Severe Coughing Attacks- Any Diagnosis???

[shopclk]

Summary of my Mystery Coughing Illness….

I have been experiencing severe coughing attacks where I am choking, incontinent, and sometimes vomiting. I will have one every morning when I wake up and then more throughout the day. It seems like I have them when I change positions a lot – from sitting to standing or bending over or rolling over. I have triggered one from yawning! I also used to sleep on my stomach and can’t do that anymore because of this problem.

I can go for hours without a fit or one can occur within ten minutes. Sometimes it occurs from eating. I just had a new symptom – my neck and glands are swollen.

I am out of work right now because of this - its difficult to work when you are incontinent. If anyone has any insight I would really appreciate it!

Here is the timeline of what has been done with the medical establishment:

7/5(Thu) – Started out with an irritating dry cough (had been about a week by then) and went to see family doctor. Lung/chest clear. No congestion anywhere. Currently treating with OTC daytime and nighttime cold and cough medicine. He prescribed and anti biotic in case it developed into anything else since I was going on vacation.

7/7 Called doctor because woke up to a severe coughing attack – choking, incontinent.
Put me on a steroid dose pack and started the Zithromax. (BTW – didn’t go on vacation…)

7/11 Called doctor and made an appointment. No change. Although the steroids seemed to help, still having coughing attacks. Lungs/chest still clear, no congestion. Sent me to allergy and pulmonary doctors.

7/13 – Saw Allergy doctor – took me off Enalapril ACE inhibitor High blood pressure medicine) – can cause these coughing attacks. I did try to taper down and had a really bad night. The allergy doctor’s second guess is that it is a sinus infection.

7/17 – Saw Pulmonary doctor – tested me for whooping cough (negative) and scheduled a cat scan of the chest tomorrow.

7/20 – New symptoms of Neck swelling -

7/24 I just spoke with the allergy doctor and let him know that stopping the Enalapril didn’t help and now he is putting me on an antibiotic- to treat the sinus infection he suspects. told the allergy doctor about the neck swelling.- he has prescribed Levaquin - says this sopports his sinus infection theory.

I don’t think anyone knows what is really wrong. When I used to get sinus infections – I would have severe headaches and this doesn’t seem to be occurring.

Has anyone heard of anything like this?

[rad-skw]

Look up laryngeal paresis or paralysis.

[Unregistered]

My husband had the same thing. Finally drs realized it was from the blood pressure meds he was on and changed them.

[Jaxy]

First I must ask, how are you feeling to date?

I myself have had severe coughing attacks for over 7 yrs. They have only gotten worse. Sometimes i cough so hard I feel like Im going to pass out. I also am incontinet and have to wear protection every day. I have noticed that within 5 mins of me laying down my coughing starts... If i turn over onto my other side, I cough, so anytime I change positions. I have lately been coughing up lotsa mucus (clear but thick) I gag on it and start heaving. I cough is loose and its also better during the day but I still have coughing attacks while up (days).
I am a smoker and have been for 32 yrs now. Do you smoke? Here what the doctors have told me so far.
Amazingly enough they dont blame my smoking. True! The first told me it was allergys (put on Allegra) then I was told it was GERD. Very well could be (Prilosec OTC is all I can afford) It does help, my reflux but not my coughing! Had a chest xray done. Clear! I have tried so so many different meds and NOTHING helps!! Im so depressed over all this and yes Im sure, I know I need to quit smoking! Im having such a hard time with it, and tried many things for that as well.
I hope you are doing better and the docs were able to help you. I do feel for you very strongly. I know Im not alone in this and I wish you all the best! jaxig62@yahoo.com (incase you want to email me)
Good Luck!
Jaxy

[pattymagic]

wow....so i am not alone...Since I was sick last September and got out of the hospital with pneomounia (sp) I have developed these 'attacks'. They put me on high blood pressure meds.... I can feel an attack coming on with a tickle in my throat usually and it amounts to couging hard--and it almost always makes my gag reflex react...it can last anywhere from 40 seconds to 1 1/2 or more minutes. I usually have to sneeze and always there is a thick (like never before) mucus...its all disgusting to me and really quite embarrassing..i have no insurance but am going to a christian supported medical clinic where they are great...The attacks are becoming a hindrance to me finding a job...and so i told the doctors..this last time I told them how bad it has become and she just took me off the Lisinopral (sp) so will see..I go back in two weeks because they are getting records from the hospital cause due to other conditions (hair growth, big hands, carpal tunnel acting up) they think i might have a problem with the growth hormone (pituitary gland) so heck I don' t know...just want this cough to go away...;-( pattydavis2002@yahoo.com

