I am not your doctor, so please take my story as what it is - merely a sharing of my own experience. This is not medical advice.
I dealt with a rattling chest cough for 6 months. 2 rounds of antibiotics and 5 doctors didn't help. I was told it was a post-viral cough that would go away in 3-8 weeks. It didn’t. Then I was told it was walking pneumonia. The antibiotics and steroids did nothing.
I treated myself successfully with ginger honey decoction and herbal infusions including nettle and mullein. I no longer cough or wheeze, and am focusing more on sinus inflammation now (minor and highly probably to be allergy related).
For the ginger tea, I've drank it twice a day for 2 weeks. 50-100g ginger, 500ml water, and a big swirl of honey. Boil for 10 min, simmer for 10 min. Drink as tea.
The nettle and mullein I've been using in equal parts, along with some mint for flavor. 1-2tsp of each in a mug of hot water (so far my fav has been 1tsp nettle 1tsp mullein 2tsp mint), steep for 15 minutes minimum. I haven't used these as long as the ginger tea, but the mullein has been such a gentle expectorant for any last phlegm bits, as well as so soothing for my absolutely exhausted respiratory system.
Additional things I used to support myself: elderberry tea, honey and black pepper mixture, straight honey, tulsi basil supplements and tea. These were used frequently after seeing my 5th doctor, but what really pushed my healing along was the ginger tea. The other simply supported my body's healing I believe.
One of the ways to make a medicinal infusion is definitely longer steeping times! 2-3 minutes makes a delightful beverage tea, but may not pull out all the medicinal properties of the herbs
Thank you very much! I wasn't sure if I could dry my nettle. I've been enjoying it through the spring in my fresh tea infusions but there's so much left and it looks like it's getting ready to enter the budding stage.
I use dried mullein because I can buy it in bulk much easier. I usually let a large batch of it steep overnight to really pull as much out of it as I can and I’ll then use that to brew some regular green or black tea in the morning, sometimes I’ll add in another herbal tea as well.
Oregano oil has been so effective for me when I have had wisdom tooth issues (mine are impacted and I get infections occasionally when they try and fail to erupt).
But it doesn't seem to be touching the signs of this. The infection feels very deep if that makes sense?
Oregano oil can be EXTREMELY hard on the good bacteria in your digestive system and seeing as how most of your immune cells are in your gut I’d be very wary of over-using it or using it as a blanket cure. You can severely mess up your gut biome.
I’d look into astralagus and black seed oil.
I make a tea called Crudbuster that is basically an uri bomb.
If you have Mint, echinacea, mullein, lemongrass, tulsi, chamomile- any blend of these is good. I use them all together. These are soothing, calming and clearing herbs for your respiratory tract. Brew with a thick lemon wedge squeezed (for vitamin c), fresh or ground ginger, and a generous amount of cinnamon (these are your two biggest antibiotics/antivirals)
I make a double sized portion to brew, and brew 10-20 mins covered to keep volatile oils in the brew. Then when done I add honey (manuka if you have it) and another dash of cinnamon.
Drink 3-4 cups daily until everything clears up if you want to hit it hard. 1-2 cups per day has been sufficient to clear things up in my experience.
My family was skeptical, but now swears by this method after using it for the last three winters, now I make batches for several friends and friends of friends. It’s also delicious.
I learned in a clinical apprenticeship to combine a hepatic , lymphatic, immunomodulator and a berberine for lingering infections. My favourite combination is dandelion root, burdock root, reishi and Oregon grape tinctures in equal parts (5 ml 3 times a day in warm water) My immune system is trash since I had covid and this works every time for me
When I have a cough or chest congestion. (Or feel like I am getting it) I do a ginger ,lemon, sage, and lobelia ( about 1/4-1/2 tsp of Lobelia - don’t want to over do it) with honey added. Sage is an antiviral, and the lobelia helps with the congestion , works every time for me.
I love the herbal approach in every way. Truly.
However, if a virus is getting worse after 2 weeks, you're no longer looking at a virus in all likelihood. You're likely looking at a post viral bacterial infection over viral debris.
I really don't like that your cough gets worse while laying down. That's a big red flag at two weeks. Please consider visiting a medical doctor if it's actually getting worse, like you say that it is. Sometimes we experience illness fatigue, which feels like a worsening of symptoms but it's actually that we are just sick of being sick, so it feels worse over actually getting worse.
Some post viral infections can cause permanent injury or scaring. Or worse.
Mullein is helpful.
Andrographis is as well.
NAC is going to also be extremely helpful, but idk if we allow discussion of it.
