Cough cures

[Prancer]

Just trying to talk makes me feel like I'm out of breath.

I have always been told that if I get out of breath just talking, I need to see a doctor. And not next week.

Have you ever had a steroid shot? Because I have a feeling there is one in your future if you don't get a handle on this cough.

 

[Spun Silver]

Go to the doctor, @hanca! http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/sinus-headaches

@Gazpacho, I personally would try taking a little more of the codeine but IIRC when I overdid it I got wired and couldnt sleep, which is the last thing you want when you have an infection and exhausting cough. A very simple but slight remedy is ginger tea. It has a little "heat" that helps clear the sinuses, but it's not a substitute for medicine except when your trouble is just the common cold. Better luck tonight!

 

[Allskate]

Any tips on dealing with a lingering hacking cough? I had the flu (even though I got the vaccine wtf) with a fever and some other symptoms, but they mostly went away. The cough has gotten increasingly worse though.

I've dealt with this. Terrible allergies led to sinus and respiratory infections and cough. After the antibiotics and prednisone (which was really not fun to be on), I still had a bad cough. I could not talk without coughing. My allergist told me that having a cough can actually cause you to cough. And that the key to curing this is not to cough. So much easier said than done! He told me not to talk at all for a week or two. That did reduce the coughing. He also told me to try to suppress any coughing if I could, even smaller coughs. He pointed out that I would be much more aware of any coughing if I had something in my mouth, like a lollipop. So, I sucked on those pectin lollipops that they sell in the cold and flu aisle at CVS.

The other thing that I do when I have a cold and cough is drink the lemon/ginger/echinacea drink (heated up) that they sell at Trader Joe's.

 

[Deleted member 1204]

Post-viral cough can last a long time. There's nothing you can do about it. But I will say this- if you have a dry cough that goes on much longer than you think it should, see a doctor to have your ears checked. If you have something in your eternal ear canal near the ear drum, there is an area there that can cause cough when irritated. I've seen it happen with ear wax, a foreign body, and also a small hair. As soon as it is removed, the cough stops. Probably not what most people are dealing with, but something to keep in the back of your mind...

 

[Alixana]

Interesting that when my mom was in the ER with acute bronchitis and looking for cough syrup, the ER doc recommended 1 tsp of buckwheat honey every 6 hours. According to him, there are studies showing that this type of honey is more effective than most cough syrups.

 

[moebius]

Has anyone mentioned rubbing Vick's Vapor Rub on the soles of your feet? I am also asthmatic and prone to bad coughing fits during URIs. The Vick's does seem to help sometimes

Already tried it and doesn't work.

 

[nlloyd]

@Gazpacho LOL at the "Stockholm Syndrome"! I've never tried Buckley's and it's not sounding overly inviting right now.

If you do try the onion juice, let us know how that goes.

 

[hanca]

I have held off on taking the steroid pill (prednisone) that was prescribed because I had to take it twice in the past for allergic reactions, and both times it made me into a sobbing hysterical bitch.

I'm debating whether to take the prednisone or try the onion juice first. Hmm....

I am voting for the honey/onion cure, if you already tried prednisone in the past and it had unwanted effect. Honey/onion will not have any side effects and all you may lose is a few days if it doesn't work. It honestly doesn't taste as vile as it smells.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

I have held off on taking the steroid pill (prednisone) that was prescribed because I had to take it twice in the past for allergic reactions, and both times it made me into a sobbing hysterical bitch.

I'm debating whether to take the prednisone or try the onion juice first. Hmm....

Take. The damn. Steriod.

Had you told the doctor about your past reactions to it? There may be another steriod he can prescribe instead. But if the only thing that will really knock this out is the presdnisone, take the prednisone.

 

[Gazpacho]

Update. I'm doing much better. Still coughing a bit, but I'm not suffering miserably like I was. The doctor prescribed a drug called benzonatate. It's a little gel capsule. I found that this worked by far the best. There were times when 100mg helped a bit, but there were also times when I had to take 200mg because 100mg did absolutely nothing, but 200mg worked well. So if you're in this situation, I recommend asking your doctor for that medication.

 

[barbk]

This caught my attention -- I'm still coughing after a cold from 6 weeks ago. No longer the harsh cough that totally wasted my vocal cords for three weeks and caused me to pull muscles in my back and around my ribs, but a small cough that brings up mucus from my throat multiple times an hour. I am so sick and tired of it. (Whatever that cold was whomped us for weeks. Nasty stuff.)

Thanks for the report, Gazpacho and everyone else. Off to see the doctor tomorrow.

 

[Susan1]

Has anyone mentioned rubbing Vick's Vapor Rub on the soles of your feet? I am also asthmatic and prone to bad coughing fits during URIs. The Vick's does seem to help sometimes

I was going to post this same thing. My cousin's widow just went through the same kind of thing (cold, bronchitis, lingering cough) and that is her go-to. I would think it would work better on your chest (closer to the source?) and wear an old flannel nightgown or t-shirt.

Prednisone - my mom was on that for her COPD (and I am on 5 mg. a day for the RA). Just take the smallest dose that will help IN THE MORNING (don't space them out through the day), taper down and don't just stop taking it till you have done that.

Good luck.

 

[Susan1]

I have always been told that if I get out of breath just talking, I need to see a doctor. And not next week.

Have you ever had a steroid shot? Because I have a feeling there is one in your future if you don't get a handle on this cough.

Sorry to post twice in a row, but this was on the second page - Celestone (steroid) shot!!!! I don't know about coughs, but I've had them for sinus infections and felt 100% better by the time I got home.

 

[Spun Silver]

Great news, Gazpacho!

 

[Gazpacho]

This caught my attention -- I'm still coughing after a cold from 6 weeks ago. No longer the harsh cough that totally wasted my vocal cords for three weeks and caused me to pull muscles in my back and around my ribs, but a small cough that brings up mucus from my throat multiple times an hour. I am so sick and tired of it. (Whatever that cold was whomped us for weeks. Nasty stuff.)

Thanks for the report, Gazpacho and everyone else. Off to see the doctor tomorrow.

My cough wasn't mucousy, but I can definitely relate to the rest of your post. I got costochondritis too. It felt like being stabbed every time I coughed.

A study showed that the best treatment was a combination of 600mg guaifenesin (available over the counter in the US and probably other countries) and 200mg benzonatate. I tried it and it seemed to help.

For the guaifenesin, get the syrup or pill that is just guaifenesin alone, not a combination product. I got both and took the syrup at night because the alcohol in it helped me sleep, and the pill in the daytime.

http://www.goodrx.com/blog/whats-the-best-cough-medicine/

I hope you feel better soon!

 

[susan6]

I've also had a lingering dry cough since having the flu 2 months ago. I finally went to the doctor who looked at my chest xrays (which didn't show anything wrong) and said "reactive airway disease". Which, despite having the scary word "disease" in it, seems to be a meaningless catch-all for "not sure what's up, but it will probably go away eventually."