Continuous Cough, please help

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jenny1434
  • Start date Start date
J

Jenny1434

Guest
Hi, my sister is 50 and has been having a congested cough since Nov.09. Doctor took xrays and checked for asthma and found nothing wrong. The doctor determined it had to be allergies. Nothing she has taken has worked so far. It's a constant clearing of her throat and when she talks it sounRAB like she is struggling not to cough. Can anyone suggest anything they think might help her? Thank you
 
I know what she's going through. It seems like I go through this for 3 months every year for the last 3 years. The last time they diagnosed it as acid reflux except I have no symptoms at all except the cough. I'm also a very allergic person. I cough when I talk and it's exhausting. The last time this happened it just disappeared and I have no idea why. I was hoping I'd not have to go through this again.

Does she take anything for acid reflux? If it would not conflict with any other meRAB she's on, she could try an OTC (at probably a double dose) for 2 or 3 weeks to see if it helps. You might want to check regarding dose. Usually OTC's are a lower dose than prescription so if her problem is bad, she might need to double up.

One more thought. My doctor thinks I'm wrong but I've also suspected this is related to my going through menopause. The last time when it suddenly cleared up, I also suddenly started having perioRAB again after several months of not. So here I am going through it again, and I'm going through another 5 month window of no perioRAB.
He thinks it's coincidence. I don't. But I'm not really read to take hormones so if that is the cause, there's not a lot I can do about it.

Good luck.
 
Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. My sister was relieved to hear that it could be acid reflux, she is going to try some of the otc meRAB. Thank you again!:)
 
Acid reflux maybe? Or is she on any blood presure meRAB? They can give you a cough.
 
Post nasal drip?

A few days trial of Mucinex-D might be worthwhile?

Going back to the doctor would also be a smart move, even if this doctor cant do anything, he can refer her onto someone who can
 
How was she tested for asthma? I have cough variant asthma, & many times my pulmonary function tests are normal when I am coughing my head off. My allergist ended up trying me on asthma meRAB when he was trying to diagnose me & lo & behold, the cough started to improve right away. Good luck to her in unraveling this!
 
Try doing some internet research on "chronic cough".

The most common causes of chronic cough are:

PND
Allergies
Asthma
Acid Reflux

I had a never ending chronic cough and found I had all of the above. My primary asthma symptom is a cough. My primary acid reflux symptom is a cough with no heartburn or other "traditional" symptoms.

Pertussis also causes a chronic cough. It usually gets better at about 100 days though.

If your sister doesn't get better I'd suggest she have some allergy testing done and that she see a Pulmonologist. A good Pulmonologist can be really helpful. It was my pulmonologist who caught my "silent" reflux.

Good luck,
MountainReader
 
It could be acid reflux.

Reflux can cause asthma-like symptoms (including a cough), post nasal drip and constant throat clearing, and can be difficult to diagnose in people with a type of acid reflux called LPR (which is sometimes called "silent reflux" because it doesn't show all of the typical symptoms of reflux).
 
I have cough variant asthma. I get really bad flares for months at a time some years, but by the time I can get an appointment with my Pulmonologist and an appointment for PFT's it takes so long (typically 3-4 mos.) that I'm feeling fine when I actually have my appointments and things come out normal. Much of my diagnosis has been through thorough health histories and success with asthma treatments. I also have PCP's who could verify my asthma symptoms when I'm in a flare if my Pulmonologist would want to see them.

For my acid reflux that was triggering my asthma cough, a Modified Barium Swallow was done by my Pulmonologist to confirm/ diagnosis this.
 
My doctor has suspected asthma and/or allergies. Either way, I'm dealing with some inflammation that is causing the cough. He prescribed Syrabicort, and it works very well for me. If I miss even one dose, I notice that the cough comes back.

( I do have allergies, and inflamed sinuses as well. Currently experimenting with a couple nasal sprays for that.)
 
Back
Top