Question: I recently had a very bad illness that was like nothing I've had before. It shared many symptoms with both a cold and flu, but was also completely unique from each and far more severe than any I've ever had. It started off in the back of my throat, then I began to feel it in my ears and nasal passage. This persisted for about 3 days before I developed the worse cough I've ever had. I would have 15-20 minute long coughing fits that I couldn't stop. The velocity at which I was expelling air was so intense a measuring tape fell off a table 2m away from me. This cough started dry. It then began to evolve in its symptoms, it would spend each day attacking something else. No two symptoms lasted more than one day, and most were specific to a single day. One day I felt it in my chest, the next I felt it in my head (after several hours I managed to alleviate it my applying pressure to (and tapping on) my right temple) The following day my body was extremely weak and I could barely stand, the next i started having lots of phlegm, then I would get so stuffed up at night i couldn't breathe and my head felt like it would explode, and then my teeth and jaws became extremely sore. I asked my girlfriend to set her alarm throughout the night to check on me in case I would need an ambulance. After a week or so, it began to burn when I urinated which made me worry that the infection may have spread through my lymphatic system to other parts of my body. When I started coughing up blood I immediately went to the Doctor. I never had a fever, stomach issues, or sneezing during this illness. I had been taking echinacea and oil of oregano each day. The Doctor then told me she could hear fluid in my lungs and prescribed me azithromyacin (5 days) to clear that up. The infection then began to subside and I regained my strength, and haven't been as stuffed up since. It's been 2 weeks now since most of my symptoms subsided, but I still have a residual cough, which spikes when I run (especially in the rain) i begin coughing a lot more, it feels like there may still be some fluid in my lungs. Furthermore, there is a pain between my throat and right ear which feels like the sort of pain from a canker-sore or ulcer (although I cant actually tell if there's a sore, as its too far back), and I am still producing a somewhat viscous, but clear phlegm (or mucous) which has an extremely odd taste, it is actually spicy, salty and a little metallic.

My very initial suspicion was it may have been mold, as the very first symptoms started as I was cleaning my room, which has had mold in it before, but I began to doubt this when others around me began to get sick too. Except none of them ever formed the severity of symptoms I did.

I am wondering what the initial infection may have been, but more importantly what on earth is going on now, and why do I have a full-flavored cuisine in my phlegm? What do my residual symptoms point to in comparison to my initial ones? and what should I do?

Thanks,
Creedence