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634733 tn?1316625992

Chronic Cough

Hi Guys,

I am new to this forum although I have been part of the MS community for a couple of years but would be grateful of any suggestions to this issue, I am getting no where from the research or the medics.

It started with a really nasty chest infection in January this year which required antibiotics and 2 weeks off work. This left me with a barking cough which would not go and is intermittent throughout the day (it sometimes wakes me once at night but rarely).

At the start of June after 5 months of trying everything and several trips to the GP the cough suddenly got a lot worse and the top of my chest was very sore. The GP dx bronchitis and gave me a steroid inhaler. This helped a lot and stopped the cough being as harsh or as frequent but after 2 weeks I had to stop using it because it had caused a bad case of thrush in my mouth.

I still have the cough, it is now 8 months, as well as things I have described I have tried every type of cough medicine on the shelves here,  extra medication for gastric reflux (just in case), a steroid nasal spray (Nasonex) in case of post nasal drip, this dryed everything up and made the cough worse as it was drier. In fact I have had a PND for about 20 years and never had a cough with it. My peak flow is fine and the GP says not asthma because of that.

I am now desperate, I cough about 12 - 14 times a day that doesn't sound much but each session can  last several minutes, it hurts my ribs and stomach, I am left with tears streaming, red in the face, I have had to step up the use and size of tena lady pads (as you can imagine - but that's another story). I have too leave meetings at work to have a coughing fit.

I am totally exasperated and exhausted and at my wits end as to what to try next. We have even bought an air filter which cost £160 for the bedroom in case it is an allergy with no luck.

The GP after my # visit wondered if it might be that my aspiration was not quite up to par because of the MS she said that if it was at 97% we would not be able to measure it but it would cause me problems.

My MS team said - no - silent aspiration  would affect me EVERY time I tried to eat not just occasionally and not when I wasn't eating, they think I have just been unlucky!!!! This is definitely not silent I could assure her!  

I am now desperate - it sounds minor but after 8 months of a hacking cough which is exhausting added to all my other sx and the usual fatigue you all no so well and trying to work I am desperate for it to just stop, So any suggestions welcome - happy to try anything at this point :(  I am a singer and have had to leave my group and cancel all singing as my voice is now completly shot through this.

Thanks for reading this far.
4 Responses
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Avatar universal
I was negative for allergies but take Telfast as suggest by doc ( I 'know' there is an allergic aspect).  I take singulair for asthma - although the docs says I haven't got asthma!!  These loosend the cough up, now I get a lott of white sputum ( only a little before).  I can't take nasal steriods as that make eye pressure go up (they say rare side effect but I think not so rare!).  I have had ct scan (normal except two small no risk nodules) and broncoscopy (horrid down my throat!), all normal looking but fluid tested positive for e coli which doc says is mistake (apparently there is e coli in your mouth - not only your gut) because you don't get e coli in the lung unless you are immunocompromised (not just exhausted like me!!).  Anyway they gave me antibiotics for the e coli as some kind of precaution!, Cough is better and pain (sharp spikey pain which I am told is the lung linng reacting to all the coughing - hmm??) has gone while on the antiobiotics.  I have finished the antibiotics and am waiting to see what happens.  I hope to god it isn't an e coli infection (apparently it's rare in the lungs).  I will ask them to check again (broncoscopy again ekkkk!) if I/they think e coli infection is an issue.

I am however going to have physiotherapy apprently they can reall help with the symptoms - getting rid of phlegm etc., methods you have to learn but that don't cure the cough!!

So I am not much help for you but your docs haven't done everything they ough to help you yet.  

Helpful - 0
634733 tn?1316625992
Thanks so much for getting back to me, I really appreciate any commnets - you are right I am desperate.

Can you tell me has your  cough gone now and how did you get rid? what was the cause?

My cough is dry to start with but keeps hacking for a few minutes until I have coughed up a small amount of mucous, then it stops for a couple of hours sometimes.

Yes, I have had an x-ray which was normal.

Thanks again
Eyes

My thyroid level was 0.64 - normal.

I have MS but have been told that is probably not the issue!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had my cough for 8 years!!  Is it wet or dry?  Have you had chest x ray?  I know exactly where you are coming from.  You  need your gp to order ct scan of your lungs and broncoscopy( to have a look at your lungs and take sample of fluid).  There is a procedure for 'work up for cough' and you have had only part of it done.  if you google 'chronic cough' you should find the work up process.

The other thing is what is your thyroid status?could be you have goitre effecting your swallowing, I choke on every little thing (I am hyoi thyroid).

God I know how you feel, you need to get on to your GP tell her you are at wits end (I took the google print out with me to the doc and showed her what the work up involves)...
http://www.nlhep.org/books/pul_Pre/chronic-cough.html

Helpful - 0
634733 tn?1316625992
forgot to add that an allergy has been suggested but would this cause just a cough? and what could do that?
Helpful - 0
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