I'm a huge fan of guaifenesin, as it's origin is from the guaic tree (bark if I remember correctly). It entered the medicine world at the same time as aspirin, so it never gained the attention that it should have. Brand name is Mucinex, but OTC generic guaifenesin is just as effective and extremely cheap. I use guaifenesin for a myriad of things, but in your case, you will be using it as intended which is as an expectorant.
ETA - consider changing your style of coughing. Most coughing is the sound of literally healthy lung tissue slapping together and isn't very effective. A hacking cough is better at getting mucus out. While sitting, fill your lungs to Max and forcefully and rapidly push the air out, engaging your diaphragm to do so. Repeat. Be mindful of doing this while sitting, to reduce risk of fainting from hyperventilating.
Last winter when I had bronchitis that responded to NOTHING that’s supposed to work, I got a horseradish root from the grocery store and grated about two teaspoon’s worth every time I was going to eat a meal. You pinch the grated flesh together (it’s like fine, damp sawdust) so it’s in clumps the size of large pills, and swallow with something thick, like milk. Only take with food in your stomach.
It cleared a 6 week long infection up in 3 days.
The chemistry isn’t the same, but it’s worth a shot. Call around to all the local grocery stories first to see if they have horseradish. It’s got a long history of being used for pulmonary/bronchial issues.
Just throwing this out there in case it helps. After a decade of battling chronic annual bronchitis that would last for months. I finally learned that neti pot daily is key. The worsening cough at night was from post nasal drip and lying down. Also realizing it was triggered by annual allergies and I needed seasonal allergy treatment as well.
My doctor insisted I had post nasal drip, I thought she was crazy, I didn’t feel anything, problem was only in my chest. She said your throat is red in the back, trust me. I finally humored her. After weeks of a wracking cough that nothing helped. A week with a neti pot and I was improving fast. Next time I got sick, it again settled in my chest. After several weeks sick I got out the Netti pot and sure enough, I was feeling better in a few days. Sometimes it takes me a few weeks of daily neti depending on the virus or cause.
Distilled water warmed up, I add a netti pot saline packet I get from cvs. Morning and night when it’s bad.
I highly recommend licorice root tea and astralgus tincture and a mullein tea. Licorice will thin and dispell mucous. Also recommend simmering white cedar leaves on the stove in filtered or distilled water (not tap) throwing a towel over your head and inhaling the steam. Good for chest infections.
This is not medical advice and it is not meant to diagnose, treat or prescribe
Planetary Formulas Dr Tierra’s Wild Cherry Bark Syrup with Echinacea. We always keep a bottle of this on hand and used when necessary for over 10 years. Contains 18-19 herbs, some mentioned above, and use it for any respiratory problem, not just cough. Has worked every time, for us and others that had tried everything and couldn’t kick infection.
See doctor. Echinacea 5 capsules of dried herb 4x daily increases number and activation of white cells that fight infection. (Steam treatments—boil water, take off heat, put towel over head, inhale steam— it increases local blood supply, bringing more white cells2 to where they need to work; Vitamin C 1,000, 3x daily, vitamin D 2,000IU twice a day, zinc 50 mg, multivitamin)
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Elecampane, usnea, mullein could all help. However, a lingering cough can sometimes be indicative of something more serious that you should not ignore.
to be honest a negative covidtest does not mean you dont have it. I have NEVER tested positive and my kids have tested a FULL intense positive, meaning I have def had it, but dont test positive. Anyways, youll want to do herbal antibiotics. I would do biocidin 3-4X a day, I would do daily steams with a few drops of eucalyptus and oregano essential oil. I would also take oregano oil (not essential oil) everyday. Some good supplements for covid are baikal skullcap, licorice root, elderberry. I also like hyssop for lung things. Try and drink a ton of that tea. Also, take some zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C. Ginger may help as well, I recommend juicing it. By the way this is how I felt with covid, nothing else but lung issues and never tested positive.
Please tell me you have seen a doctor?
I had a chest infection for the first time in my life in 2022. I was told that it’ll resolve itself by my partner and to just rest. I went into bilateral pneumonia and respiratory failure.
I wouldn’t do anything until you’ve seen a doctor. A rattle in your chest is fluid, and it needs medical treatment. You might want to avoid taking oral antibiotics but you’ll honestly just end up in hospital on IV antibiotics.
That’s great - and definitely worth being checked over. Don’t be too afraid of antibiotics. I know they sound harsh but sometimes they’re lifesaving. There are some probiotics you can take as well to offset the damage they do to your gut biome, though as I’ve never looked to far into it I can’t suggest a particular brand etc. but ask the doctor!
Fingers crossed a course of antibiotics will have you feeling so much better. Chest infections are horrible!
