Chronic Cough 4 years now, Desperate for help. Seeking at all forums as no one knows.

[HelpinLA]

DESPERATELY in need of HELP! PLEASE - I have a chronic cough (4 years now)I had CT Scans of sinus, throat, had Bravo Ph done twice, numerous Allergy tests, Asthma tests, chest X-ray, antibiotics, different Acid Reflux medications for months at a time. All test negative. No one can figure out why I cough.
**I cough only when upright! After every meal and out of the blues with or without liquids, just anytime. I do have quiet moments that will last for hours but the my coughing fit out of the blues. The coughing fits last about an hour, cough starts off dry then sometimes movement after coughing for 30 min & sometimes cough little stuff (white). I sleep quite well, no coughing, no disturbance, perfect night sleep. Numerous ENT, Gas, lung doctors last 4 years with no help. Allerx & Ah Chew helps calm it down but not cure or take away completely. No other medication helps. NONE. HELP SOMEBODY. No doctors here has helped, St Johns, UCLA, Cedars. Cough meds do not help, I need a cure to live a normal life. THANK YOU!!! Numberous meds from Antibiotics, allergy pills Acid Refulx and nothing helps. thank you.  My medical file is quite extensive, I have 1/2 of them and no can help.

[IBelieve]

God bless you and thank you for this information.  I will try this and thank God for using you to share this information as I've been suffering with this issue for 'years' now and trusting God for deliverance!

[rookie_2468]

Update to my post of April 2013.  Just shy of three years in and still cough free.  Over the past three years, I have been amazed at the foods that contain undisclosed milk and/or lactose.  Reading labels for the allergens has helped tremendously as they don't list fancy names...just says contains milk or contains lactose.  I substitute Rice Milk 1 for 1 for cow's milk in my cooking and life is good.  Eat Salt and Vinager chips and I am a bronchial mess.  Yes...potato chips routinely have milk or lactose in them, as does hot dogs (some brands are milk free but most have milk solids), bologna, Wendy's hamburgers (in Canada)...OK maybe not milk but there is at the very least lactose in a Wendy's burger.  Remember, if you are lactose intolerant, you don't have to cut out all dairy.  I still enjoy, symptom free, items like cheese cake, yogurt, extra old cheese, cream (not milk) in my coffee.  A quick internet search can explain why I am able to eat these old cheeses/dairy products with out the fear of the dreaded "lactose cough"

[Apetrus]

For the last 18 years I have it bad every years for months I cough a lot and when I try to talk or after eating, change in temperatures at night you name it I have it. It get to the point that after a long cough I don't feel my body or light headed, I feel like losing control over my body, it's bad when I drive but I can control the car, it all started while on Aircraft Carrier in the Middle East and as a non smoker I had to clean the smoking heads witch you could not see people sitting 5 inch from you because of the smoke. I'm just about to go again to the VA hospital and try to see what I can do. I want to run for office but I can't even make it thru a speach without coughing bad.

[HelpinLA]

I met someone online and for years we have tried so many things and with go no relief UNTIL NOW.   Its not a cure but I have seen a huge improvement.  So please try the following and let me know in couple of weeks if it helps.  I was shocked it help me where doctors could not.

You can buy this at health stores such as Erewhon Natural Foods Market, Sprouts farmers market or online.  This is the brand I bought at at Sprouts

Natures Way  "Marshmallow Root"  Here is a link of a photo so you know what to look and ask for.  It is a white bottle with a green cap with mauve flowers.  http://images.iherb.com/l/NWY-14800-2.jpg

Please let me know if it helps, give it time.  I take as directed.  I am excited it has helped.  It helped my friend in Ohio, I am in Los Angeles.  She said it helped her immediately.  It didn't work for me immediately and I was disappointed that it worked for her but since I bought the darn thing I kept taking it.  By two weeks I realized I wasn't coughing that much.  I think up to 80% less coughing.  Try it can get back to me.  Let me know if this works by clicking on HelpinLA and send me a message
Good Luck

[kojacke]

I've had the same cough since I was about 13. I'm 18 now and it still plagues me and keeps me from sleeping. I cough up a white mucus and it seems to get worse when I am stressed out. I don't get it. Had doctors out the wazoo trying to figure it out and nothing. When I'm not coughing it feels like my throat is covered in a thick mucus that I just can't seem to get rid of no matter what I do. Help?

