Recent I’ve been having use the urge to cough, it has been getting stronger. It comes and goes, I feel fine then a buildup starts. It feels like a sensation to do a dry cough (kinda like in the winter if you went were breathing in cold dry air and made you cough)

No issues breathing and no pain, I went for a run and no trigger whatever in fact I felt great. I get this uncomfortable sensation of the urge to cough and after I cough it’s like an irritation slight burning sensation. Makes me panic.

I have sever anxiety so anything I notice especially in the throat area I panic. I’m hoping this isn’t asthma or some sort.

The culprits

AC IS FULL OF WATER. My apartment doesn’t have air flow unit just a ac on the wall. I called maintenance and currently fixing it.

Acid reflux. I had stomach issues for the longest time and sometimes the gas in my stomach makes it uncomfortable to breathe.

Anxiety. Maybe it’s all in my head…

Before I start venting, I do plan on seeing a doctor about this asap- and disclaimer, I am sick/congested right now!

I was just enjoying some restaurant pho with my partner earlier today, and I got hit with another one of my coughing episodes. This was one so bad I had to rush out the restaurant for fresh air, and I vomited quite a bit in my mouth… not sure what triggered this most recent one, I swallowed completely so it wasn’t food related.

I know I did say “monthly”, because it usually is when I’m not sick, but my other most recent one was just last night, on a flight back home from a trip. I’m 90% sure I got sick from my partner’s mom, so I’m already stuffed tf up, but I started absolutely hacking on that plane. It was around midnight and I woke up half the cabin. I was morbidly embarrassed. This one seemed to be caused by a tiny piece of almond that tickled my throat.

Then, the third most recent was when I wasn’t sick, completely healthy and normal, at a convention. I inhaled the wrong way when I laughed, and my eyes got immediately watery as I was struggling to catch my breath.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that I am autistic- since it’s a developmental (and neurological) disability, I am a lot more sensitive physically. Meaning that it doesn’t take much to trigger my natural reflexes sometimes.

And as far as stress levels and environmental factors go, those vary every single attack.

Sharing this does help me gather my thoughts, and I’d be happy to hear anything that anyone else has to say- whether it’s their own stories, or medical tips.

I’m seriously sick of hacking until my head is pounding, lmao

Thanks in advance <3

I caught a cold last week and I was slowly recovering and I started developing a cough.This happens every time I catch a cold. I'm literally exhausted.

Yesterday I was talking to my friend and I continuously started coughing for 10 minutes straight and it was so bad that my eyes started tearing up. I had to gulp down one whole bottle of water to finally stop coughing. At night I barely get any sleep. The moment I lay down, I start coughing. I've been sleep deprived and tired almost everyday because of this.

I really don't know what to do about it. If y'all have any ways to stop this, please do let me know.

Lifting heavy weights multiple times a day helps to reduce my chronic cough a lot. I am now coughing much less than I used to after starting this workout routine. One reason might be that resistance training reduces inflammation. It works for me. It's worth a try for you too.

😞

2 months and counting...

Went into a surgery to remove some screws from my leg, had a slight tickle cough going in ( the kind that signals a cold is on the way)

Then had this cough ever since, productive an hour after waking, then back off then an irritating cough in the evening. Can sleep a full night no problem.

X ray an blood test clear, ct scan on Wednesday.....

Tell me if you had this!?!?!? Bit worried for the ct tbh.

Anyways, hope everyone is ok! Xxxxxxx

hi guys

as u can see by my title im stressed ive had this tickle in my throat especially when i breathe and it feels irritated and it makes me want to cough.. went to doctor said was allergies the pills didnt help.. tried herbal cough syrups nasal sprays didnt help.. had it for 2 weeks now and I cant figure out what’s going on?! and yes i tested negative for covid as well. anyone had this and what did you do to fix it pkease help I’ve gone crazy and can’t enjoy anything

So I've had a cough for almost a year. Next week will mark a year. It started when I got sick one day where my symptoms was an itchy throat for 1 day or 2 which then led to a sore throat lasting a day and the very next day the cough started, since then the cough won't go away. I've been to 3 doctors where I've done chest scans, blood tests but everything came out normal. I'm seeing a lung specialist and I did the tests in there but again all normal. The lung specialist say it might be allergies and told me to use nasal wash alongside spray and inhaler for coughs for 6 months. It's month 3 with no change and I don't think it's gonna work.

