Cough that won't go away. Gasp! Help!

I don't know the answer, but much empathy here. The night cough I've had for 6 +months is not related to CPAP, because I've only been using CPAP again for a week. And no gasping, just keeping me awake. But, ugh...I've tried reflux meds, Zyrtec, steroid nasal spray. Yesterday, I broke down and went to the family doctor because the cough is definitely interfering with using the CPAP. He did a chest x-ray which was clear. Put me on a course of antibiotics. And steroid inhaler. And oral steroids. And changed the Zyrtec to Claritin. I guess he's trying to find out if I have asthma by treating me for asthma. I can't take the oral steroids because they made me feel crazy after just one dose. Ugh. Even if one of these things works, how will we know which one did it?

Hmmmm..........antibiotics and steroids, with no real reason for them. That's disconcerting.

Country4ever wrote:Hmmmm..........antibiotics and steroids, with no real reason for them. That's disconcerting.

But still very common for doctors to throw antibiotics at people. One reason we have so many resistant bugs now. There's been a big push in the medical literature to educate physicians that antibiotics are rarely needed for situations like this. The inhaled steroids will probably do the job, but people think it was an "infection" and the antibiotics helped. More likely it is an immune response, associated with asthma. But doctors have a short time with patients, and it's easier to prescribe antibiotics than to have the patient try the inhaled steroids first and come back for them if there's no improvement.

Meanwhile, antibiotics are being associated with obesity--they wipe out the good gut bacteria and cause gut dysbiosis, impaired metabolism, and obesity. I have taken a LOT of antibiotics over my lifetime because I had a congenital heart condition--I had nearly chronic strep throat as a kid, and after my open heart surgery I had to take large doses of antibiotics for any dental work, even routine cleanings. Thankfully, the guidelines have changed, so I don't need to do that anymore. I've been working hard on getting my gut microbes in good shape, and I'm trying to avoid antibiotics unless there's something life-threatening going on. I don't blame my obesity on antibiotics, but they certainly didn't help.

Zelda, be sure you get some good probiotics during and after that antibiotic treatment! The way my health care provider has been handling it with me is to increase my inhaled steroids (I've had horrible reactions to oral steroids also) and give me a script for antibiotics if they don't work. So far, I've managed to avoid antibiotics for a few years, although I came pretty close to saying "Uncle" once this year.

Country4ever wrote:Hmmmm..........antibiotics and steroids, with no real reason for them. That's disconcerting.

Hogwash!!!

Giving someone antibiotics once a year or so is not likely to breed new superbugs. Those kinds of problems occur when you do it over and over.

Doctors are hurting their patients now by not giving them antibiotics (or pain killers) when they do need them due to political correctness.

When you have something that might be bacterial in nature, and don't know the source, a reasonable way to treat is to try some of the safer antibiotics and see what happens. There are a lot of bacterial problems for which there is no easy test to find out if that's the problem.

Every five years or so, I tend to get some sort of long term minor sinus infection. The doctors will hem and haw, and not really figure anything out. When I finally browbeat them into giving me some antibiotics, or get antibiotics for some other reason, my sinuses clear out out and stay clear for several years.

The biggest problem we have is the damn farmers giving their chickens and cows antibiotics on a regular basis because it makes them gain weight faster.

I do agree with being careful about giving antibiotics several times a year. There are also some potential side effects to antibiotics even if you do have a bacterial infection. Let's not forget that bacterial infections have their own risks, including sudden runaway infections if you don't treat them soon enough.

DO take the full course of antibiotics once you get them, though. Not doing so greatly increases the risks of creating a drug resistant infection.

Steroids have their own risks, but they're mostly from long term use, not short term treatments.

I have post nasal drip and GERD, been takin meds for Gerd for about 15 years, its in check...
I have tried several nose sprays from my doctor but it seems to have the cough worse. He just gave ma a NEW med nose spray called DYMISTA, my drip is gone and so is the cough...ask your doctor, it may be something else...I also have Sarcoidosis of the lungs, that didnt take but about 8 years to find...good luck with your dr.

Do you take Lisinopril or any other ace inhibitor for high blood pressure? That has a reputation for causing a chronic cough.