Annoying cough- talk me down!

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Jessingme
Jessingme Member Posts: 5
edited October 2021 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

I’ll start off by saying that this is my first post but I’m a longtime reader of the forum and it was extremely helpful while going through treatment. I was diagnosed early 2020, and finished treatment by 2021. I’m hoping to get some insight about a cough I’ve been having and that has me on edge every day.

I developed a dry short cough about 6 weeks ago, it has somewhat improved lately but it’s still there. I maybe cough 1-2 x per hour as opposed to 3-4 I had some previous weeks. So it seems to improve somewhat but won’t go away. Overall I’ve had days where I cough very little and others where I cough more. I have already tested negative for covid and had a clear X-Ray. I don’t know what to do next I’m just very worried. I have my checkup with my oncologist on the 20th of October but I guess I’ll have to call in and tell them since it hasn’t gone away. I was somewhat sick before I started to cough but I quickly got better and that’s when the cough started. I’m looking for every reason to not worry and write it off but I’m dreading the worst. I know you girls here understand what this is like, thank you for reading.



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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited September 2021

    Jessingme, fwiw, cough was my primary symptom but mine showed on xray right away.

    I know that throats can get irritated & take time to heal after viral infection or allergies.

    what does your dr think?

    maybe give it a few more weeks, try to not cough. Maybe try the soothing throa tea some singers swear by https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Orga...=sr_1_6_0o_wf?dchild=1&keywords=throat+coat&qid=1632860530&sr=8-6


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  • Jessingme
    Jessingme Member Posts: 5
    edited September 2021

    Thanks you for the reply Moth,

    I had hoped that an X-ray would give me some answers. I actually contacted my radiation oncologist first and they thought it might be a case of radiation pneumonitis, so they sent me for the X-ray. After it came back clear they said they didn’t see any signs of that and that’s pretty much all they said. Thank you for your suggestions, I will absolutely give them a try, anything to make the cough stop at this point!

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited September 2021

    Did you have radiation, and did it include your clavicle area? Mine left me with a tendency to cough, plus intermittent froggy throat, and mine was more than three years ago. Also, where do you live? Air quality is abysmal in many places this year due to all the fires out west, and it's high allergy season in a lot of places, too. I'd suggest checking in with your PCP first, with a reminder that you have a cancer history. With MOs, some of them ONLY see cancer and they don't think of more common causes.

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  • Tmh0921
    Tmh0921 Member Posts: 714
    edited September 2021

    By any chance are you on a blood pressure medicine such as Lisinopril? I developed high blood pressure from Letrozole and was put on Lisinopril. Not long after starting the Lisinopril I developed a dry cough, which freaked me out. Turned out to be a very common side effect of the Lisinopril.

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  • NorCalS
    NorCalS Member Posts: 288
    edited September 2021

    As AliceBastable said, where you live and the air quality can make a difference. I had persistent coughing the last two years, and I live in Northern California. Fire season has definitely triggered the coughing. I have had CT scans two years in a row and the scans showed inflammation, but no signs of metastasis. The coughing has been triggered by the fires, so during the winter and spring, the coughing goes away. I still get the lungs checked if the coughing lasts more than 2 weeks, but so far the scans have been ok

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  • Jessingme
    Jessingme Member Posts: 5
    edited September 2021

    Alice, I did receive radiation, I'm not sure if it was all the way up to my clavicle area but I know most of my chest was very badly burnt. I did read up one a lot of people having a cough after radiation but I just assumed if it was to do with that the X-ray would've picked it up but maybe not always.

    Tmh, the only medication I'm currently taking is hormone blockers (tamoxifen). This is probably one of the only times I wish I was taking something else, to be able to blame it on that

    NorCal, yes I'm a fellow Californian and like you and Alice mention the air quality has been abysmal! I tried to blame it on that first but there were some days where it seemed to clear up from smoke but I would still cough. That along with the fact that I usually am not this sensitive to the bad air made me rule that out as the cause but I reallly hope it’s just extra bad this year and that’s to blame.

    I appreciate the replies and if anyone's got any more I welcome them too. I think maybe my next step is my PCP like Alice suggested. Ive hesitated because I just convinced myself that if I waited long enough it would go away on its own.

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited September 2021

    It could also be silent reflux. No other symptoms except a cough. Do you notice it more after certain foods, exercise/laying down?

    Allergies are most common. As mentioned, medications like lisinopril cause an allergic reaction (histamine) to promote the lower blood pressure; they are not the only ones. And any post nasal drip (various causes) can do the same in terms of coughing. Lots of posts from ladies here who said that when they started tamoxifen, they developed a post nasal drip.