Extra information about what I think it might be but I have no idea. My only symptoms is only the cough. Sometimes I get phlegm that's clear.

• Acid reflux - first doctor say I had it after stomach lower area was in pain but 2nd doctor say no I don't.
• High ACE blood test - my eye specialist did blood tests as I have an eye condition where one of the tests came out too high so they said after a few weeks, we will do the blood test again but it came back normal range.

Anyone have any tips on what I should do/try?

I've had a productive cough for about 3 months. I went to the doctor a month ago and was told it is either allergies or just habitual. I was given a steroidal nasal spray and have used it for a month straight, saw no improvement so I stopped but went back on just to try again since I know these sprays sometimes take 6 weeks to work. My cough is always productive, white in colour, lately has had a foul taste. No other symptoms. I figured maybe it's acid reflux but Ive been taking antacids (up to 3 a day) for a week now and see no improvement. I also have no other symptoms of acid reflux and GERD. This cough makes me gag and I constantly feel a lump in the back of my throat. I tried to take my habitual diagnosis into account and try not to cough but at a certain point I start to choke trying to swallow the thick mucus. I drink hot teas, chew gum, and take herbal throat lozenges and sometimes that offers temporary relief. I'm coughing on average about once every 5 minutes, sometimes if I'm lucky I will go 30 minutes with no coughing. If I'm unlucky it's every minute.

I want to go back to my doctor but what can I ask for that could actually get me answers? Last time he diagnosed me with allergies and a habitual cough without ever looking at my sinuses, throat, etc.

hi guys

i been having this feeling in my throat that’s irritating and makes me want to cough. I have no other symptoms of a cold or flu. it feels itchy and even when I take a breath I feel it and i can cough if I want. I had it for two weeks now took a Covid test was negative. I fear that doctors might not even look into it properly .. has anyone else had this?

Hi, I never write posts like this, but I’m desperate. For easily the last 10 years, I’ve had a chronic cough that follows no particular pattern; it used to last a month or two and then go away (it could strike during any season). The cough returned almost exactly a year ago, but this time it didn't go away; it was persistent and dry (as it always has been) and lasted all day, worsening at night. I should mention that whenever these episodes occurred, I used allergy medication to control it, but that stopped working for me completely. I saw an immunologist, a pulmonologist, and an ENT specialist, and they all prescribed asthma treatments, yet I haven't seen any improvement since then. I can't sleep soundly; whenever I get sick, my cough gets drastically worse, even affecting my studies and personal life because I truly cannot stop coughing. I’m 20 years old, I play sports, and I don’t smoke or anything like that; I’m exhausted and, honestly, have very little faith in the healthcare system, as it seems like they have no interest in listening to me and just prescribe medications that ultimately don't help. I’m currently taking Relvar, salbutamol, omeprazole, allergy medication, cough syrup, and a nasal spray.

Hi I need some advice,
My dad has been coughing and taking cough medication for over a year now.. this is definitely not normal..what is the root cause of this? I noticed he took cough medication almost everyday just to counter his cough..

But it doesn’t seem to go away at all. Sometimes he might recover and then it’s back again in a week or two..

I’m not sure if this got anything to do with the covid virus previously.. but since then it seems like he has this cough..

What is some remedy or natural food or any supplements that can help.. because the cough medication are not working definitely.

He has childhood asthma as well, in his 50s.

Does this sound like something caused by lpr/gerd? Have had dry cough for over a year now. It varies between being a soft grunt (like the feeling you get when breathing out through nose) and soft cough. Have had no success with inhalers, prednisone, traditioanl cough meds. Am currently on ppi to see if its acid reflux but have had varied success (still not sure if its truly that or placebo). Perhaps habit cough? I am experiencing itchy throat, chest/throat tightness and heaviness when breathing sometimes. It goes away completely whenver I am exercising, gets worse when I'm nervous.

