A forum for people who suffer from chronic or persistent coughs to share ideas... these don't have any sort of official approval so you try any of them out at your own risk. I've consigned some of the more unusual ones I received to the Oddities bin on the left. I've also listed very simple remedies separately. If you're a sufferer, good luck, and please report back by commenting on the particular posting if you find success. Or just comment to the most recent posting and I will pick it up.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Lots of comments here.....

This came in to Radio 4 after the broadcast...
How sorry I am listening to the gentleman who can't stop coughing. I know only too well how dreadful it is and how depressing. Like him, I used to cough every few seconds and perhaps it is not a coincidence that I, too, spend my days talking to people. Like him, the cough never woke me up in the night and in the morning I used to lie quietly thinking "This is the best I am going to feel all day" - and knowing as soon as I started speaking and moving around the cough would start. I got very depressed about it and sometimes just wanted to die. Nobody could understand how debilitating it was.

None of the doctors or specialists could explain it, and I had even been diagnosed with asthma!!! (Eventually the specialist told me he had mis-diagnosed me!!)

It was while listening to an expert on "Check Up" on Radio 4 three or so years ago that I realised what the cause might be.

Within a month I had stopped coughing and touch wood it has never re-started.

Happy days!

Kind regards to all at the programme.

Avril Brown
Northern Ireland
NOTE: Avril explains what the cause of her cough was further down the page....

And more from Saturday Live...


Just a note for Nigel Peake, the person who has coughing problems to see a Bowen Therapist. That will sort him out.
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Dear Saturday Live 

I am a researcher, and cognitive behavioural therapist , working at Newcastle University, researching using cognitive behavioural therapy

(CBT) to treat "medically unexplained" voice and speech problems. It struck me, listening to Nick talk about his problem, that a CBT approach might be useful. He said that there could be an element of habit involved, that there are times that are easier than others, and that some strategies help. This all suggests, to me, that taking a pragmatic CBT informed look at how he manages his coughing might at least be able to give him a bit more control over it.

It could be he has already tried this. CBT is more and more being used to help people manage physical symptoms, particularly ones, like Nicks, which are chronic, and where there is no clear medical explanation.

Changing how you manage and respond to symptoms doesnt necessarily make them go away, but it can improve them, and improve general quality of life. This is how I have ended up working with voice patients. If Nick is interested, feel free to pass on my contact details. I work within the university sector and see clients within the NHS, (just to let you know that I have no monetary or other vested interest!) 

great programme by the way
all the best
Vincent
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Hi Fi
I was just listening to your coughing interview. I had a cough all through secondary school. No one knew why. I was given an asthma puffer, despite being told categorically by the doctor that I didn't have asthma. If your man does find out what is causing his cough I'd be curious to know.

I think the general assumption with my cough was that it was psychosematic. I found it puzzling that your man had gone to the extremes of demanding morphine, but hadn't explored psychiatric treatment.

Jo
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take it that Nick Peake, who was on your programme, contacted Professor Alyn Morice of Hull York Medical School? He has done a great deal of research into coughing and is the founder of the International Society for the Study of the Cough. Coughing caused by oesophageal reflux is a particular interest of the Professor.

David
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To Nick, the poor man with the chronic cough. Have you seen a speech and language therapist? 

There is a behavioural technique, developed in Toronto, which has helped to alleviate or eliminate chronic cough/throat clearing for thousands of people. I personally have 'cured' several people who have suffered with the condition for up to fifteen years. Most have been for ENT, respiratory and gastro-enterology investigations with no relief. Many GPs and consultants are unaware of this simple, drug-free, non-invasive technique. Believe me, this method really works. It is not a gimmick - It just replaces a 'bad' behaviour with a good one, in order to break the cough cycle. I am a speech and language therapist working in the NHS.

Please contact me - I can help! 

