Is everyone still having these sympthoms

[Carlg]

I see these comments are from 2006. I am currently having many of these same problems. Tickle in throat, sharp pain, cough, tears, nose dripping. This has been happening for the past 5 months. I've been to a ENT. He said it was my tonsils. I had them out. At first while I was on meds during my recovery from the surgery the symptoms stopped. But after I stopped taking the pain killers anti-biotic and the steroids the tickle came back. I've been taking Previcid for acid reflux but this has not stopped the attacks. Does anyone have any current information on this?


This discussion is related to Tickle in throat makes me cough and choke.

[kc111]

I am in my 50's, have suffered with this terrible sudden itch in throat attack--followed by terrible coughing that only stops the itch when some kind of fluid comes up from my lungs--not really phlegm, more watery--since 1992. That was when I became an active speaking minister. It feels like a flea suddenly bites one (or the other) side of my throat or maybe vocal cords or sometimes I think it feels like a big hive in my throat because it feels like a lump comes up. A throat specialist went down with a scope and said everything was normal. My doctor diagnosed allergy or sinus problems, and possible asthma, and put me on antihistamines and an asthma inhaler. None of it worked. Then she put me on Claritin D and it seemed to work for at least a year. Then it came back again and she put me on a different brand of Claritin D-like medication. Nothin'. Then I was diagnosed with Acid Reflux. They put me on Prevacid which worked again, for about a year. The another doctor had to put me on some meds that rendered the Prevacid useless, and it never worked again. I still get the itch, it's not as bad as it often was, but it is still chronic, with only occasional time without it. And sometimes it is so bad and I cough so hard I get nauseous and even vomit at times. At those times my throat ends up sore. I use cough meds and ibuprofen overnight, sometimes a codein med., and my throat heals, but the itch always comes back. For what it's worth, that's my story. Perhaps it has something to do with speaking, and the use of my vocal cords. That's the only thing that makes sense, and the itch sure feels like it's right there. Thanks for listening.

[nannabee]

i as well have these problems..over 4 year now.I have been diagnosed with asthma,but i am certain it is not just asthma.I am really afraid of them at times,i will get to where i am struggling for even a whisp of air for 30 or 40 seconds if it gets full blown.this has happened several times.I am so very careful on getting strangled for that is the worst.It almost always starts with the tickle in my throat,i only have 10-15 seconds to get it under control.fast acting inhaler does help sometimes,but does not completely stop it..it just helps me get it under control.I would love to know what this is,but as with everyone else i don't...i just know it will scare the hell out of you and anyone around you....
good luck to all of you,i do feel your fear and pain....

[Daniel123]

i have the same exact symptoms...well since march 07 so almost a year.My tonsils are inflamed on a daily basis,also have a bunch of tan light brown tissus on my pharyngeal walls...I have sharp pain in my throat radiating in my right ear from time to time,also most of the time i have the sensation that something is stuck in my throat near my right tonsil.My tonsils have deep crypts and i always get tonsils stones,seen many doctors and an ENT,had many x-rays taken.Some swollen lymph nodes,yeah its a mess...But still the doctors i have seen they all think everything is fine.They dont know whats going on.I have an appointment to see another ENT in may so im hopping he will recommend to take my tonsils out.Hopefully removing my tonsils will take care of the problems or at least helph.Basically the doctors i have seen so far told me that my tonsils were in bad shape but not bad enought to consider a tonsillectomy.

Some days are better than others,i can feel alright for a few days but it always comeback.

[abiance]

Hi all - I have a similar problem. I have Cystic Fibrosis - so coughing is normal for me. But this back of the throat tickle is incredibly bothersome!  Now I've had post nasal drip, and this isn't it. Sleeping upright or upside down doesn't seem to make a difference. My Dr prescribed Tussinex which I promptly went back and got her to give me Cotridin instead. I find Tussinex to be completely useless while the Cotridin (or its known as Co-Actifed) is substantially superior! While on this med driving is a No-No, at least I get to sleep at night (YAY!). I've tried the Lemon/honey trick, salt water etc. I was prescribed Ventolin (for emergency cant breathe situations!) and Advair. I found the advair diskus was no good, but the inhaled advair seemed to help a bit.  If its related to lung infections, I've got tons of those to pick from so cant really narrow it down. Right now it feels like I've got a web of spider silk or cat hair in the back of my throat and its just not clearing. Did anyone else find a solution that works?

