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Persistent cough after proton therapy (IMPT) and chemo: What helps?

Posted by jfh1970 @jfh1970, Apr 20 6:36am

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.

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sepdvm | Apr 20 9:14am

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?

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jfh1970 | @jfh1970 | Apr 21 6:40am
In reply to @sepdvm "Hello @jfh1970. I have not had this symptom, but my husband is a respiratory therapist and..." + (show)
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sepdvm

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?

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@sepdvm Thank you. I have used a humidifier ever since I got home from Mayo. It helped with the dry mouth but not really with the coughing. Have tried a dual acting inhaler at my PC’s suggestion too, but that didn’t make any difference.

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hopeblos | @hopeblos | Apr 21 7:28am

My husband is a year out from chemo radiation treatment for HPV positive tongue cancer and has a cough also. Some of it is related to clearing his throat post radiation, some is from nasal discharge due to allergies and some gi related due to reflux. This said, there are many factors.

Yours sounds especially bad? That must be awful. Have you seen a lung doctor and a GI doctor to rule out other causes.

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