The cough is easing off!

To Morven, and anyone else who's interested.... the morphine is definitely helping. I've been taking 10 mg. twice a day for the last week, and the coughing has eased during the day and evening. It's such a huge relief, though I'm not convinced that it's actually curing it. I still cough a lot in the morning so it feels like it's still lurking. But maybe I just need to allow time for my system to settle back to normal?
Something else that's also helping is that I've cut down my alcohol consumption quite a lot. That's partly to do with not wanting to mix drugs and alcohol too much, but I have also found that the less alcohol I have, the better chance I have of a good night's sleep.
Anyway, life's definitely taken a turn for the better, and I'm about to go and spend Christmas and New Year in Thailand so that will be another boost for my physical and mental well being!
Merry Christmas to all who've shared in my blog.

Marc, UK

Hi, have you tried chiropractic? I used to have cough for 4 months (dry, irrative cough) and I visited chiropractor who found tight joints from my back - after 1st treatment the cough was gone ;)

NP writes: I've had a similar suggestion from an osteopath, so I may investigate this one further.

Latest news from NickP:

I promised to report back a few weeks ago ..... nothing's working yet I'm afraid. The Bowen therapy was an interesting experience - very relaxing, and did produce a sort of result. For about five months I had had a pain in my side, between my ribs, which I and the doctors put down to the repeated coughing - pulled a muscle or ligament, maybe even cracked a rib, and the continued coughing wouldn't allow it to heal. Anyway on the day I went for my first referral it was particularly painful. I told the therapist, Alastair, about it and he said he'd try to help. Well I'm not sure what he did with his soft tissue manipulation, but by the end of the session it had gone, and hasn't returned.

But the cough shows no real signs of abating. I tried stopping drinking alcohol during the week, which helped me to sleep better but didn't affect the cough. I stopped chewing gum for a while too and drank lots of water - no difference. I've just finished a two-week course of marshmallow tablets, suggested by a couple of my blog correspondents - all to no avail. And now I've started on a course of homeopathic tablets prescribed by a lecturer at work ... we'll see.

NickP wrote:

I received a letter addressed to England, University of Central Lancashire, Nicholas Peake ... from Hong Kong, all written in beautiful Chinese characters. Fortunately, we have lots of Chinese students at my university and one of them translated for me, as follows:
Black bean: about a quarter of a kilogram.
Water: amount of 1 day drink (may put in small amount of sugar).
Boil them by weak fire for 3-4 hours.
Drink the boiled black bean water as daily drink. It would be best to eat the cooked black beans together with the water.
After 1 week of drinking, your coughing is hopefully be cured!

I've not had the nerve to try it yet!

Peter, letter from Co.Antrim

I'm writing to tell you of the beneficial emissions of spider plants, especially when grouped together. I surrounded my chair with 6 of them, plus 2 in the far corner of the room. It may be coincidental but I haven't had a cough or cold for 5 years now. They are supposed to clear the air and help the respiratory system. They are also a lovely plant to look at ...

Mrs.S, letter from Paignton, Devon

I had a persistent cough like you and was recommended marshmallow tablets, which can be obtained at a health food shop. After a couple of days I'm glad to say my cough went away. Good luck!

Steve, Whitstable, Kent

I've had the same type of cough as Mr Peake for 33 years, now well under control, but it can return quickly if I lapse from my routine. What Mr Peake should try is...

1) Give up chewing gum or anything with a menthol/peppermint type flavour/smell. It gives short term relief, but is an extreme irritant to the bronchial tubes and makes coughing much much worse some time after chewing with a 'rebound' effect. This has a major effect on me, chewing gum for a couple of hours in the day will bring back all my symptoms every time by 6pm, and yet chewing more gum will give instant relief as well. Much much better to give it up.
2) Steam inhalation can help, it may make it worse at first but persevere, it's doing good. Don't add menthol or anything (irritant).
3) Fasting on water for a day or so will likely help, the coughing will be worse during the fast but will suddenly stop and the effect will last several days.

Susan, Bradwell-on-Sea

When I read the article, I was hoping above hope that I might read about a cure, as I too have very much the same symptoms described by Nicholas Peake, for the last 15-16 years. I have also had most of the same medicines and tests he has had but still I cough uncontrollably many times during the day and night. I have tinitus in both ears and am gradually going deaf, I believe, due to the strain of the coughing, and yes I ache terribly sometimes after. I hope Nicholas Peake will be able to read my message and know that he is not alone. After many visits to the hospital for tests etc. the outcome was that they think I have a very sensitive throat and they hoped that it would right itself eventually and I was signed off. I am now 60 years old. I have thought that maybe it was because I used to smoke (I gave up about 15 years ago) the cough started a while before that. I would be interested to know if ever Nicholas smoked.

Fiona, Exeter, Devon

It was incredible to read about someone else who suffers from persistent coughing! I never stop coughing and have done so for about 11 years now. Mine starts with a watery feeling in my windpipe which I have to cough to clear. Whenever I start one of my frequent coughing fits, people sympathetically say "oh thats a bad cough" or "would you like a glass of water" but I just have to reply that I cough all the time! Like Nicholas Peake, I have had all sorts of tests and remedies, from Asthma inhalers, to sinus sprays, acide reflux treatments, and the full blown bronchoscopy. My lungs and rib cage hurt from so much coughing. When I am supermarket shopping my kids always know how to find me just by listening out for my usual coughing! I would love to find a cure for it, because the thought of growing really old and still to be coughing all the time is an awful thought!

Lavinia, Barnet, Herts.

It certainly is a relief to hear of others with the same problem. So glad it has been brought into the public eye. So many people think, as Nicholas said, that it is a habit.
Mine started over 12 years ago after I had a lung infection followed by a chest infection.
I have been seeing a consultant at the Royal Nose Throat and Ear hospital in Grays Inn Road for years now. She has been very thorough and will not give up. I have been on a low salycilate diet. Anyone done this one? It did ease the cough a little, but no can survive on a diet like this.
Think we should keep in touch in case anyone finds something helpful that could be passed on.