Lingering cough

[maize]

I was sick with something at the beginning of August--no idea what other than almost-certainly-not-covid (4 negative tests, 2 antigen and 2 PCR within the first week). So, some rather nasty-ish random respiratory virus.

The cough just doesn't go away. It's not a bad cough, just the kind where there's a constant tickle deep in my throat and if I talk or sing it tends to get triggered. I don't see any signs of bacterial infection--no thick mucus or fever or anything.

I think it probably will go away eventually, but at what point should I consider asking a doctor? None of the rest of the family is still coughing and it is starting to bother me that it doesn't seem to change.

[gardenmom5]

you can get it checked - buy some viruses just cause a lingering cough.  I've had a couple time where it was a couple months or longer.  (not counting the five months I coughed after I had pneumonia.)

[whitestavern]

I was sick in May, and still have a lingering cough. I went to the doctor because I was sure it was Covid, even though I had tested twice and both were negative. All they did was offer me a steroid. It doesn't bother me enough to take them. 

[KrissiK]

I am not sure if it’s exactly what I had/have. Last May (2020) I developed a cough, kind of high up, triggered when I talk or sing. It wasn’t a that tickle cough, but a tightness cough. I went to my allergist, who ran a battery of tests…. Blood tests, chest x-ray, etc. I started taking Benzonatate for a while, just to stop the cough, but she didn’t want me on it for long. In December, I was talking to my GP about something else and she heard my cough and suggested Singulair, which totally kicked it. Although now it is back mildly, and I think it is a result of stress. So, I am guessing it is a type of cough variant asthma.

[Tanaqui]

Is it possible that the virus you had triggered a latent or not-so-latent case of asthma, and that's the ultimate cause of this cough?

[Katy]

You could ask for an inhaler to see if that helps. Some viruses create a lingering cough.  Some trigger asthma.  Sometimes pneumonia or bronchitis can create scar tissue that takes a long time to heal.  I was told (once you know it isn’t asthma) that it’s better to exercise hard, even if it induces coughing, because that helps healing both physically and hormonally. 

[kbutton]

DH and I were just talking about how nasty viruses can be, including how they can trigger asthma. 

I think investigating the asthma angle would be a good idea. Singulair, as one poster mentioned, can make a big difference.

[prairiewindmomma]

I am agreeing with the others that you likely have some residual inflammation that will likely resolve with an inhaler.  If you have no family history of asthma anywhere, an albuterol inhaler is likely enough, but if you have any family history, I'd consider using a daily maintenance drug for a bit in addition to occasional albuterol or to get a daily drug with longer lasting albuterol as frequent albuterol use isn't great for the body. 

FWIW, I have two family members who have asthma who only cough and have issues with illness as a trigger.  The cough is actually cough-variant asthma, not just coughing as part of the illness.

[annandatje]

I feel for you.  In my 30s and 40s, I would have a dry hacking cough from throat tickle after ANY upper respiratory virus.  Ominous things like bronchitis and pneumonia were ruled out.  Rx cough syrup made me vomit.  From there on out, I simply drank copious amounts of hot herbal tea and water and kept physical activity to a minimum.  Also helps to sleep semi upright in recliner or extra pillows in bed. 

I would have coughing spasms so severe that I kept my time out in public to a minimum and kept office door closed at work and did not take client phone calls.

In my 50s, I seemed to stop catching upper respiratory viruses 🙂

[livetoread]

Personally I would ask for a lung cancer screening for any lingering cough. It almost certainly isn't, but I have a close friend who was ridiculously healthy, and never smoked who was diagnosed after a lingering cough. She tells everyone she knows to reply when asked if they smoke in a screening question, "I would like the same screening as if I answered yes to that." Fastest growing group of people diagnosed are non-smokers.

 

[popmom]

4 hours ago, Katy said:

You could ask for an inhaler to see if that helps. Some viruses create a lingering cough.  Some trigger asthma.  Sometimes pneumonia or bronchitis can create scar tissue that takes a long time to heal.  I was told (once you know it isn’t asthma) that it’s better to exercise hard, even if it induces coughing, because that helps healing both physically and hormonally. 

I agree. Just make sure it's a steroid. A rescue inhaler won't do anything for a cough.

I have have asthma, so this happens to me every time I get sick. Sometimes it takes a steriod like a medrol dose pack to kick it. And then there are times when the steroid didn't have much effect, and I found that taking a narcotic cough suppressant for a couple of days finally kicked it. I don't know why.