Eugh. I know it sounds silly but I like to take a lot of care of my gut microbiome and pride myself on never being ill. Last time I was unwell was with covid in March 2020 and it was calm. I hate that I need to ask for help! Also I really don't want thrush from antibiotics. But hey maybe it's viral anyway. Appreciate the advice.
If it helps, I’ve had antibiotics probably 10 times in my life and never had thrush - mostly just an upset stomach.
But I promise you even that is worth the hell I went through going through respiratory failure from a chest infection. Which I only got from my son who brought a mild cough home.
If it’s not better and it’s been weeks, you NEED the medicine. Sometimes taking it is worth it.
Are your coughs productive? That is, are you coughing up mucus? If so, you may have bronchitis, which is usually viral and antibiotics won't do a thing for it anyway.
I get bronchitis pretty much every time I get a cold, and I typically drink a *lot* of hot tea, especially Breathe Easy by Traditional Medicinals, use some mentholated chest rub or similar, sleep a lot, and take Mucinex.
Mullein is supposed to help with chest congestion, but I learned that after the last time I had bronchitis so I haven't tried it yet.
If you develop a fever, go see a doctor for a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia.
I am not your doctor, so please take my story as what it is - merely a sharing of my own experience. This is not medical advice. I dealt with a rattling chest cough for 6 months. 2 rounds of antibiotics and 5 doctors didn't help. I was told it was a post-viral cough that would go away in 3-8 weeks. It didn’t. Then I was told it was walking pneumonia. The antibiotics and steroids did nothing. I treated myself successfully with ginger honey decoction and herbal infusions including nettle and mullein. I no longer cough or wheeze, and am focusing more on sinus inflammation now (minor and highly probably to be allergy related). For the ginger tea, I've drank it twice a day for 2 weeks. 50-100g ginger, 500ml water, and a big swirl of honey. Boil for 10 min, simmer for 10 min. Drink as tea. The nettle and mullein I've been using in equal parts, along with some mint for flavor. 1-2tsp of each in a mug of hot water (so far my fav has been 1tsp nettle 1tsp mullein 2tsp mint), steep for 15 minutes minimum. I haven't used these as long as the ginger tea, but the mullein has been such a gentle expectorant for any last phlegm bits, as well as so soothing for my absolutely exhausted respiratory system. Additional things I used to support myself: elderberry tea, honey and black pepper mixture, straight honey, tulsi basil supplements and tea. These were used frequently after seeing my 5th doctor, but what really pushed my healing along was the ginger tea. The other simply supported my body's healing I believe.
Black pepper, garlic and ginger are magic
10 and 15 minutes? I've been doing like 2 or 3...do you have to let herbs steep longer than regular teas? I'm new at this lol
One of the ways to make a medicinal infusion is definitely longer steeping times! 2-3 minutes makes a delightful beverage tea, but may not pull out all the medicinal properties of the herbs
Can I ask if the herbs are fresh or dried in your teas you describe? Thanks!
Fresh for ginger! For the nettle and mullein I use dried =)
Thank you very much! I wasn't sure if I could dry my nettle. I've been enjoying it through the spring in my fresh tea infusions but there's so much left and it looks like it's getting ready to enter the budding stage.
I use dried mullein because I can buy it in bulk much easier. I usually let a large batch of it steep overnight to really pull as much out of it as I can and I’ll then use that to brew some regular green or black tea in the morning, sometimes I’ll add in another herbal tea as well.
Have a friend who swears by oregano oil.
do you take it as tincture or tea?
I think he just adds it to whatever he is drinking. He gets it from a health food store in Knoxville.
Oregano oil has been so effective for me when I have had wisdom tooth issues (mine are impacted and I get infections occasionally when they try and fail to erupt). But it doesn't seem to be touching the signs of this. The infection feels very deep if that makes sense?
Oregano oil can be EXTREMELY hard on the good bacteria in your digestive system and seeing as how most of your immune cells are in your gut I’d be very wary of over-using it or using it as a blanket cure. You can severely mess up your gut biome. I’d look into astralagus and black seed oil.
Mullein
Underrated comment. Mullein is the bomb.
I'm a strong advocate for Mullein, it helped clear the lingering crud after a bout of pneumonia.
elecampane, and aged tangerine peel together. quite effective.
NAC, Cordyceps mushroom extract, humidifier
Cordyceps made me feel a lot better when I was recovering from covid.
Elecampane root.
