Dry coughs

[IlvJesus]

Hi everyone, I have had a persistent dry cough for about the last eight months. It has being given different diagnosis and put on treatments that haven't helped yet. This cough comes like a tickling sensation at the sides of my throat then I cough for about 2-3 minutes, drinking water doesn't stop it. Then i can take an hour atimes more than an hour then I cough again. At night the intervals of the cough is shorter so it interfers with my sleep, and I cough more sleeping on my left side.. recently a chest physician said have developed asthma and was put on corticosteroid for 5 days, the cough subsided then was switched to an inhaler. Unfortunately the inhaler didn't help the cough was back to how it was. I am so tired with drugs. Any help I will appreciate. Thank you

[Troilus]

Hi there. When I started reading your post I thought “this is how my asthma started” and as I read on I see you had a good response to prednisone but not with your inhaler - maybe you just need a stronger inhaler?

[IlvJesus in reply to Troilus]

Is it possible to develop asthma at an adult age, what of side effects of long term use of prednisone?

[O2Trees in reply to IlvJesus]

Yes of course. I developed asthma in my mid 20s, and a next door neighbour developed it in her 50s. I agree with Troilus that you likely need a stronger inhaler and Id say perhaps one with a steroid in it. This is what I use and have done so since 1986, with off and one use from my 20s til then.

There are side effects with long term steroid usage and you need to keep your usage as low as possible. But if you can't breathe and are coughing too much, then it's hard to live your life. If you get infections and flare-ups which wont heal, then that damages your lungs. Steroids are very useful - in the end it's a balance of risk.

[IlvJesus in reply to O2Trees]

Okay, thank you

[Shirazmataz]

looks like another discussion with the doc. You do not need your sleep disturbed by constant coughing. Yes you can develop asthma outside of childhood, mine came on late 30's when i lived in London, i put it down to pollution. It improved a lot moving to countryside. Have you noticed anything that makes you cough more - like fumes, smoke, cold drinks, pollen, the weather etc? Hope you can get it under control. all the best Sally.

[IlvJesus in reply to Shirazmataz]

Thank you

[knitter]

my daughter starts to cough after eating baked beans ….and then gets a tight chest ….sounds very weird I know , but she must be allergic to some ingredient .

Check to see if there is a pattern to your cough starting .

A dry cough , obviously nothing there that needs to be coughed up , can sometimes feed off itself ….the more you cough , the more you cough.

When you feel the tickle , just try and relax , breathe gently through your nose , see if you can stop the cough cycle .

Are you mouth breathing , gentle nose breathe helps moisten and filter the air you breathe

Have you been checked for acid reflux , stomach acid causing you to cough.

[IlvJesus in reply to knitter]

I haven't done any test for acid reflux, but there are doctors who have said so just by explaining what i feel. They have prescribed PPIs which have used but no change still, have bern switched to stronger inhaler for the diagnosis of asthma still no change.

[IlvJesus in reply to IlvJesus]

I also did a CT scan 4 months ago and the test was normal nothing alarming

[Alberta56]

Welcome to the forum. Hope some of the advice given will help to shift the cough.

[Patk1]

Take a look at aluk website as lot of useful info there- pursed lips breathing technique helps me..