Non smoker's smokers' cough

I sound like my mother when I wake up now and wondered if it had something to do with breathing humidified air? I guess it could just be old age and pollution but I seem to notice it more over the last 3 years since I have been using cpap.....not complaining since it doesn't bother me but just curious.

Maybe breathing the humidified air is just helping to clear out the crap that I am breathing when not masked.

Are you using distilled water?

I was using tap water and had a cough. Recently switched to distilled, and it went away. Could just be a coincidence.

No, I have always used distilled. I don't mind it but it puzzled me.

I am on Lisiniprol for hypertension and one side effect is coughing. Just a rare chance that you might be on that.

Cathy

I've never smoked in my life, but I've had a "smokers cough" for the last 30+ years.
It flares up when I get sick, but it was always there, until recently.

A chronic cough is a symptom of asthma, asthma meds cleared it up completely.

I am certainly not saying this is what you have but it may be a possibility

Fred

DarkSideOfTheMoon wrote:I am on Lisiniprol for hypertension and one side effect is coughing. Just a rare chance that you might be on that.

This is a side effect of all ace inhibitors, not just Lisinipril. The angiotensin receptor blockers like Diovan and Avapro work similarly (they block AT2 from binding to cells, instead of blocking the conversion of AT1 to AT2), but without the side effect of coughing.

Untreated GERD can cause a minor cough. My mother had a tiny cough for a year and when she went to the doctor, he put her on Prilosec and it went away immediately.

Thanks for all the replies. I just notice it in the morning. Kind of a clearing out of the lungs and then I don't cough all day. I am on BP meds but I don't think it is an ace inhibitor. I am also on nexium so GERD is treated.

I guess I tend to just ramble in the evenings and came here to blab it all to you. This is a friendly, helpful place. Have a good day everyone.

I'd bet money it's asthma and allergies. I cough like that too, and it's from my asthma. It gets worse when my allergies are inflamed. I thought I could slack off on my Claritin now that it's fully summer, but the cough returned, so I started back up. I'm still taking my asthma meds.

BTW, I take my Claritin at night. It works better that way for CPAP patients, from what I've read on that Dr. Whosis site that Rooster is always touting. What IS that man's name? The funny sleep position guy?

Anyway, go see a pulmonologist and talk about asthma and allergies.

Good luck!
Barbara

Do talk about it - but realize that lots of doctors don't know there is such a thing as "cough presenting asthma" so bring documentation with you.

Well, now that i have read about the asthma I actually started coughing when out for a walk. I had first noticed it first thing in the morning in the shower but will keep an eye and mention it to my doc. Thanks for all the input here.

wrenn wrote:I had first noticed it first thing in the morning

That's a classic sign of asthma. Definitely worth a separate trip to the doctor and perhaps allergist.

I agree it could be asthma or allergies, but also if you grew up in a smoker's home you may have been affected by second hand smoke, which also can be damaging. I don't know if that damage remains after moving out of the smoky environment.