Hoping to hear from you soon, 

Best wishes, 

Viv 

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Nick Peake and the cough 

Here are some ideas for Nick to try. 1st of all, he has had this cough for a long time, so he may need to have this habitual behaviour dealt with through hypnotherapy. The amount of time he would have to have treatment for is in proportion with the number of years. He should get someone to look at his face and neck posture whilst he is giving a lecture. He might be holding his head up too far, rather than looking straight ahead - someone who teaches the Alexander Technique could help here. It think Alexander himself had problems with his voice and developed the technique to help himself. There are also some homeopathic remedies that could help. Drosera ( 6c or 30c) is very good at suppressing a tickly throat and the cough that comes with it. As Nick has had this for a long time it might be a good idea for him to see a homeopath for constitutional treatment. The other remedy is Sootha, which is a cough syrup - although it has a baby on the package now, it is for all ages.

Seeing a speciliast of one or more of thses therapies is probably a sound idea due to him having this cough for such a long time.

all the best - Alida 

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Re Nick Peake and his 15-year cough 

Having failed to find Nick's blog, I thought I would write to you with another suggestion. I suffer from a similar thing although my cough is usually only for 30 mins in the morning (also with a morning cup of tea and chat) and sometimes at night when I go to bed. One of my GPs came up with the suggestion that it was probably due to acid reflux (which is the most probably cause) and suggested I put bricks under the head end of the bed (not mattress!) so that the body is sloping slightly downwards. More pillows is not the answer as the body is then not straight. Perhaps you could pass this on to him. Many thanks.

Sue
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Nick Peake - coughing remedy/management 

He's probably already heard these one but ... 

Try rolling a blob/teaspoon of thick/opaque honey in a saucer with a fair amount of dry ginger powder in it 'til it's like a soft lozenge, then put on tongue and suck gently for as long as possible...

2. Has he tried holding off coughing for as long as humanly possible and seeing if he can increase the time he can hold off the cough for (to try and change the habit, which may be part of the problem). He could try the blob of honey while trying to hold if off...

Also, distraction - is there something that he would find distracting enough (music/craft/making something) that would take his mind off it for a while first thing in the morning, just long enough to show that the habit could be broken ?

All the best, good luck with it. 

Sue E.
(Sheffield) 

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Re:programme 26/4/08. Featured a chap from Manchester, a uni lecturer I think. His story was of his persistant tickly cough. I know it is very unlikely that the medical staff to whom he has been refferred haven't considered the possibility but I felt I would just offer this in case! There are some prescribed drugs that can cause this problem, the one I know of is taken for HYPERTENSION but I can't recall it's name.

Beryl
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Has Nick Peake tried Rescue Remedy for his cough? If I have a tickle/irritation in my throat it always works! Mary 

------------------ 

Dear lecturer with tickle in throat,
Great show, keep it up!
I had a nervous tickle in my throat for 20 years, very difficult to get rid of! Try herbal Marshmallow capsules, any good herbal shop will sell them.

Yours
Mike
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This is a message for Nick Peake:
I had the same cough problem and after extensive tests failed to provide a diagnosis, I trawled the internet and came up with "Post-nasal drip". This sounds dreadful, but it's an accumuluation of mucous in the sinuses that slowly drips down the back of the throat causing coughing. Some of the things that cause excessive production of mucous are dairy products (which I love), so I cut out all butter, yoghurt, cheese, cream, chocolate etc from my diet. I couldn't cut out milk altogether, so switched to semi-skimmed goats milk which is lower fat than cows milk. It worked. Every now and again I succumb to eating cheese or butter and then suffer the cough 24 hours later - but its a trade off. The cough hasn't completely gone, but its usually just in the morning and very occasionally thereafter. 

Another factor I think is Manchester's damp climate (I'm from Manchester too, and also a teacher). I heard that a lot of people have sinus problems in Manchester and as the sinuses are involved in post-nasal drip, this leads me to conclude the weather may be involved.

Anyway, I hope this is of some help - cutting out dairy products for a week or two as a trial is less extreme than some of the remedies people suggest. Good luck!

