Persistent cough – so wearing

[ScarlettCrossbones]

Just wondering if anyone else suffered from a cough like this, and if the cause was ever pinpointed? I get a ridiculously long-lasting cough 3 or 4 times a year, usually after feeling unwell for a short time. This time, I had just one day of feeling rotten back at the beginning of Jan (nothing much though; sore head and throat) but the resultant cough has been going on for 6 weeks now. It is really extreme at times ? unbelievably tickly and urgent, making me cough till I retch and once or twice I've even vomited due to it. (And I don't have a sensitive gag reflex at all ? am in 3rd pg just now and have never once vomited due to being pg!)

I've now pulled a muscle under my ribcage at the back from all the coughing, which is very sore and just isn't healing as I can't stop coughing! And at 6mths pg, my pelvic floor isn't holding up the best with all the coughing either (sigh)!

Went to the doc a couple of weeks ago and was prescribed a ventolin inhaler but she said it was just to try, to see if it made any difference and if it didn't "there's not much else we can do for you!". And it's made no difference at all.

Anyone else had something similar?

It sounds like asthma to me. Illness triggering off an irritated response. Has the ventolin helped? My DD has something similar and we found that a humidifier at night helps a huge amount - keeps the air moist and stops the coughing (at night time at least and she's never too bad in the day with it).

Hi MyCat ? thanks. No, unfortunately the ventolin doesn't seem to have made the slightest bit of difference. Unless it's something that needs to build up in the system over time, maybe? I take a couple of puffs now and then but it doesn't stop the coughing at all.

Sounds like asthma to me.

If you are only having a couple of puffs of the ventolin each time, you might not be taking enough. My doc said I can have up to 5 puffs, waiting a minute between each puff.

I've been coughing since November - with bronchitis added for a while in December. Went back to Docs - who said he thought I was probably border-line asthmatic and that the inhaler would only work if I had it for a long period - but he couldn't do anything else.... so I'm in a very similar position!

Thanks! Will persevere with the inhaler, I guess. But I don't really feel breathless, particularly ? I always thought asthma felt like you couldn't breathe? And is it common to start getting asthma in your 30s? I'm 36 and have had this for about 6 or 7 years on and off, I think.

acid reflux can also give you a prolonged cough

have you looked at the post nasal drip possibility? I get this after colds and the cough drives me batty. Now when I get a cold I take clarityn (anti-histamine) and I don't get that horrific urgent tickly cough anymore.

Thanks for the other suggestions. This is all very helpful. I don't think it's just a cold thing, as the last one was a simple sore throat/head for a day ? no runny nose. Although(TMI?) ever since, tissues have been, well, a bit bloody when I blow my nose.

It's strange, it doesn't feel like lungs (to me), and it doesn't feel like throat ... just somewhere in between! Maddening.

hmmmmmm. possibly a lurking sinus infection then?

I get this. I don't know if I can be much help though. I've been diagnosed with asthma and then un-diagnosed with asthma. I had an inhaler but honestly, it didn't make any difference. Then the next doctor I saw said it wasn't asthma anyway.
I've had a chest x-ray and everything was fine - but I just hate coughing so much. Every time I go to the doctor they tell me to give up smoking and I've never smoked in my life! I'd be more worried except they have run lots of tests and not conclusively found anything.. what you have though sounds very like what I have - chesty coughing for aggggges at a time and have pulled muscles in my ribcage before.