[voxpopulli]

I am a 33 year female and since Sept, I have been having the itchy throat sensation which inevitably leads to coughing for at least a minute, running eyes, running nose, incontenance and throwing up.  I once threw up on myself at the Humane Society and today I had to stop my car because I thought I was going to throw up!  It's a very embarassing disorder, whatever it is.  

When it starts to come on, I start to feel panicked and want to run.  People at work immediately start asking if I am ok and all I can do is wave my hands at them!  My husband blames it on my smoking, which I'm sure doesn't help, but I have smoked since I was 17 and quit when I was 29, then started again a few months before these episodes started.  At first I did blame it on the smoking but I have had smokers cough and it never ever came near these coughing attacks!

It is getting so embarassing and I worry so much I will just throw up on myself in public.  Been to the doctor once and since I have tried a steroid, Mucinex, Claritin and now I am trying Prilosec.  I probably should go back to the doctor but after reading all the posts, I am beginning to think it will be a waste of time.  

And...this feels like the worst for me.  The last few days I have been eating very lightly and feeling nauseous for no reason.  I know it is me just being afraid I will start coughing due to the tickle and then worrying about throwing up.  I have even worried about whether it is cancer or something absolutely horrible....  This is really doing a job on me physically and mentally.

[Rukstar]

I have been experiencing very similar symptoms for two months. I had what was probably a viral infection, which included a very sore throat for which i took a course of amoxyl.  The sudden tickle in the throat resulting in spasms of coughing has plagued me for two months and comes on suddenly with no warning,  more at night but often during the day.  I had further antibiotics and visits to my doctor, who has now referred me to an ENT specialist.

I have a question - I also have trouble swallowing,  maybe not exactly problems swallowing, but the feeling that there is something in my throat whenever I swallow.  Does anyone else have this sensation?  It's like there is 'something' there in my throat which shouldn't be there.

[Carlg]

Thank you for helping me to see I'm not alone in having this mystery disorder. I thought I was just crazy. Since no doctors seem to know what this disorder is we should give it a name. Anyone have any ideas??? Maybe "Chronic Intermitent Throat Tickle Syndrome" or something. I couldn't fall back asleep for awhile after an attack last night. For some reason I couldn't get this song out of my head:

"Chronic Tickle in my Throat
You just want to make me Choke
Make Tears well up in my Eyes
Doctors cannot tell me Why
Chronic Tickle in my Throat
I JUST CAN’T SING THIS SONG I WROTE"

My sister are telling me to see an Herbalist to see if he can help me. I'm considering it at this point. If I do I'll let you know what he says.

Thank you again

[Booper44]

I had those symptoms in 1993 and was told by pulmonary specialist that I had developed bronchial asthma because I had pneumonia and didn't get treated so it turned into bronchial asthma. I had a cold for 3 months. (thought it was a cold) Also, I did work around a lot of chemicals and several different kinds of fumes. It took a year to get my cough and wheezing under some kind of control with prednisone, and different asthma medicines and inhalers.  Now and again I do get those spells but prednisone seems to calm it down. NOW  I was told that I have an elevated lung nodule which will be watched by ct scans every 3 months until they say it is begin??? God bless hope you get your ca ugh under control.

[coughmomma]

I'm so glad I'm not alone. I started coughing in October 2007. It started as a bronchitis type cold, then just stayed as the typical tickle cough described by most of you. Its starts whenever it wants, for NO reason... A horrid tickle/sting in my throat which no matter how hard you try to ignore or fight it, you start coughing...and coughing... and coughing. Due to the cough my bladder is rebelling, my eyes water constantly, and occasionally vomit. I went back to the Dr (new doc as my old one suddenly stopped practicing in December), and she started by saying it was my BP meds... I take Lisinopril/HCTZ. I've been taking this for 3 years without a single cough, in fact my old doc and I went through several meds to find this one that DIDN'T make me cough. She insisted so I gave her 50 dollar co-pay med a try (opposed to my 4.oo lisinopril med). Guess what?? Didnt work... I return a month later.... She puts me on Allegra.. Didn't work. I return a month later... She gives me an xray which comes up clear.. I return a month later to have a sinus infection this time so she says to come back in another month after the sinus infection clears.... (I'm not liking her at this point). Now, I call and tell her that I NEED FIXED NOW. So she tries Nasonex and Albuteral Inhaler. Doesnt work. ..
Two weeks ago I went on a med strike. Stopped ALL my meds just to see IF it might be them.. Nope.. Still coughing.
I go back to see her Friday and we'll see what the next try is.. After reading from all of you, I doubt anything will "fix" me.

