cough and lynnmarie219

[lawmom]

Lynnmarie, I hope its ok to ask directly.

I am a newbie (see forum).

I too have a persistent dry cough which has been evaluated by my GP, allergist and an ENT and no diagnosis.  My husband is at his wits end as the constant cough/throat clearing is sending him round the bend! 
Is there no help?

[sandramarie]

Hi,
I am also a newbie and have had a persistent cough for a year now.  My doc put me on gerd meds -no help, different meds for post nasal drip and nothing helped.  On this site they spoke about Musinex.  I tried it this week and my cough is gone! This cough was so bad when I was at a party over the holidays and the coughing fit started  someone asked" who let the barking dog in"!  I was in a class last spring and would have to leave the room during lectures  - just so the group could hear the speaker.  It may not be a cure for you but it has really helped me and worth a try.  They also have talked about a personal humidifier - and that sounds great.  Have you tried saline nasal spray?
I am new and looking for help with this too, let me know if you find anything that works/  I guess it makes me a little thinking about the connection with sjs and what that means.
Best to you
Sandy

[Scottietottie]

Hi Lawmom 

Is your cough down in your lungs or sort of high up - above chest level?  I've had a dry, sqeaky cough for awhile now and it turned out it was acid reflux causing acid to get up into my upper respiratory tract.  I was given a double dose of Omeprazole and also Gaviscon to try and settle it down.

Obviously it depends what's causing it in the first place.

Take care - scottie 

[Tinker]

Sandra,
Have you been checked for asthma?   I didn't know I had it until I was in my 30's and had a big, big attack.

I also sounded like a barking dog.

[lawmom]

Thanks everyone! 

I have reflux and am treated for it.  I have mild asthma, but this is not it!  Saline, nasonex, all tried, and do not work.

The cough is like a tickle in my throat.  I need to clear my throat or cough continuously. 

It is very irritating!

[lynnmarie219]

Hi Lawmom!

Sorry that I didn't see this sooner......my cough is as you say....not a hard cough...just a soft cough or more of a clearing of the throat. I too have GERD and am on Protonix for that...have asthma and am on meds for that (Singulair, Advair, and Albuterol). Sometimes the Albuterol helps me if there is an irritant in the air, but that is not usually the case.

Ive been on the nasonex, saline, I drink water and other other things throughout the day , etc . I think it is just dry and thats the way it is.

I continue to take my pilocarpine to give me more saliva.....and that seems to help but doesn't last all day. I can take up to 5 pills a day but don't. Do you take this med? It may help....

And don't worry about asking any direct questions here.....I'm fine with direct questions as are most people who come here! I'm just sorry that I didn't see it sooner!

[lawmom]

Hi LynneMarie,

Thanks for responding- sorry I did not see your reply sooner!

I have not seen the rheumatologist yet (blood work negative except for elevated ESR) so not diagnosed as yet.

I am not on any medications yet for SJS, but I have reflux meds, nasonex, saline, singulair etc. just like you. 

I wondered about the cough and whether its related to SJS, and it sounds like it might be. 

Thanks for the input from everyone!

[irish]

lawmom, Do you happen to be on a blood pressure pill called Vasotec or capoten. Verapamil or captopril are the generic. These have a cough as a side effect. Some people have really hard cough and others just a very irritating cough. Irish

[Linda196]

Actually I think the generic for Vasotec is enalapril, and the trade name for verapamil is Isoptin.

Vasotec and Capoten are ACE inhibitors, and can often cause a dry persistant cough. Isoptin or verapamil is a calcium channel blocker and can rarely cause a cough, but when it does,it's usually accompanied by difficulty breathing and wheezing, and is more cause for concern than the cough that results from ACE inhibitors.

[lawmom]

WOW Irish!  good call.  yes I do take vasotec.  I will have to speak to my doctor.  thanks!

[irish]

Thanks Linda for keeping me honest. I have a hard time remembering the darn generics at times. My brain turns to mush. I wish the docs or pharmacists would be more aware of peoples drugs and side effects. My hubby is having bad rash right now and treating with Atarax as he can't have prednisone because of his upcoming surgery and bleeding, etc. Anyway, the doc informed us that lopressor can cause a rash frequently and I had not seen this happen before. Always learn something! Irish