Relief For "Unproductive" Cough / Throat-Clearing (Hard To Expel Mucus)

[yerrag]

I had a persistent low-level phlegm of a cough that just won't go away. I kept thinking it will turn the corner but it never quite made it to that turn. The cough was the type that just made it difficult to talk, as I kept getting interrupted by the cough, yet there was no phlegm coming out, but you could tell it was stuck somewhere in the windpipe.

I got into this condition, which I would call a low energy condition, when I got into some supplementation that made me urinate very often. Even at night, I would be waking up four times just to pee. With less sleep, and a lot more urination, I was probably not building enough glycogen stores, and I was losing potassium and thiamine, and perhaps a few more electrolytes such as sodium and calcium. But this all goes down to a heavy acidic load due to the supplement I was taking.

When I stopped taking this supplement, I quickly turned the corner. I did all the things mentioned above pretty much, they did not help at all for my condition. I was even on 6,000 mg of vitamin C, and it did nothing. I think it's because my liver and kidneys were focused on ridding my body of acid that my energy was being exhausted. Probably getting rid of the acidic condition was more important to my body, hence the cough was something that can wait. We can sense the cough, but we don't sense the acidic condition inside us.

You could probably ask your cousin a few questions relating to his lifestyle. What are the supplements and medicine he has been taking? What food does he eat. How much sleep does he get and how well is that going. Is he waking up a lot? Is he urinating a lot? My questions are directed towards the acid-base balance in his body. With my recent experience, I now realize how important that is, as it relates to our body's ability to produce energy with a good and efficient metabolism. A poor acid-base balance puts that out of whack, and if that is not being fixed, it puts the body in a low energy state that is unable to summon the strength to overcome pathogens.

 

[MoonDay]

Honey. Don't let saliva interact with it. Swallow by the spoonful and let it ooze down the throat. Manuka honey probably best, but any honey ought to help.

That's a good idea i want try manuka honey this way.

 

[managing]

Thank you, @managing; will pass this tip along. I assume the point is to use the honey as a natural antibiotic.

I would say antimicrobial, but yes, same idea. I also think it will directly dissolve phlegm. My wife had something similar, only shorter term, and it knocked it out in a few days (Manuka).

 

[managing]

I had a persistent low-level phlegm of a cough that just won't go away. I kept thinking it will turn the corner but it never quite made it to that turn. The cough was the type that just made it difficult to talk, as I kept getting interrupted by the cough, yet there was no phlegm coming out, but you could tell it was stuck somewhere in the windpipe.

I got into this condition, which I would call a low energy condition, when I got into some supplementation that made me urinate very often. Even at night, I would be waking up four times just to pee. With less sleep, and a lot more urination, I was probably not building enough glycogen stores, and I was losing potassium and thiamine, and perhaps a few more electrolytes such as sodium and calcium. But this all goes down to a heavy acidic load due to the supplement I was taking.

When I stopped taking this supplement, I quickly turned the corner. I did all the things mentioned above pretty much, they did not help at all for my condition. I was even on 6,000 mg of vitamin C, and it did nothing. I think it's because my liver and kidneys were focused on ridding my body of acid that my energy was being exhausted. Probably getting rid of the acidic condition was more important to my body, hence the cough was something that can wait. We can sense the cough, but we don't sense the acidic condition inside us.

You could probably ask your cousin a few questions relating to his lifestyle. What are the supplements and medicine he has been taking? What food does he eat. How much sleep does he get and how well is that going. Is he waking up a lot? Is he urinating a lot? My questions are directed towards the acid-base balance in his body. With my recent experience, I now realize how important that is, as it relates to our body's ability to produce energy with a good and efficient metabolism. A poor acid-base balance puts that out of whack, and if that is not being fixed, it puts the body in a low energy state that is unable to summon the strength to overcome pathogens.

Frequent urination, especially at night could be a sign of endotoxin overload. Your acid-base balance idea may still be valid, just extending the notion. Disrupting the pH of the GI can totally lead to greater endotoxin load.

