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Does anyone, since the war, cough up flem in the mornings when they get up?

I have had a small cough, more of a clearing of the throat but not voluntary, for the last 20 years. Often I do cough up flem and it is first thing in the morning, usually within an hour of my waking up.

Mine is a bit worse. Yes I cough and sometimes I can't breathe. I have been diagnosed with cough variant asthma. I use inhalers (albuterol) for emergencies, Advir twice a day for Bronchial inflammation and Accolate, a pill, twice a day for longer lasting control. I have about 50% of my lung capacity in use now. But I am always hacking up a piece of lung, that's what I callit when I have a bad coughing spell and produce flem.

If you have respiritory issues you should claim it and have it checked out. Take note if you are short of breathe when you exert yourself, if you have tightness in your airway with weather changes (i.e. cold weather, rainy days...etc). Also if there are things that cause you to cough or have tightness in your airway. These things are indicative of respiratory problems stemming from environmental contaminents that we were exposed to in the desert..

If you do have these symptoms and request testing for C & P make sure they give you the challenge test as part of you Pulmonary Funtion Test. The challenge test is what determines if you have cough variant Asthma vice Bronchial Asthma.