Chronic Cough

[Joan49]

My 16 year old son started coughing 3 weeks ago.  The doctor said the cough was hollow and put him on z-pack.  He finished the z-pack last week and he's still coughing (no phlegm).  We thought it was getting better (using cold and allergy syrup) but it was bad last night after he was playing various sports all night.  He is fine during sleep and he said he did not cough in school at all.  The doctor said he would have an x-ray done if the z-pack didn't work, but I'd rather not expose him to the radiation and I'm very scared about what he would be looking for.  Thank you.

[JoyceBilliar]

my son started a dry hack at 19 mos. at the tail-end of EVERY cold. He'd cough NONSTOP at night for 3 days. Sometimes more.  then from age 7 to 14, it stopped entirely. He is now 24 and he still gets this non-stop cough after a cold (not every cold but a lot of them). Drive us & him crazy. He was tested as a child for asthma & the dr said it is NOT asthma.! HELP

[mycoplasmalung]

The doctor probably just wants to check and make sure he dosen't have pnemonia.. It is the correct thing for him to do.   If he has a slight case it can probably be cleared up with an antibiotic if that is what it is.  

Out of curiosity did the cough begin after a cold?  Does he have any tightness in wither side of his chest or throat?