the tickling in my throat is driving me crazy , i cough forever, will i get well

[anders1]

I have been sick since Dec.2.I will try to make this long story short. I have minor surgery on Dec 2,I also had a sore throat and congestion, when I went in for surgery!  On Dec 3rd I had to go back to my doctor, with a terrible sore throat and chest heaviness, with a bad cough.  I had a xray and it showed no pneumonia, so the dr. gave me some antibiotics and and inhaler,well this week I have come down with it again, although it is a little different, my throat isnt as sore, but the coughing is so hard and deep that I have no control of my bladder when I cough , there is a tickle in my throat that triggers a coughing spell that lasts for about 15 to 20 minutes, I cough so hard that I have the throbbing pains in my knee joints , I havent slept in three nights,  there is no cough syrup that will help, and I have no congestion to come up the cough is just so dry and rough !  What is this tickle and is soemthing wrong with my lungs?
Thanks so much for the help!
T

[National Jewish]

Viral infections like a cold can cause inflammation of the airways of the lungs.  Usually when this occurs, you will cough when you are active or laugh.  This inflammation can cause wheezing and/or coughing.  After the cold is gone, it is possible for the inflammation to linger.  This inflammation can last for several weeks.  Sometimes this inflammation may linger for 3 to 6 months.  Eventually the inflammation will go away, and then the wheezing and coughing will stop.  This is called reactive airways disease (RAD) and behaves a lot like asthma.  When this inflammation is treated with an inhaled steroid, which is used to treat asthma, it often clears more quickly.

However, a cough as severe as you have described suggests pertussis.  This is an increasingly common cause of cough in adults.  It is diagnosed by a blood test.  Pertussis lasts 6 to 10 weeks.  It is treated with either erythromycin or Zithromax® (azithromycin).  Since pertussis is contagious, it’s important that you be tested so that the spread can be stopped.

This sounds like a very debilitating cough and that you desperately need some relief.  This may require the temporary use of codeine, in doses that are higher than found in the usual cough syrups.  Your doctor is the best judge of your situation.

[thankgod]

i know exsacly what you mean i have all thoses symstoms and shortness or bread and my cough just happend suddenly,and they try everything on me anti-biotics etc... nothing work it made it worst,the doctors are going to give me a ECG and a CTY scan= making me run on the treadmild and all the doctor thinks i have a bllod clot in my lung,but he isjust saying maybe, you know?but i've been also taking the birth control pill since the age or 16 and now i'm 26 they put me on it to, stop my cyst, now i just stop it cold turky, my body is in a little withdraw, but so far so good its been 5 days and i feel a lot better i can bread more, just my cough is still there but now its like i can control it you know?

[rascal1]

This happened to my son (the coughing). We used a WARM Mist Humidifier in his room and he has not coughed at night since. We think it was the dry heat. Hope that helps.

[Polly511]

A related discussion, throat tickle was started.