Chronic cough over a month, subtle but there went to dr

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Nicole112
Nicole112 Member Posts: 327
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Hi ladies,

Had a moment today... and instead of throwing it out there to my family who tell me to "move on already" I am sending it out here to ladies who understand!

Here we go... I have had a chronic but noticeable cough for over a month... at first thought it was a cold... tough through it, etc... well, I started to notice I wasn't having any other "cold" symptoms but still had this underlying cough.

I went to my regular dr a few weeks back who said my lungs sounded clear, not to worry.. so off I went for a good weekend.

Fast forward, a few weeks still have this underlying cough. As well, I noticed my truncal lymhedema seems to be bad, having a hard time getting my arm above my head (tenderness and fullness), etc... so I went to visit my radiation onc today to look at lymphedema..

He did a number of physical tests on my lymph nodes, spent a lot of time ( I thought) just pressing, re-pressing the area... you know the drill!)

He says he feels edema, doesn't think there is anything else too concerning on the lymph nodes and concludes these symptoms are most likley from the lymphedema and of to an LE I go for this!

Then, he listens to my chest... he does not hear anything in my lungs other than I am "laboring my breath"... and I thought he said he can sense this on my right side (same side as BC)

He has put me on antibiotics and asked I come back next week. If it has not gone away we will do a chest xray.

So, you know where the mind can take you... I'm thinking oh s**t, can this be something? Now I am so hyperfocused everytime I cough or clear my throat it is making me crazy.. and what I am realizing is although it is subtle, I am coughing and clearing my lungs quite "frequently!"

DO I just take an ativan and relax? Is it common for BC to go to lungs???? Am I jumping WAYYYYY to farrrrrr ahead?

Thanks for listening to my rant!

Nicole

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Comments

  • mmm5
    mmm5 Member Posts: 1,470
    edited February 2011

    Nicole

    I have had the same thing, and SO MANY others as well. The virus that is going around this year is just that a couple days of feeling ill and then just a cough that lasts and lasts, I have had mine for 5 weeks and there are others on this board with the same thing. Let me tell you that the more you think about it the worse it gets, take an ativan and forget about it and it will get better in time most likely. 

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  • fightinhrd123
    fightinhrd123 Member Posts: 633
    edited February 2011

    Same here, nasty coughs all over my house. I would take an ativan and try not to worry too much.  I know every ache and pain I freak out, but i remind myself we will get sick and hurt like normal people :) 

    Laura

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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited February 2011

    Nicole, I have a feeling that he's asking you to come back so he can see if it's radiation pneumonitis. The side that you had the bc/rads makes me suspect this. It's not dangerous but from what I understand takes a long time to clear up.

    All the best.

    Leah

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  • Nicole112
    Nicole112 Member Posts: 327
    edited February 2011

    Thanks ladies, you are just the medicine I need :)

    Hugs.

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  • Nicole112
    Nicole112 Member Posts: 327
    edited February 2011

    ... also, I cannot wait for the day that a cough is just a "cold" and a back ache is just "getting older!!!"

    Haha!

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  • Nicole112
    Nicole112 Member Posts: 327
    edited February 2011

    Leah,

    Interesting you bring up this word, this is something he mentioned! I have never heard of it before!

    radiation pneumontis!

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  • nanaof2
    nanaof2 Member Posts: 112
    edited February 2011

    Hi Ladies,

    I have radiation pneumonitis, it is a persistent cough. I have been dealing with it for about 6 weeks. Taking steroid and other meds.  Mine was diagnosed with a CT.  Three more weeks of medicaition.  I just keep telling myself, it could be worse and this a  long journey.  Feel better

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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited February 2011

    HI, I just found out I have that too.  I had chest pain, rapid heart rate, cough, shortness of breath. They did CT and they diagnosed radiation pneumonitis.  My Onco wants me to see a pulmonologist next week. Did they say the steroids clear it up and what percent of time do people have last ing issues.  I was told less than 5% of BC patients get this.  How lucky are we to be that less then 5%??? WTH??

    Grateful for any info they shared with you while I wait for my next appot

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  • Nicole112
    Nicole112 Member Posts: 327
    edited February 2011

    Cough went away, just thought I would share!:) So, yes, a cough can sometimes, well just be a cough! I do know that it took longer to clear on my right side... I never knew a cough or breathing issue could be more on one side... the things you learn through this experience.

    I hope you ladies who have a "chronic" cough get relief!

    Hugs!

    Nicole

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  • imbell
    imbell Member Posts: 659
    edited February 2011

    Years before I had BC one fall I coghed for 3 months. Finally got an appoinment with respiratory. Seems I don't have asthma but after a virus I get COPD. Was put on an inhaler just for those times and it stops my coughing.