Kath Fry

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Hi
I was just responding to the gentleman last Saturday who had a very bad cough and couldn't get rid of it. My sister suffered from a similar problem, read somewhere that it could be related to heartburn/indigestion, got Omsoprezole (? spelling) from her doctor and the cough has gone. It may well be that the gentleman has explored this, but if not maybe this could help.

Marie
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ref. Nick Peake's persistent cough 

Further to my last e-mail sent earlier this week. 

I have continued to send absent healing to Nick Peak each evening. I would love to know if he is getting any better. 

If not, I will keep trying! 

Regards 

Jordan Heal 


Name: Jenny Pioli

I too have an irritating cough and throat clearing-habit that is very difficult to shift.


Many years ago, a friend who was a consultant specialising in asthma, told me it was an asthmatic cough.  I went to my GP who rejected the idea because I had no problem with the standard "breathe into this tube" test.  But he did prescribe an inhaler for me to try and said, "If the cough is not gone in 3 weeks then it ain't asthma"


Disappointingly there was no change at first. But some time later, I cannot remember how long exactly, I realised I was no longer coughing.


So I think it was an asthmatic reaction to something and I think I have an easily inflamed respiratory tract.  It seems possible that this is similar to your condition - smoking may have left you with a sensitive respiratory tract and something inflames it too readily.


So the next consideration is what inflames it? Like you, I do not cough at night and only start when I wake up and become upright. This makes me think the irritation comes from "nasal drip" or allergic rhinitis. 


So what cause this "nasal drip"?


I have recently retired from the local University where I worked in close proximity with students, so that is a possible source of infection that you share.  Since retiring 4 months ago, the cough had almost gone but last week I returned for a week's contract - and now the problem has returned. I clear my throat, my voice is croaky and I cough.


So why did it improve when I retired?  I have three possible theories which could all be partially contributing.


Mixing with so many different students, traffic fumes from my journey to work or the hot, stuffy atmosphere of my office where the air-conditioning is a disaster.


I don't know if any of this matches your experience, but one thing I would say is that your condition probably does not stem from a single cause which is why it is so difficult to cure.


Name: Dr. Robert Heath

Like Nick I suffered a continuous irritating coughing for nearly 20 years.  I had been an intermittent non-inhaling smoker, and had countless chest x-rays, all of which were clear.  I tried asthma puffer inhalers, but they just made me cough even more. Every year I would get one or two chest infections and end up on antibiotics.  But the greatest irritation was that concerts, theatre, and even cinema visits were a nightmare - eventually I resorted to buying container-loads of throat pastilles.  Then five years ago a new doctor suggested a steroid powder asthma inhaler called a Turbohaler.  Since starting it years ago my coughing has vanished and I've not had a chest infection for three years. 


For the cough, try Jala Neti.

for example see http://www.jalanetipot.com/


Catching up with Saturday Live mails... amazing response!

One from Tony Gordon:
I heard on SL today that Nick Peake had complained last week about a persistent cough. I cannot find any SL blog or email about this, so do not know if anyone has suggested that a rare but well-documented cause is debris in the ear canal or a hair resting on the eardrum. This phenomenon is triumphantly rediscovered in the medical literature every few years. If he wants any more information, pehaps you could ask him to contact me.


George Kerpner writes (letter received) 

It seemed to me the twin brother of a cough I had and which had been equally persistent, until I saw an ETN specialist who, after some tests decided it was caused y a reflux of stomach acid. He put me on Lansoprazole 30mg. capsules, two daily, and after the cough had gone, some weeks later he suggested I carry on with one daily. 


Name: Bobbie

I have every sympathy for the lecturer who has a persistent cough. I have coughed for more than 25 years to the point of being sick followed by total exhaustion and tried every remedy known to medicine. However, in the last year I have had an MRI scan which has revealed a condition known as bronchiectasis in both lungs. The treatement has involved the use of inhalers, antibiotics and occasional steroid pills and physio with breathing exercises. It has worked. Get your GP to try this route.
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Name: Marilia
I would like to ask Nick Peake if he has tried Acupuncture treatment for his cough. If not or if he would like to try it again I would like to offer my help as Acupuncturist.

