Hi all you lovely AFib friends. I need to ask a question does anyone suffer with chesty coughing in mornings and during nights. I have this every night and clear daytimes. It’s not my chest as I have seen a lung consultant and done a lung function test. Could it be my heart that is causing this congestion in my lungs. I am in AFib most of the time.
A question that someone may be able t... - Atrial Fibrillati...
A question that someone may be able to answer 🤞
It’s not my chest as I have seen a lung consultant and done a lung function test.
Could it be my heart that is causing this congestion in my lungs.
Your first remark said its not your lungs but the second quote implies it is !
If you only get congestion while lying down it could be from sinus rhinitis / nasal drip.
I have this and it only affects me at night when the congestion doesnt clear. The Dr. has put me on Mupirocin ointment to clear staphylococci ( everyone has this in their nasal cavity just some lucky ones have an increased burden ! ) With also using a nasal spray ( Dymista) it can take three weeks to be effective - I,m in the first week right now.
You could try an antihistamine but beware it will create arrhythmia if used too often. Been there done that !
Hi I know your post was a while ago but only just read it. I had a dreadful cough for over two years I put it down to nasal drip When I just couldn’t tolerate it any longer went to see a different doctor and he said reflux I paid private for a camera down my throat. It found a small hernia but the cough was down to reflux . Hope you’ve been sorted now Take care.
Check the side effects of your medications.
Though less common side effect, Metoprolol causes a cough for me.
Like you, I had lung tests and discussed the issue with the doctor.
It could be your heart, I have problems when lying down due to fluid in my lungs. Try an extra pillow to prop yourself up in bed. It's a daily ritual for me to cough for Britain in the morning. Best try to sort it out with your GP.
It’s not likely to be heart related as that kind of cough is said to be dry and hacking.
What you have seems to be the same as we have. I’ve been told that it’s common at present thanks to the many viruses that are circulating. These irritate the nasal mucosa and cause excessive mucus in the nasal passages and sinuses. This, given certain body positions, can then trickle down the back of the throat as a “post-nasal drip”. Often it’s not “drip” but a thick secretion.
As I say, I have it, as does my wife and our young grandson. It’s really annoying and has been very much worse this year.
My daughter-in-law is a nurse in a surgical ENT ward and she tells me there’s been a big increase in serious throat infections this winter caused when secondary bacterial infections manage to produce infected catarrh.
Steve
What medication have you been prescribed? Amiodarone and dronedarone can cause a cough. It's destinctive, as there are associated sounds like Velcro (hook and loop) being pulled apart.
I get what I call ‘wet cough’ overnight when I’m in AF. I think it’s to do with the heart not working effectively and affects water in the lungs. I don’t know your particular meds, but the doc tried me on Metoprolol which exacerbated my COPD!
Found this in Dr Google:-
“When the heart is not able to pump efficiently, blood can back up into the veins that take blood through the lungs. As the pressure in these blood vessels increases, fluid is pushed into the air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs.”
Just to add,are you in permanent AF or are there still treatment options you could try? I see you say you are in AF most of the time. Xx
Gosh. Just read your Bio and you have indeed had a rough ride. I thought I had been unlucky as also had a rare complication of ablation but was luckily relatively unaffected. Can’t help further on the cough front except to say that I also have loose cough in mornings due to post nasal drip. Sleeping with head raised helps a little. Good luck. X