Persistent cough after IMPT and chemo

Posted by jfh1970 @jfh1970, 11 hours ago

HPV 16+ T2N1M0 - had effective treatment wih proton.
The one treatment side effect I have not been able to shake is a cough. Since finishing treatment at Mayo in October I have had a virtual non-stop cough. I am trying to clear gunk in my upper respiratory area 24/7. Occasionally it gets so bad that I actually vomit. Taking OTC guaifenesin and prescription benzonatate, which help somewhat.

Has anyone else had this problem? If so, what helped and did it eventually stop?

Thanks.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Head & Neck Cancer Support Group.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sepdvm | 8 hours ago

Hello @jfh1970. I have not had this symptom, but my husband is a respiratory therapist and always stresses the thinning of secretions to enable coughing them up. An ultrasonic humidifier is an easy thing to run 24 hours a day near where you spend time. Obviously right beside the bed all night is best. I have one on all fall-winter-spring because of my dry mouth from radiation. Even better penetration into airways is a saline nebulizer where you do treatments throughout the day. Mucolytics like Mucomyst can be nebulized also. Ask your doctors about a script for that. Is your cough productive? Do you cough something up? Or are your airways so irritated from coughing that it is a dry cough? Perhaps a steroid inhaler would help to reduce irritation? Another question for your doctor, or perhaps they could refer you to a respiratory therapist for some advice?