Pulmonologist Questions Pulmonologist

I'm still suffering from covid for 6 months?

Hi, I am an ex-smoker. I quit smoking 19 years ago. I was feeling fine until I got my 1st covid shot 3/19/21. I've never had any allergies in my life, not one! The evening after the 1st shot I started with symptoms. The next day all the symptoms started but everything was just minor. I would feel stuffed up as if I were getting a bad cold. 2 to 4 hours later it would clear up. Then a low-grade fever sometimes with minor body aches. After 2 to 4 hours that would clear. Then the slight feeling of a scratchy throat with congestion. It was like this for the next week or so. Finally, I decided to get tested on 3/25/21 and it was positive. By the time my quarantine finished everything was gone except the slight scratchy throat & congestion. then the congestion started to get worse. I had a few times at night when I would suddenly awake to find I'm having trouble breathing.

It would take up to 4 hours of coughing with the help of a hot coffee to get things to start breaking up and clear. I've seen 3 doctors that are just guessing. the last one put a camera into my sinus, acted as if he knew what it was, prescribed two antibiotics, and said together these pills should knock it out but also wanted a CT scan on my sinus. The scan showed nothing wrong so he was giving me antibiotics for nothing. It's 6 months now & I'm still suffering. Some days I cough a little here & there. Other days I'm coughing all day. Other days I'm not coughing at all. But I do notice that the cooler air from the AC helps some. I found out that there are Post Covid Clinics which there are about 5 minutes from my job. I figured they could help me. I called, she said someone will call me within the next 24 to 48 hours to help set up my appointment. 3 hours later I got the call. She said she's calling to help me set up my appointment. after at least 10 questions she then asked me what health ins I have, I told her the name of the ins & suddenly her tone changed & she said we are not accepting new patients right now. So now what do I do?

Male | 62 years old
Complaint duration: 6 months
Conditions: High Blood Pressure

2 Answers

I am sorry to hear about your post COVID-19 trouble. It seems that a persistent cough -waxing and waning- is your major complaint. Such persistent cough is known to occur in a number of cases after COVID-19-and it can persist over weeks to many months. While there is no COVID-19 cough specific treatment- general over the counter or prescription cough treatments can be tried after other more serious causes for the cough have been ruled out. Your primary care doctor should be able to help you with that. In addition, one needs to think of other causes for the cough unrelated to COVID-19. For example certain medications used to treat high blood pressure can cause persistent cough, even after you had taken them without cough for a longer time. If you are currently taken a medication for high blood pressure that includes a medicine that ends with -artan (such as Losartan) or -pril (such as Lisinopril)- it should be looked into whether changing it to a different medication would stop the cough.
Thanks for the question.

Symptoms of COVID can last months. Treatment is symptoms-based, and your doctor should help you. If not, try a University clinic.

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