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Suggest Treatment For Cough After Drinking Alcohol With Flu Symptoms?

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Posted on Tue, 3 Mar 2015
Question: Morning cough after drinking alcohol with flu symptoms ? Running nose with bad cough for about an hour after waking up
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (45 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
the runny nose clinches it.

Detailed Answer:
The respiratory tract is similar in structure from the tip of the nose to the bottom of the lung. For this reason, the whole area reacts similarly to diseases and to medications.
You have a runny nose. While I cannot say for certainly without examining you, in general this would imply inflammation WITHOUT bacterial infection. Antibiotics are not likely to be helpful. ON The other hand, irritation of the respiratory tract may occur from cold, from allergy, from histamine releasers (which are found in wines and beers) from histamine release from alcohol in many people who are susceptible to it, to viral infection, etc. AND all of these inflammatory insults to the respiratory tract add up. So, if infected, one becomes more susceptible to cold as a trigger to runny nose, irritation, cough, wheeze, etc.

AND the same medications will work on all of these regardless of which particular one(s) occurred. Monteleukast is quite helpful. Steroids and long acting beta agonists may also be helpful (advair, symbicort, etc.). Antihistamines may be helpful for the histamine effects but often do not work on the lung inflammation totally. Muscarinic blockers (combivent, ipratroprium, spiriva, etc) may be helpful on some of the secretions and most inflammation but not all.
Without treatment, these symptoms go away 1-2 weeks after the inflammatory trigger is removed (could be quite a while if it is cold and/or alcohol). Often they last for over a month. Treatment shortens the time considerably.
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Cough After Drinking Alcohol With Flu Symptoms?

Brief Answer: the runny nose clinches it. Detailed Answer: The respiratory tract is similar in structure from the tip of the nose to the bottom of the lung. For this reason, the whole area reacts similarly to diseases and to medications. You have a runny nose. While I cannot say for certainly without examining you, in general this would imply inflammation WITHOUT bacterial infection. Antibiotics are not likely to be helpful. ON The other hand, irritation of the respiratory tract may occur from cold, from allergy, from histamine releasers (which are found in wines and beers) from histamine release from alcohol in many people who are susceptible to it, to viral infection, etc. AND all of these inflammatory insults to the respiratory tract add up. So, if infected, one becomes more susceptible to cold as a trigger to runny nose, irritation, cough, wheeze, etc. AND the same medications will work on all of these regardless of which particular one(s) occurred. Monteleukast is quite helpful. Steroids and long acting beta agonists may also be helpful (advair, symbicort, etc.). Antihistamines may be helpful for the histamine effects but often do not work on the lung inflammation totally. Muscarinic blockers (combivent, ipratroprium, spiriva, etc) may be helpful on some of the secretions and most inflammation but not all. Without treatment, these symptoms go away 1-2 weeks after the inflammatory trigger is removed (could be quite a while if it is cold and/or alcohol). Often they last for over a month. Treatment shortens the time considerably.