Coughing a lot.

[mikedreamer787]

I'm coughing a lot.

Been going on a couple of months. Not your mannerly 'cough...cough' we all experience. Instead its like noisily barfing up a lung. It happens at least two to three times a day with virtually no warning and leaves a sore throat. Not much phlegm to speak of.

Gave up smoking many years ago although tend to bum the odd one now and then when tanked at the pub. Total: 3-4 a year.

Booze: Yes. Eased up in the last 12 months but it never made me cough in my earlier drunkard days though.

Checked aircon. Nope, still the stock standard 25C output and outlet guide vanes tilted full up.

New surroundings? Yes but I'm nowhere near China and pollution is minimal. Steam cleaned the carpets and dusted down everything. No joy. Also nightstopping a week at a hotel makes no difference....so I can't blame the new ranch.

Aircraft? No type changes. My usual 25C cockpit zone temp.

Diet? Same stuff I've always ate. Went off dairy but no change.

Kept a diary of the times, whens and wheres of my wild barking sessions. No discernable pattern nor could the doctors find one.

Finally went to a family medical centre. X-rayed poked prodded and ECG'd. Various ice-cream sticks shoved down my gullet. No problems and no explanation for my barking could be proffered.

Sucked up my courage and went to the AME. Same procedure but in far more depth. Again nothing but stress and fatigue proffered as probable causes. No objection to my return to the trenches.

So I took 2 weeks off leave in a nice tropical place with clean air. No change.

Cough medicine and lozenges help but this is temporary and only staves off the inevitable heavy coughing.

I really am getting a little worried. It can come talking to ATC, doing nothing or reading the checklist. Thankfully it isn't getting worse but it isn't getting better. Has anybody experienced the same?

Thanks.

[bcgallacher]

I have the same experience - have had it for at least 20 years,no explanation or treatment has made any difference so I just accept it as it does not really affect my daily life.

[gingernut]

I really am getting a little worried.

Sounds like your doc's have covered most corners.

Has anyone suggested an empirical trial of a ppi ? Or a blue inhaler ??

[JimR]

You wouldn't happen to be taking blood pressure medication, ACE inhibitor type would you?

[mikedreamer787]

Thanks for the replies.

No, no medication whatsoever and no leaky anything. The AME was quite thorough and for two hours went through me like a packet of salts with a battery of tests I thought weren't related to the complaint. Diaphragm was one.

Has anyone suggested an empirical trial of a ppi ? Or a blue inhaler ??

Could you just expand on that gingernut? Never heard of either.

[skyhighfallguy]

wait, so when you were drinking you didn't have the cough?


Here is a thought, some thing in the past was damping down the cough, for example pain pills like vicodin can kill the urge to cough.

perhaps booze was doing this for you. it was suppressing the urge to cough

and YOU quit the booze so now there is nothing stopping the cough

the cough is from irritations for many years. it has been stopped from something you were taking, drinking or eating for many years

now I'm not saying you should start drinking again. maybe take a spoonful of honey.

I know someone who didn't cough, started using pain pills, quit and started coughing. It sort of re arranges your cough tolerance level.

I AM NOT A DOCTOR, but play one on tv

[mikedreamer787]

Yes skyhigh I thought about the correlation about booze and coughing but I was still cough free after 10 months on the limited wagon. On nightstops I do go down the nearest pub but it makes no difference to the coughing and hacking. In fact I barfed up a lung in one session and the barman thought it'd gone down the wrong way. Same once with a landing clearance response I was giving and the F/O (PF) thought it was a sandwich I was just finishing up chewing. He nearly dinged the cabin crew button.

Tried gargling everything from Plax to Scotch to coconut oil but no joy. So it doesn't seem like bug or booze related.

I'll try to take honey as you suggested.

[skyhighfallguy]

mikedreamer

there is one other thought. There are nerves in the chest that can trigger a cough. Is anything heavier than a regular shirt touching your chest. There is a nerve there called the vegus nerve (sp?) I think it has to do with that...maybe the shoulder harness?

Again, all that booze may have sort of RE SET YOUR nervous system to a lower threshold. You may want to see a neurologist and have the nerves tested (it is like a circuit tester)

Also, have you tried vicks vaporub on your chest?

There are incidents of hiccups that are uncontrollable and I have a feeling it is related to your cough.

Uncontrollable Coughing Fits in Adults and Children | Healthhype.com

I have a feeling that if you get to the USA you might try one of our specialists, and please rule out COPD.

sincere good luck

[mikedreamer787]

Tried Vicks no joy, but thanks for that article sky and I'll give it a go as you suggest. There's a good neuro I know of.