I have been an Acupuncturist for 17 years and have my clinic in Congeton, Cheshire and I am available for information about it.

Regards,
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Re the man with a persistant cough; I too have had this condition for years. I heard him say he did some singing. I was a professional singer for 25 years and am convinced it has something to do with damaged vocal cords. My doctor doesn't agree although she will not send me to see anyone to look into this possibilty. Hope you do get it sorted because it is so debilitating. Regards. Marian 

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I have like Nick Peake had a chronic cough for about 15 years and it is very debilitating. I have seen many specialists to no avail. The last one told me that there was nothing he could do for me and I left in tears. I too have discovered that chewing gum does stop the cough but as soon as I stop chewing it returns. If ANYONE has a solution please let me know. It is embarrasing and very tiring.

Judith
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So sorry - with reference to my earlier email, I forgot to tell you what caused my cough! How stupid of me - I got carried away by the fact I have never before contacted a programme while listening to it on air!

Anyway, my cough had nothing to do with smoking and in fact it had nothing to do with my throat at all. Very few doctors or specialists have heard of it, apparently, so I was doubly grateful to the Radio 4 "Check Up" specialist who admitted that very few medics knew about it.

It is a reflux reaction and as soon as I was put on the correct stomach medication (nothing to do with the throat or chest as I say) the cough vanished, never to return.

Love your programme!
Kind regards.
Avril
Northern Ireland
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Re Coughing 

If you have a cough of the kind that is helped by chewing or sucking sweets ( ie, in the throat rather than chest) try, at the first tickle, putting your thumbs under your jaw and below your ears where your saliver glands are and give them a good deep massage whilst swallowing and sucking an imaginary sweet. You will feel immidiate relief the moment you touch the right spot. I have just discovered that this this stops a cough dead in its tracks. No more embarasing moments in concerts or cinemas for me!

rosemary

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Hello,
your guest with the "cough" may benefit from a visit to a qualifed homeopath.I have treated many people with this type of symptom. A cough that long may well be an emotional link, and homeopathy deals with the whole persons health and wellbeing.

For a local homeopath please check the society of homeopaths website www.homeopathy-soh.org
good luck. best wishes Vanessa 

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I had a persistent cough and went through the usual tests X-rays, Tubes down the nostrils etc.,. Eventually I was prescribed medicating that suppressed reflux. This is when digestive acids from the stomach entering the back of the throat while sleeping. This causes sensitivity at the back of the throat which causes the cough. It took about six months, but cured the cough. Unfortunately, it returned when I stopped taking the medication, but not so persistently. I also purchased an adjustable bed (Ikea) so I can sleep with my head and upper body slightly raised.

Hope this helps your listener.David
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Poor old Nick Peake! However, has he tried The Alexander Technique? Nick, if this is passed on, PLEASE give it a go? 

The technique is a method of neuro-muscular re-education - and your respiratory muscles, whatever the original cause, have become set into a habitual way of functioning. Your whole use of yourself (NOT posture in the sense of 'standing up stright') will have altered compensate for and to accomodate your coughing and that very accomodation is maintaining the cough. The 'viscious cicle' is alive and well, hence the morphine as a suppressant working a bit. But there is another, rather safer and less 'sticking plaster' way. 

Lessons with an Alexander teacher (who qualifies from a 3 year full time training course although you would be looking at 6-30 lessons as a pupil) will address this issue and show you how to reverse the habits and some back into balance. To come back to place you were before the coughing upset the respiratory integration.

I have taught Alexander for 26 years and have seen many problems, stubborn to other interventions, improve dramatically. The words, "I wish I had tried this first instead of a last resort" so many times. It will give you tools to manage it anyway.

Do please check it out? Please email me if I can offer any assistance or go to www.stat.org.uk for details and/or find a teacher in your area.

