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Chest congestion/infection

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pinewood

Well-Known Member
Messages
792
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So not strictly about my type 1 (although it is increasing by blood sugar levels!) but really grateful for any advice on this ... the past couple of days I've had a chesty cough and a bit of a feverish feeling (no actual high temperature). My chest kind of hurts/burns when I force a cough to loosen the congestion.

I can't get a GP appointment for 2 weeks (!) but just wondered if anyone thought this could just be a common cold / viral infection I've picked up or is likely to be something more sinister or something requiring antibiotics?

I don't have the classic cold symptoms of runny nose / headache / sore throat so a bit worried this chest congestion could be something more sinister. I feel perfectly fine other than the congested chest so don't think it's pneumonia. Still have a normal appetite and able to go about day to day as normal.

Thanks so much for any advice guys; I'm a bit of a hypochondriac so always worry about every symptom.
 
Are you in the UK ? There is a really nasty cold / bug going around. Lots of friends have had it . Probably was what the Queen had too ? Hubby and I have just got over it, we didn't need antibiotics.
I found lemon and ginger "tea" very soothing.
 
I have as good as reversed my T2 for quite some time now and eat almost normally but with an eye on every thing. Since contracting this thing my blood sugars are all over the place. I have changed my diet back to my diabetes type diet and nothing works so I'm confident it's this bug. Yesterday I got my bloods below 8 by wait for it .... a honey cinnamon and green tea brew. I've always stuck with small amounts of honey because I believe it to be a near miracle food. This time I had a tablespoon full. Crazy as it sounds first time my blood has gotten back behind my red line of 8. Don't try this at home kids.
 
Thanks for those links, @JTL.

In one of them they comment as follows:

“Unfortunately, in most cases, unless the patient has another underlying chronic condition for example, heart or lung disease or diabetes, there is often nothing the GP can do to help other than recommend resting and drinking plenty of fluids"

What exactly can doctors do differently for those of us with diabetes?
 
pinewood said:
Thanks for those links, @JTL.

In one of them they comment as follows:

“Unfortunately, in most cases, unless the patient has another underlying chronic condition for example, heart or lung disease or diabetes, there is often nothing the GP can do to help other than recommend resting and drinking plenty of fluids"

What exactly can doctors do differently for those of us with diabetes?
Click to expand...

I think they are more likely to prescribe antibiotics and monitor you more closely.

But unless you have a secondary bacterial infection on top of the viral infection, antibiotics won't achieve anything - since antibiotics do diddly squat against viruses...
 
As someone in the midst of this at the moment, it seems to have triggered a form of Asthma, and, visiting the GP after a week and some pretty severe symptoms (I figured that as it wasn't getting better it was worth a go), I'm told they can hear a "crackle" in my lungs that is not consistent with only the virus. Cue Antibiotics and a couple of inhalers. Joy!
 
I had this over Christmas and am still fighting it off. Have not been to the doctors as am loathe to have another antibiotic. I also had UTI before I got this and noro virus in the middle! If very congested you may need antibiotic or carbocistine cough bottle. Take care x
 
I've still got it and now it's worse ... again. Never known anything like it. My daughter is in hospital with it. She's been on the high dependency unit and intensive care. She's now out of there and on the maternity ward as she's heavily pregnant. The baby seems okay so far. Lot of people in North Wales got this and had it for ages. Call me crazy but I call it chemtrail flu. Yes I'm serious.
 
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