Its making me depressed as I can't work, can't sleep, keep my husband up all night, my 10 month old is now "fake coughing" to mock me (his first mock is a fake cough...gee wonderful...). I have to make sure I have Pepsi or Coke at all times to "cure" the cough. It doesnt totally take it out, but it tones down how hard I cough.

I read somewhere that Vitamin B12, and A can help? Going to look into this as I used to take B12 in injection form years ago.. I would'nt mind doing this again if it helps!

There seriously has to be some sort of problem if we all are dealing with this and nothing is helping!

[judelsg]

I searched on the net this evening as this problem is ruining my life.

It started two years ago as a one off event and I was so totally embarrased. In the end I threw up from the coughing.

More recently I am having them during very important meetings, and as you all know the there is very little to no warnings. I am so distressed I was thinking about changing my career as having to leave a meeting every 15 minutes is not good.

I had one last week and I ran outside so no one would see my purple face, bulging runny eyes and slobber being coughed all over the place. The worse and new thing is the pain I had as I choked in the car park. It was like stabbing knives across my chest and arms. So terribly painful I actually thought my time had come.

I too am asthmatic and suffer from Thyroidism. I have been to see my doctor who once again took my blood to test, but came up with no real answers.

If anyone can help I would be so greatly appreciated.

[MaLina1]

Just like all of you, I am tired of this problem. It began in December '07 till this day. Talked to my doctor and he changed my second blood pressure medication. Since nothing has changed, he just told me to stop taking it except for metropolol. The coughing continues. I caught the flu in April 4 for a week and the tickle stopped. I was coughing from congestion. As soon as I was back in good shape, the tickle started again.

I stopped my blood pressure pill  thinking it was the side effects. The tickle and coughing still continues. The advair does not help but I need it anyway for my asthma, and so with rhynocort for my nasal allergies. Zyrtec is what I take for my indoor and outdoor allergies. I am done with Claritin and Alegra which does not help with my allergies. I take vitamins C, Calcium with D, iron, magnesium, and also take Fish oil and garlic pills.

Tonight I decided to skip all the pills including vitamins and hopefully the coughing will be less frequent.

I boiled slices of ginger for about half an hour, and poured it in a covered mug. Every time the coughing begins, I take a sip of this warm drink. It feels soothing and shortens the episode. I still cough out real tiny phlegm, but the episode is less intense.

[notjustmethen]

Wow, I'm not alone.  I am British, but have lived in Singapore for the last year and have had this problem since I was 18.  I am now 33!  

It does seem to begin as a tickle/intense dryness on one or other of my tonsils.  Then my eyes water and nose runs and i find it hard to breathe properly.  I then seem to get loads of saliva which I swallow swallow swallow like mad.  I desperately need to cough, and do so.  I cannot talk.  When I cough I feel like I may vomit.  

These episodes happen once in a while, I may go for a few weeks with nothing then a week or so of frequent ones.  When I have a cold/sore throat it happens A LOT and loads at night.  It wakes me constantly.  I don't know what to do,  Drink doesn't help when an attack occurs, cough sweets do a little to slightly numb the throat enough to get me back to sleep (except last night I woke to find I was still sucking one - not a great idea!)

It definitely starts on the tonsil though, I'm sure that's where the problem is.  When I was younger I developed little holes in my tonsils, I wonder if that's causing it.  

Started to drink a drop of real lemon juice when it happens and that causes a lot of saliva to develop and perhaps stop the attack but not completely,

Weird

[Carlg]

I have an appointment with my ENT tomorrow and I'm printing out all of your responses. Not that it's going to make any difference but maybe someone will start to really look at what is plaguing all of us. If you could take a copy of these comments to your doctors maybe one of them might be able to figure something out. Just my recent thought since I'm awake because of having an attack.

