I'll add this, a friend dealing with lung cancer had such a relentless cough after surgery that she developed microfractures in most of her ribs until a nurse told her to demand hydrocodone. She did and was able to head off a bad cough before the automatic cough spasm reflex response (or what felt like that) kicked in.

I had what I call a pulmonary trifecta, diagnosed after the fact by tests for antibodies as pulmonary pneumonia, influenza B and a suspicion of whooping cough several years ago sailing in freezing weather and docking in a small town in the throes of a whooping cough outbreak that no one knew about yet. I don't know what I would have done without hydrocodone but I vow to never be without it again just in case. At the least, it allowed some tiny respite, sleep, until I got to the doctor. I think doctors (or legislators until they need them) have become unreasonable in their intolerance for meds that are used wisely by the majority of the general public because a few corrupt doctors sell them indiscriminately. And hydrocodone is one example.