Bad cough two months post lobectomy

Posted by elyser @elyser, Jun 30 7:41am

I am two months post lobectomy. I was told to expect a cough for a month or so. I have had a bad cough but it seems to be getting worse. I was put on the benzoate pearls (spelling?) which didn't work. Then they doubled my dosage on those and that still didn't work. I have of taken OTC cough syrup and also prescription cough syrup, which didn't help. I suck on cough drops a lot which is soothing to my throat and sometimes helps me stop coughing. But lately I am losing progress. Climbing stairs and walking quickly had become doable but I am now out of breath doing those things. This loss of progress is very discouraging. As is the impact that coughing so much of the time has had on my life. Any thoughts?

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frouke | @frouke | Jun 30 8:39am

I know it’s pretty daunting after a lobectomy, so many changes inside afterwards. A lobectomy is a major surgery and it will take some time to heal and feel almost like yourself again, two months is still fairly recent and I recall feeling different for a long time but it also depends on your age, how the surgery went and what physical strength you had to begin with. I did have some coughing post surgery and lots of aches and pains, however it’s different for everyone, my best advice would be to use your instincts and see the doctor if it persists, best wishes.

cmcguire10 | @cmcguire10 | Jul 1 3:17pm

I would get an appointment with your doctor. A cough is normal but if the meds aren’t working and you feel it’s getting worse its time to get it checked with an X-ray.

blm1024 | @blm1024 | Jul 1 7:54pm

I had the very same thing happen to me post LLL.
After trying the pearls, cough suppressants, etc. to no avail my cardio thoracic surgeon sent me for an X-ray. Turns out I had a pleural effusion and needed a thoracentesis. You should reach out to your doctor. Hoping you feel better soon!!!

annallee | @annallee | Jul 2 9:37am

I also had a bad cough following surgery - if my lungs were not retaining water, my feet and ankles were. I started using Trelogy, but the cost was too great, so I am now using my nebulizer with Arformoterol Tartrate. This helped to stop the cough, increasing my formicide helped with the water retention. Unfortunately, I am still out of breath easily and cannot seem to find a solution to that. I am on oxygen 24/7 - and still get short of breath easily, but this post is about you - talk with your pulmonologist to see if an inhaler will help you.

denzie | @denzie | Jul 5 9:36am

The increased difficulty on exertion could be symptom of a new problem. Do reach out to your doctor.

elyser | @elyser | Jul 5 2:17pm

Thanks for the replies! I ended up having a CT scan (no pneumonia, no blood clots) and being put on steroids which initially made me nearly cough free. Wow! But now as my dosage is coming down, I'm feeling the cough return. Once I'm done with the steroids, I will start an inhaler.

brarko | @brarko | Jul 14 10:18pm

I had a right lower lobectomy February 2024 to remove a 9cm mass which was malignant. Keyhole surgery followed a 9 week chemotherapy regime. That went very well. I had some fluid buildup but nothing serious. I did develop a cough after the surgery which produced a phlegmy result. I took over the counter cough suppressants, for many months an expectorant type which did suppress the cough but produced more phlegm. About 2 months ago I switched to a dry-cough type, bought from a pharmacy. My cough has now all but disappeared. It’s now mid July 2025 so it has been almost 18 months since the lobectomy. I’m very glad for that as I was coughing myself awake at night and very ragged coughing fits frequently through the day.