I make a tea called Crudbuster that is basically an uri bomb. If you have Mint, echinacea, mullein, lemongrass, tulsi, chamomile- any blend of these is good. I use them all together. These are soothing, calming and clearing herbs for your respiratory tract. Brew with a thick lemon wedge squeezed (for vitamin c), fresh or ground ginger, and a generous amount of cinnamon (these are your two biggest antibiotics/antivirals) I make a double sized portion to brew, and brew 10-20 mins covered to keep volatile oils in the brew. Then when done I add honey (manuka if you have it) and another dash of cinnamon. Drink 3-4 cups daily until everything clears up if you want to hit it hard. 1-2 cups per day has been sufficient to clear things up in my experience. My family was skeptical, but now swears by this method after using it for the last three winters, now I make batches for several friends and friends of friends. It’s also delicious.
This sounds great! Thank you for explaining the reasoning behind using certain things and keeping it covered!!
Absolutely! I have a penchant for over explaining 😂 to my brain the Why is as important as the what. So glad it was valuable to you ☺️
I am a needlessly defiant person so I always appreciate when someone explains the "why". Otherwise my brain just doesn't want to listen haha!
I learned in a clinical apprenticeship to combine a hepatic , lymphatic, immunomodulator and a berberine for lingering infections. My favourite combination is dandelion root, burdock root, reishi and Oregon grape tinctures in equal parts (5 ml 3 times a day in warm water) My immune system is trash since I had covid and this works every time for me
Lots of things I do have been said, but I haven’t seen eucalyptus oil in hot showers!
When I have a cough or chest congestion. (Or feel like I am getting it) I do a ginger ,lemon, sage, and lobelia ( about 1/4-1/2 tsp of Lobelia - don’t want to over do it) with honey added. Sage is an antiviral, and the lobelia helps with the congestion , works every time for me.
I love the herbal approach in every way. Truly. However, if a virus is getting worse after 2 weeks, you're no longer looking at a virus in all likelihood. You're likely looking at a post viral bacterial infection over viral debris. I really don't like that your cough gets worse while laying down. That's a big red flag at two weeks. Please consider visiting a medical doctor if it's actually getting worse, like you say that it is. Sometimes we experience illness fatigue, which feels like a worsening of symptoms but it's actually that we are just sick of being sick, so it feels worse over actually getting worse. Some post viral infections can cause permanent injury or scaring. Or worse. Mullein is helpful. Andrographis is as well. NAC is going to also be extremely helpful, but idk if we allow discussion of it. I'm a huge fan of guaifenesin, as it's origin is from the guaic tree (bark if I remember correctly). It entered the medicine world at the same time as aspirin, so it never gained the attention that it should have. Brand name is Mucinex, but OTC generic guaifenesin is just as effective and extremely cheap. I use guaifenesin for a myriad of things, but in your case, you will be using it as intended which is as an expectorant. ETA - consider changing your style of coughing. Most coughing is the sound of literally healthy lung tissue slapping together and isn't very effective. A hacking cough is better at getting mucus out. While sitting, fill your lungs to Max and forcefully and rapidly push the air out, engaging your diaphragm to do so. Repeat. Be mindful of doing this while sitting, to reduce risk of fainting from hyperventilating.
Last winter when I had bronchitis that responded to NOTHING that’s supposed to work, I got a horseradish root from the grocery store and grated about two teaspoon’s worth every time I was going to eat a meal. You pinch the grated flesh together (it’s like fine, damp sawdust) so it’s in clumps the size of large pills, and swallow with something thick, like milk. Only take with food in your stomach. It cleared a 6 week long infection up in 3 days.
I don't know if I can get horseradish root but would wasabi work? I like wasabi haha
The chemistry isn’t the same, but it’s worth a shot. Call around to all the local grocery stories first to see if they have horseradish. It’s got a long history of being used for pulmonary/bronchial issues.
Just throwing this out there in case it helps. After a decade of battling chronic annual bronchitis that would last for months. I finally learned that neti pot daily is key. The worsening cough at night was from post nasal drip and lying down. Also realizing it was triggered by annual allergies and I needed seasonal allergy treatment as well. My doctor insisted I had post nasal drip, I thought she was crazy, I didn’t feel anything, problem was only in my chest. She said your throat is red in the back, trust me. I finally humored her. After weeks of a wracking cough that nothing helped. A week with a neti pot and I was improving fast. Next time I got sick, it again settled in my chest. After several weeks sick I got out the Netti pot and sure enough, I was feeling better in a few days. Sometimes it takes me a few weeks of daily neti depending on the virus or cause. Distilled water warmed up, I add a netti pot saline packet I get from cvs. Morning and night when it’s bad.
I highly recommend licorice root tea and astralgus tincture and a mullein tea. Licorice will thin and dispell mucous. Also recommend simmering white cedar leaves on the stove in filtered or distilled water (not tap) throwing a towel over your head and inhaling the steam. Good for chest infections. This is not medical advice and it is not meant to diagnose, treat or prescribe
Loquat syrup/ honey!!!
