Can't get rid of cough

(Martin Lynch) said:

Every winter for the past 4 years, I get a dry cough (no mucus) that will last for 4 months.

My throat does not hurt, I have no other symptoms of sickness (no headache, no stomache
ache, etc.).

The doctor at my university hospital did a checkup, then prescribed me antibiotics last year. I was
skeptical, since I had a feeling this was not viral but I took the full cycle anyways. It did not
help. I simply waited until the cough went away during the springtime.

This year, same thing... and again the doctor prescribes antibiotics. I have not taken them, and
will not.

Can someone suggest what the possible causes of this cough can be, so I can make suggestions and be
more knowledgeable when I see another doctor?

I live in Michigan (to give you an idea of the winter climate).

You didn't give us many details (age, smoker, etc), but I'm prone to agree with your skepticism
about the antibiotics. (For future reference, antibiotics are prescribed for bacterial infections,
not viral.)

Does taking a hot shower seems to help the cough? Does it bother you more at home than when outside?
If so, then dry indoor air is one possible culprit. You might try installing a humidifier. Or just
find another doctor and get a second opinion.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Martin Lynch) said:

Every winter for the past 4 years, I get a dry cough (no mucus) that will last for 4 months.

My throat does not hurt, I have no other symptoms of sickness (no headache, no stomache
ache, etc.).

[]

Can someone suggest what the possible causes of this cough can be, so I can make suggestions and
be more knowledgeable when I see another doctor?

I live in Michigan (to give you an idea of the winter climate).

This seems far too obvious to be something you haven't considered, but just in case...is it possible
it has something to do with the low humidity in the winter months? Do you use a humidifier,
especially in the room you sleep in?
--
Found Poetry (_Science News_, 14-Jun-2003): oldest _homo sapiens_ find +-----------------------------------------
+ ocean eddies' far-flung effects;
| Kevin Michael Vail <[email hidden]> | superior threads spun
+-----------------------------------------+ the pox from prairie dogs.

[email hidden] (Martin Lynch) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Every winter for the past 4 years, I get a dry cough (no mucus) that will last for 4 months.

Quoted message said:

My throat does not hurt, I have no other symptoms of sickness (no headache, no stomache
ache, etc.).

Quoted message said:

The doctor at my university hospital did a checkup, then prescribed me antibiotics last year. I
was skeptical, since I had a feeling this was not viral but I took the full cycle anyways. It did
not help. I simply waited until the cough went away during the springtime.

Quoted message said:

This year, same thing... and again the doctor prescribes antibiotics. I have not taken them, and
will not.

Quoted message said:

Can someone suggest what the possible causes of this cough can be, so I can make suggestions and
be more knowledgeable when I see another doctor?

Quoted message said:

I live in Michigan (to give you an idea of the winter climate).

An ACE inhibitor for hypertension can cause a cough which might be alleviated by substituting an
Angiotensin II blocker.

You might look to see if there is too much air pollution or the possibility of an low-grade
infection of some kind.

--
Ron

On 18 Feb 2004 16:58:09 -0800, [email hidden] (Martin Lynch)

Quoted message said:

Every winter for the past 4 years, I get a dry cough (no mucus) that will last for 4 months.

My throat does not hurt, I have no other symptoms of sickness (no headache, no stomache
ache, etc.).

The doctor at my university hospital did a checkup, then prescribed me antibiotics last year. I was
skeptical, since I had a feeling this was not viral but I took the full cycle anyways. It did not
help. I simply waited until the cough went away during the springtime.

This year, same thing... and again the doctor prescribes antibiotics. I have not taken them, and
will not.

Can someone suggest what the possible causes of this cough can be, so I can make suggestions and be
more knowledgeable when I see another doctor?

I live in Michigan (to give you an idea of the winter climate).

Without knowing your medical history, without having the benefit of examining you, without knowing
more details about the cough, and without even knowing your age or whether you smoke or not, I would
still safely guess that a trial of inhaled fluticasone would be worthwhile.

