Have been with this annoying chough now for weeks and it's like my throat is irritated with like a hairy sensation at the back of it all the time then I go to bed and bam this tickle starts and I wake up choughing , gasping for air over and over and over again same every night! I do think maybe it's acid reflux and I am taking ompeazole for it since last Thursday with no help so far. My GP is useless but I am lucky enough to have private health care, would a respiratory consultant be able to check my lungs and then if all clear at least point me in the right of what other consultant I needed to see for this cough if it turned out to be nothing to do with my lungs? I am at a loss , my GP doesn't listen or even suggest where to start to for help
If I can just get an appointment with the right consultant then I could at least get checked out
Thanks for reading
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Amyamy12345
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Hi there, if you're still struggling with a tickly throat and cough, and you want to chat through your concerns with us, please give us a call. If you're in UK you can chat with our clinical team here on the Helpline. We're open 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday on 0300 222 5800 (select option3). Best wishes.
I would just use your private healthcare and see a respiratory consultant. Any cough that lasts more than two weeks should be investigated. Mine was a symptom of permanent lung damage caused by lupus. Neither of which I’d have known I had if I didn’t see a respiratory consultant and both of which are now being treated by respiratory and rheumatology to prevent further organ damage.
I'm sorry to read of your struggles thanks for taking the time to respond to mine Hope your feeling better now it's all being treated , I will book to see the consultant next week
Also, I have to iterate that none of my conditions would be being treated now if I hadn’t seen the pulmonologist. He took a full history and tested me for autoimmune conditions. He was right (I thought I had lupus years ago but gave up asking about 20 years ago, “women’s problems”). He was thorough and tested me for autoimmune. He’s amazing. Happy to recommend if you have Bupa, he’s fee assured. He’s also highly recommended by lung charities. He has an interest in ILD, COPD and chronic cough.
And like I said, he picked up my autoimmune condition when it had been dismissed for years and years by everyone else. Because of him I’m able to take medication that will hopefully stop lupus damaging the rest of my organs.
This is something that frustrates me with the UK system. You need a GP referral before you can access an expert, often even with private health cover.
It sounds to me like an ENT Consulant might be your first port of call and he could refer you onto a Respiratory one if necessary. I believe that you do have the right to ask for this now so maybe an email to your GP saying that you're unhapppy with your treatment so far and would like a second opinion?
Thanks luckily my insurance doesn't require referrals if you speak to one there team which I have so im able to see what consultants I need, I think an ent is also a good option thank you but yes my GP should of guided me really but unfortunately hasn't.
If you have private medical care it will be the fastest route for you to get some answers. If you think it’s reflux my immunologist told me to avoid eating after 9.00pm. Maybe earlier in your case.
Thanks for advise , yeah I'm seeing my cardiologist today and thought I'll just bring it up with him he might be able to at least point me in the direction he thinks we'll see.Thanks for response, I hope your not suffering from it still
Are you taking omeprazole morning and night? Perhaps a higher dose is needed?
Also strepsils may help (and ice cold milk at night helps me as I sometime get it for a few days, feels like a hair in the back of my throat) also I sometimes have to sleep propped up on a few pillows when I suffer from Gerd.
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