Coughing ALL night long

E

egsgs

New member
Hi...Well, for the last 4 months I've had a cough that last all night long. The stuff is clear, sticky and bubbley. I've been to the Care Now clinic when I was out of town and got meds for the cough and even to my family doctor to get meds and nothing has worked. They listen to my lungs and they are clear. They just tell me it's going around and that everybody has it??? The phlem has no color. I have to cough so hard I pee myself to get this up. It feels like dirt is in my throat that triggers the coughing fits. I've doctored myself with over the counter meds for sinus and allergies...but the only symptom I have is the cough at night. Does anybody have a clue what could be going on and why I can't knock this cough? I do have an appt. with an allergist in two weeks. I just want to be able to get a full nights rest.
 
Hi AlisaBeth
Yup I asked my dr if it could be whooping cough too....nope it wasn;t but by that point I would have been happy with any kind of diagnosis ;)
How long have you been coughing and did it start with a cold? mine did...
 
Reflux can cause a night time cough. When you lie down the acid in your stomach can come up into your throat or go into your lungs. You could try putting a couple of bricks under the head of your bed and taking an ant acid.
 
I've been couging like this for a little over 4 months now. It started with either a cold or allergies. Did your Dr. test you for whooping cough?
 
HI AlisaBeth you sound like me, only mine started in October. I had a cough that lasted about 8 weeks, I coughed and coughed until I had tears in my eyes. I had lots of accidents also with number 1. ya know? lol I just couldn't believe how I had this cough. I blame it on my allergies and the crops being cut down by the farmers. I was so sick with that cough. I thought I was getting asthma. Then we headed into the holidays and that brought on my acid reflux. Now it's reared it's ugly head full force. Lots of mucus in my throat and burning down in there. I now have to have an endoscopy done on friday. I am frightened of course to have that done. ugh!

But all this say is that I think I have a combo thing going here of allergies and acid reflux. You may want to get checked for these things. Because a cold doesn't hang on that long. It has to be something other than that. Good luck and keep us posted! I feel for ya!
 
I will try Alka Seltzer tonight at bedtime. What I just dont understand is this stuff I'm coughing up. If it was acid reflux would I still cough up the clear glue like phlem? And my chest is clear...so where is this coming from? I can't wait to get to the bottom of this. It's so aggravating.
 
Yes, I mentioned to my husband the other day that maybe it's asthma? But after thinking about it, I can breath just fine. It's just that "dirt" poking feeling in my throat that gets me started with the coughing fits. I always have to jump up and head to the bathroom cause this mucus shoots out of my mouth. It's so embarrassing when I'm out in public and start coughing. I make sure I have plenty of kleenex with me cause iv'e been stranded with mucus filled hands before. Sorry for being so graphic and all...but that's just how it is :)
 
According to my dr he didn't think it was as I didn't have the distinctive 'whoop" when I coughed most dr diagnose whooping cough thru symptoms but I belive they can do a swab of your nasal secretions ...yum!
this can take a couple of weeks to get results its worth a shot asking your drs opinion.
I really though I had some incurable disease that noone could identify at this point but my dr assured me that once all the possible cuases had been treated that it would go away eventually.
Just make sure you get everything it could be checked out and keep in touch with your dr.
 
Hi, AlisaBeth . . . it very well could be allergies or acid reflux. In addition to sleeping elevated like Vh suggests, you should never sleep on your back if you can help it. Try to get used to sleeping on your side as post-nasal drip or reflux can drain very easily into your bronchial tubes when you are on your back.

Try running a cool mist humidifier in your room as well. You can tend to build up mucus from irritation when your mucus membranes get dry.

If you do get up in the middle of the night with a coughing spell, try some hot tea with honey to calm it down. The hot liquid will also help open bronchial tubes so that you will not have to cough so hard to get the phlegm out.

Let us know what you find out.

Lindaru :)
 
Hi there
A couple of years ago I went on vacation and came back with a cough. It lasted from May to Nov (7 months!!) I constantly had to clear my throat like something was stuck in it.....I was checked for everly thing from post nasal drip..lots of sprays, 3 types of antibiotic, inhaling stuff, rinsing, humidifier etc etc then it was allergies so I avoided pets, changed my diet etc etc nothing helped then they thought it was reflux then GERD...I even ended up in ER one night because I though I was going to asphixiate (!) they quarantined me because they thought it might be SARS...I coughed till I puked I coughed till I peed myself ...everything...I also had a endoscopy and nothing....then as soon as it came the cough went... one day there next day GONE. Boy was I relieved my dr just reckoned it was a very stuborn virus.
So hang in there....
one thing did offer me relief at night was green seedless grapes in a little bowl on my nightstand... apparently they are real soothing and did help a bit :) honestly ;)
 
Thank you both so much for the advice :-)..I'm new to this board. I found it searching for a cause for my cough. I will keep the board updated after I see the allergy doctor. Thanks again.
 
I had that too. I would cough so hard, I'd pee in my pants. And my ribs would hurt the next morning from coughing so much. It only happened at night. It was bubbly, white, frothy stuff. After it came up, I'd breathe easier and feel better. My dr. said I had asthma. So now I am on Advair (3 yrs now) and have not had a single episode of that frothy stuff coming out of my chest.
 
Thanks for your reply. That sounds just like me. I too cough till i throw up sometimes. I just clear, frothy, glue like stuff. I've seen 3 different doctors...lungs are clear and they tell me it's going around. I'm tired of hearing this...I go see an allergist in two weeks...If he tells me that, I don't know what I'm going to do. I done some research last night and it took me to whooping cough. It's on the rise in the US again. I'm afraid if I mention this to my Doctor, he will just laugh me off.
 
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