The most important thing is to get whatever respiratory illness you do have diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. You probably shouldn't even have waited over the weekend. Places like PrimaCare can handle this and their co-payments usually aren't that much more than a doctor's office visit.Coughing is very bad for the vocal chords, so getting that under control with medication and proper breathing techniques should also be a priority. If you have a speech therapist, they can help you with breathing tips that can help you cough less.
My SD diagnosis five years ago followed a bout with pneumonia with lots of coughing. I'm allergic to codeine, so the cough medication available to me was very limited.
Depending on if you have AD or AB (it sure would be nice if people would post this), you could actually have a little bit of improved voice as you start to feel better. I've found that when my vocal chords are inflamed, my voice sounds a little better because it's easier for the chords to come together.
I was sick over the holidays with bronchitis, but I think it may have progressed to pneumonia too. I had to go through two different rounds of antibiotics, nebulizer breathing treatments, and steroid inhalers before I got better.
Good luck and I hope you feel much better soon. Keep us posted.
Lori
AB/SD and VCD since 2003
Dallas, Texas
