Night Coughs

Yes, this is normal for many of us! I had asymptomatic and untreated bronchiectasis (seen on ct scans) for many years. Once I started having chronic dry night time coughing, a new primary care dr felt my "regular" pulmonologist wasn't being aggressive enough and I eventually ended up in a specialty bronchiectasis & Mac center where I was found to have Mac.
There are many similar stories here. The phlegm in our lungs moves around and triggers cough when we lie down, even if nothing comes up.

Night time coughing seems to go with the territory. When I am stable I have less coughing at night. Have you dropped off a sputum sample to see if you have anything brewing? Also, airway clearance in the evening before sleep might help. If you cough when you lie down, try lying down during airway clearance, which might help to bring up gunk before turning in.

@scoop Thanks Scoop. I guess you can say I am stable about 85 to 90 percent of the time. Is that about normal for people like us?

@picartist Are you practicing GERD precautions? I don't generally cough at night, but if I did, and I wasn't having some form of exacerbation, I would be questioning whether it could be GERD/silent reflux. GERD/silent reflux is known to cause coughing when lying down. If you haven't had a full GERD work-up, its something to consider. IMO everyone with BE should have a full GERD workup, but I know that doesn't always happen. Just food for thought.

A lot of my issue is post nasal drip. I've tried everything from nasal sprays to antihistamines and cough meds.
I don't have a current MAC infection but the bronchiectasis is alive and well. On my last visit my dr told me to take 1 Chlor-Trimeton right before going to bed. I couldn't find it under that name, but the generic is chlorpheniramine maleate.( OTC) I have been pleasantly surprised how well this works. It can make you drowsy - like Benadryl. I don't notice because it's literally the last thing I do before going to bed. I also take meds for GERD but it's pretty much under control at this point.
Let us know what finally works for you!
Karen

@bayarea58 I guess a simple way to check would be to try something like Pepcid. My doctor has prescribed that OTC for my wife who has some Gerd. My only symptom of that would be chest pain, none of the other typical symptoms apply to me.

@picartist not necessarily. Pepcid may reduce acid, but it doesn't eliminate reflux. Chest pain is a main symptom of GERD (though certainly it can be related to many other things too). Of course many here have silent GERD/reflux which has no symptoms. Either way, it sounds like it may be useful for you to look into the GERD sleep precautions, e.g. sleep with torso elevated, no food/beverages 3 hours before bed, etc. Maybe others can lend their experience with regard to night time GERD/silent reflux precautions.

While I often get a productive cough during nebulizing with saline, when using the aerobika, or doing yoga, almost every night when I get into bed I have a dry cough. A friend of mine who has had asthma all his life suggested I try wearing a light mask going to bed. I tried it and it works very well. I inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth. The moisture from my exhalation helps to soothe whatever is angry and making me cough. Sometimes the coughing doesn’t stop immediately but mostly it helps if I persevere. If I get up in the night, I usually cough just a little when I lie back down. Again the mask is helpful, so I started wearing it all night. It will be interesting to see if it works when the heat gets turned on. I started doing this during the summer.
I am 80 years old have MAC and PA along with a mild BE, diagnosed in early 2024. The doctors suggested I not be treated with antibiotics, so thanks to this group my regime is nebbing with 7% saline and using aerobika twice a day and doing exercise. I will have a follow up CT next month—the first after being diagnosed.
It is so disruptive to have a night cough. I hope that you find something that works for you to ease it.

@picartist What I meant is that coughing is reduced except during exacerbations. For some that percentage is higher or lower. It's helpful to know where the bronchiectasis is in your lungs so that you can target those areas during clearance. For example, I have some right upper lobe involvement and I can usually get that out from an upright seated position. For anything below that it can be helpful to lie down with hips propped up on a sleeping wedge or pillows/blankets with head slanted down.

@scoop I must have it down low because when I lie down on the right side it comes up without a lot of trouble, particularly in the early afternoon after I exercise. I make it a point to lie down every day between 1 and 2 as part of the clearance. I have only been diagnosed with this about a year and a half, still learning.