View Full Version : excessive coughing
jbird
09-30-2005, 10:08 PM
Hello everyone... need some input.
My husband seems to have progressed some more due to stress over the pass weekend with the scare of Hurricane Rita. In traffic for several hours.
Anyways, he is coughing a lot. Lots of saliva. At night it seems to be worse. He has a wedge that he sleeps on and take mucinex. Any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Praying for a cure,
Jbird
Jbird,
I have a cool mist humidifier in my bedroom, which really helps (I'm not yet at the stage of needing bipap). Also, I carry around a bottle of pure peppermint oil that I take a deep whiff of when I'm having a coughing fit - it helps to open up my passageways. Sometimes, I will put a few drops on a hankie and sniff that - easier in bed than the bottle. Peppermint oil is available at health food stores or aromatherapy stores.
dsmode
10-01-2005, 02:25 PM
hi jojo and jbird, i will try the peppermint oil. it seems like a vicious cycle. eat, cough, phlegm. the lung dr ordered a cough assist machine. dont have it yet. there is also a suction device available. God help us through this disease, it is so nice being able to comunicate to others...dar in ohio
TBear
10-02-2005, 01:01 PM
Hi Jbird:
If you were stuck in the traffic in the evacuation it's not unlikely that being in the middle of all that car exhaust didn't help either.
T.
I take Amitriptylene (http://www.alsforums.com/definitions/amitriptylene.html) 20mg before bed and that helps dry up the secretions. It was originally prescribed as an anti depressent at 100 mg. and they found a side effect was drying up secretions. They originally gave me 25mg and that made me too dry. Cut back to 10mg for a while and am back at 20mg and that is working for now.
A couple of friends as well as my wife say I am coughing more. Could be the change in the weather. Don't know for sure.
Good luck.
jbird
10-09-2005, 11:15 PM
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with everyone...I have news from the dr. that my husband seems to progressing at an unusual fas pace. Doesn't sound good...
Thanks for all the advice. He tried the anti depressants with no luck. I am going to check into the humdifier.
I appreciate you all!
Praying for a cure!
jbird
MLECOLE
10-12-2005, 10:41 AM
[quote:be5e2f8780="dsmode"]hi jojo and jbird, i will try the peppermint oil. it seems like a vicious cycle. eat, cough, phlegm. the lung dr ordered a cough assist machine. dont have it yet. there is also a suction device available. God help us through this disease, it is so nice being able to comunicate to others...dar in ohio[/quote:be5e2f8780]
Of all the equipment my husband uses (not including his vent!), the cough assist is the one we really couldn't live without. He was prescribed one right after getting vented, so we've had it from day one - it's been a Godsend. You wouldn't believe the junk this thing can pull out - stuff that regular suctioning doesn't even touch. And if you can keep the junk out of the lungs, the chances for pneumonia are lessened.
He honestly doesn't think he'd still be around if it was for the cough assist.
jbird
10-12-2005, 10:42 PM
Thanks MLECOLE...I will ask about the cough assist. I sure don't want him getting pneumonia. He started taken Aponine yesterday, it actually helped some. There is hope!
Praying for a cure,
Jbird
Hi jbird. I looked up Aponine and couldn't find it. Is it only available in the US? What is the purpose of it? Thanks.
jbird
10-15-2005, 09:53 PM
Hi Al! Was a mispell before the med is cal ATROPINE - it is an anticholinergic. We heve to be careful with it because my husband has high blood pressure, so he only takes it at night. So far so good. He is sleeping through night, which in turn lets me sleep. (His coughing has decreased) I hope that will continue to help him.
Praying for a cure,
Jbird