....cough...hack...wretch.

[gingernut]

Difficult to diagnose by internet, sounds like the worrying things have been ruled out. Chronic psychogenic cough (unlikely), asthma (likely), and reflux (likely) could be a working diagnosis for your doc. Sometimes it's okay to trial a months worth of treatment, but of course, discuss with your doc. :-)

[Loose rivets]

Just had a thought. If the thread is still live, I'll write it up

[mikedreamer787]

Just got back from the neuro. COPD and asthma ruled out.

Same with refux which was done during the AME visit.

Back to square one but I'm trying that Manuka honey from NZ.

Only barked once yesterday and so far only once today.

[gingernut]

Hi Mike, I'm drifting into an uncomfortable zone, as I'm trying to second guess your clinicians, which, on the internet, is not always a good idea.

You can sometimes get symptoms of reflux cough, without the burning feeling of reflux. I'm just wondering how your AME has ruled this out, as it's sometimes difficult to tease out in the history and examination.

I have known some clinicians to trial an "empirical" course (ie a trial and error approach), of a "PPI" (a drug to reduce acid.) Again, not trying to second guess your team.

I think it's reasonable to ask for a consult with a respiratory physician.

[cavortingcheetah]

By the sound of it, you might be over fifty, apologies of course if you're not.
A base line colonoscopy is considered by many to be a sensible thing to have done at around that age especially if you carry medical insurance. That will also cover the possibility of any early diverticulosis which can be remedied with a change of diet. At the same time as you were having a colonoscopy, you could have an endoscopy and check for Helicobacter Pylori.

[skyhighfallguy]

what did neuro say?

cavortingcheetah makes a good point

many acid reflux medicines are now over the counter like prevacid or nexium.

another thing you could do is try raising the head of the bed a few inches to reduce acid reflux. would cost nothing and isn't medicine

wondering, have you been doing a lot of sit ups or similar exercises to strengthen stomach?

[ELaw]

Originally Posted by cavortingcheetah

At the same time as you were having a colonoscopy, you could have an endoscopy and check for Helicobacter Pylori.

Just make sure they don't use the same 'scope for both!

[SCHEDULING]

Spring, 2013 and 2014, had a dry cough, every few minutes. Lasted about four months, no apparent cause. Only two things stopped it: Olbas Oil Pastiles and chewing dry cloves. I recommend both of these, the latter is an old folk remedy. When it went the cough literally stopped dead, from one hour to the next. I looked up and said to Mrs Scheduling "did you notice, I've stopped coughing ?"...and she said (etc etc).

This year have had a wet cough, tiny bits of mucas coming up. Suspect irritation from plant spores as we live in the middle of nature, rampant and wild.

[RodH]

This really does work and is nice as well

Need a Cough Remedy That Actually Works?


Want your cough remedy to be safe and pleasant tasting? Then choose dark chocolate and get relief.
Dark chocolate's theobromine has been proven to be more effective than over-the-counter remedies and codeine.
But it has shown none of the unwanted side effects, making it a better, safer cough remedy.
Sure tastes a lot better than the usual medicine too. Almost makes you look forward to having a cough...almost.
So read more below about another benefit of the dark side.

Theobromine More Effective


Cough driving you nuts? Don't run to the pharmacy aisle, head for the candy instead.
Pick up some high-quality dark chocolate and let the theobromine soothe your cough.
Research done in Europe has shown that it is more effective than the common remedies dextromethorphan and codeine.
Compared to codeine, theobromine was about 33% more effective. It acts to suppress the nerve responsible for coughing.

None of the Usual Unwanted Side Effects


Dark chocolate doesn't cause any of the unwanted cardiovascular and nervous system side effects other treatments can.
Dextromethorphan and codeine can cause you to feel...

• restless
• nervous
• lightheaded
• dizzy
• or drowsy

Without these unwanted side effects, it's safe to use while driving or operating heavy machinery.
It has the potential to be the source of new, safer cough treatments.

[Tarq57]

This may not be pertinent to the problem, nor might it fix it (long term) but a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, washed down with a big glass of water two or three times a day will loosen any phlegm that might be gunking up the tubes and make coughing it up a much less unpleasant proposition.

Purchase at any Asian cooking supplies shop, or a health store.

[ShyTorque]

I am not medically qualified, nor do I want to be alarmist, but based on past experience, have you been tested for TB?

Both my mother and my closest school friend suffered for some time because the medical profession discounted the possibility. My friend was later told he had probably had the disease for a year or more and had lost two thirds of one lung.