[mustangmaddi]

Hello.  I've had the same thing over 5 years  now.  I went to every specialist at Kaiser and they gave up.  I'm thinking the only cure is to jump off a bridge (kidding...kind of).  

[eascusa]

I too have had a chronic cough for several years and laryngitus for two years now that started after a cold but never went away. The Dr's don't seem to care enough to do anything about it. I am only 38. I was put on allergy meds but thats wasn't it. I was put on heartburn medicine and that wasn't it. I went to 3 different Dr's. They never sent me to a specialist or ordered any tests. I gave up even asking about it anymore. I just go around sounding like a frog and no body can understand me.And my coughing can be so bad I throw up. Oh well. Maybe some day I will find a decent Dr. Right now I am dealing with other health problems that are more of a concern for me. I am worried but what do you do. It sounds like you have at least had some tests done and thats good. One thing I found out that helped my coughing for a little while was the high blood pressure medicine I was on. It gives you a bad dry cough and feels like something is in your throat. They took me off and it was better until they put me on another one. Then I started coughing bad again. So, I will have to bring this up again to him. Do you take any other meds? Other meds can do it too. I hope you find some help.

[ian1ian1]

Hello there - what I'm about to tell you literally transformed our family's life.  My wife has had a chronic cough for 10 years now.  It started once she got pregnant with our first child.  At first the Doctors thought she was sick and they gave her the normal treatments.  What transpired over the course of a decade was nothing short of hellacious.  

Her cough was so bad - and it was constant - that it affected every part of her life.  From social, to business, to family life.  It was a cough that was there morning, all day, and night.  When she would get on an airplane (which is frequent in her line of work) people would look at her as if she had a deadly illness.  When she would go to school to pick up the kids the other parents would notice that she was always "sick".  

Over the course of 10 years we saw every type of specialist.  First we started with our general practitioner, then we moved on to a pulmonologist.  After that we saw ENTs (ear nose and throat), followed by allergists.  Then we'd get so frustrated when nothing would work that we'd quit awhile and start all over again.  Wherever we went the answer was always the same.  They diagnosed her with asthma or even "cough variant asthma" and would give her all different type of meds to treat it.  We went to a "cough specialist" in a far away city and he diagnosed her with post nasal drip.  

Meds typically included a bronchodilator, inhaled steroids, steroid nasal spray, prednisone (systemic steroids), nebulizers, etc.  None of the medicine helped.  None.  We had mold tests done in the home and everything came back normal.  

An important note, which I didn't realize was important over the years is that she had the cough all year round.  And it was there wherever our travels took us.  It didn't matter if she was in the northeast, southeast (where we live), Canada, Europe, Mexico, etc.  

Fast forward - recently our 9 year old daughter came down with pneumonia twice within 7 weeks.  This really got the attention of our daughter's pediatrician.  She sat down with us and my wife's chronic cough came up (obviously).  When she heard about that she instantly knew and it all made sense.  The pediatrician has 2 kids that had chronic asthma which really upset the doctor since it was her own kids which she cured.  

Here's the solution - she told us that we needed to completely cut out ALL dairy and wheat from our diet and go 100% "paleo".  Listen - if you are as desperate as we were please listen.  Paleo basically means only meats, fruits, and veggies.  No dairy and no wheat.  What we learned from her was that dairy and wheat are the two main food allergens and often simply present as a cough or asthma.  When our doctor cut out dairy from her kids lives their asthma was cured.  

We were reluctant but decided it couldn't hurt to give it a try.  That night I got my wife a chicken salad - no dressing.  The next morning she was slightly better.  I decided I'd keep giving it a chance.  We went all in on the paleo plan religiously with absolutely no dairy and wheat.  Within about a week her cough was about 70% better.  Now we are a few weeks in and it's about 95% gone.  Gone meaning on Thanksgiving day she didn't cough a single time whereas before it'd be every 5 minutes and violent loud coughing.  