 

[TreasureVibe]

Not sure if it was named yet but nebulization of a saline solution helped me alot loosening mucus. I have an Omron device, they're quite pricey but they do the job well.

 

[yerrag]

Frequent urination, especially at night could be a sign of endotoxin overload. Your acid-base balance idea may still be valid, just extending the notion. Disrupting the pH of the GI can totally lead to greater endotoxin load.

Frequent urination, especially at night could be a sign of endotoxin overload. Your acid-base balance idea may still be valid, just extending the notion. Disrupting the pH of the GI can totally lead to greater endotoxin load.

That may be another cause of frequent urination. But thinking through it, if what is being absorbed into the blood and ECF is acidic, due to less magnesium (32%) and more chloride (90%) being absorbed, then it stands to reason that what is left in the gut is alkalinic. The disruption of the GI would have to be alkalinic. Would it affect the gut in a negative way as far as endotoxins are involved?

 

[managing]

That may be another cause of frequent urination. But thinking through it, if what is being absorbed into the blood and ECF is acidic, due to less magnesium (32%) and more chloride (90%) being absorbed, then it stands to reason that what is left in the gut is alkalinic. The disruption of the GI would have to be alkalinic. Would it affect the gut in a negative way as far as endotoxins are involved?

Sure. A change in either direction (of pH) could do it. Bacteria are pH sensitive. Some will die due to a change in either direction, thus releasing endotoxin. pH change is also likely to disrupt intestinal mucous as well as change permeability.

 

[Arctic Fire]

Thanks for relating your experiences, @yerrag. I did not consider the pH angle.

My relative is definitely in a low energy state. As discussed in an earlier thread about him (linked in the OP), he produces adrenaline wildly out of proportion to the stresses he faces. He gets less sleep than he needs (5-7 hours if the adrenaline is not too bad) and tends to get adrenaline bursts in response to protein-rich meals, liver, and eggs, so his nutrition could be better. A recent lab test showed he has high serum lactic acid, which makes sense -- even a little exertion can push him into a stress response.

On the bright side, I have him eating a fairly Peat-friendly diet (fruit & fruit juice, gelatin, cheese, shellfish, some meat, raw carrot, etc.), and he says he occasionally awakens but does not need to use the bathroom at night. He takes clonidine and supplements calcium, magnesium, K2, and D.

If his acid-base balance is off, my money is on excess lactic acid as the cause.

I had a persistent low-level phlegm of a cough that just won't go away. I kept thinking it will turn the corner but it never quite made it to that turn. The cough was the type that just made it difficult to talk, as I kept getting interrupted by the cough, yet there was no phlegm coming out, but you could tell it was stuck somewhere in the windpipe.

I got into this condition, which I would call a low energy condition, when I got into some supplementation that made me urinate very often. Even at night, I would be waking up four times just to pee. With less sleep, and a lot more urination, I was probably not building enough glycogen stores, and I was losing potassium and thiamine, and perhaps a few more electrolytes such as sodium and calcium. But this all goes down to a heavy acidic load due to the supplement I was taking.

When I stopped taking this supplement, I quickly turned the corner. I did all the things mentioned above pretty much, they did not help at all for my condition. I was even on 6,000 mg of vitamin C, and it did nothing. I think it's because my liver and kidneys were focused on ridding my body of acid that my energy was being exhausted. Probably getting rid of the acidic condition was more important to my body, hence the cough was something that can wait. We can sense the cough, but we don't sense the acidic condition inside us.

You could probably ask your cousin a few questions relating to his lifestyle. What are the supplements and medicine he has been taking? What food does he eat. How much sleep does he get and how well is that going. Is he waking up a lot? Is he urinating a lot? My questions are directed towards the acid-base balance in his body. With my recent experience, I now realize how important that is, as it relates to our body's ability to produce energy with a good and efficient metabolism. A poor acid-base balance puts that out of whack, and if that is not being fixed, it puts the body in a low energy state that is unable to summon the strength to overcome pathogens.

 

[Arctic Fire]

I would say antimicrobial, but yes, same idea. I also think it will directly dissolve phlegm. My wife had something similar, only shorter term, and it knocked it out in a few days (Manuka).