I wish you the very best whatever and I am sure you can stop coughing.
Anne 

-------------------------------------------------
re. Nick Peake's cough I had a persistent cough for some months that turned out to be caused by acid 'reflux' from the stomach, which then irritates the throat the rather humdrum solution was Gaviscon Advance! can't believe he won't have looked into this already but on the other hand none of the doctors I consulted even mentioned it as a possibility I self-diagnosed from a medical website

chris
--------------------------------------------------
Nick's cough: has he tried an asthma "preventer" inhaler? I had a persistent cough (worst every morning when I woke up) which disappeared completely after I was coincidentally prescribed a "preventer" inhaler (Beclazone) for late on-set asthma, which I use twice a day. After a few days of regular use, I noticed that my cough had disappeared. There was a similar story in the Saturday Times (Body and Soul) a few months ago, in which a man had suffered with a bad cough, and no specialist had thought to try preventive asthma treatment. A GP suggested it several years later and it worked a treat. Worth a try if he hasn't already.

Jenny 

------------------------------ 

I am a Bowen Technique Therapist and recently treated a man who had been coughing or 6 years. When he came back for the 2nd treatment he hadn't coughed for a week. I will see him for his 3rd appointment next week.

Bowen is a very gentle muscular/skeletal treatment enabling the body to balance and heal itself. I would recommend to try this treatment - there are practitioners on the Bowen Technique European Register site or the tutor/expert on Asthma and Respiratory problems is Alastair Rattray, teacher, European College of Bowen Studies. Email rattray@global.net

I am sure you will have many suggestions following the programme but, if you haven't tried Bowen, it is a remarkable gentle therapy which has amazing results.

Good Luck.

Sincerely

Fay

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Re: your guest with the cough.
Have you ever tried Dexa-rhina nasal spray. Mainly prescribed for hay fever but can be helpful for persistent cough caused by cattarh. Contains a small dose of dexamethasone which is a steroid and tramazoline which is a decongestant. There are probably other similar preparations. However not usually recommended for long term use.

Charlie
----------------------------------------- 

I had exactly the same symptons as Nick.I couldn't move without coughing. I too was a lecturer. I went through everything conventional medicine could throw at me including methadone(supposedly good cough suppressant. Nothing worked. I also had blood test for allergies which came back negative. However after the specialist wrote me off saying there was nothing further they could do, I went and had further allergy tests with a kineisiologist and although I had no expectation whatsovever, I was completely better within 2 weeks. I was so impressed i eventually became an allergy consultant myself. I would suggest that for one week Nick writes down everything he eats. Things that he eats every day he should eliminate from his diet for 2 weeks everything else he can eat every four days.He should also cut out completely tea coffee and alcohol and avoid all additives and processed food.After 2 weeks he can !

start bringing back in one food at atime once a day. If he gets no reaction i.e. severe coughing headache etc he can bring back into diet once every four days. He will then be able to determine which foods are causing a coughing problem. It certainly worked for me! Judy 

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By chance I heard the item about Nick Peake's cough, and I would like to suggest a likely diagnosis. Over the years I have seen several patients who started wheezing or coughing after they stopped smoking due to latent allergic asthma being unmasked. It seems that the smoking was actually supressing the allergy, but restarting does not work. In recent years it has been recognised more often that asthma can present as a persistent cough with no trace of wheeze. Has this possibility been considered? Have a look at my website for my C V etc or he could give me a ring any time. 

Dr H Morrow Brown MD, FRCP(Edin), FAAAAI (USA)
Highfield House,
Highfield Gardens,
Derby DE22 1HT
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Tel : 01332 331500 Fax : 01332 361748 Email: derbyallergydoc@morrow-brown.freeserve.co.uk
website www.allergiesexplained.com
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I listened with interest about Nick Peake and his cough. I would like to think (as he has tried everything) that he's already seen a chiropractor about his cough. There is a very good chance that our profession could help him.