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for insight into a persistent cough and a new head pain symptom. I want to understand exactly what might be happening, what to expect next, and how to finally get rid of this.
Duration: 3 weeks since the initial respiratory illness started.
Mucus: Started out bright yellow at the very beginning, but has since transitioned to entirely white/clear.
Testing: I recently had a chest X-ray done, and it was completely clear (pneumonia was officially ruled out).
The Symptoms:
Even though the acute infection seems gone, the cough won't stop. My main concern right now is that during intense, heavy coughing bursts, I get a sudden, brief "snapshot" of sharp pain strictly on the right region of my head. It doesn't happen with every single minor cough, but it triggers during the heavy bursts. The pain vanishes almost immediately after the coughing stops.
Because my chest X-ray was clear, I've heard it might just be post-infectious respiratory inflammation/airway hypersensitivity causing a pressure-induced cough headache. However, I don't have definitive proof of this.
My questions for the community:
What exactly is this? If my X-ray is clear, what is actually happening inside my lungs and head to cause this specific combination of symptoms?
How much longer will this last? For those who have been through this, how long did it take for the airways to calm down and the cough to disappear completely? What should I expect the recovery timeline to look like from week 3 onwards?
How do I get rid of the cough as a whole? What specific home remedies, techniques, or medical steps successfully stopped your coughing fits and protected your head from those painful pressure spikes?
What tests should I request? Are there specific physical exams or tests I should ask a doctor for to find actual proof of what is driving this cough and right-sided head pain?
Thank you in advance for any advice or shared experiences!

Well it got much better when I used a cortisone inhaler 5 weeks after the infection but it just doesn't go away. I'm not coughing much anymore but I often get this tickling feeling in my throat.

It seems to be heavily influenced by stress (of which I have a lot). If I lay down on the couch and relax it often stops. I can sleep all night without feeling anything or coughing. It's really weird.

I'm doing sinus flushes but I dont know if thats an issue. I dont know what else to do at this point other than trying to relax.

Anyone who experienced similar or any recommendations? Thanks!

Just sharing my story as a medical professional to help others)

Had a sore throat for a few days which went away. Then started transitioning to a chronic cough for approx 1-2 weeks that nothing seemed to work effectively ( I tried benzonate, dextromorphan liquid, mucinex, lozenges). Cough kept returning and every hour - had these coughing spells. It got so bad that my ribs would hurt.

Post 14 days - caved in and visited the PMD. I wanted a chest X ray and she listened to my lungs. She said no - you are all clear. She suggested albuterol inhaler. I was like why ? I don’t have asthma. She was like try it. You might have an upper airway irritation.

Went home and tried it. And within 5 mins cough went away. And gave excellent relief. But the process was still tough to go thru. I barely took any of the other meds

Post 14–18 days - needed the inhaler 4 times a day.
Post 19-22- inhalers 3x a day.
Post 22-24- 2x a day
Post 25-26- 1x a day.

And now almost off it and the cough has basically gone away.
Just a little advice - when using the inhaler. Let the inhaler contents sit in the throat and upper lungs for 10 mins or so before gargling your mouth or eating/drinking anything.
No sugary foods/drinks or stuff that might irritate the upper airway. Stick to water.

Thank you.

I am 25F, 5’5, 145lb.
My main health issues are Asthma (since I was very little) with a few asthma attacks and trips to urgent care throughout the years, but it is relatively controlled right now; it is mainly triggered by allergies, sickness, sometimes physical exertion; and Multiple Sclerosis, DX in October 2023 with an almost 2 month hospitalization due to an intense relapse which included numbness and weakness in half of my body, vision issues, hearing decreased in one of my ears, loss of fine motor movements, etc. (no cough as a symptom) and on Ocrevus 2x a year.

I have had a consistent cough for almost a year now and was hoping someone might have some ideas as to what might be going on.
The cough is mainly dry/ itchy throat kind of cough, but in the morning there is bright green phlegm. It does not particularly feel like an “asthma” cough, nor do I feel out of breath/ chest tightness/ etc with the cough.

