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Father Constantly Coughing

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  • 23-09-2014 4:35pm
    #1
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,884 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi, my father has this annoying cough for the last year, it just goes on and on, like sometimes he'll cough for a good 20 minutes in a row, not like he's choking to death or anything although sometimes he will be gasping after it but more like a dog barking non-stop, sometimes theres phlegm, sometimes not.

    He's been to the doctor and the hospital but they couldn't find anything, he has no allergies and its the exact same diet as he's always eaten. Ive googled it a hundred different times but the response is always to go to your doctor.

    Is there any suggestions for someone we could see or anything we could try? Worried it will trigger a heart attack sometime, isnt coughing like this supposed to be bad for the lungs/heart.


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    #2
    Gael23
    Registered Users Posts: 12,090 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    He needs a chest X-ray first off and then take it from there.


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    #3
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    I've been coughing for many years now. Two years ago I was finally diagnosed with reflux, the consultant said its a recent discovery that reflux can make people cough. The tests were not very nice at all. I got a medication which worked for about a year and then I started coughing again. GP changed medication and it helped, a bit, but I still cough, really bad coughing. I have not been diagnosed with asthma even though GP gave me a prescription for an inhaler which I stopped using as it wasn't helping. Sometimes I can't sleep for hours at night with the coughing. It's disrupting my life too, so embarrassing and I've had so many tests now its unreal, I don't feel like going back to the consultant any more - I don't think they know what else to do for me. I've even been tested for allergies but they found nothing. Funnily enough I can have the odd good day without much coughing which is puzzling. It might be an environment thing, or psychological, or stress-related, I just don't know. I don't even smoke either. Sorry this is not much help but just to say I know what its like, very exhausting.


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    #4
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,884 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Thanks a million Jellybaby that is the exact situation my father is in right down to the useless inhaler, he gets very embarrassed at mass and in the pub which he rarely goes to anymore. Ill mention the reflux thing to him. Do you feel like its getting better or worse or is it just a constant thing? There is no damp or other allergens or anything like that that I can find in the house, its a proper well insulated, warm, well ventilated environment and there have been no major changes in years...


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    #5
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Same here Thargor, just constant, and little release. An occasional day here and there might be fine but most days there are bouts of dry coughing. Get his GP to send him to a consultant to check out the reflux, it could be the same as me, but whatever it is its best he gets it checked out to rule out things as well. For years I was just told by doctors to "take a cough bottle" which was ridiculous considering the length of time I had been complaining of it. Sometimes one doctor might take into consideration something that another doctor wouldn't. I even wonder at this stage if my diagnosis is even right! Hope you get to the bottom of it.


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    #6
    Gael23
    Registered Users Posts: 12,090 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    I think I would still be looking for a chest X-ray to eliminate some more serious things first. It most likely isn't but anything that is persistent like that is best getting investigated to be safe.


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    #7
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,884 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    He's had the X-rays, I suppose he should go back though, this would have been 18 months ago at this stage. Any good consultant reccomendations around the Dublin area or do you get a choice?


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    #8
    Gael23
    Registered Users Posts: 12,090 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    Thargor wrote: »
    He's had the X-rays, I suppose he should go back though, this would have been 18 months ago at this stage. Any good consultant reccomendations around the Dublin area or do you get a choice?

    No idea, thats something he needs to ask his GP


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    #9
    Jellybaby1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Yep, I also had the x-rays done as well, they found nothing. They checked me for nigh on everything and thankfully didn't find any nastys. I'm exactly the same as I was five years ago. Your GP will give him a letter to go see a consultant. By the end of it I had been to several specialists as one by one they found nothing and passed me on to their colleagues. It can be costly unless your dad has a medical card.


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