SO ANNOYED!!! Chronic cough!!

[lele19]

I'm 25 years old. I have never smoked, drank alcohol or taken any illegal drugs. I am never around smokers.

My cough noticeably started five months ago following a chest cold.
I have shortness of breath on and off since stopping my amitryptline around the same time.
I have lost a stone in weight in around 6 months (I'm hoping because I'm eating a lost less and exercising more and not because of cancer)
It's still there and I'm so bloody annoyed by it I really am.
I feel generally fine in myself, I don't feel ill and it's not an infection.
I cough every morning after eating, clear phlegm.
I cough after exercising in the cold weather and when in dusty environments.
I cough when I laugh.
In December I had a chest x-ray which was completely clear.
I've had lung function tests recently which were all fine.
I've had asthma tests which came back inconclusive but likely not asthma.
Two weeks ago I started taking Omeprazole.
Today I go back to my GP because they've made me feel ill and my symptoms remain.
I'm so pissed off and annoyed. I beleive she will recommend a gastroscopy because she asked if I've had one last time I saw her.
I REFUSE TO HAVE ANYTHING SHOVED DOWN MY THROAT.
I'm terrified that I have stage 4 lung cancer.
Reading up on it I have all of the flipping symptoms.
Chronic cough, clear mucus, shortness of breath (on and off, although I also most likely have POTS says my cardiologist which can make you short of breath) intermittent chest pain and sometimes I sweat in bed (though my covers are really warm).

I'm at a complete loss I really am. I'm worried, I'm scared, I'm SICK of always having this on my mind.

[Gary A]

You don't have stage 4 lung cancer, you'd be a very ill person if you did.

What you describe sounds like either asthma or maybe a chronic allergy. You didn't mention if you smoked or not, as this can prolong coughing after colds etc, as your lungs take longer to clear.

You are only 25 years old, the odds of you having lung cancer are literally millions to one.

I would enquire with your doctor about further testing for asthma and perhaps ask them if they can check you for allergies.

Try to stop thinking about cancer, it's so unlikely it's not even worth considering.

[nirvanainchains]

You wouldn’t be here if you have stage 4 cancer.

[countrygirl]

I have in the past after a cold had a cough that has lasted 6 months! I have very sensitive throat and airways.
My friend was diagnosed with lung cancer 5 months ago, aged 60 never smoked and very healthy otherwise. Hers was picked up on a routine chest x ray for something else as she had no symptoms whatsoever of lung cancer. no cough nothing. A chest x ray will pick up lung cancer except in its very very early stages and you would not have any symptoms then anyway.
So lung cancer is almost certainly not the problem but there are lots of other benign airway problems that it could be.
Have you tried asthma inhaler for a few months to see if this helps?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Lung cancer is usually picked up at stage III or IV. After 5 months I think you would be a lot more ill than how you describe. It's a misconception that you wouldn't be posting on here, that I know for fact (you aren't necessarily so ill as to be an in-patient) as my GF's mum has stage IV. Like countrygirl's friend, she never smoked and was physically healthy in her sixties but has a smokers form of lung cancer, which is rare in a non smoker.

She was picked up at stage IV and she had been having trouble breathing but not like what you are describing, she was sent straight to hospital for tests on her lungs and after about a month of various tests and a discharge she was finally diagnosed.

You would be much more ill than what you describe and there is absolutely no way you could do workouts! My GF's mum was struggling to climb the stairs more than once a day after 2 months and you've had 5.

Clear mucus - everyone has clear mucus. Too much mucus in the airways may be a sign of something of an inflammatory nature such as asthma. You certainly mention known asthma triggers in the cold weather, dusty environments and exercise. Maybe your GP trying you with a temporary inhaler might help as countrygirl says? But clear mucus is something anyone with a cold can experience more of, it's just inflammation, a reaction to an allergic trigger. Infection is usually present when it has colour according yo my GP's who always advised me to lookout for that with chest infections. (I've had asthma since childhood)

POTS has been seen as having recent viral infection as a connection. Viral infection can worsen it too, I think.

I think they need to do more tests to determine what it is and whether the POTS is connected.

[lele19]

Thanks for all of your replies. I really appreciate them.
And it's dreadful to hear about your friends and relatives with lung cancer. Cancer's so shit. I've always feared it massively I really have.

I saw my GP who has now ordered lots of allergen blood tests and also given me a nasal spray to use for a week in case it's post-nasal drip and that's irritating my throat.

She advised that because my peak flow is normal when I cough and also when I feel short of breath that I do not have asthma. I asked about cough-variant asthma and was told that if the asthma was bad enough to make me cough then my peak flow would be affected.

I took the PPI's for like 10 days and she said that within two weeks if it was acid reflux they should help, but because I took them for 10 days (which I didn't mention to her) I still would have thought some slight improvement would have been seen during that time if it were reflux.

I do get very breathless walking up stairs but I can walk up them. My heart races but again that could be POTS. I'm waiting on a letter from the cardiologist regarding lifestyle changes I can make to lessen the POTS symptoms. If I do have POTS as he suspects I will have had it for a long time.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thanks for the kind words, lele.

I would trust your GP on the asthma, it is so common and GP's are much more trained up on it all since a few decades ago when it was still a bit new to them.

Some people on here say netipots have helped them with things like post-nasal drip.

[lele19]

I'm due to find out the results of my allergen blood test tomorrow.

On Saturday I had agonising chest pain (on hol atm) went to urgent care and was diagnosed with pleurisy (viral he said) although he doesn't know my history of cough or anything. Pain has mostly gone now but feeling run down still. This has convinced me even more that something is wrong. :(

[1Sis1]

[/COLOR]Could your cough be caused from a damaged nerve in your larynx mine was so bad anything wind ,warm air, cold air air conditioning even swallowing food would set it off .My diagnosis was called Laryngal sensory neuropathy(aka the mystery chronic cough)the nerve that provides sensation to the voice box And is responsible for triggering the cough reflex has been injured and becomes hyper sensitive, it needs certain medications to calm it down .I am on Gabapentin which is a anti-seizure medication however it has been used with great results for me .There are several others that may work as well.
Not many ENTs are aware of this condition l finally lucked out and found one
I am not saying this is what is wrong with you however if after all the tests for asthma,reflux,etc, come back negative you might want to contact an ENT who will be willing to look into the mystery chronic cough theory .All the Best. I apologize I replied to this post twice I am new on this site and thought this post didn't go through so just disregard the next post Thanks

[lily1]

My partner had a cough that lasted for months and took Ome drug that you are taking. My dad also had the same. They were diagnosed with post nasal drip it could also be acid reflux.

[1Sis1]

You may have Laryngal sensory naropathy (aka) the mystery chronic cough which starts after a upper respiratory infection The nerve in the larynx got damaged I had it for 20 years after a sinus infection and went through every test for many years for what you are describing all negative ,they were all so sure it was acid reflux or just all in my mind .Not many ENT doctors ar even aware of this condition and now I finally found an ENT specialist who knew what was wrong .
NO one will ever know how all consuming this cough is unless they suffer ,through it,there is no controlling it once it starts .Just stuffy air ,talking on the phone ,smoke ,anything could trigger this cough .

THe new ENT put me on Gabapentin it is for seizure control however it has been found to settle the nerve in the larynx and seems to be workin now for me I have no side effects from the medication, there are several other medications that may work as well Amitripitline being another it made me drosy so I take one before bed and 2 Gabapentin a day my cough is down from 50 % of my day to 3%.
This may not be your problem however if all else fails it's worth seeking an "ENT"who will listen to you and look up the information on The Mystery Chronic Cough site All the best