Thank you; great that it can directly dissolve phlegm. (Wonder how that works.)

 

[Arctic Fire]

Thanks for the tip, @TreasureVibe. If this problem sticks around, the nebulizer might be a very good investment.

Not sure if it was named yet but nebulization of a saline solution helped me alot loosening mucus. I have an Omron device, they're quite pricey but they do the job well.

 

[Arctic Fire]

Update: Relative is doing better.

Short breath holds after coughing / clearing throat helped a lot.

Thanks to @MoonDay and @jb116 for suggesting I look into silent reflux (LPR). Turns out my relative has been having reflux lately. Famotidine, a little pepto-bismol, and an earlier dinner have greatly reduced the reflux.

Looks like clonidine-induced dry mouth is a big part of the reason why the coughing and throat-clearing often fail to dislodge the phlegm. When the clonidine is at its weakest (shortly before a dose), it's much easier for him to expel the stuff.

If anyone knows how to reverse dry mouth due to clonidine or cyproheptadine, let me know. (Dry mouth is also starting to wreck his teeth.)

Thanks to everyone who has contributed.

 

[LLight]

Hi,

I know that iodine is not seen as a good supplement around here, but it seems to have been given as an expectorant in the past: see for example Absence of Iodine/Iodide in Cough/Expectorant Medications: A True Disclaimer or not?
On this Pubmed page Potassium Iodide (By mouth) - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health, it's said that it "Loosens mucus in your chest and lungs."

I myself found to feel less mucus (or at least more fluid) in my throat/nose when I took a high dose (around 12mg) but it might well be a placebo effect.

Of course, one should not be deficient in selenium when taking iodine in such quantity.

 

[Arctic Fire]

Thanks for sharing this information and your experience, @LLight. My relative reacts very badly to a lot of supplements, so I need to be cautious about recommending them to him, but I'll keep iodine in mind.

Hi,

I know that iodine is not seen as a good supplement around here, but it seems to have been given as an expectorant in the past: see for example Absence of Iodine/Iodide in Cough/Expectorant Medications: A True Disclaimer or not?
On this Pubmed page Potassium Iodide (By mouth) - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health, it's said that it "Loosens mucus in your chest and lungs."

I myself found to feel less mucus (or at least more fluid) in my throat/nose when I took a high dose (around 12mg) but it might well be a placebo effect.

Of course, one should not be deficient in selenium when taking iodine in such quantity.

 

[frant26]

I had a persistent low-level phlegm of a cough that just won't go away. I kept thinking it will turn the corner but it never quite made it to that turn. The cough was the type that just made it difficult to talk, as I kept getting interrupted by the cough, yet there was no phlegm coming out, but you could tell it was stuck somewhere in the windpipe.

I got into this condition, which I would call a low energy condition, when I got into some supplementation that made me urinate very often. Even at night, I would be waking up four times just to pee. With less sleep, and a lot more urination, I was probably not building enough glycogen stores, and I was losing potassium and thiamine, and perhaps a few more electrolytes such as sodium and calcium. But this all goes down to a heavy acidic load due to the supplement I was taking.

When I stopped taking this supplement, I quickly turned the corner. I did all the things mentioned above pretty much, they did not help at all for my condition. I was even on 6,000 mg of vitamin C, and it did nothing. I think it's because my liver and kidneys were focused on ridding my body of acid that my energy was being exhausted. Probably getting rid of the acidic condition was more important to my body, hence the cough was something that can wait. We can sense the cough, but we don't sense the acidic condition inside us.

You could probably ask your cousin a few questions relating to his lifestyle. What are the supplements and medicine he has been taking? What food does he eat. How much sleep does he get and how well is that going. Is he waking up a lot? Is he urinating a lot? My questions are directed towards the acid-base balance in his body. With my recent experience, I now realize how important that is, as it relates to our body's ability to produce energy with a good and efficient metabolism. A poor acid-base balance puts that out of whack, and if that is not being fixed, it puts the body in a low energy state that is unable to summon the strength to overcome pathogens.

