Cough Variant Asthma, anything working?

Hi all

I'm new to the forum but sadly not to CVA :(

Having had the worst 12 months ever I basically sat in the GP clinic & refused to move on Friday. I feel so low it's not true - worn out by coughing all night, can't do my job properly during the day as I cough constantly, my ribs hurt, my head hurts & I'm fed up! People comment on it constantly as if I am infectious, it's really getting me down.

She has referred me for a chest x-ray (all clear previously) and says if it's clear again this time then I'm back with the consultant, but they don't seem to have any way of getting it under control other than weeks of steroids which make me feel awful.

I take lanzoprazole in case of reflux, a nasal spray in case of nasal drip, cetirizine for allergies & montelukast as a long acting help for my airways - have tried every single inhaler & they actually just irritate me & make me cough.

So - I just wondered if anyone has tried anything different which has made a difference? Natural remedies or treatments?

Rant over - good not to feel so alone with this

Cheers

Lisa

5 Replies

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  • Hey,

    I'm also new to the forum, and also not new to CVA (probably have had it for like 7+ years. It's winter here in the States and the cold air is definitely not helping. I'm currently on Advair (long-acting) and using albuterol (short acting), but ya it's tough and the cold air is a huge irritant and also pretty impossible to avoid, as even when I'm inside at home, cold air that seeps in through cracks in the wall irritate my lungs. Been on a spray for allergies as well. This has also gotten me pretty down, as it's just hard living with this...it'll get so bad that ill cough so much and makes me wanna vomit. It's just so annoying as the medication only helps so much :(

  • Hi, good to hear from you xx

    It's so frustrating that you don't seem to get anywhere - I sat & cried in the doctors surgery on Friday, I am so so tired, my ribs hurt & I get sick too when I cough so much. I think she finally understood how down it was making me at least................

    I did get some replies on another forum about natural stuff people have found makes a difference - here goes:

    Vitamin D (some agree some don't but the weight of evidence seems to be that it reduces symptoms by helping the airways not be as 'twitchy' and reactive to allergents.

    Drinking honey, squeezed lemon juice & chopped up ginger - ginger is an anti-inflammatory, lemon gives vit C & honey soothes the cough

    Evening Primrose Oil - some evidence to suggest hormones can make CVA worse & evening primrose oil helps keep them on a more even keel

    Cod liver oil - contains vitamin D a above but also vitamin A which helps protect your immune system & encourages growth of new healthy cells

    Vitamin C - immune system & overall health

    Magnesium - helps with bronchial hyperreactivity, so reduces the coughing by helping the airways

    Flaxseed oil - anti inflmatory properties because of the omega 3 again helps the aiways & stops hyper-reactivity

    Garlic - same as the ginger, a natural anti-inflammatory (not v social effects lol!)

    Turmeric - relieves inflammation of the airways, particularly good if you're having an acute attack or prolonged symptoms - can be a teaspoon mixed with honey apparently v effective cough medicine, or have it in either warm milk or warm water & it acts as a longer acting 'med' if used every day.

    So - I'm off to spend a small fortune at the health shop!! I think some of it has been well researched & there are lots of case studies on-line so for me anyway, anything that doesn't make it worse is worth giving a try - will keep you posted............

    Take care

    Lisa

    xx

  • Hi Lisa,

    I am a fellow Lancastrian and very sorry to hear about your sever coughing caused by your asthma.

    That is how my asthma started about 15 years ago and it ends up leaving you feel absolutely exhausted due to disturbed sleep as much as anything.

    But after I started with asthma I actually worked for GSK in R&D for a few years down South.

    They had a new asthma medication called seretide and they were raving about it during testing.

    So when it was released to the public I went and asked my GP for it.

    But they refused because of the high cost but they would never admit that.

    Anyway, after pestering them for it for 18 months they finally gave it to me.

    Hey presto, my cough went completely and never returned for years until I started reducing my medication!

    Like any medecine there are side-effects but your coughing sounds so bad!

    I suggest you try it and see. Use the normal inhaler not the ones with powder in.

    Though there is a cheaper generic version out now too called SEREFLO!

    Now I only need to take it occasionally but am considering stepping up my use of it again due to my cough returning.

    Just to add, that I found that sulphites in food & drink were a major cause of my coughing.

    As well as saccharin sweetener. So if you eat foods such as this then cut them out now!

    Good Luck. let me know how you get on?

  • Hi

    Completely new to this. But so wanted to post as the comment you have made was me a year ago. The doctor had me on all those medications to stop my cough but I found all they did was make me worse. I have found through trial and error I can not take any medication, vitamins at all as they make me cough. Which then causes me to get distressed because people are sick of hearing me cough all the time. Onions, garlic and chillies make me cough also milk.

    I am also going to look at the other persons post about Seretide because although my cough is no where near as bad (it was constant) I cough mainly still at night and when after I have eaten something.

    So pleased I came across this post.

    Thank you

  • Hi all, i'm sure something i eat at lunch time makes me cough & have to use my inhaler because it only happens after i have eaten my lunch! my chest gets tight & phlemy & i have to constantly cough so i'm going to have a look at the ingredients of my sandwich filling!

    I have had asthma since i was 16-17 & i'm now 37 so have had ups & downs with it, still struggling sometimes & tried so many different inhalers! At the moment i'm on a combination inhaler called 'Flutiform' & my blue ventolin inhaler & as long as i remember to take my 2 in one inhaler, i mostly remain ok!

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