My Chronic Dry Cough

It started somewhere in September 2010. If my memory serves me right, Jaiden, who was then two months old, had his first colds and cough that led to pneumonia. His pediatrician said that the cough could had been gotten from somebody around him who had the illness. Surprisingly, no one from us in the house had a cough like that. We just didn't know how he got it.

Around two weeks after (that was already somewhere in October), I had a dry cough which was also surprising because I didn't have colds. Since I was lactating I need to see a physician to be able to buy a drug that's safe. My doctor told me that it was possible that I could've gotten it from our baby Jaiden (so you see what happened seemed like the other way around). So she prescribed to me Cefalin and Montemax for seven days. I think if I haven't forgotten, she said that Montemax would suppress my coughing but later on as I read its accompanying paper (when I bought it again) this med isn't a suppressant but an anti-allergy med. So I think, it was the Cefalin that was the cough suppressant. My coughing lessened until the seventh day (the end of my medication) but there was still an occasional cough attack but a bearable one.

One or two weeks after (this was already around early November, or the 1st of November to be specific), I had gotten a flu. With a watery, running nose and teary eyes, my dry cough resurrected and it was worse. I had to endure a very much itchy, dry throat. After taking Bioflu, three or four days after my flu had gradually subsided. By this time, my dry cough also had been occasional and manageable. In fact I had even enjoyed malling (http://iamagem.blogspot.com/2010/11/bonding.html), literally carrying baby Jaiden around.

One week after the malling, I had again my dry cough and of course! again, a very itchy dry throat. On the other hand, baby Jaiden had a colds. Mama and Ariel told me that he must've gotten it from me. I told them it couldn't be because I didn't have it. Jaiden just had a water intake therapy and thanks to God he got well. So you see my baby already had his second colds and was just cured by merely drinking water but me I still have this nagging chronic cough! This time there was an additional symptoms. While I coughed my nose would clog up for a moment, then a watery mucus discharge would happen together with my teary eyes. (what the heck!) At first it would just happen during wee hours when the temperature inside our room would be very cold. I would just wake up with a clogged nose and the rest of the symptoms would follow. Later on, I got worried when even in daytime I coughed persistently to the extent of really disturbing my work. I realized that there was a need to see a family doctor. I went to my hubby's company doctor. She asked me of my cough experience history. I told her that I once had a bronchitis and that there was a time that I also had a cough allergy. She prescribed me an antibacterial suspension med and an anti-allergy tablets good for seven days. So lousy of me, I forgot to ask what was the specific diagnosed of the doctor. I just assumed that my cough was caused by a bacteria. In the first few days of treatment, the symptoms had slowly subsided. I thought I would be better of already but when it was almost the seventh day (end of treatment) the symptoms came back and as if the medicine had no effect. I felt I was back again to square one of my treatment.

I just can't ignore or not mind my coughing because it would happen persistently. Be it at night time, bed time and daytime. So I visited again my hubby's company doctor but this time around it wasn't the same doctor I had met before. I was sort of (again) mentioning to her my cough experience and history. This time I asked her of her diagnose and she said that it was just an acute pharyngitis. As I googled it (by wordpress) "Pharyngitis is the inflammation or irritation of the pharynx or the throat. Commonly termed as sore throat, it results in the enlargement of tonsils. Mucous follicles might also be visible near tonsils. Tonsils might appear red in color. A few white or yellow spots at the back of tonsils is a common symptom of Pharyngitis." So she prescribed to me Kamillosan, an oral spray for the throat. I was confident that my cough now would be gone because as the doctor said "it was just an acute pharyngitis" but I was wrong. On the first few days of treatment, I just noticed a little betterment of my situation. I thought maybe the effect of the spray wouldn't immediately manifest. I persevered in spraying my throat and endured the nasty taste of the medicine. Once when after I sprayed my throat I would immediately cough, I realized that something was wrong. The second time it happened, I realized that I need to stop the medication. I was very disappointed because what happened was the exact opposite of what was expected.

As I visited thrice the clinic, I was already somehow a little bit ashamed of the clinic company nurse and her staff. I was hoping that that would be my last visit. Luckily, it was the same doctor (who had prescribed me of the oral spray medicine) who was on duty on that day. Thus, there would be a continuous treatment application. I told her about the Cefalin and Montemax and that I thought my cough had lessened due to those meds. So she prescribed to me Montemax for 30days but not Cefalin instead Levopront (antitussive, for the symptomatic relief of cough) for two weeks. That was around second week of December. The doctor told me to avoid food that would trigger my allergy like chicken and seafoods while I was still on treatment. By the way Montemax is indicated for the prohylaxis and chronic treatment of asthma in adults and pediatric patients 12mos. or older - I didn't belong to this category because I don't have asthma. It's also indicated for the relief of symptoms of allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis -Now, I think this is where my illness I belong.

As I searched in the net, Allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction that happens when your immune system overreacts to substances that you have inhaled, such as pollen. Allergic rhinitis can cause many symptoms, including the following:

• Stuffy, runny nose - check! this happens after I coughed.
• Sneezing - check! sometimes I sneezed.
• Post-nasal drip
• Red, itchy, and watery eyes - watery eyes I do, when I coughed.
• Swollen eyelids
• Itchy mouth, throat, ears, and face
• Sore throat
• Dry cough - this is really my problem!
• Headaches, facial pain or pressure
• Partial loss of hearing, smell, and taste
• Fatigue
• Dark circles under the eyes

But again I assumed that I have allergic rhinitis, when I didn't really officially heard the term mentioned from the doctor. I just think that it could be it based on the symptoms and what was mentioned in Montemax indication. Well, it didn't matter to me at that time. All I cared was for my cough to be cured.

On Christmas holidays, I didn't eat prawn nor chicken. I religiously took my medicine. Within two weeks my cough had almost subsided. I would just cough a little and the day would end without me noticing myself coughing. I was already convinced that I'm ninety-nine percent cured. So on New Year's eve I already forgot the forbidden foods and I ate chicken ham. The following days, I ate Toblerone and lots of sweets. Just this last Saturday, January 8, 2011, I ate chicken joy. Voila! I still wasn't attack by my cough. Life went on. We went to SM the following day, Sunday, with baby Jaiden in his stroller. We bought groceries. I was very happy and enjoyed myself seeing my baby also enjoying himself. But on that night, when I was about to sleep I felt something in my throat. Something unusual and I think that was the sign that my dry cough is resurfacing. Waaaa!!!!!!!!!!! the following day, I was coughing already. I tried not to notice it and just convinced myself that it was just a little coughing but everyday and every night I was already coughing from time to time. Sad to say, to this day, January 14, 2011, I now realized that my dry cough is really now a chronic one. Now I'm having problem again with this cough as to what can cure this, when and how will this be cured. I'm already thinking of resorting to hilot (body massage therapy) as what my mother is suggesting. As of now....Oh good Lord! please help me!