Ironically, my brother had been diagnosed with "asthma" 3 years ago.  He got all of the inhalers, steroids, etc.  When I called him to tell him about what the pediatrician told us he was skeptical but he tried it.  He used to use his inhaler for his chronic cough many, many times each day.  Since going off of dairy he hasn't used the medicine a single time.   To test the dairy theory after being clear for a couple of weeks he decided to have as much dairy as he wanted for one day (milk, cheese, pies, etc).  His cough got so bad after that and for the next two days.  After another week of being clear my brother then decided to try just a tablespoon of sour cream with a meal.  Same thing - coughing fits.  Obviously now he won't touch dairy.  

I hope you take this note seriously as I see in the previous thread that a few people mentioned dairy but I thought that this full perspective might help.  And as for my daughter that had pneumonia - she's fine now and dairy free.  Since eliminating dairy she's been allergy and congestion free as well.  

Remember the two main culprits are dairy and wheat in that order.  Others have egg allergies that can cause the same problems.  

Please try this as it broke my heart to read that you were having the same struggle that our family has had.  What you have to remember is that doctors treat the symptoms and most often don't try to find out why you cough.  Sure - you might have post nasal drip or asthma that causes you to cough.  But both of those conditions are simply an inflammation caused by an irritant.  Most likely something that you are eating.  

Best of luck and let me know how you do.  

[Zuri56382]

Hi. Did your wife have a barking cough by any chance. I had pneumonia a year ago and ever since then I have been stuck with a horrible barking cough and have been tested for just about everything as well. Please help me I went from being a healthy, fit, 17 year old athlete to a weak pessimistic 18 year old who ended up deferring college because of this issue. Please I wanna give up

[shr11shr]

My email id is ***@****
Could you please help me. I am having same probelm from past 1.5 years :(

[HelpinLA]

see my comment to Ashisdey.  Try it for possibly temporary relief.

[HelpinLA]

It doesn't seem there is a cure unless it goes away by itself but a cough buddy with the same cough as me is taking Tylenol cold Multi - Symptom for adults caplets.  It's red at top and purple in middle and a little yellow in left hand corner.  She says it helps about 75% in the control of the cough.  It's all I can recommend unless someone contacts me regarding a cure but it helps.

[Ashisdey]

I have Cronic throat cough for 2 years which won't go away from my throat with any medicine. My Chest Xray,Blood test,and urine test are Normal.I feel shortness of breah when my stomach is empty.
How can i get rid of it?

[AustinMoore]

I'm having the same issue to I had had a very bad chronic cough for over 3 years now and its driving me crazy iv even had moments were I could not stop coughing and went blind for 10 to 15 sec iv also get to the point that I can hardly breath I'm like a fish out of water a lot and no one know what's wrong with me and I don't smoke or drink or anything.

[hava]

Do Ujjayi pranayam 3 to 21 times daily. This will stimulate the thyroid and throat area. Initially you will cough , when you try to do ujjayi, but keep trying.
Search for 'Ujjayi hava'  on this site, to learn how to do it. Your feedback will help others.

[TheDoctor_Who]

Also, an ENT told me I probably have sleep apnea, but tests said negative.
Sleep apnea can cause a chronic cough as well if you have that... your snoring may be more. I don't, but might help someone else.

[TheDoctor_Who]

Chronic cough 2 years now. I'm a singer and it's all I'm passionate about, and I haven't been able to sing without a gagging cough. Everything you described in your original post sounds like me. I've had CT scan, Lyrnscopy, Bronchoscopy, x-ray, inhalers, asthma/breathing tests, reflux meds, etc. I've seen 8 doctors; no help. I was put on Claritin D and a nasal spray two weeks ago. Coughing is better but side effects for both medications includes cough, sore throat, dry mouth,etc. and it makes my lose my voice entirely. But I still can't sing without coughing. I don't really have "fits" just when I talk too long or sing at all. Quality of voice is gone. Codeine seemed to help a little, but don't want to be dependent.  
I cough up white foam sometimes almost like a small vomit because my throat opens up. I cough so hard it causes me to vomit sometimes. If I wasn't passionate about singing, I wouldn't care about my cough, but I NEED to find a treatment/cure!!! Thanks

[HelpinLA]

Are you still taking the pill?

