No diagnosis

[Q-owl]

I am desparate tonight. I've woken and coughed myself fruitlessly into a panic, after spending the last 2 weeks trying to stop coughing fairly successfully. Over the last few months, I've tried to see a doctor, but only see respiratory nurses. They tried 2 courses of antibiotics with prednisolone. Wheezing came back. Chest xray normal. Tested for COPD, chronic bronchitis, but spiro normal. Another longer course of antibiotics. I've taken antihistamine, salamol - blue inhaler, now nasal spray in case of nasal drip. I've had Costochondritis for a month and tonight I'm struggling to stop coughing and my rattling whistling wheeze is constant between coughing bouts. I've tried sipping water, hot cups of tea, and inhaler. What do I need to do? Is there no way forward?

[16cats33]

Hi, ive only ever been like this, i do feel for you, but i was on Ramipril. I think thats how its spelt. I looked on here and its a nasty side effect for some. My own Dr basically said i was psychosomatic. I was fuming. Anyway a year of being off it im cough free. Hope this helps. Just thought it was worth a mention. Hope you get sorted soon x

[peege]

I was a bit like this some years ago, it turned out (after 5 x pneumonia, endless infections & antibiotics) that my asthma had taken a downturn so it was no longer controlled. With asthma the more you cough the more the airways inflame & making you cough more. For me, this also happened/ still happens at changes in temperature and dampness of British seasonal dampness. Can never ever sleep with the window open.

It's good that spirometry test was okay, I think (think, I'm no medic) that spirometry is to determine COPD.

Do give the helpline a call for guidance on how to move forward on 0300 555 2800 uk office hours. Good luck on getting sorted

[Q-owl in reply to peege]

Thanks for the help line number. I'll call next week. I took lemsips 2x last night and breathed some steam. Still not clear chested but slept some.

[peege in reply to Q-owl]

I should have mentioned that 2009 - 2014 I had countless x-rays, all showing 'clear' apparently although one technician did as if I had or had had TB so something must have been visible. I didn't get a CT scan until under a consultant in 2013 which showed all the damage from a lifetime 🙄.

[helenlw7]

I was coughing and wheezing like this for almost 5 years from 2012. My gp tried all sorts of medication to stop the coughing. I was sent for a chest x ray and then referred to an asthma specialist. Prior to this I didn’t have any symptoms of asthma. I was diagnosed with bronchiecstasis and asthma, I saw an immunologist and was tested for all sorts. It turns out I’m allergic to a wide range of things so the assumption was I had allergic asthma, but not all the specialists I see are in agreement with this diagnosis. By this time I was on 4 different inhalers, steroids and montelukast, which stopped me coughing at night but not during the day. The daytime coughing actually stopped in 2015, after I’d been put on Azithromycin 500mg. It’s an antibiotic, but at the 500mg dose it helps asthma sufferers. I haven’t coughed since.

Sorry for the long post but I thought some of my story might help you.

[Q-owl in reply to helenlw7]

Thanks Helen, it's good to feel that I'm not alone and others have had similar experiences.

[Patk1]

I find slow controlled pursed lips breathing technique helps whn like this,as it helps to maintain airflow and helps u to relax

[Yumz199725]

I had a similar experience 4 years ago I was taking my blue inhaler ( salbutamol) 8 time's a day I was on the same steroids as you but just made everything worse. My cough was beyond words I coughed for 9 hours straight! Eventually I got worse this was within 3 days and I woke one night and I couldn't breathe I was gasping for air my sister called an ambulance and they took me to hospital, turned out I had a lower respiratory tract infection they gave me amoxycillin and cocodamel. I just kept getting worse so fortunately I had an echo booked from a few days before ( literally few hours after echo I was admitted) they thought I had a virus in the lining of my heart ( I have heart disease aswell). I spent two weeks in hospital with more then one infection which exasperated my asthma and made everything sooo much worse.One thing I will add before I realised serious it was I contacted asthma uk helpline on WhatsApp and they told me to go to A&E, or who knows what would of happened.

