# Chronic cough with GERD?



## Bean69 (Dec 4, 2000)

HELP! I have had on and off chronic coughing for quite a while now. It is driving me crazy!!







The doc's have given me antibiotics twice and just called in a 3rd script!!







They keep telling me it is a respiratory infection, but I really don't think so! (they also haven't even seen me!) The antibiotics wreak havoc on me because I have IBS-D too. I take Nexium for the GERD and it works great, but does nothing to keep stuff from traveling back up the esophagus. The coughing is the worst after I eat and during and after exercise of any kind. Is this common and is there anything I can do about it? The doctors think I am crazy!


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## Bean69 (Dec 4, 2000)

THis time the Prescription is tequin. Unless I have viral walking pneumonia - I really think it is reflux that is causing the cough.


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## weener (Aug 15, 2000)

Beansy69 it is possible to have a chronic cough with GERD. I had a cough for l-l/2 years and went through every test possible and they all came back okay. What I was told is the food comes back up and burns the esophagus/throat area and I guess in turn tickles it and hence the coughing. I'm going through another bad bout right now and same as you everytime I eat I start coughing. The only thing I can think of is I'll start eating smaller meals. Maybe several smaller meals a day as oppose to 3 big meals. I'm not sure about the infection, can the doctor do a swab to check for infection? As for the exercise - anything that involves bending over will probably cause some problems with GERD. As for what will help, the usual, elevate the bed, no foods that will irritate, don't eat too late at night, smaller meals. How long have you had this cough? Can your doc send you to see a gastroenterologist?


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## kamie (Sep 14, 2002)

When my sinuses drain sometimes they drain backwards down my throat. this triggers the gag reflexes and my throat spasms and I have these anoying coughing fits.Hyoscyamine helps and so does an occasional Benedryl. Since my hysterectomy did a positive shift in the frequency of my allergy problems With the change in my hormone levels,I don't need a lot of allergy meds anymore. But still there are times I need to address the coughing /throat spasm problem. the antihistime helps with the allergy that causes the drip that chokes me and the hyoscyamine helps ease the spasm.Kamie


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## Bean69 (Dec 4, 2000)

What is the brand name for hyoscamine? It sounds familiar and I think it was given to me for my IBS before. Though it didn't help with that maybe it will help with this. I picked up some slippery elm/Licorace tea today and it seemed to be soothing. It alleviated the tickling feeling somewhat.


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Yes, GERD can cause a chronic cough. You should perhaps talk to your doctor about this possibility before they put you on another course of antibiotics!Here is an article which you could print off and give to your doctor to read. *Chronic Cough Due to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Failure to Resolve Despite Total/Near-Total Elimination of Esophageal Acid* http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/431325


> quote:Richard S. Irwin, MD, FCCP; John K. Zawacki, MD; Mark M. Wilson, MD; Cynthia T. French, MSN; Mark P. Callery, MD; Departments of Medicine and Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA*Abstract and Introduction*Background: While medical therapy may fail to improve cough due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), it is not known if inadequate esophageal acid suppression is responsible. Methods: In a prospective, before-and-after interventional trial, we assessed the effects of antireflux surgery in eight patients whose chronic coughs were due to GERD resistant to intensive medical therapy. All patients met a profile predicting that cough was likely due to GERD and had an initial positive 24-h esophageal pH monitoring study, and then underwent serial 24-h esophageal pH monitoring on gradually intensified medical therapy until the percentage of time that esophageal pH was < 4 was zero and there were no acid reflux events > 4 min. The effects of medical and surgical therapy on cough were assessed clinically by a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Adverse Cough Outcome Survey (ACOS). Results: Before surgery (median, 23.7 days), patients still complained of cough, VAS score was 73.1 ï¿½ 6.1, and ACOS score was 15.0 ï¿½ 1.1. After surgery (median, 41.2 days and 1 year), cough improved in all, VAS score decreased to 19.1 ï¿½ 8.3 and 22.6 ï¿½ 8.1 (p = 0.001), respectively, and ACOS score decreased to 2.0 ï¿½ 1.3 and 3.6 ï¿½ 2.3, respectively (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Antireflux surgery can improve chronic cough due to GERD resistant to intensive medical therapy. There is a clinical profile that can predict when GERD is the likely cause of cough. GERD cannot be excluded on clinical grounds as the potential cause of cough. The term acid reflux disease, when applied to chronic cough due to GERD, can be a misnomer


That's just the summary. It goes on to say


> quote:Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common causes of chronic cough in all age groups.[1]


You can read the whole article if you click on the link above. You have to register to use medscape, but it is completely free and VERY worth while.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Chronic cough that is made worse with exercise can be a symptom of the beginings of asthma. Particulary if you have been prone to allergies for awhile.It may be worth getting a lung function test to see if your airways are reactive. (usually a blow into this devise then take a bronchiodialator and blow again).If your lung capacity is pretty good then the reactiveness tends to show up more of a cough than as wheezing. I run at 150% of predicted capacity so I have to be in really really really bad shape before I wheeze, but only a little bad to cough like I smoked 5 packs a day, since I was 3 years old














K.


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