 

[popmom]

1 hour ago, annandatje said:

I feel for you.  In my 30s and 40s, I would have a dry hacking cough from throat tickle after ANY upper respiratory virus.  Ominous things like bronchitis and pneumonia were ruled out.  Rx cough syrup made me vomit.  From there on out, I simply drank copious amounts of hot herbal tea and water and kept physical activity to a minimum.  Also helps to sleep semi upright in recliner or extra pillows in bed. 

I would have coughing spasms so severe that I kept my time out in public to a minimum and kept office door closed at work and did not take client phone calls.

In my 50s, I seemed to stop catching upper respiratory viruses 🙂

This sounds like cough variant asthma. The usual tests like spirometry and such at the allergy doc won't dx it. You need a methacholine challenge to see if it's asthma. Steroid inhaler helps so much.

[melmichigan]

I have cough variant asthma.  It's treated like typical asthma. Albuterol as needed and a steroid like everyone mentioned would likely help.  I don't wheeze unless I'm in trouble.  I take albuterol at the first sign of a cough and take a maintenance steroid to prevent inflammation.  

Edited September 12, 2021 by melmichigan

[Tanaqui]

Note: It's true that the fastest growing group of diagnosed patients with lung cancer are non-smokers, however, that's not because the lung cancer rate in non-smokers is increasing, it's because as the number of patients who smoke goes down we're investing more resources into looking at non-smokers.

[Jann in TX]

RSV has been going around a lot this year-- it is known to cause 'cough variant' asthma.  It is not unusual for this to last a few months afterwards...

Unless you are wheezing or having other breathing difficulties there is nothing really a Dr can do for you... the inhaler or steroids are just band aids-- they do nothing to stop/heal the issue (but are necessary if you have breathing difficulties!!!).

[stephanier.1765]

This is me right now. Had a virus beginning of August and the cough never went away. Then I caught something again at the beginning of September and the cough is at an all new level. Even though I've been sick for 12 days, I feel like I'm getting sicker rather than better. Ugh. I'm so over being sick! I'm vaccinated, I wear masks and I'm careful about hand sanitizer and hand washing but I just can't win against whatever, other than Covid, that is going around.

I hope you feel better soon! I know my throat is raw from all the coughing so I'm sure yours is too. Big hugs!

Edited September 13, 2021 by stephanier.1765

[maize]

Thank you for all the responses. After reading through, I think cough variant asthma is a high probability. I have always had a tendency to cough if I run hard, which I came to suspect a few years ago was exercise-induced asthma without the wheezing that my sister experiences.

And I have suspected RSV as the virus that went through our family, it is circulating here.

[prairiewindmomma]

51 minutes ago, maize said:

Thank you for all the responses. After reading through, I think cough variant asthma is a high probability. I have always had a tendency to cough if I run hard, which I came to suspect a few years ago was exercise-induced asthma without the wheezing that my sister experiences.

And I have suspected RSV as the virus that went through our family, it is circulating here.

Heads up that some people with cough variant asthma are not good responders to albuterol.  It was alluded to above, but I wanted to make sure you knew that explicitly in case you fall into that % of people.  There are a good number of general practitioners who are not aware of this fact, but it is common enough.  (Me and mine are albuterol responders, fwiw, but we have better control with Advair (which is fluticasone + salmuterol) rather than with separate corticosteroids + traditional albuterol.

Also, if you think you may have more children or are still nursing, budesonide (pulmicort) is class B and therefore prescribed a lot, but if you don't get good control it's better to be on a class C with a good track record after the first trimester and have good control than to stay on a class B and pump albuterol often or have a stressed out baby in utero. I learned this the hard way, so I try to give heads up where I can. 

[maize]

34 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Heads up that some people with cough variant asthma are not good responders to albuterol.  It was alluded to above, but I wanted to make sure you knew that explicitly in case you fall into that % of people.  There are a good number of general practitioners who are not aware of this fact, but it is common enough.  (Me and mine are albuterol responders, fwiw, but we have better control with Advair (which is fluticasone + salmuterol) rather than with separate corticosteroids + traditional albuterol.

Also, if you think you may have more children or are still nursing, budesonide (pulmicort) is class B and therefore prescribed a lot, but if you don't get good control it's better to be on a class C with a good track record after the first trimester and have good control than to stay on a class B and pump albuterol often or have a stressed out baby in utero. I learned this the hard way, so I try to give heads up where I can. 

Thank you for the information ❤️