[Monsterlove]

get one of those mold sample kits and see if your bedroom/house has mold. You may need additional instruction to do it correctly since their directions are not really too clear, which is top or bottom. Also, check for carbon monoxide. I think there is a toxin in your house.

See if you can telecommute; try sologig.com or something like that..

[JCottleMD]

Since the original posting was nearly 2 years ago, it's somewhat academic to respond, but in most cases wherein unrelenting cough is sufficient to produce voiding or sometimes even syncope, the causal factor is related to post nasal discharge as a consequence of vasomotor rhinitis. Evidence can be observed through examination of the pharyngeal tonsillar tissues, which demonstrate evulsion due to histamine response and viscous drainage can sometimes be observed. It is often misdiagnosed as allergic rhinitis but the symptoms are quite disparate. It is also misconstrued because patients complain of a non-productive or dry cough. Most often, patients with vasomotor rhinitis and nasal discharge do not have a productive cough and often spatter the area around them with clear saliva as a consequence of repeated cough attacks, typically observed on the vanity mirror, computer screen or inner car winshield.

The cough produced is rather unrelenting and is often described similar to suddenly aspirating water from a drinking glass, with a constant feeling that liquid is trying to enter the lungs. Patients find themselves coughing relentlessly trying to clear the sensation and as a consequence, the chemical factors related to cough production become intensified. This results in a rather florid exacerbation of the cough, with patients demonstrating a cough related to micoplasma or whooping cough, barely able to catch their breath on occasion before the cough again ensues.

Vasomotor rhinitis and drainage can often occur subsequent to either a sinus infection or viral pharyngitis, causing changes to the mucous membranes which line the sinuses and oral cavity. Because these changes lower the threshold by which the membranes can successfully deal with airborne irritants, together with resistance to changes in the condition of the air, such as hot or cold, moist or dry, the vessels become engorged with fluids, subsequently causing weeping of the membranes. It is a condition inconsistent with allergies and such medications do not typically produce a beneficial effect.

Steriods typically have the most beneficial response, together with agents capable of diminishing sinus drainage. The key is preventing the drainage such that chronic irritation of the internal laryngeal nerve is reduced.

Best regards,

J Cottle, MD

[solo510]

My wife regularly coughs in a similar way to you. She is a non smoker and has slight ashma and allergies to dust mite, wheat, rye. Last night she woke at around 3 am and coughed up something that looked quite serious. It is a dark brown colour and is approxmately 2.5 cm by 1.5 cm. The nearest thing I can find on the internet is a human lung fluke. She was much better after she coughed it up. We will present it to the doctor tomorrow to have it analysed. Unfortunately our local doctors seem to discount parasites, however with the immigration now focussing on the third world, it would appear that not only people are arriving. Check out the extensive sites on parasites. The lung fluke evidently passes through uncooked fish. Australia is importing fish from Indonesia, Vietnam and China. Who knows what problems they are farmed with. I do recall being taught at school about a worm problem in Japan. This formed a complete cycle as their custom was to eat uncooked fish. The excreta eventually found it's way into the water where the fish completed the cycle. Not very nice but it would appear that approx one third of the world's population has a considerable parasitic infection. If this is your problem then medication may remove the parasite easily?
Bill

[Unregistered]

Dr. Bastian in Chicago has an interesting theory about this kind of thing. He believes it's related to nerves in the throat becoming overly sensitive, and he uses low doses of Elavil to treat it. For me, the treatment worked very quickly, and I've sent one other person to him with the same result. Good luck.

[Unregistered]

Oh my gosh! I can't believe I found this site. These descriptions of coughing fits sound like me to a tee! I am hopeful of Dr. Cottle's advice as nothing else has helped. Thank you!