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Suggest Treatment For Persistent Dry Cough
Question: I have had a persistent cough for the past week and a half. I have a cold which i have had for two weeks but it seems to be getting better slowly but surely. My cough is more of a dry cough which comes on very quickly and i have no way of controlling it at that point. I haven't had a good nights sleep since I started coughing. Is there anything you can suggest I do - I have done the usual cough lozenges, honey and lemon, even vinegar which strangely enough helps sometimes. Is it just something I have to put up with? Thank you.
Brief Answer:
you can try ipratropium and perhaps a macrolide antibiotic
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
this is probably a case of post-infectious cough. This is hard to manage sometimes. If the 'cold' is getting better and you have no sinusitis then there are two things that may be considered:
- pertussis: particularly if you haven't had pertussis vaccination in the past then this is potential cause to consider. Macrolide antibiotics help. Amoxicillin won't.
- bronchial hyper-responsiveness: ipratropium may help.
A chest X-ray will prove that no visible cause for your cough can be identified. I would recommend doing the X-ray only if your cough is getting worse or there is no sign of improvement.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
Contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
you can try ipratropium and perhaps a macrolide antibiotic
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
this is probably a case of post-infectious cough. This is hard to manage sometimes. If the 'cold' is getting better and you have no sinusitis then there are two things that may be considered:
- pertussis: particularly if you haven't had pertussis vaccination in the past then this is potential cause to consider. Macrolide antibiotics help. Amoxicillin won't.
- bronchial hyper-responsiveness: ipratropium may help.
A chest X-ray will prove that no visible cause for your cough can be identified. I would recommend doing the X-ray only if your cough is getting worse or there is no sign of improvement.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
Contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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