Continuing sputum production post acute bronchitis

Dear Ask The Doctor: I got diagnosed with bronchitus couple weeks ago and recieved medicine to treat it. now its not going away. my throt is getting tighter. theres still a lo of flem and coughing it up. its hurting starting to make me throw up its making me gag so bad. it always gets worse at my boy friends house. and he has some of the same problems. we both smoke - but we havent been smoking long enough for that to be the cause .

Dear Chelsea: If you continue to produce copious amounts of sputum after an acute episode of bronchitis, that is predominantly green or yellow in colour, you may have a superimposed bacterial infection or even an atypical infection of the respiratory tract. I would advise attending your family doctor for a detailed history and further clinical examination. You may be asked to provide a sputum sample to send to the laboratory for culture of organisms or you may require prescription of an antibiotic to cover an atypical organism. If no infection is present the use of a mucolytic to dissolve thick mucus may improve symptoms and allow easier expectoration.