[sounds_like_me]

Good idea to print this out and show it to your ENT.  Please let us know what you find out.  I just joined this community because I, like all of you, am sitting here at 12:51am at my computer trying to find some solution to ease this tickle in my throat that is keeping me awake at night, and embarrassing me at work by day.  I'm on Avelox (an antibiotic) to cure a sinus infection, but am actually more miserable 4 days after being on antibiotics than I was when I went to the PCP!  Same as you all are describing.  Well - good luck to all of you - please post any new information.  I'm going to go try sleeping on my chest like one gentleman suggested, so that I don't continue to keep my husband and kids awake tonight.

[Carlg]

Went to the ENT yesterday. He scoped my throat and said everything looked normal. The prevacid he gave me was working well. However he still could not find anything out of the ordinary. I gave him a copy of your experiences and he said he'd look at them when he had some time. One thing that struck me as funny was that the doctor numbed my throat so he could look down it. After I left his office my throat was completely numb. I had a hard time swallowing because I couldn't feel anything. However my throat started to tickle and Bam!!! I got a sever attack even with my throat completely numb. That surprised me. I thought for sure while my throat was numb I would not have an attack. So what ever this thing is you can't even numb it.

[coughmomma]

I posted last on April 13 and when I returned to my doctor, she said to try Prevacid. She gave me samples to last until my next appointment and I THINK that I started to get some relief. I say think as I just got another sinus infection and upper resp thing going and whenver I have some other thing making me cough, the tickle goes away. She did refuse my request for B12 saying that it wouldn't work. I am out of samples and return to her again on Wednesday. I have old prevacid from 5 years ago and have started taking it, but I'm still coughing so either the prevacid is bad or it never worked to begin with. My doc was very unsympatheic to my crying for help. My quality of life is GONE. My sex life is gone... I mean who wants to have sex with someone who might start coughing in the middle of it all? Expecially when it causes bladder issues!!! My relationship is suffering, my children are worried, I can't leave the house without a fresh COLD pepsi and praying that I wont cough while I'm out. If this is living, I don't want any part of it anymore.

[sister mtt]

Hi, I have had something like all of you ,I got a pneumoia in Jan and it well not clear up.
I got so bad two weeks ago that I just knew it was it! Then my Dr. ,who said would get to bottom of all this had to say, man you are just full, worse this time than the first time! AT
first he said I had asthma and then COPD then acid reflux, now for the first time in 4 months I have  pretty clear lungs still have a cough all the time. I think we cough so hard we throw up . My nose is always dripping, I always have a cough and now for no reason
my lungs are filling up for nothing! They say they cant find out why.They wanted to put
a tub down my noise for 24 hours and then as they take it out , see what my esophgus
dose as it comes out, sounds like to much fun for this old girl! Now i have had the same lungs for 55 years and I dont smoke, so now what guys?I do have asthma and I have had
this pneumoia off and on for 4 months, it puts scares in your lungs i do know that. I am
not getting any younger but why now all of a sudden? Why am I not getting over it altogeather? If any one reads this please let me know something, PLEASE! I did get
some INFO from ILL. lung Inst and they say it might be phibrosis of the lungs,Scars that make more scars and so on and so forth till you dont breath any more. You can get better at times an then it keeps coming back till you are no more! Pleas let me know some thing about it! If the girl with the phibrosis will Email me with some of her own
symtoms and share some INFO with me , Please! God bless you all and I will pray for us all tonight ,OKKKKK! I do bleave in prayers and i do know they work with GOD!

                                                                           Love YA ALL,

                                                                           sister mtt

[coughmomma]

I just wanted to say that my cough has virtually dissapeared with Prevacid. I still have an occasional cough which I'll gladly "deal" with... at least its not that sudden horrid cough attack that leaves you gasping for breath with eyes watering. This light cough happens maybe once a day and sometimes I can fight it, no more itchy throat either!

[coughmomma]

Cough is back and apparently the prevacid didn't stop it.

[Carlg]

Sorry to hear the prevacid didn't stop you cough. I've been taking it for about 6 mos. now and it has stopped my acid reflux but not the tickle. The only thing that been helping me not have as many attacks lately is chewing gum. However after awhile your jaw gets tired so it only works so long. Nothing new to report to everyone. If I learn anything else I'll let you know.

[coughmomma]

My doc tried mixing Singulair and Sudafed as well as the Prevacid. Nothing. I was beginning to think that the tickle WAS being caused by post nasal drip but the sudafed stopped that, but the tickle is still there. An occasional drink of VERY COLD soda will kick it, but I mostly rely on Ice Breakers Wintergreen sugar free mints. I'm just waiting to choke on one in my sleep though! UGH.

