I started coughing in 2008 and I am still coughing, 6 years on. Praise for my GP, who has sent me for various tests. X-ray, Barium Meal, Spirometry, tubes down my nostril and down my throat and a lot of etcs, all trying to find out what is causing the cough cough cough. I cough all year round, Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, so it is not a seasonal cough. I have been repeatedly treated for GERD but despite so many tablets, liquids and inhalers, I am still coughing. Inhalers have been changed, medications changed but I am still coughing. I was referred to Hospital about 15 months ago and again kudos to them, inspite of many more tests, CT Scan etc, I am still coughing. I have been admitted and several more tests carried out and the bottom line is, I am still coughing. This is not a cough mixture type of cough. Sipping water calms me down when I am coughing but does not stop the cough. I carry mints around, lockets etc but even so, relief is only temporary. I was advised to chew gum which does seem to help, but I can only chew this for so long as I am not normally a gum chewing person. I have been told to chew Cloves, which I carry around with me always and again it is temporary relief. I was told to use fresh ginger cut up, plus a bit of honey and some cloves and make a tea out of these and sip slowly. Again everything is only temporary relief. I spend my whole day, from one advice to the other even when I am out and about. I have been told that something is tickling within my throat which sets up the cough episodes. Coughing is so tiring, so debilitating, so exhausting, so depressing as there seems to be nothing to stop it. I am quick to give nothing but praise to my GP and the Consultants in the hospital. They all keep trying various treatments but so far, nothing has helped put a stop to the cough cough cough. I was sent to another hospital and again, nothing suggested and offered has helped. I was told it is likely to be a form of asthma which does not make one wheeze or short of breath but manifests as a cough. But to date I have used 4 different types of inhalers plus all the other medications but still I cough cough cough. Any one with similar experience? Even if not as long as 6 years?
6 Years of coughing, coughing coughin... - Lung Conditions C...
6 Years of coughing, coughing coughing. Does anyone have a similar experience?
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Sorry I cannot help Mamina, but I do know another lady who has had this exact same thing...coughing all the time for 15 yrs!!!!
Again the docs have done everything, in fact she was in the health service herself, it breaks my heart to hear her when she gets a coughing fit...but her lungs are healthy and no one can explain to her why this happens.
Not much comfort from me sorry, but at least my friend is happy she is healthy except for this hacking cough
Thanks Sohara. Yes, I am grateful and happy that I am healthy-lungs, heart, liver, kidneys etc etc etc. So yes I do have a lot to be grateful for. Your response did cheer me upppppppp!!!
I thought I was alone. Coughing since 2004. I give it to God, but I wont give up or give in.
Hi Maminaelsie, this first bit I tell you might not help but it may. I have had a cough for more than six years and still have one that flares up without infection. I found it to be worse with Hypertension drugs, certain foods can make it more persistent, but mine is much worse with energetic type activity like rushing up stairs. I was advised to do things slower and it does work. True it could be uncontrolled brittle asthma as it is called which often has a cough. High blood pressure and heart problems can cause persistent cough, mine is COPD symptom made worse by outside influenze one consultant admitted we may never find a cure, so my advice to you would be try any suggestions that lessen it as it may never go away just like mine. But good luck if you find a cure and let me in on the secret please Best wishes
Hi MaminaElse,
I have had a bad cough for many years now and like yourself no amount of prescription or over the counter
medication helped. I have had hayfever (year round) from early childhood and in my late twenties I developed asthma this is when the cough started and over the years the conclusion was the it was a coughing form of asthma with a lot of mucus. It was not until the Christmas of 2013 that I became so ill that I was sent to see a see a consultant and last May was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis. Although I now have a reason for my rampant coughing there is no cure and all I can do is accept it keep, taking the medication and try not to let it rule my life. I know how frustrating, tiring and sometimes down right antisocial it can be (haven't been to the cinema or theatre etc for at least 20 years). If I have an attack while out if people start to stare I now stare right back and they usually are the first to back down.
I wish I could say do this or that and it will go away, but I unfortunately I can't. I hope you find out what is causing your coughing - for me it was the relief of knowing that I did not cause the problem myself.
Keep your chin up and remember you can always let off steam on here, cos we will always be able to support you.
Bless you bayleyray. You are my type of person. Yes, I take water and mints and go to the movies as I refuse to stop living due to the unexplainable cough cough cough
Hi,maminaelsie, I have tried everything to stop my cough...no luck. A couple of my friends cough all the time too. One if them reckons it's because her father smoked when she was a child and she had whooping cough too....i was in a similar situation...we have both been diagnosed as asthmatic. I may have COPD as I smoked for a while, and mine is a productive cough.
Ah knitter. Many thanks. My cough is non productive, parents did not smoke and I have never smoked in my life and keep away from smokers, husband never smoked also. Thanks it is good to hear from fellow bloggers. What an inspiration you all are.
I have been pondering about this. If the sufferer's cough has been investigated ....The phrenic nerve rungs through the diaphragm adjacent to the lungs. Irritation of the phrenic nerve can cause hiccups ....how related is the phrenic nerve related to the mechanics of coughing??
No clue pergola1. leaving it all with the Doctors. The good news is, I am fine otherwise. Heart, lungs, kidney, liver etc et c all fine. I carry water and mints and go to the movies, I tell concerned others it is a non contagious cough, but I do hope though that it ease with time. Thanks
I found this advice (which you have probably followed) on this site:
healthcommunities.com/chron...
