How long is a cough "normal"?

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  • OTMom
    OTMom Member Posts: 121
    edited January 2020

    Aprilgirl, i’m so sorry you’re going through that and that it took so long for doctors to clue into what was going on.

    I’m currently trying for the third? Fourth? Time to taper off of my steroid inhaler and again the cough is back. I’ve done multiple rounds of antibiotics for suspected sinus infection because of left side face/eye/jaw pain plus cough and things have improved but I cannot shake the pain or get off the asthma meds that I usually only have to use for max 2 weeks per year. At this point it’s been since late Aug/early September. Sinus CT was clear, waiting at the dentist now to rule out ONJ or TMJ for the face pain, and starting to lose my mind. My current theory is they the anastrozole is causing joint crankiness leading to the face pain. Apparently cough can also be a side effect of AIs. But really I have no idea and I’m so over all of it and tired of feeling like a crazy person when I go to doctors to be told I’m fine. The growing list of weird side effects and issues is getting wearing.

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  • OTMom
    OTMom Member Posts: 121
    edited January 2020

    AprilGirl, I'm so sorry you're dealing with that and that getting to a clear answer was such a struggle. I'm glad you seem to be responding to treatment so far.

    I deleted an excessively whiny post yesterday, but I guess I'm wondering when I should be concerned or push for further investigation. I've had a cough since late Aug/early Sept. At some point in there I had a virus and then was treated for a sinus infection with a few rounds of antibiotics for persistent facial pain and cough. Some of this has helped, but facial pain and cough/shortness of breath continue. On the max dose of my steroid inhaler things improve, and I've been on asthma meds since this all started, which is atypical since my asthma is so mild that I have to take meds maybe a few weeks a year when I get a bad cold, and sometimes not at all for entire years. Each time I taper off I start to cough again and feel like I'm working hard to get a deep breath. My rescue inhaler seems only sometimes helpful and my doctor says everything sounds clear whenever she listens, which makes me feel like a massive faker. I had a sinus CT, which was clear, so maybe I'm getting TMJ-related nerve pain that is leading to the facial pain and headaches? (Never had TMJ before any of this but that's the best explanation I can come up with) My dentist wasn't much help yesterday either, and lectured me about how bad bisphosponates are. (Um, yes. I know. But I'm on ovarian suppression and already had osteoporosis, so what exactly am I supposed to do there?) I'm guessing the cough and breathing weirdness are worsening of asthma post-radiation or other fun side effects of anastrozole, but I am being followed for lung nodules, so every now and then that floats through my head and I don't know if I should be concerned or not. My last chest CT in early August showed everything holding steady and I'm not due for follow up with her until next August. But if it were anything other than asthma/inflammation it wouldn't respond to the steroid, right?

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  • TB90
    TB90 Member Posts: 992
    edited January 2020

    OTMom: Sorry you have having trouble getting to the cause of your persistent symptoms. I agree that this sounds like something other than your typical asthma. My asthma sounds exactly like you described yours to typically be and I would be very frustrated if it suddenly changed so remarkably. I would suggest you see a pulmonary doctor. Whenever asthma cannot be well managed by meds, you deserve a re-evaluation. If radiation treatments are causing complications for example, this can be identified. Trouble getting a complete and deep breath causes so much anxiety. Please provide some relief for yourself by getting an accurate dx. Good luck

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited January 2020

    anyone have any cheerful reassuring things to say about false positives in chest xrays?

    I've had the stupid lingering cough since early December. Saw my GP today and she sent me for a chest xray and soon after I got home from the imaging clinic I got a call from her that they see something they don't like and are recommending a CT scan. That will hopefully be scheduled for next week or the week after.

