Post Cold Coughing

[TromboneAl]

DW is just getting over a cold, and she has that dry cough that often occurs in the last stage. She was coughing all night. Last time she had a cold, this cough lasted for a week.

I've concluded, from my experience, and from news articles, that cough medicines and syrups are of absolutely no use.

Any other solutions that will let her get some sleep?

Thanks,

 

[Martha]

PITA. Every time I get a cold my asthma acts up. I often end up having to use prednisone to get control.

Maybe the docs have some hints. What helps me a bit is to take a good hot steamy shower before going to bed and drink warm water or tea. She can also drink warm water or tea in the middle of the night if she can't sleep.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

That cold that went around last summer had gabe and I coughing for months afterwards. Only thing that'd temporarily solve it for me was a sucrets cough drop. Warm moist air also seems to help and adding some of that vicks humidifier stuff also seemed to get us to cough it all up at once.

Gabes didnt go away until we took him to the pediatrician and she gave him a prescription for amoxicilin, so he something persistent and bacterial going on.

My wife doesnt get half the stuff we get and didnt get the cough. Probably because she's using several types of steroids for her asthma. Must make her more resistant.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

DW is just getting over a cold, and she has that dry cough that often occurs in the last stage. She was coughing all night. Last time she had a cold, this cough lasted for a week.

I've concluded, from my experience, and from news articles, that cough medicines and syrups are of absolutely no use.

Any other solutions that will let her get some sleep?

Ask her doctor about post-viral bronchospasm, AKA hyperreactive airways. Essentially an asthma-like reaction to the irritation of the virus. Clues: violent cough, cough, cough, gag. Maybe a touch of wheezing. Worse with cold air or laughing, cough lasts > 10-14 days. Easily treated with an inhaler. I like to prescribe it scheduled for 3-4 days, then as needed. (Probably why prednisone works for some.)

or... adult pertussis (whooping cough), responsible for a surprisingly high percentage of prolonged adult coughs (13-20%).

Since other items need to be ruled out (walking pneumonia, etc.) this one needs at least a call to the doctor. No home remedies will predictably help.

Hope that helps. And, wouldn't this be a nice time to review my signature line?

 

[maddythebeagle]

I had the same and had the cough for weeks and finally went to the clinic and they gave me a steroid...didnt completely eliminate the cough but helped a lot...

 

[HFWR]

Codeine...

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Essentially an asthma-like reaction to the irritation of the virus. Clues: violent cough, cough, cough, gag. Maybe a touch of wheezing. Worse with cold air or laughing, cough lasts > 10-14 days. Easily treated with an inhaler. I like to prescribe it scheduled for 3-4 days, then as needed. (Probably why prednisone works for some.)

totally describes what i had a few months ago. bunch of people around here got it. awful. reminded me of my bronchitis when i was a little kid. lots of hot tea and steam. finally got rid of it in two to three weeks. didn't bother with meds as i wanted my body to be able to fight it off on its own. had it gone another week without healing i would have gone to a doc.

 

[shiksa]

Cod liver oil finally allowed me to get off an inhaler I'd been using for 2 months to control a cough I had had for 10+ weeks prior to that. Nastiest thing I ever had to deal with. I tried it out of desperation and was able to skip my inhaler the very next day. I took 2 teaspoons every day for close to a year...if I missed a couple of days the cough came back.

 

[Buckeye]

I never go to the doctor for cold or flu stuff but I did this year because I saw many people with lingering sickness and cough. I took antibiotics for the first time in 15 years and also some little steriod pills (6 the first day, then 5, then 4...). The cough and congestion cleared up quickly and permanently.

In answer to the other question about flying and getting sick, I got this crud after flying out to Seattle and back.

 

[shoe]

Al I have several friends who put Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of their feet and then put on a pair of sox before going to bed. Seriously! Google it!!

 

[Ronstar]

Dh and I both had colds this past winter that were followed by a couple of weeks of coughing. I put Vicks Vaporub on my chest before sleeping and it calmed down the cough during the night. Also took a lot of Nyquil to knock me out. I'll try the Vicks foot thing next time.

 

[CuppaJoe]

I consulted my doc about a cough and took codeine for a while. It got so bad that I had episodes of being unable to catch my breath.* Turned out that one of those little do-dads in the back of the throat would get to going in the opposite direction blocking the air passage. It is now diagnosed as a progression of acid reflux. I take about 10 days worth of Prilosec when the symtoms come back, it does clear it up. Yet another reason to RE to get healthier!

*Not life-theatening because if it goes on too long, the person passes out and automaticly re-starts breathing.

 

[aworkingrachel]

I get terrible colds with coughs that make everyone hate me. Vaporub all over my nose and upper lip stops the coughing for a while. Steam also helps. My doctor uncle recommends nasal washes, which I've never tried myself.

The best thing I've ever used for a cold is a Sri Lankan remedy, a tea called Samahan. It's virtually impossible to find, even online, but is the only thing that will decongest me (temporarily) when I'm at the height of a cold.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Interesting. Samahan is made from Vassal, Java gaiangel, Ajowan, Coriander, False calumba, Cumin, Convoivulaceas, Liquorice, Rubiaceas, Long Pepper, Black Pepper, Verbenaceas, Solanaceae and Ginger and is also sold under the name Peyava.

I'd like to try some with read calumba instead of that False stuff..

 

[aworkingrachel]

fuzzy bunny, your new name for Samahan, which I'd somehow never uncovered before, just sent me off on a mad Google search. There still seem to be only two suppliers that price in U.S. dollars--a sketchy auction site and a more legitimate Sri Lankan site: Dru Era. I'm tempted to try the latter, but do I want to sent my cc details to a company that lists its contact info as a P.O. Box in Colombo? Dilemma.

[Uh, not trying to hijack the thread here. Carry on with advice for Al!]

 

[bright eyed]

when the family gets something like that we usually use some combination of vaporizer, benedryl (to let the kiddos sleep) and sometimes vapo rub...the humidifyer is very helpful...

 

[TromboneAl]

Thanks for the tips. She's all better now.

 

[Martha]

So did any of the tips help?