This is the paragraph:Suppress a dry, hacking cough. The most common kind of single-ingredient cough medicine is a suppressant, which acts on the cough center in the brain. Some suppressants contain the narcotic drug codeine or a codeine derivative, which are approved for over-the-counter sales in several states. Codeine is effective, but can cause stomach upset and constipation. A better choice is a suppressant with dextromethorphan, a synthetic relative of codeine that works on the same nerve center to suppress coughing but with much milder side effects. A third type is one containing diphenhydramine (such as Benadryl), the only antihistamine recommended for treating coughs.
I sincerely hope it helps.
You may have an allergy, this will probably be your next round of tests, good luck xx
Thanks Kad21. Allergies were investigated at the beginning & as I cough all year round they were thorough. Good news is, I am not allergic to anything! Food. Drug, atmosphere etc etc etc. Thanks again xo
How very interesting. I too had a cough, though only for about four years. Initially I was treated for asthma and acid reflux - maybe a bit of difference, then post nasal drip, chronic rhinitis, high blood pressure etc... For me the clincher was the Ct scan though, which led to a bronchiectasis diagnosis. Now on azithromycin alternate days for the bronch, seretide and montelukast for the asthma, omeprazole for the acid reflux, and beconase for the rhinitis. If I let up on any one of them, the cough comes back. So I think maybe it was more than one cough all along. Also find peppermint tablets (from Holland and Barrett) useful. But now I am not coughing, and therefore less stressed, my blood pressure is OK without any tablets, so another source of cough removed. When was your CT scan? Can you ask for another one?
For Bayleyrae - have you tried azithromycin? I know some people can't tolerate it but it has been very useful to me in a similar situation to yourself.
Well I know how you feel last year I stated coughing then wheezing and other symptom came so then I was diagnosed with asthma last October I have a lot of nasal problems and very bad indigestion I'm starting to think that I might have severe acid reflux
Hi Mamina, I coughed for 9 months, then after tests xrays etc I was diagnosed with Asthma,and given inhalers. I still coughed so was given stronger inhalers. Ten years later I was having chest infections causing a lot of sputum so went to see GP I was given antbiotics, the infection cleared for about a week and came back again, more antibiotics same again then referred for CT scan then Diagnosed with Bronchiectasis, now on inhalers and nebulised Colistin for Pseudomonas Infection. I really feel for you I felt so worn out with the constant coughing and I felt like I was getting knowhere, until a different GP picked up on it after testing a sputum sample. Keep going to the doctor every week if necessary until you find out the cause. Best of Luck!
Hi Elise, I have coughed for years too, in all seasons and at any time. I had tests in my home town (tube up my nose etc) but still coughed. Since coming to Shrewsbury to live (where it is very hilly) I became very breathless and was tested again and found to have Pulmonary Fibrosis. The cough seems to be persistent with this disease and I spend my days with cough tablets, sweets and cough medicine. Been on Oramorph but couldn't tolerate it and found it didn't help anyway. It is like a tickle in my throat all the time but surprisingly if I am REALLY interested in TV or a book I don't cough. If you manage to resolve it please let me know as it is not good for mental health I am sure and must annoy other people. Popplewell
Yeah defiantly an allergy coz u have asthma I'm going soon for allergy testing coz I get servere indigestion so go to your doctor ASAP .
I have cough for 9yrs I know how you feel.would be great to find some help
Ive been doing frangonia and aqupunter , I ve learned that stress brings it on and pressures of the wheather , when the wheather slowly changes in the day it gets worse,
It doesnt go away 100 percent , but the essential oils do help
I have been to the top osu drs and clevland drs and no answer , just blame it on asthma ,
Or eviro
The only place that the cough went away was 2 weeks in Hawaii
I've been coughing for 5 years so I know how you feel, everyone tells me to get it sorted out but they just keep giving me cough medicine, they did a x-ray on my chest but it came back clear. I'm only 17 and this cough has literally become part of me.. I'm in my first year of college and I've been coughing since I started secondary school, very annoying during exam times because I always have people giving me bad looks..
My doctor told I have virus in throat that affect nerve s and will be on medicine probably for life but I got most my life back
What was name of virus? Mom has been coughing for about 10 years....would like to know what your diagnosis was..... thank you
I have been coughing for 15 years. No permanent relief. What is the name of the virus that you were diagnosed to have and the name of the medications you take? I've been tested and treated for bronchial asthma and reflux. Nothing helps. I'm tired.
I am on Gabapentin it's from shingles most likely it's in the voice box and said I would probably be on medicine rest of my life but so nice to sleep and not have people look at me like I'm going to get them sick
Yes still coughing just over 5 years now. It's messing with my blood pressure now,my sleep, and every day functions. What have u found out.
I have been coughing almost 9 years. 13 different types of drs have misdiagnosed me. I have "had": cough variant asthma, GERD, chronic bronchitis, etc. etc etc. i was allergy tested for 128 sustances-- no allergies. I have cough spasms several times a day; until they stop on their own, nothing helps. Scans, CTs, biopsies, all negative.
None of that accurate. Drs are only guessing. They throw medicine at me but don't address WHY i cough. One suggested taking out my thyroid to see if that might help. I refused!!
I chew sugarless mint gum almost constantly. It is my best medicine so far.
** I was prescribed gabapentin and used up to 1500 mg a day. It did nothing except screw up my brain and cause a month of severe withdrawal once I tapered off.
I currently believe I have LPR, a type of reflux different from GERD, concentrated in the esophagus. I am trying to change my diet, lose weight, improve posture, and reading Fast Tract Digestion/heartburn by Dr. Norman Robillard.
Good luck to fellow sufferers.
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