Did your coughing go away or you need to continuously take the pill to control the cough.

Thanks

[lazam]

Take Turmeric (Curcumin) supplement with honey. It worked for me on a year old dry cough.

[MrBjorn]

Well, if u can do a CT scan , do it.

My cough don't go away. For me I think the only choices are asthma or reflux. Not sure if a scan would reveal any new info for me. But ifI have the chance, I will do one.

[coughinjock]

hi - if it makes you feel any better i've had same for about 12yrs now and have even been to see a Professor at the Royal Brompton  Hospital in London prior to emigrating to Aus....all to no avail - I was told if the codine works then use that....great stuck on codine for the rest of my natural!!! only thing I haven't had
is a CT scan  - would you recommend this as perhaps the final test???

[MrBjorn]

I have assimilation cough, ten years. All tests negativa, exceptionellt as light indikation On reflux. Reflux tablets dosent make any difference though.

Codeine helps. But my doctor doesn't want me take it longer than 2-3 weeks, but it almost stops then. He speculates it might indicate its a bad habit.

I wanted to lose weight four years ago, and had a VLCD cure, soups three times a day for 10 weeks. After 6-7 weeks the cough disappeared. Supports it is reflux.

My best shots after ten years of coughing :-) I think it's reflux, but to subtle for tablets to help.

[JESTER_7]

I also have been plagued with this same strange cough. I live in Las Vegas, and the cough usually begins every fall after a mild cold/flu. The cough then lasts for months. I do not cough when I sleep (but I do use a C-PAP, so the air is filtered.) I begin coughing shortly after getting up in the morning, and the cough seems to get worse in the evening. It is productive, and I feel like I have a huge ball of phlegm in my throat and if I could just get one really good cough, I could cough it up.
I've seen every type of Dr from an internist, to an ENT, a pulmonologist,  an allergist (currently). None of them seem to really know what to do. I use nasal washes, and that does help for a while (an hour or so) and then it starts again. Sometimes I cough so much I get really bad headaches. Then as soon as the temperature gets to ~ 90 degrees (Late May-early June) the cough stops as suddenly as it started. Any info from anyone with similar issues who has had success with any treatment would be greatly appreciated..

[wiget]

I too have an undiagnosable  chronic cough. It is a dry cough. I quit smoking almost 5 years ago, have had a Nissen Fundiplcation to help with acid reflux, taken many asthma and COPD meds with no results. I've had EKGS, CT's, chest x-rays, blood tests, allergy tests, etc. I've been told that I had spots in my lungs at different times and in different places, but no one seems to know what causes them or why they move. Cough syrups, Tessalon Pearls and other meds don't seem to help. (or at least not for long) I also have shortness of breath at times.

I tried the GERD diet - where you cut out almost all spices and anything very spicy. It didn't do much good. I tried not eating dairy, that didn't help. I tried giving up meat, that didn't help. I don;t know what to do except keep on with the meds and trying to pace myself on everyday life. Oh and moving around makes my cough worse. If anyone has any answers, I'd love to hear them.

[MoniVr]

I am very sorry for all couch sufferers here. Maybe my experience helps. My mother had a cronic cough that started quietly during the day and by the  evening it was unbearable. Doctors told her it was nothing, Gave her antibiotics etc. Nothing helped.
Then after 6 months I just couldn't see her suffering anymore and buried myself in books. I decided it was food/vitamin related. So what could she loose. She stopped all her medication and vitamins and went on a full vegetable diet.
After 3 days she was much better. Vinegar, yoghurt (not homeade natural yoghurt), cranberry juice and acidic fruits set her cough off. It seemed the really culperate was the cranberry juice, which she had been drinking for about 6 months. A new flavour she discovered.
My advice is try to get of all vitamin pills and begin a vegeatbel diet. Vegetables are pretty neutral. (not fruit). If you see an improvement introduce food slowly after all the coughing has gone. You will be surprised by the results. The things they are putting into the food these days is terrible. Or bodys feeling the effects and becoming more sensitive to additives.
Anyway, I hope this helps. Get better soon.