In two months I'm moving and hoping MAYBE that some weird allergy from this old house is causing the cough,, or maybe the clear county air will help.. If anything else, maybe my new doc with a new set of eyes will help.

I just can not see my coughing as something I'll have the rest of my life.


PS>. forgot to add that my current doc has said that "if this doesnt work, we'll have to look at the fact that because you smoked years ago, it could be residual smokers cough and you'll just have to deal with it!'... I smoked for MAYBE 4 years... not even a half pack a day... quit cold turkey 5 years ago, and never coughed once until after my bout with a severe resp cold in October 07... I swear I hate stupid docs.

[girlyv]

Hi Everyone,
I stumbled onto this board and couldn't believe how much I relate to what you all are saying.  I might have located a possible thing for us to look into - sarcoidosis.  It's apparently a rare disease that results in a combination of dry mouth and cough, as well as other symptoms.  The good news is that, if this is what's causing our problems, it's treatable with mild steroids and causes few if any long-term problems.

Okay so here's what makes me think some of us have sarcoidosis: This is basically a build-up of small tissue or lumps within the immune system of your body.  What happens is that something triggers it - like your body legitimately fighting a toxin or an illness - but your body doesn't stop fighting it when the toxin leaves or the illness is cured.  (Such as the person with the bug bites and those of us that has bronchitis at some point?) So the result is that these clumps of cells are formed.  They can be pretty much on any organ, but often they are lumps in the throat and/or the lungs.  This causes the strange and sudden coughing.

Other symptoms that people have (but not necessarily) are fever, weakness and fatigue, pain in the joints, pain in the chest and shortness of breath (causing asthma misdiagnoses) and loss of appetite.  Depending on where the lumps are located, you could also have calcium deposits somewhere (I have one on my foot and one on my knee), liver inflamation or kidney issues.

According to an article I read, it's rarely diagnosed properly because of a couple of reasons.  First, there is no, "Hey look - there it is!" kind of blood condition or anything to point to.  It can only be diagnosed by ruling other things out (as I think we are learning the hard way).  It's a rare disease (less than 1 in 2,000 people they think) so many doctors don't think of it.  And also, it can treat itself over time AND come and go making it like a moving target.

I'm not a doctor, but this just made sense to me and instantly I calmed down a bit at the thought of having a possible logical answer.  Hopefully it helps some of you too.

[Coughnana]

I thought I posted a comment, but I can't find it.  This is my first experience at posting, so I might have done something wrong.  If this post goes through, I'll try my original post suggestions again in another post.  Wish me luck.

[Coughnana]

Here I go again, trying to remember what I said in my original, lost post.

I've been suffering from this malady for many years in all environments, with most of the same symptoms as all of you:  sudden tickle in the throat with several seconds of advance notice before the choking cough arrives, simultaneously with the filling of both nostrils with mucus and tears running down the face from one or both eyes.  The cough is so severe and persistent as to cause nausea and sometimes vomiting and leaving me unable to speak for a few moments.

I had found that sipping a few sips of extremely hot water seems to stop the cough if I catch it fast enough.  So I have taken to carrying around a small thermos bottle of very hot water everywhere I go, even to bed at night.  Now here is what I have discovered just recently.  For fear of burning myself with the hot water, I have taken to holding the cup of hot water to my mouth, encompassing my nose, in order to blow on it.  In effect, what is happening is I'm breathing out and then in.  Instead of sipping the hot water, I'm letting the steam melt away the mucus and somehow relax the muscles of the throat.  Mind you, this is only about an ounce of hot water.  When the steam has had its effect, I then sip the small amount of water, blow my nose, wipe my eyes--and try to go back to sleep or go about my business--until the next attack.  

These attacks can be very frequent, several times a day or night--in the air-conditioned house or out of doors--but mostly in warm weather.  A few weeks ago, we had a spell of very rainy weather--several days.  The attacks disappeared at that time, only to return when the sun came out again.

I have allergy-induced asthma and inhale Asmanex once a day.  That treatment seems to help one type of cough which I can easily live with.  From time to time if I contract bronchitis, which I'm currently taking an antibiotic for, my cough is different, with plenty of phlegm (I also suffer from post nasal drip.)  But the worst cough is the Tickle Throat Cough.

If my suggestion above is tried by anyone and it helps, please let us all know.  Good luck.