damn I'm sick of hearing myself whine about being sick.

[derien]

I decided to try to tough it out without cold medicine last night, and didn't get much sleep.  I thought cough medicine would be all I'd need, because this cough has actually been getting more insistent during the last day or two, but the medicine didn't seem to touch the cough. 

For the strong of stomach only,  I figured out why...

This morning I decided, on a whim, to try nasal irrigation, and I got some results, shall we say (yes I think I'll leave it at that).  It was horrible and disgusting and exhausting and all that as the process usually is, which is probably why I find it so fascinating (I AM contrary and perverse, in case you forgot).  Couldn't clear everything, still couldn't really breath through my nose or anything really spectacular like that, but I found when I lay back down that I didn't cough any more.  Like, not at all, and I'd been having wracking coughs every few minutes.  So the expectorant/cough suppressant wasn't helping because this stuff wasn't coming up from my lungs (or not entirely) it was dripping down from the back of my nose and pooling somewhere, I guess.  Presumably if it does that for too long it might cause my lungs to get infected, so I'm guessing I need to take some steps to get this nose thing under control.


So, I still didn't get any more sleep today, but maybe I'll be able to tonight if I can adapt.  Contac didn't dry up my nose the other day; is Daquil better, do you think?

As an aside, usually when I'm sick I avoid dairy products as much as I can because I know the tendency is to make everything like this worse (and last night I had cheese in my dinner *eyeroll*).  The other day Eor made some comment about how I was going to stop at Starbuck's for a coffee while I was on my way to get the car out of the garage after the snow ban.

"Drink coffee, with this nose?"  I sez.

"If you used your nose," he popped back, "It's not called drinking."

I'm wondering how it is that I'm living wrong, because baseline "well" for me seems to include a slight post-nasal-drip, frequent slightly sore throats and a cough whenever I get the slightest bit chilly.  I've never been able to sleep with my head uncovered because my nose/throat dry out and all of the above gets accentuated.  Does my body have some basic malfunction?

ETA: Those of you with memories are probably saying, "But yeah, didn't you learn this last year when you had sinusitis?" To which I can only reply, "When you have a cough your instinct is always to take cough medicine."

Also, my stomach muscles are strained by it all. *pout, whine*

Comments

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I have a bit of a sniffle for a large part of the year too, but the weather here is notoriously soggy.

[derien.livejournal.com]

We're not as wet, but pretty wet here, and also we get large swings in the weather very quickly. But how much should a consistantly soggy weather pattern affect your health? Unless you have allergies to molds or household dust mites, both of which reproduce happily in wet weather.

[licking-suntan.livejournal.com]

Caffeine is a natural decongestant, so a little coffee w/ soy would be good for you. I can rationalize any coffee purchase. :)

You've probably already thought of all sorts of environmental causes, but when was the last time the filters were changed in the heater/AC units? That might be the connection between the bad weather and the sickness if it's not mold allergies.

[licking-suntan.livejournal.com]

Also, have you tried a humidifier for cold, dry weather?

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering how it is that I'm living wrong, because baseline "well" for me seems to include a slight post-nasal-drip, frequent slightly sore throats and a cough whenever I get the slightest bit chilly.

Me, too. And I haven't the foggiest idea why, but it's annoying. I live in a dry climate with a mold-free apartment and had these problems when I lived in a more humid, cat-free environment, too. :/

[derien.livejournal.com]

(omg cute coffee-bunnyyy!!)

Ahem, yes, um - well, I justify my enormous tank o' tea with the fact that it seems to help my sinuses tremendously, but I really haven't ever found any soy that I like in coffee. It's just not the same. I make my coffee with a third to a half of the cup half-n-half. (Not unusual in Maine, though apparently elsewhere not so common.)

Re the air filters - in the airport where I work the rumor is that the maintenance people took all the filters out of the air system because they got annoyed at having to change them so often. Everyone at work complains of sinus problems. But the thing of sleeping with my head under the covers, and when I don't I feel as though I have something like a little cold, that's been all my life, so I'm thinking it's just aggravated by this situation at work. :P

[derien.livejournal.com]

I know you've found varying results with those medical advice sites, but do you think it would be worth-while asking?

[derien.livejournal.com]

I've talked to Eor about it, but he's devoted to dry environments as being good for keeping dust-mites down. :P Also, actually, I did try one, once.... *think think* No, I can't recall if it helped. Now our bathroom radiator is moisturizing the air quite regularly (I'm convinced all out stuff in the closet off the bathroom is going to moulder), so maybe after I get done being sick I'll see some change in my general level of wellness. It does seem easier for me in quite moist weather. When it's like a rain forest my lungs are happy.

[derien.livejournal.com]

I think my nose/throat problem is much happier with soggy weather, oddly.

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

I think you're thinking of someone else--I know nothing about medical advice sites.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry, I have the worst memory.