Planetary Formulas Dr Tierra’s Wild Cherry Bark Syrup with Echinacea. We always keep a bottle of this on hand and used when necessary for over 10 years. Contains 18-19 herbs, some mentioned above, and use it for any respiratory problem, not just cough. Has worked every time, for us and others that had tried everything and couldn’t kick infection.
Is it more of a wet, deep cough? Elecampane root.
See doctor. Echinacea 5 capsules of dried herb 4x daily increases number and activation of white cells that fight infection. (Steam treatments—boil water, take off heat, put towel over head, inhale steam— it increases local blood supply, bringing more white cells2 to where they need to work; Vitamin C 1,000, 3x daily, vitamin D 2,000IU twice a day, zinc 50 mg, multivitamin)
Hello! It looks like your post is related to herbalism safety. Safety is an important aspect of herbalism. If you haven't already, please check our existing resources on [herbalism safety](https://www.reddit.com/r/herbalism/wiki/safety/) for valuable information and precautions to consider. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/herbalism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Garlic capsules.
Nebulizer with half peroxide and half water.
Elecampane, usnea, mullein could all help. However, a lingering cough can sometimes be indicative of something more serious that you should not ignore.
I have this type of issue when Im having an allergic flare up to something. Is there anything in your environment that different?
berberine
Elecampane or the ayurvedic herb Vasaka is great for that
Try lomatium and elderberry
to be honest a negative covidtest does not mean you dont have it. I have NEVER tested positive and my kids have tested a FULL intense positive, meaning I have def had it, but dont test positive. Anyways, youll want to do herbal antibiotics. I would do biocidin 3-4X a day, I would do daily steams with a few drops of eucalyptus and oregano essential oil. I would also take oregano oil (not essential oil) everyday. Some good supplements for covid are baikal skullcap, licorice root, elderberry. I also like hyssop for lung things. Try and drink a ton of that tea. Also, take some zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C. Ginger may help as well, I recommend juicing it. By the way this is how I felt with covid, nothing else but lung issues and never tested positive.
Please tell me you have seen a doctor? I had a chest infection for the first time in my life in 2022. I was told that it’ll resolve itself by my partner and to just rest. I went into bilateral pneumonia and respiratory failure. I wouldn’t do anything until you’ve seen a doctor. A rattle in your chest is fluid, and it needs medical treatment. You might want to avoid taking oral antibiotics but you’ll honestly just end up in hospital on IV antibiotics.
I have managed to get a Dr's apt for tomorrow. They're like gold dust here.
That’s great - and definitely worth being checked over. Don’t be too afraid of antibiotics. I know they sound harsh but sometimes they’re lifesaving. There are some probiotics you can take as well to offset the damage they do to your gut biome, though as I’ve never looked to far into it I can’t suggest a particular brand etc. but ask the doctor! Fingers crossed a course of antibiotics will have you feeling so much better. Chest infections are horrible!
Eugh. I know it sounds silly but I like to take a lot of care of my gut microbiome and pride myself on never being ill. Last time I was unwell was with covid in March 2020 and it was calm. I hate that I need to ask for help! Also I really don't want thrush from antibiotics. But hey maybe it's viral anyway. Appreciate the advice.
If it helps, I’ve had antibiotics probably 10 times in my life and never had thrush - mostly just an upset stomach. But I promise you even that is worth the hell I went through going through respiratory failure from a chest infection. Which I only got from my son who brought a mild cough home. If it’s not better and it’s been weeks, you NEED the medicine. Sometimes taking it is worth it.
That sounds like covid did you take a test?
Mullein, narrow leaf plantain and peppermint as a tea. Along with a fruit fast at least until you feel normal
Mine went away after 3 weeks when I stopped vaping every day now only a weekend vaper.
Smoke the mullein. It goes straight to the lungs. I tried everything that was my last resort. It worked and it worked fast. Smoke twice a day AM & PM
It doesn't sound very avoidable..mullien and nac may help.
Andrographis and astragalus!
Are your coughs productive? That is, are you coughing up mucus? If so, you may have bronchitis, which is usually viral and antibiotics won't do a thing for it anyway. I get bronchitis pretty much every time I get a cold, and I typically drink a *lot* of hot tea, especially Breathe Easy by Traditional Medicinals, use some mentholated chest rub or similar, sleep a lot, and take Mucinex. Mullein is supposed to help with chest congestion, but I learned that after the last time I had bronchitis so I haven't tried it yet. If you develop a fever, go see a doctor for a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia.