Coughing for a month and tired of it

I'm a 37 year old female in good health, I don't smoke, have some mild allergies that are controlled well with Allegra 180.  One month ago today I started coughing and have not stopped since.  My 5 year old son had a cough and congestion before that so I figured I had picked up on whatever he had.  For the first 5 days all I had was the cough, then I developed some sinus pressure that went away after 2 days.  Cough still there, not coughing up anything, just constant itching in my lungs.  Then I started noticing a wheezing noise when I exhaled as far as I could.  Went to an urgent care, was told it was probably just a virus and was given Advair to use twice daily and Albuterol to use.  Albuterol seemed to make things worse so I quit after 2 days of using it.  No difference with Advair.  Still coughing I got in to see my allergist at around the 2 week mark.  He did a chest Xray and said I had a little "junk" in my lungs, nothing too bad and by that time I also had some sinus congestion.  He left me on the Advair, gave me some sort of steroid shot, gave me a 5-day z-pack, some cough syrup for use at night, nasacort and astelin.  After another week I thought things were improving.  However, it seems that the Advair makes me worse.  It almost seems to increase the itching in my lungs.  Now, over the last few days, my wheezing is getting worse again.  I'm only using the Advair once a day and I can't tell any difference after I use it.  Anything I cough up is either white or clear.  Sinuses are congested again, mucus is clear.  I don't know what to do now. I don't like using these inhalers because it just seems to me they irritate my lungs further.  But, I'm afraid not to use something because my wheezing is coming back and my cough isn't much improved.  And also, the allergist's diagnosis was bronchitis/sinusitis.  Any suggestions?  And could the Advair be making things worse?  I've never had any problems with my lungs before this.  Never wheezed in my life and now I can't sleep well for all the noise my lungs make at night.

[Manyhats]

Keep me posted if you find out anything. I've had the same chronic cough. I even have to put a paper sack or plastic bag next to my bed to not have to get up and down all night. The phlegm is clear and thread-like. Nobody knows what it is. I don't smoke. I take Allegra two --it might as well be two M&M because it does nothing. First they said it was acid reflux then I had an endoscopy and they said I did NOT have reflux. I noticed the Nexium and Aciphex was not doing anything.
Some mornings I know I'm about to cough up some "junk" because I cough a little then I start to feel quesy and vomit up this "junk." When that feeling hits while eating I just have to stop eating.
I don't know if it's some sort of dyspepsia mixed with allergies, overproduction of yeast, not enough water or what. I just feel hopeless about finding a remedy. One thing that helped a little that my help you is a medication given for stubborn respiratory problems it's an antiobiotic--Amoxi-Clavolin.

Good luck.
Manyhats

[robind123]

i was wondering if you are still coughing... ive had a very similar thing going on... ive been to several dr's and 3 different hospitals... i got tested for pertussis.. whooping cough.... ive had this since december 20 2007  im not coughing as much but still about 6 times a day... cant get my breath after coughing.. i do have whooping cough.. the z pack keeps you from being contagious but doesn't help the symptoms..  i hear there is nothing that can be done.. good luck to you

[billannis]

I have been coughing since Jan 22, 2008. It has been 3 weeks. The coughing medicine from the doctor actually made me worse. Before the cough, I had a fever for couple days, and didn't cough at that time. After the fever was gone, I coughed non-stop all day. Now the cough is not that bad, but just never end. Any solution?

[Lil_T]

I too have this on-going cough (about a month now) that seems to have no end in sight.  Mine started off as a cold w/ cough.  I took OTC medicines, slept & ate well, drank lots of water, and waited for it to pass.  The cold passed, but my lungs continue to feel 'full of stuff'.  They feel heavy and I have to constantly cough to clear the 'shrinking lung' feeling.  While my cough is getting less frequent, the feeling in my lungs (respiratory) is worsening.  Is this just a lengthy virus (infection?) taking its course, or is there reason for concern?  No insurance, no doctor.

[crud]

you have all the same symptoms I had before i was diagnosed with Emphysema.  Don't mess around with this---demand to see a pulmonologist.  A lung specialist more qualified to isolate your individual condition.  Your lungs are more fragile than people realize and an infection can create irreversible damage to a persons lungs.  Trust me--you don't want to develop lung damage!