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, December 16, 2011

Some responses to questions...

In answer to Caroline re Buteyko: it's a couple of years since I tried that method, so I can't remember what I got my pause up to - between 20-30 seconds I think.  I persisted with it for several months, but wasn't convinced that I was getting anywhere with it and found it expensive.... though I've always said, I'd happily pay a thousand pounds for a cure I knew would work.

There was a question about where I feel the tickle?? In the morning it's often in my chest rather than my throat, but later on it can be just an irritation somewhere in my throat - all over really.

I've tried hypnotherapy recently but I didn't get on with that.

I've just been to see the Speech and Language Therapist who is going to start a course of therapy in the New Year aimed at tackling my cough "habit" and bringing it more under control.  She claims success with 60% of cases, though no-one's said the cough has gone completely so far.  Worth a try I think...

I've also come off the sleeping tablets I'd been taking - they gave me funny side effects.

Merry (cough-reduced) Christmas Everybody!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Latest from me:

It's nice that every now and then someone new finds my blog and leaves a comment - Lavinia is the latest to attach something to the entry that follows this (see Update: April 24). But still, no-one's coming up with a definitive cure that will put us coughers out of our collective misery...
I've recently been to my specialist cough clinic in Manchester and, though they're very welcoming, there was nothing much new to offer.  I'm waiting for a referral to a speech therapist (interesting to see Lavinia's comments), and there's also talk of me trying a nebuliser - again - so my specialists are coming up with similar ideas to hers.

I had a call from the professor who leads my cough clinic the other day, asking me to take part in the trial of a new treatment that he thought was promising. But unfortunately because of my smoking history (in their jargon I totted up 20 pack years, though I stopped 20 years ago!) I'm not eligible to take part, so I have a long wait to see if this one is successful - then it might become available.

Meantime, and in desperation, I'm currently seeing an expert in hypnotherapy and EFT. I'm not optimistic but will try anything .... and will keep you informed.
Best wishes to everyone out there. And feel free to read through more of the genuine, promising, and crackpot ideas scattered through the rest of the blog.

Nick

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Update

It's some time now since I've written anything on this blog, because I've had some problems accessing it.

But I thought I'd bring "readers" up-to-date (though I don't know whether this sends out any kind of "alert" to people?)

The most promising "treatment" has been the one suggested by Jeanette H., which should be the next one down on the blog.  At her suggestion, I used the flixotide inhaler on and off for about a year.  I found it definitely reduced the frequency of coughing, and though I still coughed for a period every morning, I was able to sleep longer and better - through to about 7a.m. most mornings.  That's a blessing in itself.

The downside of it was that it affected my voice - it softened it and made it more throaty somehow, a bit more difficult to speak.  It also affected my singing voice, and made me a little bit short of breath.  So I'm off it again at the moment, but as a consequence I'm back to waking up anytime between 4-6 a.m. and coughing for an hour, so it's very disruptive to my sleep.

Once again, I'm not sure what to do next...

Added to the other message about Jeanette H there are various comments which are always useful to receive.  My comments on them?  The big dietary changes suggested by "Love and hopes" - I'm just not sure I can go through with all that on the off chance that it might work?  The one from "Lucilu" advising taking Gabapentin ... I think I might have taken that in the past without success but I will check - though how far will my medical records go back with my GP?  I'll be in touch with Danni about her researches....
 
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