Cough Variant Asthma/not helped with typical Asthma meds.

[brenda44273]

Hello Everyone,

I was diagnosed many years ago with Cough Variant Asthma by two different pulmonologists. They had me on Advair, singulair, rescue inhalers,... as well as trying prednisone. After a year of using all these meds religiously without ANY relief from my constant coughing,...I stopped taking the meds. I also had a bronchoscopy during that time, and no other condition was found. The odd thing was that I had 2 full weeks of NO coughing after the bronchoscopy;...which unfortunately didn't last. Over the years, out of desperation, I decided to give the asthma meds. another try,..... still with absolutely NO relief. A few years ago, I was put on Alprazolom due to a tragedy in my family. To my surprise, the coughing pretty much went away, and has stayed away for the three years that I've been on the Alprazolom. I never really linked the two;...just thought my cough had gone away on it's own. Over the past month I began slowly cutting back my dosage because I no longer feel I need the drug. The so called cough asthma has returned full force! After a week of suffering with the coughing,... and wheezing on exhalation I went back to my usual dose of Alprazolom. After two days the cough and wheeze is beginning to lessen,.. and so I feel it must be related. This makes me wonder if my type of asthma is stress related? I don't want to remain on the Alprazolom, but there's no way I want to go back to the constant coughing! If I have cough asthma then why on earth don't the Asthma meds have at least some effect on me? This was a question that was never sufficiently answered by my Pulmonologists years ago. If anyone else has experienced this and found the answer PLEASE help.

Thanks,
Brenda

[brenda44273]

Thank you for your advice. I would imagine I WAS definitly given the methacholine inhalation test years ago,..but have made an appt. with a lung doctor for this coming Friday. This time, I'm going to ask more questions. As I said before, the asthma meds. have NEVER given me any relief. I don't smoke,..although I am very sensitive if exposed to second hand smoke. I have also had some difficulty from time to time with acid reflux requiring the use of antacids,...and I do get post nasal drip at times. I coughed quite a bit as a child, but nothing like the coughing I have now. The only thing that helps is for me to go lie down and try to totally relax, which causes my breathing to become very shallow. Right now, it's the only relief I get. As soon as I get up and begin moving around or talking, I begin coughing an wheezing so hard that my stomach hurts. As far as the Alprazolom being the only thing that has ever helped;..I can only imagine it's because my cough asthma could be mainly stress induced. I'm beginning to think that the reason it has stopped working is because I've developed a tolerance tot he drug over the past couple years which has rendered it ineffective now. Also,I think the fact that I was decreasing my dosage in an attempt to get off the drug,..may have something to do with my cough becoming so much worse.The other thing I've noticed is that my cough gets much worse in the evening. Again, I thank you for your advice. I just want relief from this incessant cough, and I honestly don't know what to do. If this new doctor just gives me more of the same;...I don't know where else to turn. Thank You!

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hi, for a diagnosis of cough variant asthma, there should be a Positive methacholine inhalation challenge test. Then there may be relief with the bronchodilators. How alprazolam is helping am not able to comprehend. The other causes for long term cough besides asthma are GERD and post nasal drip from allergies. GERD is gastro esophageal reflux disease where the stomach acids come back into the esophagus and spill into the windpipe causing cough. Treatment with antacids will help neutralize the acids. Post nasal drips can occur with sinusitis and throat infections. Giving up cigarettes will abolish smoker's cough in 90% of people. Talk to your GP about the other causes for cough in the meantime you could try warm salt water gargles and breathing exercises. Regards.