Suggest Treatment For Severe Cough

Posted on Mon, 27 Mar 2017

Question: I continue to cough mostly with productive coughing day and night with very few minutes of not coughing. I am so exhausted. I have had tests, pulmonary, chest xrays, and catscan, and my pulminologist says I have asthma. I have been coughing now for almost 50 years off and on, but the last few months have been worse. I have been prescribed with Qvar, Fluticasone Propionate nose drops, and Cetirizine, plus other things in the past years, and none of those things have ever helped. I cannot attend church without leaving the room to sit in the lobby and cough, and I haven't been able to attend memorial services, weddings, etc. lately, without leaving the room for a coughing spell. I need to function well, as I have a husband with alzheimers who needs care. I am under the care of a family doctor besides my pulomnary specialist, but they cannot seem to help. Have you any ideas?

I do not have my pulmonary function test report. I can find out what the results were it that would help. Let me know, please.

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (19 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
You need long acting inhaled bronchodilators.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Healthcare Magic.
I can understand your concern.
By your history and description, possibility of uncontrolled asthma is more.
You are taking qvar which is having beclomethasone. This is inhaled corticosteroid (ICS).
Beclomethasone is not a good ICS.
Along with ICS, you should also take long acting inhaled bronchodilators (formoterol or salmeterol).
So start inhaler having formoterol or salmeterol and budesonide or fluticasone (newer ICS).
This will give you best control of asthma.
I want to see your last PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) report. Do you have it?
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Brief Answer:
How old that PFT report is?

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Healthcare Magic.
Yes any PFT report will be helpful.
Please let me know how old that report is?

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng