COUGH FOR SIX MONTHS, HAVE ASTHMA. ANYTHING TO HELP!?

[dena125]

Can anything be done with a cough that's lasted six months now.  Have asthma and take Singular plus Qvar80.  Only relief is when taking steroids, and then only when taking the heavy dose.  Highly allergic to mold spores and animals.  Can't avoid the mold spores.  Don't have pets.



This discussion is related to Persistent Cough.

[stuffy411]

I know exactly what you are going through. When I moved to my home I coughed for 2 entire winters. I also have asthma and many allergies. I went to numerous doctors with little results. Its tiring and frustrating. No sleep, sore muscles, feeling hopeless! Can you tell if its in your lungs? Is it more of a tickle in the lung area. Mine was more of a tickle type thing. I did the steroids too with minimal results. If you know you have allergies for sure and it doesn't feel like an asthma / lung thing (you have asthma so you know what I mean, I'm sure) I would suggest treating the allergies with aggressive vengeance! 6 months of coughing! What a load of ****! The biggest difference from my old house to new, was my old one didn't have very much carpet or a basement. Dust mites and mold were my enemies. I treat my carpets with allergen neutralizing spray and powder cleaners. I dust more and follow all the cleaning recommendations for the bedroom for sure. I like to order from National Allergy. Air purifiers help. Make sure you get one that is reputable. I would say anything offered by N.A. is good. I'm not a great housekeeper, I despise it! Every little bit does help. Your bedroom for sure! I also take singulair. I dont know what Qvar80 is. I take a lot of medication. Singulair, Advair, Flonase, and Allegra. When I get a sinus headache I also take Allegra D. I started getting allergy shots too. Im allergic to mold too. Have someone clean it or remove it if possible (within your financial means).Wear a mask when you have to be around it. All of this is extreme and a lot of work. I am a mother of two, my sweetheart works 7 days a week, I don't have much help either. And who the heck wants to clean when youre hacking constantly and feel like ****! I still think all measures help. When I started on the Allegra, that was a real turning point. I would do that first. I havent been doing the shots long enough to say for sure but that may be helping too. If there is no getting away from the mold, that may be your only hope. Dont give up. You don't deserve to live that way! All of these things can be costly. We are not well off. Paycheck to paycheck like most. I would start with Allegra ( I take generic), Allersearch Allergen laundry soap (which removes mold and dust mites, not all do that), a mask (cheap from hardware store, just make sure it protects from mold spores), bleach for mold ( 1 part bleach to 10 water), & basic dusting supplies. I see your coughing started in July. I'm not sure where you live. I live in Minnesota so I'm shut up inside from Nov - Apr. My coughing started in Dec and lasted till Apr. so its kind of obvious its allergies. If you don't think its that then ask your Doctor about acid reflux. I guess its common to cough and have no heartburn or any other symptoms with acid reflux. It takes a good month of taking the pills to know if they help with that. So don't rule that out until then. Beyond that, get some tests, see a specialist. 6 months is too long. Good Luck. One last thing. When I get a cold and the coughing hangs on for a few weeks and I cant get relief at night, I use an RX called Tussinex. I've used everything over the counter, syrup with codine and other RXs and none of them helped at all, but this stuff actually works.

[dena125]

Thank you for the information.  I have a good doctor (specialist) but he doesn't explain things to me.  I'm trying to be better at understanding the situation and what I must do. I find it hard to take a lot of meds - just a quirk of mine or stubbornness.  I will look into the homeopathic medicines and the mask.  Again, thank you.  

[FurballsMom]

I have asthma, too.  I found a great way for keeping things out of your lungs and keeping the air you breathe in the winter time warm around your face, too.  It is much simpler to use than the muslin handkerchief.  

One day I saw another woman wearing this mask at the local supplements store.  I knew what it was for, so I asked her where she got it.  I got one myself and I use it everywhere I go.  I got the honeycomb filtration mask, after I asked the woman via email who makes these things which one would be the best one for me to get if I can only afford to get one.  There are other options available, too.  I use the filtration mask, because I not only have asthma, but I have Multiple Chemical sensitivity (MCS).  

I had a really hard time last winter with my asthma and the cold air.  Eventhough I live in a milder climate than much of the country, it still gets very cold here.  I am already noticing the cold air and the difference that this mask makes when I'm out in the cold air, and we haven't been hit with the coldest air yet.  The woman makes masks specifically for cold air, too, though.  I probably don't need to get one, since the filtration mask is doing the trick.

The name of the website is icanbreathe.com.  Check it out.  You'll be glad that you did.  This just makes the suggestion about the handkerchief much easier to follow.  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for the post! How are you now?

Asthma can be treated by many medicines like asthalin, terbutaline, deriphyllin and steroids. Asthma though a bothersome problem can be controlled nonetheless. Several puffs, aerosols and nebulizers are available to give the drugs directly into the lung. A mix and match has to be done to see what suits you best.

You can wear a clean muslin handkerchief tied at the level of your nose bridge. Drinking hot fluids and taking steam inhalation at least twice a day helps loosen the cough. Exercises like blowing a balloon and walking also help. Exposure to cold should be avoided at all costs.

There are many homeopathic medicines to available for asthma.

I think you should discuss this with your doctor and get a referral for a chest specialist. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!