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  • WeeSee
    WeeSee Member Posts: 92
    edited February 2011

    I guess im still getting the hang of this cuz im just now reading about your cough. I'm starting to learn how to navigate around different forums to check on you guys. I'm so glad your cough turned out to be just a cough sweetie! Ugh i hate coughs, they are terribly annoying. Sorry i wasn't here to support earlier doll but i am starting to get the hang of this now. Hope you and the girls have a great weekend and you can rant to me whenever you feel like it!;) Hugs xoxoxo

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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited February 2011

    Hi everyone. Hoping to ask a few question and get your opinions. So after my post above, I saw the pulmonologist who reviewed the CT results that came in. He wasn't sure if it was radiation pneumonitis or something more concerning. I thought for sure when I saw him I'd be sent home with prednisone and with no worries. He said they will do another CT in 4 weeks and then 4 months. And watch the area of concern.

    For those of you who were confirmed  it was pneumonitis, did the dr show you the area on the CT they saw that concerned them and who confirmed the diagnosis? Was it the radiation Dr who read the CT or a pulmonary doctor who confirmed your dx?

    My Onco referred me to a pulmonolgist who showed me what they were looking at, but he could not confirm with certainty it was radiatioin pneumonitis, fibrosis scarring or other more concerning lung issues like potentially mets.  I was a bit taken by surprise that they couldnt tell and were taking a wait and watch approach. The cough is still here, shortness of breath -but not so bad I cant do normal activities or it impacts me doing them. anyway - I posted on a different fthread  hoping to get some feedback and got some good information but would love to know if this was your experience as well. I am not as worried as I was, but still concerned they could not determine what the lesion was. dr said he could do a pet scan but that would light up and just show the are and not tell them what it was. Since it was still small didnt recommend biospy yet. anyway - I guess I am wondering if your radiation penumonitis was easy for the doctor to differentiate from something else more concerning so I can put my  mind more at rest.

    Thanks- Bevin

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  • SAMayoFL
    SAMayoFL Member Posts: 958
    edited March 2011

    Bevin, I don't have any answers for you but I do have a few questions.  When you say shortness of breath is it like when you take a deep breath and there is a funny feeling and it makes you cough?  What I feel is almost like when I have had pneumonia in the past but I know my lungs are clear.  In other words, I don't have the cold and congestion type symptoms I have had in the past.  I do have what I would describe as an inability to take a really deep breath without going into a coughing fit and a dry cough.  I have taken 10 of 12 weekly treatments of Taxotere.  One of the SEs has been bleeding from my nose everyday.  My head knows that if I am bleeding from my nose, spitting up blood is to be expected.  However, when I spit up a big bloody thing, I totally freak.  I talked to the onc today who gave me an antiobiotic, told me to use a neti pot to clean out my sinuses and Mucinex to break up any congestion.  The other thing I think I should mention is that today was my 5th treatment of feeling this same way.  It hasn't gone away or cleared up.

    Nicole, you don't know how bad I needed to hear you say tonight that a cough can be just a cough - not the horrible things I can make it out to be!  Thanks for this post and for listening.

    Susan

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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited March 2011

    Hi Susan,

    Yes, I would definately describe my breathing like that. Difficult to take a full breath and if I do, I do have an odd feeling that makes me cough. It is also dry as you describe. I am not coughing up anything though.

    Are you certain this blood is coming from your nose. It at all possible from your chest you need to talk to your Onco.

    I did have a PET scan Tuesday. The SUV on the lesion was 3.5. So concerning, but the radiologist felt the lesion seemed more like a fibrosis scarring rather than a mets. I do have to have another scan in 3 mos to check for changes.

    I know how you feel it is a bit scary when you have strange sypmtoms occurring. You don't know if its the cancer reoccurent , a SE of meds, or a plain old flu!. And yes a cough can be just a cough, but anything that doesn;t go away especially over a 5treatment period, I would ensure you tell your onco and have them check it out. Hopefully he can order a scan and if you don't feel comfortable about not having one done, make sure he knows that.

    I hope you feel better Susan and this clears up.. Let me know what happens.

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  • SAMayoFL
    SAMayoFL Member Posts: 958
    edited March 2011

    Hey Bevin, thanks for your reply.  I have been on an antibiotic for almost a week now and I still feel the same.  My nose is still bleeding and I am still coughing up congestion with blood.  I know this is gross, but in the morning when I wake up I spit up what I would call dark blood clots.  I think the blood is what is causing my heartburn issues too.  To make it even worse, today there was quite a bit of blood in my stool.  I don't know if all of my tissues are weak from chemo and that's what's causing the blood or what.  I am scheduled for a PET scan on April 8, two weeks after chemo.  I don't know what to do.  Just wait it out or demand something be done before chemo ends?

    It sounds like you got good news from your CT.  I know that waiting for three months has to be hard though.  Please stay in touch and let me know what happens.  I hope everything works out for you.  Thank you for listening!

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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited March 2011

    HI Susan - I assume the reason they want to wait for the scan until after chemo is it may shrink things more and to have less drugs in your system so they dont impact the scan? 

    Please make sure you at least call your doctors and let them know about your coughing and progression to bowel issues too. It could be from coughing and swallowing blood from your bloody nose, but since you have clots too that worries me a lot and they should definately know.

    I will definately let you know how things proceed on my end and will check in on you on the 8th to see how you're doing.  Send me a note any time if you need someone to chat to.

    Hugs

    Bevin

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