I'm still training - three years full time almost complete and another two still to do. At 50 I'm one of the oldest students (and staff) at the college.

Regards
Dave
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Regarding nick's cough. Sounds like a psychosomatic problem. There are a number of options that could be considered. One of them being Homeopathy. I also have experince with cases of psycosomatic ENT problems. I would be happy to talk to Nick, if just to give him some information to think about.

Regards 

Bernadette 

Licentiate of The Institute of Aromatic Medicine 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Article on Nick Peake coughing.
I was coughing for over a year making it difficult to do my job which involves talking to a lot of people both face to face and on the telephone. I was awake most of the night with coughing making me very tired.

After various investigations including a head scan nothing was found. The only thing my consultant could find was that my nasal passages were very narrow causing me to breath through my mouth. The nose produces mucous which contains a lot of moisture which you usually swallow. When you breath through your mouth, the moisture evaporates and the mucous becomes very thick making it difficult to swallow and causing you to cough.

I had an operation of widen the nasal passages and the cough has reduced considerably though not gone altogether.
Pauline
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I have great sympathy for the man with the cough. I itch. I have had and still get many medications from my GP, and the best I can say for them is that they work for a short time. The only time I am not forcing myself not to scratch is when I am asleep, so I awake to find sore patches on my body. We all have our own problems and have to live with them. I do this without resorting to believing in a god, because if I believed there was a god then I would consider him a sadist.

On the food subject. I cook a large pan full of my own recipe vegetarian stew. I keep it in the fridge and microwave a dish full for my main meal each day. This method avoids all those additives you see listed on pre made microwave dinners. It also saves a hell of lot of money. Some say it is boring to eat the same thing each day, but some of us eat to live rather than live to eat. The consequence is that despite being in my 60's I am the correct weight for my height.

Allan
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HI there
As soon as I heard Nick Peake I was amazed the word Asthma wasnt mentioned. This is what I have been told causes this with me, I cough, but only when I have talked a certain amount, and if I dont talk I dont cough. I was helped by Buteyko, a revolutionary method of treating asthma and other conditions. 

In Australia clinical trials proved it cured asthma as well as the leading drug treatments but they wont take it up on the NHS, I suspect because it will lose millions of pounds for the drug industry. There is plenty of information on the internet about it, and you get one to one training from a trained practitioner, one ex nurses remortgaged her house after seeing the results and wanting to fund the progress of the treatment in the UK. 

My impression is that the theory is related mainly to overbreathing, and breathing in through the mouth instead of the nose too much, which apparently most of us do these days and this has implications on the oxygen/ carbon dioxide levels. 

The training was to try to not cough and always keep a glass of water beside you and take a sip if at all possible instead of coughing. Coughing, like talking at length, (and for me, laughing!) basically brings on more coughing and makes it worse. so being a lecturer does seem a less than ideal job for Nick! 

You do need to have discipline to practice it, as it involves daily breathing exercises set specifically for you according to the nature of your problem and - I know, I know this sounds crazy but believe me it works! - taping your mouth up at night with micropore tape to ensure you dont over breathe and breathe thru the mouth at night. If I dont wear the tape, I get the cough, and finally my partner as grudgingly agreed it does seem to make a difference though its hardly romantic! 

Joelle
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Nick Peake could ask his doctor to contact Professor Morice@Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorks.He is an expert on persistent coughs,often caused by "silent reflux".He has been on Radio 4,and is available on the N.H.S.

Sincerely. Maureen.
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Hello there, 

I was listening to person who has a problem coughing i think his name was Nick. I had the problem myself 7 years ago and it lasted for about 9 months, when out of desperation i went to see a herbalist in Syria who is very famous and he had the cure for me: pick good number of 

Eucalyptus leaves and boil thoroughly for a long time. Then strain the liquid and drink it like tea (you might need to add honey)once you ve had the first cup leave it till it cools and put it in the fridge and every time you need to drink a cup warm enough amount for you like i said use it like tea. repeat it for ten days and see if if helps. it took me two weeks but you might need to check with your GP in case you were allergic to Eucalyptus. 

