Jump to content

Menu

Just how long am I going to cough?


math teacher
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've been coughing for over a month. Started with slight sore throat and cough. Went to walk in clinic, got a steroid shot and cough syrup and it just wouldn't go away. I went back a week ago-he did chest x-ray and labwork. Labwork was fine, chest xray showed a granulo something that was completely walled off-just calcium. He sent me for a ct scan- I thought that was a little bit overkill, but i went anyway. Scan came back unremarkable.

Have you ever coughed this long and what can I do to make it stop. I've tried Histex (RX), some kind of little rx pill that deadens the throat, Mucinex, elderberry capsules and most recently prilosec because a doctor told me once I was coughing because of GERD.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I coughed for *months* after I had bacterial pneumonia.  even when it was cleared up, I still coughed. for. months.

it can actually weaken the esophagus sphincter and stomach acid can reflux and make you cough.  I would try baking soda and warm water (at least two hours after eating,)..  don't do the Rx antacids.   I was also diagnosed with GERD, I felt like it was just an excuse because they really didn't know.

as a thyroid patient - I have also found some times I need MORE acid - and drinking lemon water will calm things down (I know - not logical, nevertheless if I still feel like a lot of food is in my stomach and I have heart burn, lemon water is more helpful.)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is your cough related to ongoing sinus drainage?  It doesn't take much drainage to cause a cough.  You might try a sinus rinse to see if that takes care of it.  Neti-pot, sinucleanse, etc.  When anyone here has a cough and claims it's not because of sinus issues, they are almost always wrong.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I second trying to clear out sinuses first (we use Flonase, which clears things up quickly for us), and requesting an inhaler if that fails.

For years, DS would cough for weeks or months after every whiff of allergies or a cold. We dreaded those first symptoms and felt awful having to send him to school when sometimes he would throw up from coughing so hard (obviously we knew 100% it wasn’t contagious). Finally this fall he was diagnosed with asthma, and hasn’t any problems at all since starting his treatment plan. 

I don’t know why it took them that long to figure it out, but apparently it’s not uncommon. Sometimes just seeing a different doctor in your practice can make the difference.

I hope you get it figured out soon. Constant coughing is so exhausting! 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was pregnant with dd23 and fully vaccinated when I caught whooping cough - coughed hard for 6 weeks.  Whooping cough is hard to diagnose once you've reached the coughing phase - if they culture for it now it will likely come back negative regardless.  The beginning sore throat and low-grade fever went away after a week then the cough just got worse and worse.  I never "whooped" but crikey it was awful.  The most undignified pregnancy ever - I would cough and cough until I gagged, plus other less-speakable indignities. I couldn't take any otc stuff due to pregnancy, just tea with lemon and honey (which didn't help at all.)  I hope your cough clears soon!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Harpymom said:

I was pregnant with dd23 and fully vaccinated when I caught whooping cough - coughed hard for 6 weeks.  Whooping cough is hard to diagnose once you've reached the coughing phase - if they culture for it now it will likely come back negative regardless.  The beginning sore throat and low-grade fever went away after a week then the cough just got worse and worse.  I never "whooped" but crikey it was awful.  The most undignified pregnancy ever - I would cough and cough until I gagged, plus other less-speakable indignities. I couldn't take any otc stuff due to pregnancy, just tea with lemon and honey (which didn't help at all.)  I hope your cough clears soon!

my coughing with pneumonia was similar.  after I was over the pneumonia (but still coughing terribly) - I would have people tell me how awful I sounded and I should stay home . . . . . they didn't hear me when I "sounded awful".

I did have a lot more compassion from my mom with COPD.  but we also learned some of that was her difficulty swallowing (diagnosed by a SLP), and she loved toast . . . . . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...