Connect
Chronic Cough: what might be the cause?
I’ve had a chronic cough for over 2 months. Drs say it’s allergies but nothing is helping. It’s worse at night. I have a little nasal drip but mostly starts as a tickle in the throat and ends up coughing until I feel like I break ribs, I pee and tears run. I’m not sleeping lately either.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Support Group.
Connect
I suggest you see an Ear, Nose, Throat doctor. They will look down your throat with a tiny scope (no it doesn't hurt, actually feels kinda good) and see if you have Laryngeal Sensory Neuropathy, a little known condition. After 4 years of coughing and seeing every doctor I could I finally went to an ENT just to rule out any throat condition and, what do you know, he diagnosed me in about 5 minutes. I hope that is not the condition you have, but at least it's worth a check up to find out. Good luck!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsSo the doctor visit I had on Tuesday was for a separate issue with my shoulder and nose due to an injury and she referred me to an ENT because of the nose injury. So I think I’m going to go over that information with her as well as long as I am there. Thank you for the information. There was another lady here that told me about the condition that you have and I have researched it and I am not want to self diagnos but it sounds a lot like my symptoms.
I was taking lisinopril and couldn’t clear my throat in the morning. Now it’s much improved after stopping the lisinopril. I had been taking it for about 20 years.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI always had that light cough being on lisinopril but when this started as a chronic cough I though …is it related or is it something else. We’re waiting to see.
hi @texanna. if i may ask, once you were diagnosed by ENT, what was his or her solution?
@willows
Years ago a doctor put me on lisinopril. Shortly after I developed a chronic cough. I hadn't read the possible side effects and never suspected that lisinopril was causing the cough so I made an appointment to see the doctor again. She immediately said it was lisinopril, apparently it's not uncommon. She switched me to a different BP medication and all was OK. I no longer take a BP medication at all though.
JK
Lucky you not to have to take a blood pressure medication. How did you end up getting off?
Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But here's the drill: first they put you on a low dose of antidepressants. How bad could that be? The world is in a mess, yada yada ya. The cough lessened greatly for about 30 days. Then it was back in force. So next was gabapentin. It never did anything at all. Then we went to steroid shots in my neck. Sounds horrible but you don't feel it much...just a quick pinch. I did that for a year and realized it was not doing anything to help. Then I saw an acupuncturist for 2 or 3 visits. Nothing, but the rest of me felt great. Now, I take a supplement called VITAAE from Sane.com. Read all about it on their website. It has slowed the cough tremendously...2 or 3 times a day and none at night. I hope you have better results if that is what you're diagnosed with. Again, good luck!
Oh my goodness that’s a lot! Sounds like you’ve tried almost everything there is. I’m glad you found something that mostly works.
Hi, @willows That's a good question. My BP has been borderline for a long time but recently it has been fine. Unfortunately, I think that may be due to a medication I am taking and will be off of around the end of the year. At that point I expect it will be borderline again.
The PCP I did have really wanted me to go on BP medication again but I resisted. My BP was so close to being OK that I just didn't want to add another medication but if it gets worse I will.
JK