I have a cough which is getting to be rather annoying. I have been to see my dr. who sent me for chest X-rays and gave me a puffer (under the theory that it could possible be asthma) The puffer does not help - I don’t think that it is asthma - have no reason to believe that it is asthma, since I have never been bothered by coughs or wheezing in the past. I have not heard from the Dr - chest X-Ray was more than a week ago - so presumably there was nothing nasty on the X-Ray. I do not see the Dr again until next Tuesday.
Anybody have any experience as to whether or not to train with a cough. The training does seem to irritate it. However, since I hope to do Lake Placid, I don’t want to take too much time off from training.
allergies? post nasal drip.
I had the same thing last year, was given a puffer and told I had exercised induced asthma. I had a sore throat and a cough. I think I had aggravated my lungs by running on a treadmill on a hot dry loft above our woodstove in retrospect. The puffer didn’t do much and I stumbled on using Daquil. I had a cold and was super congested, but needed to get a ride in. I took a hit of Daquil (not a full dose) and felt fine. Worked much better than the puffer. Eventually it all went away and I don’t use anything.
i have problems coughing post exercise in colder weather. you should have heard me after the 7 hills run here in cincy, i coughed hard for a whole week.
the newest thing in homeo medicine is oregano extracts. i found that helped me get over a bad chest infection, along with humidifier that had eculyptus (however it’s spelled) with some other oils in the formula.
it may not be infection for you, just irritation. i’m obviously not a doc, so take whatever i say however you want to take it.
now that’s out of the way, my reco is to go to the best health food store and talk to someone. check out oregano extracts, a humidifier with oils, and possibly hot bath treatments.
i don’t know if you are in an arid climate, but this will get me every time along with the cold weather.
i now know that i cough after long or hard workouts in the winter, the air irritates my lungs. wasn’t ever like this, maybe sign of getting older. but the above treatments plus steam room help it.
good luck,
kc
Recent viral respiratory infection? Could have post-viral bronchospasm (though the lack of response to puffer makes this unlikely). Post-nasal drip and allergies also possible. Is the cough productive (e.g, phlegm coming up)? or is it a dry, hacking cough? Could also be a variant/atypical pneumonia - but CXR would have likely been remarkable. Another possibility is medication - for instance, the ACE inhibitor class of blood pressure drugs is notorious for a dry, non-productive cough - which I have, having been on Lisinopril for a million years.
So long as you don’t have any infection in the lung tissue, and are not unusually fatigued, your doc will probably tell you there’s not much problem with continuing to train, other than the annoyance factor.
I hate when doctors just give you a puffer and say “go away”… Mine did that to me in 98 after a really bad bout of bronchitis and a cough that lasted 6 months. After using it once, I knew it was WRONG for me. I threw it away and started running (I wasn’t very active at the time). Cough disappeared within two months.
I hate drugs. I hate taking them, even when I know they can help. I have found many doctors who are more than happy to give you pills to make you happy/make you go away, but the pills often don’t fix the problem.
AP
Cough started as occasional dry cough (not hacking though) some weeks ago (my husband seems to have a bit of a cough too - but I normally don’t have ‘occasional’ coughs). Then I did a slightly more aggressive run, which stirred things up and I wound up coughing quite a lot that evening. Then it calmed down again, but now it seems to be quite persistent. Also, I have a bit of a sore throat (not very, Dr said throat was so-so ). There is now a bit of phlegm - but not a lot. Slight nasal drip - but VERY slight. Mostly my throat just seems to remain itchy and irritated (unless I chew gum, take cough syrup etc to lubricate and calm it down). Thing is I can’t remember ever having a cough without an associated cold.
Only thing that I am allergic to is chlorine when I swim. Hence, I have to wear a nose clip. But even this has never given me a cough - just sneezing and blocked up nose etc. Don’t take ACE inhibitors.
As far as I know - no lung infection. That is have not heard anything negative from X-Ray and the stethoscope test for chest, that my Dr. did, was good.
Guess I’ll continue to train unless my Dr gives me any reason not to when I see her next Tuesday. Thanks to others who posted for all your responses and suggestions.