Stubborn and disconcerting respiratory distress!

[williammeaney1]

Lets get the basics out of the way. I'm a 51 year old female, a little bit overweight, but in otherwise good health.

I have been suffering for a month now with a progressively worsening cough. I usually get this (to a lesser extent) every year, its just a persistent cough that lasts usually till around march. This year, It has gotten so bad, that i have been to my primary care four times, an urgent care once, the ER twice, and to one pulmonologist, looking to go to another.

I was first seen at a walk in clinic and given a diagnosis of asthma exacerbated bronchitis. I was given 50mg of prednisone to wean off of. I was also given a three day regiment of azithromicin (zythromax) and Tussionex to control the cough. I was also given a DuoNeb. None of which seemed to work. After checking in with my primary care, i was given a flovent inhaler, to no avail. Following that, i was put on 80mg of prednisone, down to 60, then weaned off. When that didn't work, i was given a second albuterol inhaler, and when THAT didn't help, i was given a perscription duoneb regiment which i have been on for every 4-6 hours for the past week and a half. They do almost nothing.

My coughing spasms continue to get worse, commonly to the point of a 30 to 40 second hacking fit. Sometimes to the point of almost vomiting and losing the control of my legs, a couple times almost falling down the stairs.

I've been given the bronchitis diagnosis, inflammed bronchiol tubes, and even post nasal drip as diagnosis'. I've been given every cough suppressant from tussionex to robotussin with codine, to no avail. The cough only stops for a few hours once i'm so exhausted that i fall asleep for a few hours. I've had a CT (for elevated DDimer) and a chest xray within the past week, both clean. I'm now to the point where my normal breaths wheeze on the way in and out, and even if i try to breath through my nose, i still make wheezing. I'm clear so far as pertussis. No one has seen it fit to do a bronchoscopy as of yet.

Can anyone provide us with some sort of answers? I'm unable to go to work like this, an nothing i take will dull the cough enough for me to work while allowing me to keep enough normal function. PLEASE!

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

The other causes for long term cough besides asthma are GERD and post nasal drip from allergies. GERD is gastro esophageal reflux disease where the stomach acids come back into the esophagus and spill into the wind pipe causing cough. Treatment with antacids will help neutralize the acids. Post nasal drips can occur with sinusitis and throat infections. Giving up cigarettes will abolish smoker's cough in 90% of people. Talk to your GP about the other causes for cough in the meantime you could try warm salt water gargles and breathing exercises.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[hava]

For cough:
make half a glass of onion juice and warm the juice,
add a spoon of ginger powder and two spoons of honey,
stir and then drink it slowly.
This will help the cough.
Do not eat banana when you have cough.
When the cough is in control, I will suggest other methods to build up the immune system.
January 23 ,2012