Cough and hydrocodone withdrawal

[LongerDays]

I was just wondering if anyone who has withdrawn from hydrocodone, or other opiates, experienced a persistent cough that began shortly after stopping the drug.  I'm at a month after my last pill, and I still have a chronic, dry cough that is centered in the lower part of my throat. None of the OTC cough meds or anti-allergy meds make a dent.  I don't know if this is at all associated with WD, but I know the great people here will enlighten me about it one way or another.

Thanks.  

[avisg]

A month with a cold you should have checked out regardless of wd it is just too long ....congrats on your month thats GREAT

[Jen777]

That has to be for me the worst symptom of withdrawals. I would cough and cough and cough and not be able to sleep. Well....I couldn't sleep anyways but that added to it! I sucked on menthol cough drops all night while I was sleeping and now that I think about it I could have choked. I already have bad allergy symptoms and sinus problems so if you do too then you probably were just masking them with the meds and now you actually can tell something is wrong. If you don't feel sick besides a cough maybe you should try something like Claritin. Good Luck!

[LongerDays]

The doc doesn't have a clue (surprise!), and wants me to see an ENT.  My suspicion has been that now that the hydrocodone, which is a wonderful cough suppressant, is gone, the symptoms have emerged from whatever underlying condition is at work. Of course, the one cough medicine that I know will stop the cough in its tracks contains codeine, and that's off limits.

[avisg]

yes it sure does help the cough I would go see the ent most likely the pills were masking a bigger issue.let us know what the ENT has to say ...Just a question do you smoke ?

[LongerDays]

Not a smoker. Just a cougher at the moment.  I skipped the smoking and went straight to the hacking to save time and money and so I could glare self righteously at people smoking in "no smoking" areas.

[spongeboy]

I am on day 4 w/d from hydros and have the exact same thing. Also sneezing.  Everything i read says these are some of the w/d symptoms. Mine is in the same exact location. You described mine perfectly.  Even though i would go see a dr. i bet it is a case of you just taking longer to shake that particular sympton. Good luck and congrats on being clean for a month!

[LongerDays]

Thanks, I'll hang on a little longer before spending money on a specialist who will probably tell me to take Zyrtec.

[Rebecca_]

I have withdrawn from vicodin several times (unfortunately) and do not recall a cough.  You may have something underlying....good thing to see your considering going to a doc, but watch out they don't just med you up like they always do!  I recently went for sinus pain and that's exactly what they gave me - Zyrtec plus a $50 nose spray which I used once and threw out because it tasted bad and burned my throat.

[love_the_opiates]

There is NO underlying issue people.. This is one of the possible side effects of doing vicodin or other opiates for such a long amount of time.  I am going thru it for my second time now.  I've been off em for a few weeks and this damn cough will NOT leave.  It's a deep congested cough.  Last time I got it when I quit too and it lasted literally about 1 month and then died down.  My guess is that since vicodin and opiates are natural cough supressants, your body has been used to that for so long that now it's the other way around for awhile (coughing) until your body returns back to normal.

It will go away but it'll probably take awhile.  Trust me, it's not an underlying issue because i've heard of it being a common thing when u quit opiates and I am going thru it now for my second time of quitting. (Usually i don't get it) but the last two times I did.

John