Need Help and advice:

I have been dealing with a chronic cough for about 2 months now, I have been to the doctor twice and have tried 2 different antibotics and am currently on Levaquin 500mg 1 time daily for 10 days, and today is day #6. I also use Hydrocodone syrup as a temporary relief, doesn't last too long, maybe a couple of hours. Nothing seems to be helping the cough. I cough deep from my chest and do sometimes bring up yelloe mucous.

I am also taking Flagyl 500mg 3 times a day for my pouchitis and I also take Leflunomide for the excessive inflamation, high level of anemia, and the arthritis. My last blood test 2 weeks ago showed much lower levels of the above 3 symptoms.

Has anybody had the persistent cough? If so what was the remedy?

I am grateful for any suggestions or guidance.

Thanks to everyone for help and support.

Yep - I've had the chronic cough a couple of times. I went to doctors, did meds, and all the same as you. Nothing helped. It finally went away. It didn't seem that anything helped - it just ran its course. It was very frustrating. I think there have been other people here who've gone through this as well. And I recall that they experienced the same as I did - it just went away when it decided to go away.

kathy

Thanks Kathy:

How long did you have the cough for? Was it a gradual decline or did it just disapeer overnight?

Any insight is great, as this is getting very frustrating as you know.

Again, I am very grateful for your help.

Best Regards,

Craig

Chronic cough can be tricky.

Many doctors don't pay much attention to this, but pertussis (whooping cough) has been on the increase over the past decade or so. In adults, you don't get the characteristic cough that gives it the name, but just a nagging hack that won't go away. It can hang around for months. Just because you have been vaccinated it does not mean you cannot get it. Vaccines are not 100% effective and depend on most of the people being vaccinated to reduce the resevoirs. Plus the immunity wears off over time. Something to consider anyway. It is bacterial, so if you are cultured and get on the right antibiotic then you can be helped.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=555848

Other considerations are the medications you take. Check out their side effects carefully. For example, the ACE inhibitor lisinopril is known for causing a hacking cough.

Last, but certainly not least, think about an IBD connection. There is a link between respiratory conditions, such as asthma and IBD.

Jan

I had chronic cough for over 5 years and what finally controlled it was a combo of singulair and advair inhaler. Mine was made worse during the spring and fall. I still continue with those and use albuterol and hycodan (tablet cough suppressant) if it ever creeps up again.

My current diagnosis is bronchiectasis. It took a while and a lot of experimentation to figure out something that worked. I'd go to a lung specialist if you have not yet.
Lori

Thanks You Jan

I will ask my doctor about the pertussis. I did read somewhere about the IBD connection and respiratory conditions, except I can't remember where, I will have to search again. Whenever I get a new med I do try and research the side effects of them. I have experinced some of them, and have spoken to my doctor about them.

Always great to hear from you.

Best Regards

Hi,
I also developed a persistant cough after surgery. Would come form deep in and very productive at times until I cleared it out then I was okay for a couple hours. I went to a pulmanoligist who did a lot of test. Nothing showed up. He finally put me on Advair inhaler and OTC Claritan. Thats the only thing that stopped it. I still use it to this day. The only answer he had for me was "Your body is not normal anymore therefore strange things can happen". In other words he did not have a clue.
Marie

Here is a link to a journal abstract that describes the IBD-respiratory connection. Of note, it states that colectomy can exacerbate the symptoms!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=...anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Jan

Thanks Again Jan, you are the best!!!!

I have read the article and printed it up and I will present it to him.

And thanks to everyone for their great information, it is all very helpful.

Really appreciate your help.

Sincerely,

Craig

My last perstistent cough ended up to be from acid reflux. A couple days on reflux meds and it was gone.

Oh, yeah, I had completely forgot about reflux, and that is really common too. You don't even have to have major upper GI symptoms for this.

Jan

Thanks All:

I just spoke to my doctor and he also agrees that it is acid reflux. He is calling in a perscription for it. I do not know what it is yet, will follow up with a post as soon as I get it, and I am really hoping it helps. This constant coughing is really getting the best of me at times.

Sincerely,

Craig

Usually you can just take over the counter Pepcid and if it works, you have made your diagnosis!

Jan

Thanks Jan:

I got a perscription for Aciphex 20mg to be taken 1 X day, and I have only taken 2 so far and no change yet. I hope something happens soon as this is really starting to be a drag.

Thanks everyone for all of your help.

Sincerely,

Craig

Hello All:

Saw the doctor yesterday, actually walked into his office without an appointment just to ask a question, (as his office is in the same building as my surgeon for whom I did see yesterday with an appointment) and couldn't believe with an office full of patients he took me in right away and listened to my concerns about the cough. And he retook all my vitals, BP, temp, etc... and he listened to my chest and heard some wheezing and said that we need to attack that cough from all sides and then he gave me a sample inhalent called Advair which is fluticasone propionate 250 mcg and salmetrol xinafoate 72.5 mcg. It suppose to help to quell the whezzing and has a steroid in it for the inflamation, (not prednisone thankfully)So I will try all of this stuff for the cough and keep you all updated.

Hope everybody has a safe and Happy 4th. of July.

Sincerely,

Craig