    I'm trying to hang on to hope that this just everyone being cautious but jeeeeez, it's really made me worried and upset

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  • TB90
    TB90 Member Posts: 992
    edited January 2020

    Moth: It is not a false positive. It is an undiagnosed result. Chest X-rays are very unspecific. So something is going on, but at this point it could be anything. My husband was also told they were very concerned about his chest X-ray. I went into panic mode. The CT scan showed pneumonia. It is so scary and I hate what the process of diagnosis puts people through. It is torture. My dr told me, it’s not cancer till they tell you it’s cancer. And it wasn’t. But for us it was. We will never be the same. Try to not go there. Impossible at times, but lots of hope still. Choose hope when you can and enjoy those fleeting moments. Ask for hugs when you can’t.

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited January 2020

    TB90 - thank you for your kind words and helping me see this in a different way! I'm really encouraged by your post. I will write out these words & put them where I can see them: "It is an undiagnosed result. Choose hope"
    thank you

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited January 2020

    Moth, Can you see the actual report on a patient portal or something? It might give more information. Hoping you get a benign answer soon.

    OTMom, Time to get back to the pulmonologist. I hope you get relief.


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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited January 2020

    Kbee - no, there's no patient portal to access these results here. Whatever they saw they called my dr directly and gave her a prelim voice report and she called me right away. She was very generic in what she reported to me & said let's wait to see what the CT says. I'm booked for the CT on Thursday morning. Doing my best to just ignore all this & pretend it's not happening.

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  • margo53
    margo53 Member Posts: 165
    edited February 2020

    I also have been dealing with a cough. Did anyone have lung irritation from TC? Mine started as dry cough around time of 2 nd chemo.... mentioned to MO at third chemo.... all he asked was if I was coughing anything up which I'm not. A few days later, had slightly bloody sinus drainage when blowing nose ( sorry for TMI).... so MO sent ZPac which helped a little..... no more blood, but now have more of long coughing spells lasting 15 or so exhausting minutes, several times a day....seems to be brought on when I move around...

    Today is a little different and feels like a tickle on left side of my throat causing a cough every 3 minutes or so..... so tired of coughing.....4 th and final TC is supposed to be this Monday.... I can't seem to find anything in Dr Google about lung irritation from chemo..... what should I ask for before last chemo

    I have not had radiation yet

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  • Yogatyme
    Yogatyme Member Posts: 2,349
    edited February 2020

    Margo, I had an aggrevating cough for several weeks and one night noticed some reflux which I’ve never had. Took Prilosec OTC for 2 weeks.....cough completely resolved.

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  • margo53
    margo53 Member Posts: 165
    edited February 2020

    thanks yoga, I will try that

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  • jcp
    jcp Member Posts: 112
    edited May 2020

    NineTwelve, hello. How are you? I had idc in late 2005. I was having asthma trouble and went to a specialist finally. They did a chest xray and found an area of calcification on left side, opposite lumpectomy on right. It's in the hilar region where everything comes together, the vessels, lungs, lymph nodes, etc. I am so afraid. They said if calcification is throughout whole nodule then that would be better than a pattern on some of nodule. Do you know anything about calcifications? How can someone tell if it's a primary or secondary from breast? I hope and pray you are doing well . JCP



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  • jcp
    jcp Member Posts: 112
    edited May 2020

    Hello Moth. I have an order for an upcoming chest ct due to a area of calcification on chest xray. Very scared. How are you? If you ever need to talk let me know. JCP Dx IDC 2005. Er and Pr positive. Just under 1 cm, grade 2, stage 1. It lumpectomy, chemo AC, rads 6 weeks, then hormonal blockers for 10.5 years total.

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  • jcp
    jcp Member Posts: 112
    edited May 2020

    jen2mom, hello. At least your chest xray is good. That seems to be encouraging. My chest xray showed calcification area. Now I have to do ct of chest. Very scared. I'm writing from my phone so the format isn't good. Anyway, had IDC 2005 er and pr positive. No positive nodes in sentinel biopsy. Grade 2 stage 1. Lumpectomy at side chemo AC , rads whole rt breast , hormonal blockers for 10.5 years.

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