Is anyone else dealing with a neurogenic cough?

I was dealing with a severe cough for six weeks. Medical tests revealed everything was fine. I used some Walgreens red cough drops and Ayr nasal gel. The cough left. I really don’t know what solved the problem.

Yes, I have had a chronic cough for 35-40 years. Over 10 years ago I sought treatment for the first time; the “cough expert” had me try 5 different drugs in succession, each for 10’days-3 weeks. Nothing worked. Recently I started seeing a speech pathologist and a throat expert. The throat expert uses an injection of a desensitizing mixture of lidocaine and an anti-inflammatory steroid into my neck very near the nerve innervating the vocal cords (laryngeal nerve?). I had my first injection about 3 weeks ago, and I haven’t noticed a difference in my cough. My second injection is coming up and I’ll have them at monthly intervals for a while, not sure how long. The doctor claims most people are helped with this. So far, I can’t say it’s helped me. Yet.

In reading your post, your laryngeal block is likely what I just started on with one injection. I found a specialist in the Baltimore area while corresponding with Laurie J Slovarp at University of Montana (not allowed to post her email here, but you could find it).

She has developed a protocol for using capsaicin in desensitizing the throat, and she sent me a map of the U.S. with the names of people around the country who have trained in her method. My throat specialist is the only one so trained in my area; she wanted to try the laryngeal block before resorting to the capsaicin method.

Check the posts after going to ENT and look at newest. Anyway, throat specialists are using “nerve block” injections with some success.

I tried amitriptyline; it was one of 5 drugs tried, in succession, to find something that might reduce my cough. It made me very drowsy, as much as an antihistamine chlortrimetron, one of the remaining 4 drugs. It occurred to me that I might eventually adapt, but after a couple of weeks with no improvement, I stopped using it. Here’s one possibility, I know about but haven’t tried: Laurie J Slovarp at University of Montana has developed a method for desensitizing chronic cough with capsaicin. You can find her email and write; she’ll send you a list of people around the country who are trained in her method. I don’t know what her success rate is, but I think it’s worth looking into.

I’m so glad to find this space. I’ve been dealing with a chronic cough for over a year. Like others have mentioned I have tried cough suppressant, inhalers, allergy medicine, acid, reflex meds and none work. I’ve seen a pulmonologist done breathing test and chest CT. I’ve tried different types of inhalers because they thought it was asthma. Nothing seems to work. Finally, my pulmonologist referred me to ENT. I saw them last week and after speaking with them about what I’ve been dealing with for the last year, and all the things that I’ve done and tried, he diagnosed me with neurogenic cough. He said that it goes undiagnosed quite a bit. He put me on amitriptyline 10 mg that I increase every five days until I get to 80 mg but can stop at the dose that seems to lessen my cough by 80%. Praying this works, it has disrupted my life quite a bit. People I work with constantly think that I’m sick and I have to explain that I feel fine and it’s just a chronic cough. Being in public and coughing people stare at you like you must have Covid. It’s disrupt to sleep and daily activities. For those of you that have been dealing with this for 20 years, I’m so sorry. I cannot imagine looking back 20 years from now still dealing with the same cough. Hoping we all find something that works.

By chance have any of you been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder? I have been and I’m wondering if this cough has anything to do with it.

So sorry to hear. Are you interested in being part of a zoom sharing group? Please send your info to me—see above

May I ask, can you say yet whether amytriptyline makes you drowsy? I tried it many years ago and the feeling was a pretty unpleasant drowsiness. Now when I see your initial 10 mg dose, I wonder if my doctor prescribed an initial high dose, and if I should go back and try it again, but ramping up from an initial low dose. And, you’ve only been on it for a week or so, but do you notice any improvement yet? Also, ask your doctor about laryngeal nerve blocks. They’re an injection of an anesthetic and and anti-inflammatory into the neck close to the laryngeal nerve. I thought it was going to hurt a lot but I hardly felt it.

I was instructed to start at 10mg and up by 10mg every 4-5 days. I’m at 20mg now for the last two days. I did wake up pretty drowsy, but had such good sleep. I haven’t slept this good since my first child was born 13 years ago. That being said I’m not sure how I’ll do moving beyond 20mg. Maybe my body will start to adjust and that is why the doctor instructed to increase every 4-5 days. I didn’t feel any difference with 10 mg, but do feel like 20 has helped a little.

Yes, I would for sure! What info do you need? Just email?