Unusual long cough/mucus

[Samuelson33]

It all started late January. I had a night out and the next day I woke up, and had a horrible throat pain. It hurt when I swallowed. After a day or two, when the pain wasn't going anyway, I started taking some anti inflammatory throat spray. During the next week, things started to get better.

However after couple days I started coughing a lot - again, no other flu-like symptoms other than coughing (no muscle pain, headache, temperature) just pure plain coughing. Taking cough syrup didn't really help, but after a week, it got slightly better and I only coughed when I went to sleep (a lot, like I was waking up in my sleep cuz of the cough)

Then I visited my GP, she took my blood and sent it to a lab. Weird thing is that all results came in negative so it wasn't any bacterial infection. She told me she thinks the coughing happens cuz of potsnasal drip (or sth like that, i.e. mucus in throat which irritates the throat to cough). She gave me local antibiotics for my throat and it seemed to help. After 5 days, I was all good.

Now it's more than 10 days from it and almost 6 weeks from when it originally started. Again, Im starting to cough again and every day when I wake up, my nose is fully blocked and throat full of mucus.

Basic info: Gender: M Age: 21 Location: UK Height: 195 cm Weight: 78 kg Smoking: Don't Current medication: None Previous relevant health conditions: Had a septum surgery 2 years ago (used to get sick a lot and deviated seltum was one of the reason of mucus being blocked)

Any tips what is happening to me? Thank you

[Barb135]

I agree with auntijessie - it could be acid reflux.   I get that quite often and the sign that it’s happening is that I start to cough.  

Along with an acid reducer, you can also try raising the head of your be 3-4” so you aren’t lying flat, which allows the acid to rise.  Alternatively, you try propping your head/shoulders onto a couple (or more) pillows.  

You should also try not eating anything 3 hrs before bed - that’s my best bet.
In addition, you might think about getting tested for H Pylori, which is famous for causing acid reflux and is the main cause of ulcers.  

If you’re under a lot of stress, try to figure out ways to lower the stress level.

Auntiejessie is right - try only one thing at a time, or you won’t know which helped.

[auntiejessi]

How old is your pillow? What's it made of?

Pillows get old, and collect a lot of dust mites, so maybe it's just time for a new one. Get one that's hypoallergenic. Also, you're 21 - how dusty is your room? My room at 21 wasn't that clean. ;)

You might also get some allergy testing done.

Are you eating or drinking anything right before bed? You might also be experiencing acid reflux. Try taking an acid reducer before bed and see if that helps. Don't try the pillow AND the acid reducer at the same time, though, or you'll never know which it is if you feel better.

I hope this helps.