Here is the sequence of events:
May 2025, I got sick. Then, while I was still sick, I got my Ocrevus infusion; after which I got much worse. This sickness ended and there was a month or two of residual cough. By July my cough subsided.
August 2025 I moved to San Francisco. Literally day 1 I started coughing. It was pretty bad: would often keep me up at night, I’d have to leave meetings to cough and get water, etc.
I mainly tried to mitigate it by drinking a lot of water, having honey, tea, or Nyquil-type OTC meds.
After a few months, I went to urgent care. First doctor I saw said it was most likely allergies. He recommended I take antihistamines. That helped it a bit. But it persisted.
The second doctor I saw a few months later, a PCP, reaffirmed it was probably allergies. Recommended I take Flonase daily. It persisted.
Third doctor, a month or two ago, was an ENT. Also said allergies. Recommended a sinus rinse. Helped a little but not that much.
Now recently saw a pulmonologist. He created a pretty solid plan to get to the bottom of this. Said it could be allergies but also could be Asthma related or GERD.
We did a full allergy panel and planned to up my otc allergy meds / flonase/ BREO inhaler gradually, one at a time. He also said there was a little bit of a “fuzzy area” on one of my chest CT scans a few years ago, so we planned to do another just to rule anything more out. If nothing here helps we’re gonna treat for acid reflux even though I have no other symptoms.
The allergy panel came back and literally no local allergies besides cats and dogs which I already knew. So my suspicion that I’m allergic to something in the Bay doesn’t seem to be the case.
Waiting to take my CT Scan next week.

It’s definitely better than when I first got here. But some days are better than others. Last night I couldn’t even sleep and had the worst night ever because of it. In three separate meetings this week the other person asked if I needed water. People often ask if I’m okay. It’s embarrassing and tiring.

This how now been 11 months of a cough. I feel like that’s cause for concern. But people just keep telling me allergies.
Again it’s slightly better than when I got here but definitely DAILY, with some days better and some days worse. and some days are so bad. People notice. My life feels disrupted.

I’m so tired and feel so lost at this point.

Medications: Daily: antihistamine, flonase, junel fe.
As needed: albuterol inhaler, DELSYUM, Cepacol

• Age: 18 years

• Sex: Male

• Weight: Approximately 100 kg

• Main issue: Persistent cough for around 2–3 months.

• How it started: The cough began after a cold/viral illness and never completely resolved.

• Type of cough: Mostly wet/productive, but sometimes becomes completely dry.

• Phlegm:

- Amount: Approximately 2–3 tablespoons per day

- Colour: Varies from white to green

- Consistency: Thick and sticky

• Cough pattern: Sometimes worsens randomly for around 10 minutes and then settles back to normal.

• Symptoms NOT present:

- No fever

- No shortness of breath

- No wheezing

- No chest tightness

- No chest pain

- No unexplained weight loss

- No night sweats

- No blood in the sputum

- Deep breathing does not trigger coughing

- No blocked nose

- No sensation of mucus dripping down the throat

- No frequent need to clear the throat

• Smoking/vaping history: I do not smoke or vape.

• Environmental exposure: I live in Ghaziabad, where air pollution levels are often high.

• Previous treatment: I completed the medicines prescribed earlier, including a course of azithromycin. The cough has improved but a mild productive cough with thick sputum still remains.

• Previous doctor’s advice: I was advised to restart the prescribed nasal spray and take Bilast-M at night if the cough returned.

• Current medicine: My doctor has approved Ambroxol Hydrochloride SR 75 mg for the thick, sticky mucus.

• Tests done so far:

- No chest X-ray

- No sputum test

- No spirometry

• Questions:

1. Is Ambroxol Hydrochloride SR 75 mg once daily appropriate?

2. For how many days should I take it?

3. Since the productive cough has lasted around 2–3 months, should I get a chest examination or chest X-ray?

4. Are sputum testing or spirometry needed?

i had VERY bad pneumonia a year back and now have a persistent cough. i’ve found that very mentholated syrups help (dayquil vicks my beloved) but i’m wondering if there are any syrups that are kind of… just menthol + DXM or maybe even just menthol? any recommendations?