Tickle in throat

[Nomad]

Very frustrated due to tickle in throat and subsequent cough for about 8 days. Anyone else have this? Tried OTC stuff...didn't help.
Have slight post nasal drip. At night I cough my head off.
Slightly worse today. Called doc and he phoned in tesslon pearls (sp?), nasal spray, said to take Zyrtec and a z pac to take if it doesn't get better in 2 days.
I'm getting grouchy.
Anyone else had this and is it possibly related to Sj Syndrome?
Also, what helps? Going bonkers!

[Jasper]

Nomad .....

I had a bad sinus infection last March and ended up with a cough that lasted for months. It was like a post viral cough when the cough reflex is overly sensitive.

In the past I have had an infrequent dry cough which is related to the sinus congestion and dry throat of Sjogren's Disease. It was a dry cough and was shallow, more local, in the throat.

However, this recent cough was frequent and severe. Over several months, I had 2 courses of antibiotics,  a cough medication with codeine (which did work), Benzonatate pearls (which did not work, actually made it worse), a 5 day course of Prednisone 40 mg per day (which helped a lot), and Nasalcourt nasal spray (which seems to be helping). I am still on the Nasalcourt nasal spray. In fact, the cough is almost cleared up.

My own feeling is that Sjogren's is playing a part in this (because of the extra dryness we have in our throats and airways).

I realize that our situations are different. I did have the sinus infection first and then the cough decided to stay even though the sinus infection cleared up. You have the cough which is hanging around. I think the postnasal drip plays a part, but I have had that since 1979, so postnasal drip was not the sole cause of this cough which started in March.

I find that my throat gets irritated easily, and I think it is that the cough reflex is more sensitive than it has been in the past. Air aggravates my throat. Water does not calm it. Previously, when it was just a dry cough aggravated by dryness, drinking water used to calm it.

Mine is improved. I do nasal saline irrigations daily or twice daily, then use the Nasalcourt nasal spray (once daily after one of the nasal saline rinses). At bedtime I spray my mouth and throat with MighTeaFlow moisturizing mouth spray. I also take 2 MighTeaFlow lozenges. That gets me through the night, usually. If I wake up coughing, I suck on the MighTeaFlow lozenges, which calms it down. During the day, I suck on MighTeaFlow lozenges.

I hope your situation improves with the treatment that you have been prescribed.

[cccourt1942]

I swear by Mucinex.  I cut mine in half even tho they are SR.  A GP gave me the hint (thick saliva was her take) and this topic has been discussed here numerous times.  Therefore, you can do a search for Mucinex and a plethora of comments, helpful ideas can be viewed.

Good luck.  this is one of the symptoms which continued to be so bad within the last year before my SjS dx...and only AFTER the dx did I realize when I would wake up suddenly coughing so badly that I was actually choking as I didn't have enough to automatically swallow.  I believe this as I would sit up in bed (maybe not really in my sleep...but it seemed so) and I would start guzzling water...which of course kept me up the rest of the night going to the bathroom.  It's miserable. 

Sjoldier c3

[sixty]

Hi Nomad, I've had frequent episodes with tickles in my throat which prompt coughing.  For me it happens in the middle of the night and last for anywhere from and hour to more, but it's always better in the morning.  I feel so bad for you that it's lasting so long.  I never found an answer to it but it seems to have gone away over the past months and even years, so maybe there's hope for you.  Always have a glass of water by your bedside.

[Nomad]

Worsening...pressure in chest

Maybe bronchitis.

Advice re bronchitis please. Thank u.

[cccourt1942]

You need an expectorant.  Can be OTC....since it's Sunday evening.
c3

[araminta]

I have this problem intermittently, and for a while I had a rather alarming symptom where my throat hurt when I swallowed - someone on this forum suggested it was GERD, and I think they were right - you can google the symptoms.   Anyway I bought a generic anti-heartburn medication, and it seems to have made a big difference.   It's just possible that what you think is post-nasal drip is in fact a GERD symptom.

[katie1111]

I had a cough that lasted for 3 years.  I changed doctors and discovered my cough, which I thought was due to post nasal drip was actually due to GERD.  You might want to see if Tums helps.

Katie1111

[irish]

I have a huge problem with swollen lymph tissue in the back of my throat. I am dry but not always terribly dry. This lymph tissue has crannies that fill up with really thick mucus and causes a pressure that precipitates a cough. Every night for many years I am coughing and hacking to get the mucus plugs out.

About 5 years ago or so I had laser done on this lymph tissue to remove this. The doctor just took off a very thin layer. He had to be very careful because if too much of this lymph tissue is taken the back of the throat is opened up. This will allow food and liquid to literally slide down the throat as the throat gets opened up too much. Have too be careful with this type of issue. Some of this tissue can be old tonsil tissue that has grown back after and earlier tonsil removal.

Just thought I would mention this as it is another of the weird stuff that can happen. Irish

[DarleneB]

Do you take an ACE inhibitor.. some people (me) can't process this drug and causes this cough.  I have used tensilon pearls for a bad cough and it does work ..even though it is such a tiny pill

[Navigator]

Since I was diagnosed I find that it takes me months and months (even over a year) to get over illnesses.  I tend to try to let the body deal with it ...but I had a chest cough for so long I even resorted to a CT scan, afraid it was lymphoma or something in the lungs. All came back clear.  Eventually it has mostly resolved itself. No more cough but I do have off and on congestion.  At least you can be assured others have experienced the same thing.