I have been sick for a few days, and the main symptom was a convulsive cough. It wasn't very productive at first, but yesterday I went to my doctor who said she could hear a couple of rattles on the chest and prescribed me some antibiotics. I normally respond well this treatment (amoxycillin: I don't know if there's a US equivalent or if it's the same name) and it's working quite well. I haven't so much urge to cough, and when I do feel it coming on, I can feel there is plenty to cough up. Hopefully should be all right in a day or so.
So what's the problem?
I think that during the first couple of days when I was coughing almost non-stop and very hard indeed, I pulled, or even tore, an abdominal muscle. Is this possible? Latitude about 2 inches above the navel, longitude about 6-8 inches to the right. One of the muscles which you use as a cough reflex, and also to laugh, which is unfortunate because it's my hobby 8^> Now that the cough is clearing up, the urge to cough is less frequent, but when it comes, I _have_ to cough - and I can't because it is really _extremely_ painful. I can feel that there are great armfuls of glop in the base of my lungs asking to be released (sorry if you were eating) but if I cough properly it feels as though the muscle in my side is tearing even more. The result is that when that tickle arrives it strikes terror: either suffer a nasty pain or perform a silly ineffective little string of half-coughs which are going to achieve nothing. I've tried holding my side, curling up and bending double, putting a hot-water-bottle on the side, but nothing works. Meanwhile I'm just drinking lots of water and praying the amoxycillin will get it before it gets me.
Does this strike anyone as familiar? Can you pull or tear a muscle by coughing? Will I make it worse by letting myself cough, however painful?
(The laryngitis that goes with it, I suppose I can live with. Silence is golden)
Linda
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