Medicines to Alleviate Symptoms

Bronchitis is a common respiratory condition that can cause inflammation in the lining of the bronchial tubes, leading to symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. It can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, as well as by irritants such as smoke or pollution. This is important to note because if it is bacterial, an antibiotic from a doctor will probably be a significant contributor to help getting you back to health.

TIP: (See a doctor whether you visit your primary or an urgent care. Work with your healthcare provider. Don't go at this alone! You don't have to! I highly suggest you see a doctor when sick with bronchitis.)

What I took to Relieve Symptoms?

DayQuil Severe cold + flu: headache, fever, sore throat, minor aches and pains, chest congestion, thins and loosens mucus, nasal congestion, sinus pressure, and cough.

DayQuil cold + flu: (I only had one bottle of severe. When I ran out of severe, this worked just as great.) headache, fever, sore throat, minor aches and pains, nasal congestion, sinus pressure, and cough

NyQuil cold + flu: (I took this during the day sometimes, so I could get more rest. Mainly used at bedtime.) headache, fever, sore throat, minor aches and pains, sneezing, runny nose, and cough

Mucus Relief (Guaifenesin): helps loosens mucus and thin bronchial secretions to rid bronchial passageways of bothersome mucus and make coughs more productive. (This stuff helped tremendously, and doctor said it paired with DM would probably work even better because the DM part helps with cough. Such as Mucinex DM. I only had Mucus Relief without DM, which is why I was prescribed benzonatate for cough.

Cough Suppressant capsules: Before I got the benzonatate, I used small red capsules of generic Robitussin cough and the brand name, Robitussin Long-Acting Coughgels. I believe a few brands have it, other than Robitussin as well, but it contains dextromethorphan hydrobromide, which I believe is what DM stands for in medicines. This medicine works great! They’re also small softgels and easy to swallow.

Benzonatate 200 mg/ 1 capsule 3x a day for 7 days: (This did help relieve my cough. It’s like it picked up where the cold medicine left off because the cold medicine didn’t relieve cough enough. Once a day isn’t going to cut it either. I needed it as it was prescribed 3x a day.)

Amoxicillin/K Clav 125 mg/ 1 tablet x2 a day for 7 days: (I was told if bronchitis was caused by a virus, as it usually is, the antibiotic wouldn’t help. Though, due to how long I’d been sick, and if, by chance, it was a bacterial infection, the antibiotic would clear up the infection. I think the antibiotic helped, but I’m not certain. It also produces a strong odor to your urine.)

Prednisone 20 mg/ 1 tablet once daily in morning for 5 days: steroid that helps reduce severe bronchitis symptoms by decreasing airway inflammation. (This worked also. I’m not sure which, either this medicine or the benzonatate, caused my chest to feel dry inside. I’m leaning more towards the benzonatate, though, because anytime I took Mucinex DM, it caused a dry, tightness-type feeling in my chest, so I’ll assume the DM part/benzonatate is responsible. A small side effect that made breathing a little more difficult and uncomfortable, but given the benefits, seemed like a fair exchange. I felt like I could breathe a bit better with the prednisone. I think the doctor said it could make you feel jittery and not want to sleep, which is why it’s prescribed for daytime.)

Pain Relief: (Sometimes, I felt like I could have used the extra strength Tylenol, but I made do with regular strength, since I’d given my brother the extra strength ones I had. I also made sure to stagger this medicine to prevent taking too much, as the cold medicine already has acetaminophen in it. I took it as needed, with anywhere from 4–8 hours between it and the cold medicine. I was coughing up a lung, and that really created pain in my chest, side, stomach muscles, and head — I guess from the pressure. Then there was sinus pressure built up from blowing my nose so much, which created a headache. The sinus pressure and coughing, I’d say, caused the headaches — plus the stress of all the symptoms on my body at one time. Then I also felt a little feverish, and I’ve always known Tylenol to be a fever reducer as well. There was also an overall body ache. The Tylenol seemed to pick up where the cold medicine left off, when I needed more for pain or before my next cold medicine dose.)

Cough drops: (I used lemon honey ones. They helped open my airway to breathe easier, helped soothe my throat, and relieve cough.) Halls lemon honey cough drops are my cough drop of choice. Though, if affordability is an issue, there are generic options that also work amazing.

Yes, I needed 3 medicines to fight this cough. That’s how bad it was. Wild, I know!

Vitamins/Supplements: I also took a One a Day multivitamin. Though, I recommend that you monitor your skin to make sure there's not too much biotin in this vitamin for you. Along with the multi-vitamin, I took two Nature's Made Fish Oil soft gel capsules daily and Vitamin D3.

Herbal Teas: I drank Traditional Medicinals Echinacea and Traditional Medicinal's Throat Coat teas. There are plenty of options to choose from, such as green tea, green with chamomile tea, and many others. I also used Yogi's Honey Lavender Stress Relief tea. These brands are wonderful, and I highly recommend them! I noticed the stress the symptoms of bronchitis took on my mind and body. The calm that comes over me when drinking tea reduced a lot of stress. This allowed me to think more clearly and be more self-aware of what I was feeling symptom-wise. The steam from the tea seemed to open up my nasal passages, making it easier to breathe. The warmth of the tea, especially with honey, reduced and soothed irritation of the throat.

General Reference of Medicines to Use

One of the key ways to manage bronchitis symptoms is through the use of appropriate medications, which can help to reduce inflammation, alleviate coughing, and make breathing easier. There are several over-the-counter medicines available that can provide relief from bronchitis symptoms. One popular option is an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen, which can help to reduce fever and discomfort associated with bronchitis. Another common choice is a cough suppressant, which can help to control coughing and make it easier to rest. Decongestants are also commonly used to help clear mucus from the lungs and airways, making it easier to breathe. They come in a variety of forms, including pills, liquids, and nasal sprays. In addition to these over-the-counter options, there are also prescription medications available for more severe cases of bronchitis. These may include antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, as well as corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in the airways. It’s important to speak with a healthcare professional before starting any new medication, as they can help determine the best treatment plan for your individual needs. Overall, finding the right medication to manage bronchitis symptoms can make a significant difference in how you feel. By working with your healthcare provider and considering over-the-counter and prescription options, you can find relief from bronchitis and get back to feeling like yourself again.

Tip 2: Another helpful tip is to jot down the time you took medications for bronchitis. You can put this information in your phone to make it easy. This helps you see and better gauge when it's almost time to take a medication again. This helps you anticipate your needs versus waiting until you feel like it's time to take a medication. Below is an example of what my medication schedule looked like. I would delete some clock times and replace them with new times to keep the list from growing too long.

Cold 12p, 12p, 8p, 3a, 1p

Tylenol 10:30a, 4p, 1a, 9a, 3p, 8p, 6p, 12p

Mucus 10:30a, 4p, 1a, 9a, 3p, 8p, 3a, 1p, 6p, 12p

Regular daily Meds 8p, 1p, 8p, 8a

Cough 12:30p, 4p, 9a, 3p, 8p, 1p, 6p, 12p

Antib 10:30a, 7p, 9a, 8p, 1p, 12p

Pred 12:30p, 9a, 1p, 12p

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