Okay – come on – give me your best remedies for a chest infection!!
Any other asthmatics suffering this year – i think this is my third this year not including the swine flu incident.

You are not alone.

I have also had three this year (no swine flu yet). Mine thankfully remained viral so no anti-biotics. I took a course of oral steroids which quickly resolved the effects of the first one – but docs were very reluctant to give me further courses within a matter of weeks.

I doubled up on my steroid inhaler for a couple of weeks and that did the trick. Fingers crossed I seem to have been OK for perhaps the last 6-8 weeks

My problem seemed to be the viral infections triggering asthmatic episodes rather then just hacking and coughing for eternity.

I don't normally suffer and never used to think twice about colds etc exacerbating my asthma until this year

Allegedly you should eat lots of raw garlic until your breath stinks of it, at which point it is disinfecting your lungs. Try adding it to cheese and onion sandwiches – especially fun if you don't like your wife or colleagues!

First one took 3 course of antibiotics and sterioids.

Second one took 2 courses

Currently on second course for the current one – chest feels ok – but apparently i have pluracy?

Biked saturday and felt great – within 12 hours stuffed up ears chest the lot. Feel like i need to put down.

Sinuses are currently the size of gnats poohole -awesome headache.

Cubed – pleurisy. Be careful with that.

I had a chest infection that lingered and lingered last winter, and resulted in me developing exercise induced asthma/bronchiodilation.

I'm wondering whether I'll end up the same way this winter. So hope not, as it wrecked my cycling for months this year.

I shall be on the garlic..! 🙂

Mine took 2-3 weeks to clear.

Drink plenty of water.

smoke 60 capstan full strength non-filter each day and the resulting build-up of phlegm and mucus that you will try to cough up will clear any infection. so me grandad reckoned anyway.

Drink plenty of water (helps lubricate airways, which helps removal of phlegm)

Try steam inhalation, few drops of olbas oil in hot water in the sink, head just above the water with towel over your head. Just remember to keep you eyes closed, can sting like ****. This helps clear sinuses and the steam is also good at loosening the phlegm.

Once you are over it start taking either a multi-vit supplement and or Echinacea drops in some water.

HTH.

We my last one I found a week in hospital and 3 days on an Oxygen mask just right for me.

I guess its a bad idea to try Cannock tomorrow??

Anyone tried neovite – it claims to help the immune system?

I'm liking the oxygen mask – and the nurses might be cute. I'll obviously have to avoid the garlic or they may put me in isolation.

Oh by the way i already use symbicort twice daly for asthma and montelukast to help with the exercise induced side of things. Have to say since i started the montelukast my biking has gotten way better – in between chest infections and the 3 months it takes me to get back to the norm.

Steam inhalation is always good. Try and get lots of vit c inside you and also zinc (as well as garlic). My mate always used to swear by a good chicken soup.
It may sound strange but i seem to get less chest infections now, after i gradually weaned myself off my inhalers.

chest feels ok – but apparently i have pluracy

Can't understand how your chest can feel okay with plurasy. I had it about 7 years ago and it was like being stabbed in the lungs every time I took a breath.

Thankfully not had a chest infection since then. I do have asthma but i have it well under control – lots of riding and keeping my weight under control helps a lot.

Feels like an elephant has stomped on my ribs – i just don't have the usual gunginess of what is normal for chest infection for me. Although the missus apprecites the fact i now sound like lint eastwood.

all joking aside, i used to get awful chest infections and being asthmatic they took yonks to clear even with prescription steroids. but we eat an absolute shed load of garlic – everthing i cook has about half a bulb in it – and i've not had a chest infection for about 5 years. garlic is the way forward! prevention not cure i say!

steroids tend to spread infection unfortunately.. they suppress the immune system which can have help an infection linger.

BUT they reduce inflamation in the airways…..

steam inhalation + olbas = good, also postural drainage (get a mate to cup their hands and tap your back in upwards movements to help your lungs shift the phlegm)

best thing to do is to get a sputum sample analyised (ie gob up some phlegm into a tube for your gp) make sure you are getting the right antibiotic for the bugs you are growing in your chest

Cubed.

In very severe cases you can get a blood clot in the lungs, which doesn't sound much fun.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pleurisy/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I think I remember learning that people used to have it quite a lot in Victorian times and eariler.

I would rest till your cough gets better on its own. I find the occassional ride would help clear my lungs.

If you train too hard or early you risk spreading the infection into more airway routes.

Water will help thin the fluid but you have to patient.

Not all steroids work in the same way and have different target tissues.

rest is the only cure unless you want some scarred lungs 😯

above the neck; sweat it out. Below the neck take it easy.

Sounds very familiar, I've had asthma off and on for 25 years with no attackes since the early days which led to the diagnosis.

Last 2 years, 3 chest infections which twice ended up as 'mild' pneumonia (jeez knows what proper pneumonia feels like – I'd cough until I didn't think I would ever get another breath in and walking upstairs left me so breathless I'd need to sit down). Both times started off as coughs / colds that I just didn't shrug off. I don't know what's changed although since having had my drug regime modified (touch wood) I've been better. But this swine flu does worry me; 3 years ago I'd have thought that a week of feeling shitty and then better was no big deal, now I'm not certain how well I'd cope.

Take it easy and get well.