Best or luck
sami
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Please pass on to Nick Peake. I too have had a cough for many years and have had all the tests and the final conclusion was that I coughed as a result of oesophegal reflux, which affected my respiratory tract rather than the usual indigestion/heartburn.I have found Fishermans friend lozenges to be effective at suppressing the tickle and sometimes use Gaviscon in order to try to control the acid , neither of these is addictive and may appeal better than morphine for long term use

Ursula Allen
Email: umurphyallen@aol.com -
Phone: 01580 890370
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Ref. coughing.
In the early 60s, if I caught a bad winter cold, in the Birmingham area,I could not stop coughing 'til the spring.

I then discovered codeine linctus, which could be bought from the chemists, Pholcodeine linctus is available now which has less side effects, I always keep a bottle handy in case I have a coughing fit.

A friend who is a chemist has told me, it is best to take one good swig, to get it well down your throat. This may calm you imediately and no more need be taken. If you take a smaller dose, you may need to take many more, and still keep coughing.

r.a.franks
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Re the guy with the cough.
My bet is on house dust or something in your environment. Giving up smoking probably awakened your immune system. 

My suggestion is that you book up a stone cottage without carpets and done up with natural materials. There is a company called under the Thatch in west wales, they might be able to help. But don't stay under the thatch. Buy some holiday cloths from a cheap outlet like say matelan just for the holiday so it won't have your house dust on them. when you wash them don't use any powder etc. Make sure your wife uses no perfume or hair spray etc and eliminate all after shaves and perfumed soap etc. Bung the cough medicine in the bin. And find some marsh mallow in the wild and make your own.

Now in west wales there are very few high pollen crops like rape seed etc, Also the air is very clean. But buy local honey and gulp it down ,as that which you take by mouth you are less lightly to be allergic to.So do that strait away.

When I visited my mother in Kent I would start coughing and wheezing every time. When she died and cloths and bedding etc where removed from the house I nearly died my self on several occasions I could hardly breath and had to sleep under one of those silver sheets that I found in my first aid kit . So I knew then it was house dust or maybe cat dust . The only real relief I could get was traveling back to west wales as the air cleared so did my chest. But if I ever have to move old carpet I nearly die. The only first aid thing I can do is suck warm salt water up my nose. Which sounds completely crazy but brings some immediate relief.

So if you find that clean air that blows of the sea helps then you will have to move house . Or get somebody to remove all the carpets and sand the floor etc.

Also my bet is on you having a mild skin allergy as well. For this use water at 45c to max 48c for instant relief. I got that of a research pharmacist at the University of south wales.

Failing all else try getting stung by bees, once in a while a miracle cure can result . I got stung around the eye and it cured my macula degeneration. Also it seems to cause my allergies to clear up every spring. There is a thing called the aipitherapy list of people who sting people for a living. 

Also just adopt a self help mentality, conventional medicine has done nothing for you in 13 years. So think for your self and eventually you will find a way.

Best wishes and good luck with it.
---------------------------------------------------------------- 

Like Nick Peake I too have had a cough for the past 14 or 15 years. It was also after I stopped smoking and after a bout of bronchitis that the cough really got going. The other symptoms went but not the cough.

I've been to the cough clinic (yes, there is one) on and off for about 10 years to no real avail. I too have tried morphine - in my case oral morphine - but this made me drowsy and also caused constipation! On top of that, it only seemed to work for about three weeks as have most of the other treaments that have been offered.

I also have ways of managing the cough when I'm at the theatre but in class - I too am a tutor - I tend to suck Olbas pastilles which help, but only once I've stopped coughing.

My husband has decided that the cough could be grounds for divorce! However, he's still here. 

If it's any help to Nick, he's not alone - I met several others at the cough clinic and some are in a worse state that Nick and I, coughing almost constantly.

I will contact nick through his blog. 

Kind regards
Sue
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