PF

Can you describe the environment you are in, every winter?

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sorry i was in a rush and didnt quiet tell the whole story.

i am 24. i do not take any medications. i do not smoke.

i get the cough while indoors and outdoors.

sitting in a steam room does seem to help temporarily, but i didnt think this necessarily indicated
that dry air is the cause.

also, i have tried an inhaler, and also have tried allergy medicine (i think albuterol and
allegra)... but neither helped.

i also notice that the cough seems to develop when i get my first cold or flu in the winter, then
while all the other symptoms of sickness go away, the cough remains for another 4 or 5 months.

i also think i first developed this after getting pretty sick 4 years ago. since then, the same
cough comes back every winter.

could it be some sort of infection that i've had for 4 years straight, but just gets more prominent
under winter conditions? could it be irreparable respiratory damage that makes my lungs irritable to
non-viral/bacterial stimuli?

if it's caused by an infection, is a doctor capable of identifying what specific strain of bacteria
or virus is causing it so he can kill it efficiently, or will he have to prescribe general
antibiotics AGAIN. what works to kill a virus anyways?

anymore brainstorming or suggestions would be much appreciated.

thanks

Quoted message said:

(Martin Lynch) said:

Every winter for the past 4 years, I get a dry cough (no mucus) that will last for 4 months.

My throat does not hurt, I have no other symptoms of sickness (no headache, no stomache
ache, etc.).

The doctor at my university hospital did a checkup, then prescribed me antibiotics last year. I
was skeptical, since I had a feeling this was not viral but I took the full cycle anyways. It did
not help. I simply waited until the cough went away during the springtime.

This year, same thing... and again the doctor prescribes antibiotics. I have not taken them, and
will not.

Can someone suggest what the possible causes of this cough can be, so I can make suggestions and
be more knowledgeable when I see another doctor?

I live in Michigan (to give you an idea of the winter climate).

You didn't give us many details (age, smoker, etc), but I'm prone to agree with your skepticism
about the antibiotics. (For future reference, antibiotics are prescribed for bacterial infections,
not viral.)

Does taking a hot shower seems to help the cough? Does it bother you more at home than when
outside? If so, then dry indoor air is one possible culprit. You might try installing a
humidifier. Or just find another doctor and get a second opinion.

(Martin Lynch) said:

sitting in a steam room does seem to help temporarily, but i didnt think this necessarily
indicated that dry air is the cause.

No? Why not? Dry air is definitely a bronchial irritant. How much it bothers a person is subject to
individual variability.

Quoted message said:

also, i have tried an inhaler, and also have tried allergy medicine (i think albuterol and
allegra)... but neither helped.

When you say "tried" I have to assume you mean "exactly as directed for long enough for a clinical
effect to be percieved", which should've been at least for several days.

Quoted message said:

i also notice that the cough seems to develop when i get my first cold or flu in the winter, then
while all the other symptoms of sickness go away, the cough remains for another 4 or 5 months.

Cough is almost always the last symptom of a viral URI to resolve. 4-5 months of coughing suggests
either back-to-back colds (not unheard of) or something else going on (more likely).

Quoted message said:

i also think i first developed this after getting pretty sick 4 years ago. since then, the same
cough comes back every winter.

Honestly, what you've described sounds most like cough-variant asthma. See your doctor.

Quoted message said:

could it be some sort of infection that i've had for 4 years straight,

No.

(PF Riley) said:

Quoted message said:

Can someone suggest what the possible causes of this cough can be, so I can make suggestions and
be more knowledgeable when I see another doctor?

Without knowing your medical history, without having the benefit of examining you, without knowing
more details about the cough, and without even knowing your age or whether you smoke or not, I
would still safely guess that a trial of inhaled fluticasone would be worthwhile.

PF

Oh, PF...you hypocrite. Dispensing medical advice without an extensive history and physical to back
up your opinions. Take your own advice, my friend, or get off my back.