Hope your cough improves or if it doesn't please do 111 and see what they suggest x

Take care and all the best ❤️

[Q-owl in reply to Yumz199725]

Thanks for your suggestions. I've been trying to control my breathing, with some success. Trying to do huff coughing too.

[knitter]

NICE stated at one time if you need to use your blue reliever more than three times a week you should take a preventer inhaler as well

I have to balance my use of Ventolin / Salbutamol with preventers otherwise my breathing gets worse .

Please get back to your health professional

Also ring the ALUK helpline on 03002225800.

[Ern007]

I have been like that recently - I think with me it is asthma - I wonder if the sudden change from roasting weather to cool weather has anything to do with this.

[Caspiana]

Hello there. I am new to your posts so please forgive me if I get it all wrong. 😞 There are many reasons for having a chronic cough. Not always due to lung disease. Postnasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and and heart failure to name a few. You shouldn't definitely try to see a doctor about it but also explore other possibilities. Lung disease is not always the cause of chronic cough.

Best wishes to you.

Cas 🙋‍♀️

[Chinadoll81]

Same situation . Had antibiotics and for couple of days 6 Prednisolone. Still coughing I do have COPD

I find a bit of relief by shaking Olbas Oil onto a tissue and breathing in through nose

Can help inhaling steam especially if you put few drops of eucalyptus in the boiling water . Try rubbing Vicks on your feet at bed time

Hope I've been of some help and you feel better soon . Blessings and love xxxx

[jasmine451]

I feel you - I have had two years of hell with similar.

What you describe is exactly my position except the GP wouldn't see me in person for two years- everything on the phone, leading to about 15 sets of antibiotics and prednisone pills, where I would feel better for a few days afterwards, then it came straight back. The worst was the cough which felt like it was from my boots, agony, pain shooting down my arms and sometimes I would cough myself sick, The Prednisilone tablets have thinned my skin badly and caused dry mouth which is horrible. I also have sinusitis now.

This is what I did in June when I realised the GP couldn't help me any further (They still resist seeing anyone in person):

-stopped resting in bed all the time, which it was my instinct to do, and resting was making it all worse. I started to walk to the end of the street and back in June I can now walk a mile very slowly. Some days I can do 3 miles, whereas in June I could just walk about 100 yards.

-Lose weight - I stopped eating after 6pm because that makes it worse. I have lost 20lb since June and that has made it all a bit better. Re night cough - Jakeman's sweets help. make a flask of tea with a teaspoon of honey in it and take it to bed. When you start coughing, drink some. make sure you don't get dehydrated as it makes the cough worse.

Do you get heartburn/indigestion? I do. It seems that asthma symptoms, indigestion/GERDS and Post nasal drip/ Sinusitis are all linked and each makes the other worse Whatever you do, don't use the over the counter decongestants which you sniff up your nose as they can damage you - I didn;t know this and used them for 2 months and the GP told me never to use them again. I use Betnesol steroid drops from the doctor which helps the post nasal drip a lot.

I've gone without Prednisilone pills now 4 months - a record for me. I do have a cough at the minute but I'm getting by. The Pred pills are really very bad you long-term. (The GP told me this). I'm seeing an ENT specialist about my sinusitis next week. This was the thing I believed that made my asthma so much worse. It all started because my post nasal drip went untreated for 2 years (Covid).

Another thing - no antihistamine has helped me at all and I've tried the lot, including Fexafenadine.

If you do get indigestion, take something for it like Rennies rather than suffering. Reduce dairy foods as they create mucous.

In summary, walking changed thing for me from being basically bedridden In May this year to a big improvement now.

I'm sorry you are suffering and I know what it's like. Something is causing it and if you possibly can, get outside for a little stroll just for 5 minutes. If you already walk (I couldn't). try and do a few more little walks a day.

Best of luck to you. If you have money try and see an ENT specialist about the post nasal drip. I don't have money and am seeing mine on NHS but had to wait 5 months.

[Chinadoll81]

Try steamFill bowl with hot water and if you have,a few drops of eucalyptus. Towel over head and good to go

But be careful. I also put some Olbas oil drops on a tissue and does help a bit

Coughing so much. I hurt.pray that I hit the right medication for.it

Blessings and love xxxx