intermittent cough accompanied by constant wheezing

[GoTexans]

Pulmonary specialst diagnosis is chronic bronchitis without airway obstruction. MRI & CAT scan showed no sign of cancer.  Asthma/allergist is treating me for both asthma & allergies(pollen/grass). None of the inhalers/presribed medicines(Advair, Rhinocort, Singular, Xopenex, Asmanex, Theo-24)have stopped the symptons. Now taking Mucinex over the counter but again no relief. Is there any medicine/treatment available to stop the coughing/wheezing/mucous formation? Should I be seeing another type of doctor?

[National Jewish]

An important piece of information not included in the question is if you are smoking or have been a long term smoker.  If the answer is yes to either of these, pushing these medications is still a good approach,  monitoring changes in symptoms.  If you are a nonsmoker and have not been a smoker, it may be a good idea to speak to your physician or to a new physician about more diagnostic tests, including lung function testing before and after a bronchodilator.

[Christy62]

I have had a cough with wheezing going on for over 3 years now.
I was told by one doctor that I had emphysema, although nothing showed on the CT scan and told my two other doctors it was bronchitis. I got fed up and went to a Pulmonary doctor this past summer.  He did a chest x-ray and said it was fine.  Exactly one week later, I woke up with trouble breathing and wheezing, went to the ER,was diagnosed with double pneumonia and admitted and put on high-dose antibiotics and steroids. I obtained a copy of my hospital records, and it said I had coag-negative Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in my blood. I was very concerned about not even being called about this but at follow-up with my Pulmonary doctor he said it must have been a contaminant and not to worry because if I really had it I would be very sick. He said my problems with cough and wheeze and waking up at night coughing could be GERD. I went to my gastroenterologist (I have hepatitis C also). He set me up to have an EGD. The EGD showed I had erosive (ulcer) esophagitis, a hiatal hernia, GERD and an esophagial stricture. They dilated the stricture and put me on Nexium which I have been on for a little over a month.  My cough and wheezing have greatly improved now but have been having a little trouble lately, I guess from the odd weather and heat in the house.  Many people with chronic cough have problems with GERD or esophageal problems. There is a load of information on the internet about it. This may not be your problem but is definitely worth looking in to. Doctors with patients complaining of chronic cough should know to check this out but most don't, especially if you smoke.  Then, they think all of your problems are from smoking.

[daggybee]

Please go to a good ENT and ask for CT of sinuses.  You sound exactly like me, I have bacterial and fungal sinus infection, had same symptoms and the doctors were trying to tell me it s GERD.  Somehow the fungus and/or bacteria were dripping post nasally down making me cough and wheeze and choke .; As soon as I got the antifungal medication on top of antibiotics, coughing, wheezing choking and lung pain is gone in 2 days.  I have been going from one ENT to another looking for help, and they would look and say that there is nothing, and finally I found a great ENT who immediately diagnosed mold throughout my sinuses without me even mentioning it.  The other ENT's wouldn't even do a fungal culture, because they said that they would be able to tell. And it turns out they weren't just "able to tell" and I had to suffer for 2 extra months of pain and feeling like I can't breathe, having very painful breathing.  I actually felt like I had pneumonia a few times, but I think the fact that I'm on Vancomycin IV antibiotics  somehow reversed any early pneumonia symptoms.  Anyway, I would try to see if there is any way that this is from sinus infection, and maybe even get an opinion from another one or two ENT's , if the first one doesnt find anything.

[mrwho]

A related discussion, Chronic Coughing and wheezing associate with Lower back pain. I tend to cough more when seated for long periods of tiime and a twitch on my left side of chest and shoulder? was started.