Going through exactly the same symptoms. Had this annoying cough for over 2 weeks now, just this low level phlegm.. No fever, no headaches, and my mood is good!

Tried pretty much everything in these threads (honey, lots of sugar and easy to digest foods, lots of garlic, charcoal, holding breath, taping mouth at night). So fed up, 5 days ago I started with antibiotics along with the carrot salad. Digestion is perfect (2-3 bowel movements a day perfect stool). Otherwise taking a bit of thyroid and high quality vitamin D and K, I've been doing these for months.

But nothing alters the cough whatsoever. What could be a more hardcore/aggressive cure? I met a girl and I can't see her until this is gone.

 

[managing]

Going through exactly the same symptoms. Had this annoying cough for over 2 weeks now, just this low level phlegm.. No fever, no headaches, and my mood is good!

Tried pretty much everything in these threads (honey, lots of sugar and easy to digest foods, lots of garlic, charcoal, holding breath, taping mouth at night). So fed up, 5 days ago I started with antibiotics along with the carrot salad. Digestion is perfect (2-3 bowel movements a day perfect stool). Otherwise taking a bit of thyroid and high quality vitamin D and K, I've been doing these for months.

But nothing alters the cough whatsoever. What could be a more hardcore/aggressive cure? I met a girl and I can't see her until this is gone.

Apple Cider Vinegar for phlegm. a teaspoon 3-4x/d.

 

[tara]

Tried pretty much everything in these threads (honey, lots of sugar and easy to digest foods, lots of garlic, charcoal, holding breath, taping mouth at night). So fed up, 5 days ago I started with antibiotics along with the carrot salad. Digestion is perfect (2-3 bowel movements a day perfect stool). Otherwise taking a bit of thyroid and high quality vitamin D and K, I've been doing these for months.

How's your dietary zinc and vit-C intake?

 

[frant26]

Apple Cider Vinegar for phlegm. a teaspoon 3-4x/d.

Didn't try that one. Would white vinegar work as well? That's the one i'm having with the carrot salad

How's your dietary zinc and vit-C intake?

Interesting. I don't supplement either of those. Zinc through oysters (haven't had them in over 2 weeks). I drink 1 liter of OJ every day, I think that's the only source of vitamin C

 

[yerrag]

Going through exactly the same symptoms. Had this annoying cough for over 2 weeks now, just this low level phlegm.. No fever, no headaches, and my mood is good!

Tried pretty much everything in these threads (honey, lots of sugar and easy to digest foods, lots of garlic, charcoal, holding breath, taping mouth at night). So fed up, 5 days ago I started with antibiotics along with the carrot salad. Digestion is perfect (2-3 bowel movements a day perfect stool). Otherwise taking a bit of thyroid and high quality vitamin D and K, I've been doing these for months.

But nothing alters the cough whatsoever. What could be a more hardcore/aggressive cure? I met a girl and I can't see her until this is gone.

What's your temperature and resting heart rate, waking and at 5 pm? I don't know, but when I ask this, 9 out 10 times people don't answer. They think " Oh, that. I'm okay. I'm not going to bother with that."

 

[frant26]

What's your temperature and resting heart rate, waking and at 5 pm? I don't know, but when I ask this, 9 out 10 times people don't answer. They think " Oh, that. I'm okay. I'm not going to bother with that."

I appreciate that. Waking temp is pretty low (pre-Peat, and even after, with thyroid, never changes): 35.8ºC. It always rises with breakfast. I haven't been measuring lately but I did yesterday and temp at 5pm was 36.8ºC. Always warmer in the afternoon than the morning. And before bed, it can get down to 36.2ºC but i've been sleeping okay.

 

[yerrag]

I appreciate that. Waking temp is pretty low (pre-Peat, and even after, with thyroid, never changes): 35.8ºC. It always rises with breakfast. I haven't been measuring lately but I did yesterday and temp at 5pm was 36.8ºC. Always warmer in the afternoon than the morning. And before bed, it can get down to 36.2ºC but i've been sleeping okay.

Is that oral temperature or armpit?