bronchitis or can it be lung mets ? Plz guide

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited December 2012

    Many, lung mets don't cause fever.  Sounds like your GP is on the right track.  If your wife's illness doesn't get significantly better within a few days, go back to the GP and ask for a chest x-ray to rule-out pneumonia.  If it's a viral thing, no antibiotics are necessary, it will just run its course.  

  • TectonicShift
    TectonicShift Member Posts: 752
    edited July 2020

    I've heard lung mets tends to be a dry cough that won't go away.

    Not sure if I am right.

  • cheryl1946
    cheryl1946 Member Posts: 1,308
    edited December 2012

    Since she is coughing stuff up, did doc get a sputum spec to see if it's viral or bacterial? 

    It's only treated with antibiotics if it's bacterial. 

    Like sbelizabeth said, a chest x ray may be needed to rule out pneumonia.

  • many
    many Member Posts: 254
    edited December 2012

    She is on day -3 of antibiotic , cough has gone down by around 30. % but she now phlegm is white and every time she coughs there is a white plegm

  • kathleen1966
    kathleen1966 Member Posts: 793
    edited December 2012

    Your wife is not that far out Many.  I remember last year at this time, I had cough after cough after cough.  I even went to Med Express one night and as I got in my car, I said, this is it, I'm going to go get an X-ray and the cancer is in the lungs, I know it. Well I never got the X-ray.  The cough went away, and so did the next one and the next one and the next one.  I was sick all the time when I had never been sick before chemo. I am back to never getting sick now.  It has been a year now since I had a cough. It is going to take time to get back to "normal". I think your wife is doing very, very well. I know she had a lot of nodes, but others have had this many nodes and are years out.  Why not your wife?  I hope she feels better soon, it really does sound like a virus. Phlegm is good.

  • many
    many Member Posts: 254
    edited December 2012

    TODAY IS 5TH DAY OF ANTIBIOTIC AND NOW THE COUGH (WITH PLEGHM)IS THERE IN ONLY IN MORNING BETWEEN 7.30AM TO 9.30AM

    STILL SCARED?????????

  • TectonicShift
    TectonicShift Member Posts: 752
    edited July 2020
  • many
    many Member Posts: 254
    edited December 2012

    The cough is down by 60. % the gp says that it is post bronchitis cough the other way round ,if it were to be lung mets ,would it get better ? I think it should have worsened in that case .plz guide me

  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 3,345
    edited December 2012

    Many, I think you're correct. Antibiotics would not help cancer, and it wouldn't get better on its own either.

  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited December 2012

    I coughed for months and months and months during chemo and post chemo.  Everyone around me thought the cancer had spread my cough was so bad.   I was always throwing up phlegm.  Many colors!  I coughed for a solid 8 months.

    My Onc thought I had infections etc.  Finally I figured out I had become allergic to wheat/gluten and dairy during chemo.  I was terrified I had mets since I was Stage 3.

    No mets...once I cut out wheat and dairy I started improving immediately - within days.  I've always had lung issues - chronic bronchitis, etc. through the years.  Another thing that helped my weakened lungs was a Spirometer - that plastic gizmo they give you in the hospital to breathe into so you don't get pneumonia.   I did that all through Rads and I improved greatly.

    If you don't have one for your wife, check ebay.  It really really helps!  



  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited December 2012

    I coughed for months and months and months during chemo and post chemo.  Everyone around me thought the cancer had spread my cough was so bad.   I was always throwing up phlegm.  Many colors!  I coughed for a solid 8 months.

    My Onc thought I had infections etc.  Finally I figured out I had become allergic to wheat/gluten and dairy during chemo.  I was terrified I had mets since I was Stage 3.

    No mets...once I cut out wheat and dairy I started improving immediately - within days.  I've always had lung issues - chronic bronchitis, etc. through the years.  Another thing that helped my weakened lungs was a Spirometer - that plastic gizmo they give you in the hospital to breathe into so you don't get pneumonia.   I did that all through Rads and I improved greatly.

    If you don't have one for your wife, check ebay.  It really really helps!  



  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 1,796
    edited December 2012

    Your cough would NOT be getting better. I am sure the reason you still cough in the morning is you have been laying down all night and now all that stuff is coming up... Also 5 days of antibiotics and it's down by that amount is really good! Hang in there!

  • many
    many Member Posts: 254
    edited December 2012

    The cough is still not gone away completly so the Gp got a Xray done

    The X ray came out Normal and Gp says that its Allergic Broncitis and it some times takes months to recover from it so just wait and the lingering cough and plegm  would go away

    any Thoughts??/

  • camillegal
    camillegal Member Posts: 16,882
    edited December 2012

    It sounds good that the x-ray came out good, I do know Bronchitis takes a long time to stop only cuz my dgtr gets it. And she has a couh for a long time--maybe u can get some cough syrup to help from the Dr?

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited December 2012

    I had some respiratory problems in the summer, about 6 months after finishing chemo. After checking up and down, they concluded it was asthma, although I have never had asthma before.

    Recently I started taking a small magnesium supplement and it seems to have helped. Lack of magnesium can cause respiratory problems, and several chemos can deplete magnesium.

  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited January 2013

    For goodness sakes this disease is a bitch isn't it?  What should be "normal" cold/flu symptoms have us freaking out.  I understand your concern (and frankly wish my husband seemed more concerned at timesWink) but it most likely is just your run of the mill ordinary cold/flu thing.  Did your wife get the flu shot this year?  Be sure to check with her oncologist as to what she recommends.  BTW, any chance of "meeting" your wife here, or on a PM? I'd be more than happy to talk with her.

    Take care,

    Sharon

  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited January 2013

    Footnote on the above post, I meant to check with the onc about getting the flu shot, not about mets.  I believe what everyone else has said here.  Definitely sounds like something we wouldn't even question "before".  Hang in there.  You are doing great.

    Sharon

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