    Glad your xray was clear.

    Here is a list of tamoxifen symptoms, cough being amongst them: https://www.goodrx.com/tamoxifen/side-effects


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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited September 2021

    Even on days that look clear, there are still particles in the air you can't see, if there have been fires recently. Regarding radiation - I had a scar show up on my left lung (radiation side), I think about a year or so out. It has eventually faded and the last chest scan showed there's not much left of it now. I didn't have any chest x-rays; I get CTs to follow other conditions. So I don't know what might show up differently.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2021

    Jess - sharing my story to support you, not scare you. I had a nagging, dry cough for a month and then added "laryngitis" after 6 weeks of the dry , light cough which would kind of come and go. I was 11 years from original stage 1 dx and my primary care doc and cancer ctr ignored my concerns, dx me with reactive airway/asthma etc. I pushed and saw an ENT. It was caused by various enlarged lymph nodes that pressed on my laryngeal nerve & windpipe. Found by the ENT who ordered a neck CT. I also had a clear chest xray and mammogram. Your cough could be asthma, air quality irritation, silent gerd etc but you are smart to push for more testing. I was patted on the head and told "when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses not zebras" by my primary care doc at the time. Sometimes, it is a freaking Zebra! I switched primary care docs after my re dx. Within weeks of starting treatment my symptoms went away (thankfully!).

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  • Jessingme
    Jessingme Member Posts: 5
    edited September 2021

    Wallycat, yes the cough has been my primary symptom, I thought I was also having some chest tightness but maybe that was my mind playing tricks, either that or it has subsided. The cough seems to be worse in the mornings, but odd enough it never seems to bother me at night when I sleep or lay down. I never wake up coughing or anything like that.

    Alice, I’m hoping it’s some sort of radiation damage that just isn’t visible in the X-ray. It’s good that you get CT’s. I think I’m going to give myself this weekend and starting next week if it’s still there I’m contacting my PCP or oncologist and pushing for a CT scan.

    Aprilgirl, don’t worry about scaring me, I appreciate you sharing your story! It feels so much easier to go with doctors that say it’s nothing but in reality it is better to be proactive and I’m glad you found relief of your symptoms with treatment.

    I have never been someone considered themselves “cancer free” or “cured” when I finished treatment. I’ve always known reoccurrences and metastasizing are real threats and can happen to anyone anytime. I just thought maybe I had a little more time in remission as someone who was told I didn’t even need chemo with my low of an oncotype. But, of course, we never know with cancer. Now I’m just ranting but thanks for hearing me out girls.

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited September 2021

    I don't get the CTs because of the breast cancer I had, so it's not a routine thing for that.

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  • Jessingme
    Jessingme Member Posts: 5
    edited October 2021

    Hi ya’ll,

    It’s been a little while since I posted on this thread. I ended up going to my PCP and he did a blood test since he said it shouldn’t be anything if my X ray was clear. Of course those showed nothing but by the time I had my checkup with my oncologist my cough had gotten a lot better along with other breathing symptoms I’d been having. She didn’t seem concerned at all and just said to follow up with PCP and if it persisted to see a pulmonologist. Although a CT would’ve eased my mind even more I’ll take the fact that I’m now only coughing a few times a day as a sign that I’m alright.

    I wanted to update because I know how desperate I was searching all the threads and I hope that if someone stumbles on this thread they can see that a stubborn cough of 8+ weeks can get better.

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  • NorCalS
    NorCalS Member Posts: 288
    edited October 2021

    Jessingme,

    So glad to hear that the coughing has subsided and that your doctors believe that it is nothing more serious. Thanks for letting us know that you’re ok

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited October 2021

    Great news!

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  • RatherBeSailing
    RatherBeSailing Member Posts: 130
    edited October 2021

    Jessingme -

    So glad to heat you're feeling better. Pneumonitis is common after radiation, and the best way of imaging it is with a hi-res CT scan - x-ray is not going to have the detail. It is very common for radiologists to see changes on the CT scan along the radiation line, even when patients have absolutely no symptoms. And the pneumonitis often goes away on its own. So the CT can make us worry even if everything is fine.

    But please keep track of your symptoms. If they continue, and you had a high dose to your lung (your RO has those stats) you should be put on steroids for a short while to prevent permanent lung damage. Pollution issues may also be a factor, but if you continue to have issues, including shortness of breath, pursue it aggressively.

    Having said all that, hope you continue to feel better!

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