Excessive coughing

[Maninblack]

My husband, who has bronchiectasis has developed a bad cough, which is mostly dry unlike his usual cough. He has used his usual inhalers and nebuliser but nothing is helping. It’s making him nauseous, He is on a high dose of Co-Trimoxazole to fight bacteria in but has not a chest infection.Has anyone else experienced episodes like this?

[Swizzy]

Hi Maninblack. I am rather confused by your post. You say that your husband is taking co-trimoxazole and yet that he has no infection. We bronchs normally only take antibiotics (except azithromycin)if we have an exacerbation going on and so I don't understand why he is taking it at the moment. Because his cough is dry and persistent with none of the usual exacerbation symptoms it leads me as a patient to think that it may be caused by allergy or a virus infection. It would be wise for him to talk to his GP or preferably get hold of his bronch specialist for advice. I hope that helps

[Maninblack in reply to Swizzy]

Thank you for your reply. My husband was prescribed antibiotics by our lung hospital for a bacteria which was found deep seated in his lungs. He had had several chest infections so they wanted to try to get rid of the bacteria causing these flare up. We did 2 weeks of IV and then had to use a nebuliser antibiotic as although they eradicated the original bacteria, one of its family was found. He couldn’t tolerate the nebulised treatment as this tighten his chest so much so hence this new antibiotic. He is now taking an antihistamine to see if this helps. We are currently on holiday by the sea so the sea air may do him good,

[Swizzy in reply to Maninblack]

I can see that they are trying all routes with him. Hopefully this cough will turn out to be an allergy and a seperate issue to the bronch. Some bugs lurk in our lungs, even when lab tests do not show them up. The aim is to keep the numbers low enough to live a normal life. I hope that your husband has a true bronchiectasis specialist consultant. General respiratory consultants are not sufficiently trained or experienced in it. If not, do look for a bronch specialist on the website of your nearest large teaching hospital. Find a bronch specialist, take the name to the GP and insist on a referral. I'm sure that he knows that it is v important to empty his lungs every day of the mucus which gives the bugs the warm wet environment in which to breed.A bronch consultant will have their own physio to help him with that.

Hopefully a change of air will remove whatever is making him cough.. I hope that things improve.

[Maninblack in reply to Swizzy]

Thank you. He is at one of the best lung hospitals and regularly sees the bronch team. He is actually taking part in a research project to help them going forward. We are very lucky to have this help

[Swizzy in reply to Maninblack]

That's so good. I hope that the research he is taking part in results in something good for all of us bronchs.

[Dottie11]

Sometimes my Sinisitus starts off with a dry cough but later develops to coughing up mucous . Best see GP as can examine and discuss. Good luck.

[B0xermad]

Hi I find the antibiotics not always needed for the cough but prednisolone or a steroid does help settle it down more

[Biker88]

a cough can be caused by an infection which can be bacterial, viral or fungal it also can be caused by an allergy or anxiety. I coughed for many years until it was found to be an allergic reaction to the fumes from excess stomach acid due to hiatus hernia and dodgy oesophagus. Now I’m on Omeprazole the cough has greatly reduced

[ZeroChaos]

My son is 9 and that baby has the worst allergies I've ever seen. He can hardly smell ever, sneezes like you wouldn't believe and every since he was around 2 would cough until he vomited! When he did, it would be mucus from post nasal drip. A honey ginger concoction I made worked well for him. I took about 2 tablespoons of local honey, and mixed in 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Then I added about teaspoon or so of ginger that I'd run through blender (but you can use dried/powdered as well).You can also try inhaling the scent of peppermint essential oils. There's one more remedy I can think of. Again using honey. Slice a red/purple onion and put in a boiler. Pour in just enough honey to. Cover all of the slices. Then turn your eye on super low (high heat destroys honey benefits) and let it set for about 20 minutes or so. Once it's time it's up, pour into a jar and seal it to p. It should be good for around 6 months. I hope he feels better! Oh! He can take it as often as he needs to, provided he doesn't have problems with his sugar, straight from the jar or add it to a tea (as long as it isn't boiling hot. ) here's a link to a recipe for the onion honey growingupherbal.com/honey-o...

And here's a recipe for honey ginger cough syrup both are super simple to make. Hope he feels better soon!

broliumedus.lt/en/ginger-an...

[Mooka]

I have Bronchiectasis and have a dry tickley cough atm. I mentioned it to my consultant yesterday and he wasn’t concerned as it’s dry. I take co-trimozole three times a week as my prophylactic antibiotic but don’t think it’s that causing it. I think it’s just that the pollen count is high. Incidentally I have salbutamol in my nebuliser to counteract the chest tightness. Hopefully the sea air will help. Enjoy your holiday and I hope your husband improves quickly.

[Izb1]

It could be the Co-Trimoxazole giving him the cough. I am sure that he needs the antibiotic to clear the infection he has that is deep rooted, it seems the lung hospital know what they are doing so would speak with them when you get back home and hope in the meantime the sea air does you with some good. I always swear by honey lemon and gjnger x

[poppyshola]

Hi there..I have Bronchiectasis, Asthma and rhinitis.. I'm also with Royal Papworth hospital .. I would suggest you email them to let them know your hubby is struggling as they need to know and they will advise what you need to do .. obviously when you come back home ... as they will need to assess him ... They take really good care of me and my several chest related conditions and always follow up on any treatment given ..

It could be that the meds he is nebulising is causing a reaction but it could be hayfever /allergies.. its not the same treatment for every infection he has ..

A tickly cough could suggest hayfever or asthma ? And believe me it's scary when every option you have stops working and your breath is getting more ad more limited.. especially with him being away from home and hospital...

My first aid kit = Halls soothers sweets they will help him breathe, mint imperial sweets are good for indigestion / heartburn too,... I always put some in a little snack bag to take out, .. vicks chest rub on a hanky ? . And always have a little snackbag holding baby wipes to cool me down..

Medicines... I always have Buttercup syrup ..and always make sure I have enough ventolin with me ..

Does hubby suffer with asthma ? If so don't let him just rely on being ok for now.. its very scary and life threatening to have an attack and nothing to hand ..

Does he have an emergency course of steroids ? Or any rescue medicines

[BionicLady]

Has your husband done a Covid test? I all have bronchiectasis but had very different symptom to my usual infection ones.