6th December 2006
I'm approaching wit's end! I'm looking for opinions. Here are the symptoms:
- It all started one morning, Nov 1. I woke up to coughing and right side tightness. We had 2 humidifiers on in the room and there was so much humidity, there was a cloud in the room. My wife coughed for one day.
- This was Weds morn. The prior Sunday I mixed up 10 bags of concrete to pour a cement pad. It was a windy day and there was some cement dust in the air that I may have breathed in but I was fine until weds morn.
- Since then I've had a dry cough every day and a sense on the right side of tightness/very mild pain that I also feel when eating. It feels as if my right bronchial tube or esophagus are affected.
- I've been to the Dr twice re this. They seem to focus on the cough and not the esophagus. They prescribed an inhaler (Maxiar) and clariten the first teim. This did nothing. The second time ( a week ago) he said it was adult pertussis (whooping cough) and gave me an antibiotic (zithromax) and sent me for a chest xray. Since I have not gotten a call yet on the xray I presume it was clear. The antibiotic has not changed anything.
- My anxiety level is very high. I've had (by process of elimination) esophageal spasm (mild) diagnosed many times before because of right sided chest pain. Had many stress tests, etc. and it always goes away (after months!) when I settle down regarding it. This is very similar except for the cough.
- My sleep is not affected and sleeping does not make the cough worse. It's more of a feeling of a tickle which makes me want to cough.
- I sing in the choir at church and cantor and can sing for hours and be ok. I also can walk 2-3 miles and ride my bike and be ok.
- I've always been a throat clearer especially in the morning. This can be very annoying.
- Work stress was very high when this started and I was under a lot of pressure.
- My anxiety now is the cough sensation. If it's from the cement dust, how long will things take to calm down? If it's LPR, does this come and go? I've read re use of Nexium - are there OTC drugs that I can try?
Thanks so much!!
Tom
- It all started one morning, Nov 1. I woke up to coughing and right side tightness. We had 2 humidifiers on in the room and there was so much humidity, there was a cloud in the room. My wife coughed for one day.
- This was Weds morn. The prior Sunday I mixed up 10 bags of concrete to pour a cement pad. It was a windy day and there was some cement dust in the air that I may have breathed in but I was fine until weds morn.
- Since then I've had a dry cough every day and a sense on the right side of tightness/very mild pain that I also feel when eating. It feels as if my right bronchial tube or esophagus are affected.
- I've been to the Dr twice re this. They seem to focus on the cough and not the esophagus. They prescribed an inhaler (Maxiar) and clariten the first teim. This did nothing. The second time ( a week ago) he said it was adult pertussis (whooping cough) and gave me an antibiotic (zithromax) and sent me for a chest xray. Since I have not gotten a call yet on the xray I presume it was clear. The antibiotic has not changed anything.
- My anxiety level is very high. I've had (by process of elimination) esophageal spasm (mild) diagnosed many times before because of right sided chest pain. Had many stress tests, etc. and it always goes away (after months!) when I settle down regarding it. This is very similar except for the cough.
- My sleep is not affected and sleeping does not make the cough worse. It's more of a feeling of a tickle which makes me want to cough.
- I sing in the choir at church and cantor and can sing for hours and be ok. I also can walk 2-3 miles and ride my bike and be ok.
- I've always been a throat clearer especially in the morning. This can be very annoying.
- Work stress was very high when this started and I was under a lot of pressure.
- My anxiety now is the cough sensation. If it's from the cement dust, how long will things take to calm down? If it's LPR, does this come and go? I've read re use of Nexium - are there OTC drugs that I can try?
Thanks so much!!
Tom